Best HD Solutions

[ejkeebler]

I have been on a sage box for a few years and mythtv before that for a few years, and it's been nice having my 3 tuners and standard basic cable. Now making the Jump to HD I really don't know what to do. I am going to upgrade my box as well. However, I really don't know what HD solution to use. Since I have basic cable, It looks like I can get about 50 Digital stations and maybe 6 or so will be HD. If I get a cable box, then I can't really record anything off of it unless I do some complex IR blaster setup, right?

Most of our recorded shows right now are from NBC, CBS, ABC or FOX, but I'm guessing the other shows like from E! or ESPN or Discovery, Comedy Central are going to look like crap unless I get a box? Also it seems kind of a waste of a new HD television if i only have 6 HD channels.

I'm just wondering what everyone else does, do they just stick with a digital tuner like the HVR2250 or do people use them in combination????

[MitchSchaft]

I think all you need to do is hook your cable box (digital, HD cable box) to an HDPVR via component outs. Then the HDPVR to your PC. I think you'll need an IR blaster to change channels.

You can't just hook up a regular tv tuner, those will only do unencrypted QAM. Real HD channels (HBO, etc...) are encrypted and you'll have to use the cable box.

[ejkeebler]

Originally Posted by MitchSchaft

I think all you need to do is hook your cable box (digital, HD cable box) to an HDPVR via component outs. Then the HDPVR to your PC. I think you'll need an IR blaster to change channels.

You can't just hook up a regular tv tuner, those will only do unencrypted QAM. Real HD channels (HBO, etc...) are encrypted and you'll have to use the cable box.

i think that is my plan right now to just stick with the unencrypted QAM channels, which should be about 50 channels 5 or 6 of which are the local HD's and just suffer for the rest of my regular scheduled programming, almost everything we record is on NBC, CBS, ABC or FOX so it shouldn't be too bad...

Wish they'd add ESPN though

I'm just not sure I want to go through the trouble of an external box and IR Blaster...

[MitchSchaft]

If all you're after is QAM, I would get the HDHomerun. It's a dual tuner that sits on your network. You plug your cat5 in instead of installing a card in your box.

[ejkeebler]

Originally Posted by MitchSchaft

If all you're after is QAM, I would get the HDHomerun. It's a dual tuner that sits on your network. You plug your cat5 in instead of installing a card in your box.

what would be the advantage of the Homerun over the HVR-2250?

[MitchSchaft]

The HDHomerun has 2 digital tuners and won't do analog at all. The HVR-2250 is hybrid, so it will do analog.
I think the real benefeit is just that it's external so you don't have to have another component plugged in to your PC's mobo.
Somebody with more knowledge will probably come along.

[razrsharpe]

and they JUST WORK, if you search the forums you will find lots of people that are very satisfied with the HDHR. I have 2 for 4 OTA tuners and they are fantastic.

[QueOnda]

I have 3 and LOVE them! They are on sale.

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by ejkeebler

Most of our recorded shows right now are from NBC, CBS, ABC or FOX, but I'm guessing the other shows like from E! or ESPN or Discovery, Comedy Central are going to look like crap unless I get a box? Also it seems kind of a waste of a new HD television if i only have 6 HD channels.

That's why you go with Dish or DirecTV, they've each got over 100 HD channels. I think there's only one network on Dish I ever watch that isn't broadcast (if not shot) in HD.

[sic0048]

The Dish TurboHD packages are pretty hard to compete with too IMHO. They may not have every channel that you get now, but I bet you could get 90% of the channels you watch now, but in HD quality, for about $35 a month.

It made us switch from nothing (just ATSC OTA) to satellite. We never felt that the cable or satellite packages were worth the money prior to the HD only option with Dish.

[razrsharpe]

not to hijack this thread but.... regarding, Dish/DirectTV... how is the service during snow/rain/thunder?... basically bad weather... Also how noticable is the compression any worse/better than the cable cos?. These are the major reasons i havent switched over yet... ive been considering switching when my comcraptic bundle is up this summer.

