Just before buying one

[DavDes]

Hi,

I've just return my D-Link DSM-750 to vendor because, it completely fails to play ripped DVD. I was able to see them in MediaCenter Gallery (with CovertArt). But when I was playing them, I didn't have sound because DVD has only AC3/5.1 soundtrack. DVD with AC3/2 were ok but they are 1% of my collection.

Before buying Sage Extender, I wish to have a clear answer :

1. Can it play ripped DVD ? For me, a ripped DVD is a folder named for example "MyTitle" which contains AUDIO_TS, VIDEO_TS folders + Folder.JPG.
   VIDEO_TS contains IFO, BUP, many VOB.
2. Can it play ripped DVD over HDMI (1080i or p) with AC3/5.1 soundtrack ?
3. Can it show DVDs as a list of Cover Arts ?

Thanks for your patience.
David

[Rob]

Originally Posted by DavDes

Can it play ripped DVD ? For me, a ripped DVD is a folder named for example "MyTitle" which contains AUDIO_TS, VIDEO_TS folders + Folder.JPG.
VIDEO_TS contains IFO, BUP, many VOB.

I have several hundred DVD's stored in this fasion and it playes them all fine.

Originally Posted by DavDes

Can it play ripped DVD over HDMI (1080i or p) with AC3/5.1 soundtrack ?

I'm thinking yes, but don't use HDMI myself. I use component and SPDIF for one of my extenders and DVI and SPDIF for the other (I use an HDMI to DVI converter). Both work fine withe AC3 5.1 and DTS 5.1 sound.

Originally Posted by DavDes

Can it show DVDs as a list of Cover Arts ?[/LIST]David

Yes, if the cover art is stored as you describe above (folder.jpg). I used the option in sage called folders. With this any folder that contains multiple movies (or episodes of a TV show) is shown first in the list and then all the single movies are listed. For example, I have some in folders like CSI, where there are multiple episodes in the folder. The rest are movies like you describe above. They sort after the CSI folder in the display. All show cover art if there is a folder.jpg file. For me it works great.

You referenced 1080P above, so I'll mention that I have no issues with any regular DVD's. For blu ray's I have to re-encode the video to lower the bit rate a little for them to play smoothly. I encode them to .mkv files and then re-encode them to lower the bit rate a little. The results play great, but without subtitles and without chapters. I include the chapters and subs in the .mkv's I create, but the extender does not yet support them. Hopefully this will change soon.

[gplasky]

Originally Posted by DavDes

Hi,

I've just return my D-Link DSM-750 to vendor because, it completely fails to play ripped DVD. I was able to see them in MediaCenter Gallery (with CovertArt). But when I was playing them, I didn't have sound because DVD has only AC3/5.1 soundtrack. DVD with AC3/2 were ok but they are 1% of my collection.

Before buying Sage Extender, I wish to have a clear answer :

1. Can it play ripped DVD ? For me, a ripped DVD is a folder named for example "MyTitle" which contains AUDIO_TS, VIDEO_TS folders + Folder.JPG.
   VIDEO_TS contains IFO, BUP, many VOB.
2. Can it play ripped DVD over HDMI (1080i or p) with AC3/5.1 soundtrack ?
3. Can it show DVDs as a list of Cover Arts ?

Thanks for your patience.
David

Keep in mind the Sage Extender is NOT a product like your D-Link DSM-750. The Sage Extender only works with SageTV product. You'll need to purchase the SageTV Media Center and have a PC to run it on. Without the SageTV Media software bought, installed and up and running on a PC your Sage Extender will do absolutely nothing.

Gerry

[queequeg99]

Originally Posted by DavDes

Hi,

I've just return my D-Link DSM-750 to vendor because, it completely fails to play ripped DVD. I was able to see them in MediaCenter Gallery (with CovertArt). But when I was playing them, I didn't have sound because DVD has only AC3/5.1 soundtrack. DVD with AC3/2 were ok but they are 1% of my collection.

Before buying Sage Extender, I wish to have a clear answer :

1. Can it play ripped DVD ? For me, a ripped DVD is a folder named for example "MyTitle" which contains AUDIO_TS, VIDEO_TS folders + Folder.JPG.
   VIDEO_TS contains IFO, BUP, many VOB.
2. Can it play ripped DVD over HDMI (1080i or p) with AC3/5.1 soundtrack ?
3. Can it show DVDs as a list of Cover Arts ?

Thanks for your patience.
David

Playing ripped DVDs is not a problem at all. As for cover art, there is a way within Sage to have it go out an access a database to get art (and summaries). Additionally, if you use DVD Profiler, you can export your data to Sage (I prefer the DVD Profiler summaries).

I don't know about the audio HMDI issue. I use HMDI to connect to my TV and use SPDIF to play 5.1 through my receiver.

Please note that any negative answers to your questions should be taken with one big caveat: Sage is introducing a new version of the HD Extender soon and no one knows what additional features it will offer (and you can't buy the old version since they've run out).

[DavDes]

Thanks for your answers.
1/Sage Extender needs SageTV on a running PC ? No problem : DSM-750 needed too because of Vista Media Center
2/New version in view : mmmh Should I wait or Should I go now : thats the question :-)

Anyway Sage Extender seems to be a better solution for me than MediaCenter Extenders (HP,Linksys,D-Link)

[Mitch G]

You have no choice but to wait. The HD-100 is out of stock and the word on the street the next batch in December-ish? will be of the updated version.

[tmiranda]

Originally Posted by DavDes

Can it play ripped DVD over HDMI (1080i or p) with AC3/5.1 soundtrack ?

1080i and 1080p are not supported by the DVD format. If you mean can the HD100 upconvert from DVD (720p) to 1080i and 1080p the answer is yes.

Native 1080 is only supported on Blu-Ray and the HD100 can play that too, but some audio formats are not supported.

[mickp]

Originally Posted by tmiranda

1080i and 1080p are not supported by the DVD format. If you mean can the HD100 upconvert from DVD (720p) to 1080i and 1080p the answer is yes.

Native 1080 is only supported on Blu-Ray and the HD100 can play that too, but some audio formats are not supported.

DVD 720p? When did I miss this?

Mick.

[tmiranda]

Oops. I violated the cardinal rule "thou shalt not type when kids are playing loudly".

[Zippster]

I see posts saying that playing the ripped DVD's ( ie..Video_TS folders) is no problem, yet using SageMC on my Extender, I cant seem to do so without playing each file individually is there another add on or what I am missing?

[gplasky]

Originally Posted by Zippster

I see posts saying that playing the ripped DVD's ( ie..Video_TS folders) is no problem, yet using SageMC on my Extender, I cant seem to do so without playing each file individually is there another add on or what I am missing?

Nope. If you rip them properly and have them in the right file folder/format they should play just like a DVD with all the features. Chapters. pause, rw,ff, etc.

Gerry

[Zippster]

Originally Posted by gplasky

Nope. If you rip them properly and have them in the right file folder/format they should play just like a DVD with all the features. Chapters. pause, rw,ff, etc.

Gerry

I have some that were pre ripped, and others I ripped myself with dvdfab, dvd shrink and all the same results, the folder shows up, but when I try and play it, it simply flashes to a black screen with the Sage logo fast and back to the menu.

I do run the sageservicecontrol on my server, but cant be a paths issue as other files run from that directory no problem.

[Zippster]

Well I know am quite tech/computer savy and certainly not stupid, even though with issues like these that not alot of others are having I started to wonder but..........I ended up removing my sage install and doing fresh, videos play no problem, now I need to slowly start adding my add ons back in to figure out what the issue was.