HD-200 makes life easier?

[scott2020]

I finally took the dive into the HD extender pool. It should be here tomorrow! Will it really make my Sage experience easier?

No more playing with FFDShow / AC3 filter?
No more messing with Purevideo decoder?
No more Graphedit?
No more tweaking INI files, goofing with MPEG4 stuff, trying to make sure my CPU isn't over-utilized? No more Java heaps?

I just plug it in, configure, let it talk to my backend Sage server, and all (most) is well?

I do expect to have to try different firmware as necessary and keep my "headless" Sage server current.

That sure would be cool. Thanks all!

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by scott2020

I finally took the dive into the HD extender pool. It should be here tomorrow! Will it really make my Sage experience easier?

Definitely.

No more playing with FFDShow / AC3 filter?

Yup.

No more messing with Purevideo decoder?

Of course

No more Graphedit?

Absolutely

No more tweaking INI files, goofing with MPEG4 stuff, trying to make sure my CPU isn't over-utilized?

For sure.

No more Java heaps?

Not sure about that one, course not really sure why it's ever necessary...

I just plug it in, configure, let it talk to my backend Sage server, and all (most) is well?

Pretty much.

I do expect to have to try different firmware as necessary and keep my "headless" Sage server current.

Install the latest beta firmware when you get it, and then you're done unless new firmware and/or Server software adds a feature or bug fix you want.

[TakeFlight]

In a word... YES

[Micco]

I'm so disappointed in my HD 200. I set it up last night. I did everything the instructions said, including installing the latest beta firmware. After almost five minutes of hard labor, it just worked.

What?! After spending $200 on a new toy I don't get to spend hours and hours trying to get it to work? No more filters and codecs and spinning circles? No fighting to get an IP addy? What did Frey Tech think...I was buying this to actually use it? Every stinking format I threw at it just played. Disgusting.

How am I supposed to get my geek on if there aren't tons of problems, huh?

Jeesh, now I'll have to help wrap Christmas presents!

[TakeFlight]

And to elaborate beyond just one word... This thing just works! And it's the best picture quality I've gotten out of SageTV in the 4+ years I've been using it (3+ years with HD).

Before HD200...



After HD200...

[scott2020]

How cool! If UPS doesn't hose me today, it should be here.

I am a computer geek and I must admit I had fun for awhile playing with my HTPC running Sage and tweaking things. But after awhile it gets old and the WAF goes down the more I try to "make it better" by playing with it! I have everything pretty decent now, but the extender will be more for cleaning things up in the living room, getting the big old PC out of there.

I have no idea what I will do with my extra free time! I have a couple of kids running around in the background I think...

Scott

[pjpjpjpj]

Originally Posted by Micco

How am I supposed to get my geek on if there aren't tons of problems, huh?

Just start installing every custom plug-in you can find and trying to keep them all updated (while IMDB changes their format every few months ).

[TakeFlight]

Originally Posted by scott2020

I am a computer geek and I must admit I had fun for awhile playing with my HTPC running Sage and tweaking things. But after awhile it gets old and the WAF goes down the more I try to "make it better" by playing with it! I have everything pretty decent now, but the extender will be more for cleaning things up in the living room, getting the big old PC out of there.

Same here. I still have a HTPC in my "media room" with my projector but in the living room I now have the HD200 instead of a computer and I'll never go back.

[dadof4]

Extenders...Exactly the reason I switched from BTV to SageTV. Now I've got a 50 ft. DVI>HDMI clothes line!

Rich

[scott2020]

I got it! It took me all of 5 minutes to get it connected. It downloaded the firmware update after I did 6.5.5 updates, and started watching TV. It is great having 1 HDMI out for video and sound! Really cleans things up.

How are people watching DVD's with the extender? I tried putting the DVD in my Sage server but it would not play on the extender. I have ripped DVD's to files which works fine and they play fine, but sometimes the wife and kids want to pop in a DVD that isn't ripped and watch.

We're so excited!

[TakeFlight]

Originally Posted by scott2020

I got it! It took me all of 5 minutes to get it connected. It downloaded the firmware update after I did 6.5.5 updates, and started watching TV. It is great having 1 HDMI out for video and sound! Really cleans things up.

How are people watching DVD's with the extender? I tried putting the DVD in my Sage server but it would not play on the extender. I have ripped DVD's to files which works fine and they play fine, but sometimes the wife and kids want to pop in a DVD that isn't ripped and watch.

We're so excited!

Yep, I love it when things just work. And I replaced about 7 or 8 cables related to my SageTV client PC and now just have the 3 cables going to the HD200 (network, power, HDMI). Nice and clean.

As for DVDs, I ripped all my DVDs to my Sage server. For the rare time I want to watch a physical DVD (netflix or if a friend brings one over) in my living room I still have a good old fashioned DVD player. I never did have a DVD drive in my Sage client in the living room.

[evilpenguin]

Originally Posted by TakeFlight

Before HD200...



After HD200...

Well put

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by scott2020

How are people watching DVD's with the extender?

Copy protection prevents DVDs from being streamed over a network. So the only way to get it to work is to put unencrypted DVDs in the drive, and to set the drive as an import directory. You then refresh your import dir and can play it from the library.

[scott2020]

Originally Posted by stanger89

Copy protection prevents DVDs from being streamed over a network. So the only way to get it to work is to put unencrypted DVDs in the drive, and to set the drive as an import directory. You then refresh your import dir and can play it from the library.

Crud. I guess AnyDVD can help with that. I suppose the PS2 can play DVD's too so that might work.

Thanks all!

[autoboy]

A separate DVD player is not as waf friendly but it works. A step up would be to get a universal remote that has a DVD button so all they have to know is to put the DVD in and press that button. Anytime they have to switch video inputs you can run into trouble. Unencrypted DVDs play fineon the extender if you stick them in the server DVD drive and add that drive as a video directory.

[Taddeusz]

Originally Posted by autoboy

A separate DVD player is not as waf friendly but it works. A step up would be to get a universal remote that has a DVD button so all they have to know is to put the DVD in and press that button. Anytime they have to switch video inputs you can run into trouble. Unencrypted DVDs play fineon the extender if you stick them in the server DVD drive and add that drive as a video directory.

A Harmony remote works wonders for this kind of thing as long as you train them to keep the remote pointed at the equipment. My new LCD HDTV has a inordinately long startup time and requires you to keep the remote pointed that way for about 15sec until it finally is able to issue the command to change inputs on the TV. But it still works great and is very easy to reprogram. I'll eventually get another one for my bedroom.