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by razrsharpe

not to hijack this thread but.... regarding, Dish/DirectTV... how is the service during snow/rain/thunder?... basically bad weather...

I've got Dish, I think it went out once on me last winter (2007-2008), but I think that was when a foot of snow piled up on the dish after a single snowstorm, fortunately I could reach it with a broom. It goes out if a big thunder "cell" passes just to the south of me, but rain alone, even moderately heavy rain doesn't bother it much. I know my friend and parrents have way more trouble with their cable than I do with my Dish.

Also how noticable is the compression any worse/better than the cable cos?.

You know, through my HD PVR, I haven't actually noticed any compression artifacts on the Dish HD channels. I do notice them frequently on my OTA (HDHR) channels. Note I'm carefully saying I don't "notice" them. It's probably due to the compression, Dish uses H.264 for HD where the cable companies (and OTA) use MPEG-2, so it works better at the lower bitrates they like to try and cram HD in.

[kevine]

If I could afford 8 tuners with DirecTV, I would switch. I loved DirecTV when I had it. It's just that everything is a box with them. And every box has a cost. Right now I have an HDHR and get most of my programming in HD and don't pay extra for it. In order to get those 4 tuners in HD for DTV, 4 HD PVRs and 4 HD boxes with HD service. $1000 + $30/month extra.

You know what DirecTV is great for... Hurricanes. Take your dish down before the storm, put it back up after. When I used to live in FL, I lost TV for 2 weeks on cable. Not to mention power for 4 days too.

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by kevine

If I could afford 8 tuners with DirecTV, I would switch. I loved DirecTV when I had it. It's just that everything is a box with them. And every box has a cost. Right now I have an HDHR and get most of my programming in HD and don't pay extra for it.

If that's locals, you can get the same with DTV and an antenna.

[ejkeebler]

I have 1 TV and currently have basic cable and according to http://www.silicondust.com/hdhomerun...#lineup_350885 I'll be getting about 40 digital channels along with my 50 or so analog over basic cable without a box.

I am wondering how I should setup my Sage Server. I do not anticipate adding any more TV's any time soon (several years). I have an HD TV. I could see us deciding to upgrade to the Digital Cable box to get more HD channels.

My current thinking was to build the system with an internal HVR-2250 and used as a client/server combo (like I do now with SD) I would like to be able to record 2 shows or watch / record. And if I decide to upgrade to the Digital Box then I will just use it to watch live stuff that I might want to see in HD (i.e. ESPNHD monday Night Football) I guess I would not record from this source.

Is there a better option that might also offer the digital box as a source within sage, so I would only operate through sage?

With my remote (Harmony 880) it would make it pretty easy to go back and forth from sage to the digital box, i suppose?

basically i'm wondering about something like the HD-PVR or the HD Homerun's in addition to or instead of the HVR-2250?

[pjpjpjpj]

The only way to get encrypted HD content (from a box, from cable/sat), other than some various hacks that were developed back before the HD-PVR, is to get an HD-PVR. So, since the whole point of you possibly upgrading to a box would be to get more HD, then you would want to get an HD-PVR at that point.

[ejkeebler]

with going with the service provider's pvr and no PC. TV supports DLNA I'd have to upgrade to Digital Service and HDPVR so that's 25 a month more. TV also supports pandora streaming and netflix streaming.

It's making it tough to decide whether I'll miss any of Sage's other features.

[vikingisson]

Originally Posted by ejkeebler

It's making it tough to decide whether I'll miss any of Sage's other features.

Like perhaps mix and match providers and multiple streams from each?
example: QAM or two for unencrypted, cable/sat box(s) + HD capture for pay chans, ATSC for OTA-HD, plus the free online. With priority settings you can add lower res streams for $0 more. Cheaper, n+1 streams, more fiddling but maybe less WAF but is the better value.

[kevine]

Originally Posted by stanger89

If that's locals, you can get the same with DTV and an antenna.

Not if you don't live close enough. That is the boat I am in.