Can I use Sagetv on my WHS driving a TV?

[jocoman]

Hard to explain in the title, but this is what I want to do. I have a WHS that I use to store music and do occasional backups. I would like to install the SAGETV software, the tuner and a video card that has a DVI out. I then want to hook this up directly to my TV panel. The reason I want this configuration is so that I don't have to have 2 PC's running. (I.E. another client PC to drive the TV). Can I do this? ( I undestand that I need to get the java and directx software properly installed on the WHS box.
Also, do I have to use the WHS version of SageTV or can I use the regular windows version that I have currently running on my XP box. i plan to control things via a wireless keyboard and mouse.

Thanks
This will be a great help.

[rlvogel322]

I've done this in the past but I would not recommend it. Things got SO much easier when I made WHS headless and used the extenders. They just work.

[gplasky]

Originally Posted by jocoman

Hard to explain in the title, but this is what I want to do. I have a WHS that I use to store music and do occasional backups. I would like to install the SAGETV software, the tuner and a video card that has a DVI out. I then want to hook this up directly to my TV panel. The reason I want this configuration is so that I don't have to have 2 PC's running. (I.E. another client PC to drive the TV). Can I do this? ( I undestand that I need to get the java and directx software properly installed on the WHS box.
Also, do I have to use the WHS version of SageTV or can I use the regular windows version that I have currently running on my XP box. i plan to control things via a wireless keyboard and mouse.

Thanks
This will be a great help.

If you're running WHS it's not designed to be a regular media PC. Your best route would be to run SageTV for WHS on it and purchase the HD Theater extender to attach to your TV. It will be the best $200 you ever spent and will make watching TV a breeze compared to any server or PC. (And that's what WHS was designed for. A headless server that is your backend for your home network.)

Gerry

[jocoman]

Thanks for the responses.
I was trying to avoid spending more money. I was trying to make the WHS a dual purpose box. Maybe I could dual boot it, sometimes it is a SAGETV machine with a TV directly connected or sometimes it is a server. Something to think about...

[gplasky]

If you want a single box to be your Sage server and Sage client it is better supported by XP or Vista. WHS is a server OS and doesn't even come with the necessary DirectX components or Windows Media Player. (It can be installed via a workaround.) Although it can be done (as in some people are running Server 2008 with SageTV) but it isn't really recommended. And makes troubleshooting (if needed) a bit more difficult. You'll more than make up the $200 that an extender costs in time NOT spent on trying to get things to work and the quietness of the extender compared to a PC next to your tv.

Gerry

[SWKerr]

I do this today except I output out to VGA that goes to a special box that converts the signal to coax. It then goes to all my old analog sets. I control it all with an IR repeater and a USB-UIRT and a Filefly remote. I do have a nVidia 8500GS graphics card in it and ArcSoft TME package as well to support the needed codecs. I have it auto boot to a special user I created for this purpose. (Not a WHS user)

I don't have any trouble with it at all. It is no less stable or responsive than before. If it becomes less stable you could always purchase the extender or build a HTPC later. It should work.

[S_M_E]

I wouldn't dual boot WHS...

[dealsdyker]

I've got it working here but it isn't perfect and gplasky is right above... if you have the $$. But if $ is short (it is for me) and you have the time then take a look as many are doing it.

My problem with messing with WHS is there is no "clean" way to back up the 20G server partition itself like with Windows XP I can ghost the drive but if you google "(acronis or ghost) and whs" there are varying results. So I really didn't want to mess up my server installation too badly. That being said, many here are more than willing to use MS WHS software "outside" the box doing things such as reformatting drives to 64K clusters, adding tuners, etc. And so am I.

For me, it was:
1. Install All Video & audio Drivers (for me all integrated AMD 780G HDMI)
2. Install DirectX9
3. Install AC3 Filter
4. Install New Java
5. Install ffdshow Codecs
6. Run start>allprograms>ffdshow> Video Decoder Configuration.
I saw that MPEG1 and MPEG2 were disabled. I changed them to libavcodec
7. Run Sage and it plays HD now from the WHS server itself.

Install Sage for WHS somewhere in there too, but keep in mind you probably don't want Sage running at all (not even the service) as you install the other stuff above.

But still Not flawless for me... occasionally when I do bring up Sage on the server to watch and "maximize" the screen (my WHS plugged into 1080P 22" LCD) sage just disappears and I'm back to the OS. No blue screen, no error, no GPF. I just restart Sage... the service is still running, it is the client that goes "poof". Note this is only on the server. My client PC running placeshifter works fine.

I know my random disappearing Sage I mentioned above is a codec issue and just need to use a different one as others out here don't seem to have the disappearing Sage Client under WHS. When I built my WHS box even though I had a Sage license I didn't really think ahead and get a DVD drive with PowerDVD included (wish now that I had). So for me I'm looking for free Codecs to work. I've been told though that PowerDVD decoder works well and might buy a new DVD drive with that program included (cheaper than buying a license to the program after the fact). I don't know if a decoder would fix the shut down problem since it isn't during DVD playback. Others suggested XviD and DivX Codecs... I haven't experimented with them but plan to.

Whatever you do to get playback working, my best advice is TAKE GOOD NOTES. Figure out what works, what you installed, in what order, and what didn't. Then keep those notes ready in case you need to reinstall or in case someone else asks (out here) how you got it working.