Help with first setup for Sagetv

[kcjack]

I am getting my home Sage network up and going and have got some advice from the likes of Plucky on hardware. I am ready to start putting everything together. I purchased license and equipment. I will list equipment / sagetv software first then what I think setup should be.

Could someone let me know if what I am doing and order is somewhere close to right??

Equipment:
1- gigabit wired cat5e network with unmanaged 24port switch
2-HDHOMERUN Dual networked tuners (2 sets)
3- 2 hauppauge pvrs
4- Dish 211 Sat box
5-HPMediasmart ex495 server with 2gig ram , 2.5g dual core processor 7.5TB storage / with SageTV WHS 6.6 to be installed
6-HD300 (to hook to 720p tv with no pc)
7-HTPC (built) 4gig ram, 3.2g i5 650 intel dual core processor, Sapphire 5670 gpu / with sagetv 6.6 cleint to be installed to hook to Home theater TV
8- Gateway 4gig ram, 2.5g dual core processor / with Sagetv client installed / to hook to bedroom TV
9-Pavilion dv5-2130us Laptop Computer Dual core i3 processor 4gig ram with / sagetv client installed for viewing where a tv is not.

Setup:

1- Install HDhomerun tuners for recording broadcast tv on WHS, Then install SageTV WHS 6.6
2- Install 3 Sagetv clients ver 6.6 on all 3 dual core pcs and have them point to the WHS as the sagetv server / then setup each client to recognize HDHomerun tuners for live TV and broadcast schedules on that pc.
3- Install HD300 on TV with no pc and get HD300 to recognize WHS as Sagetv server/ setup HDhomerun tuners so Sagetv recognizes them for live TV and broadcast schedules.
4- Setup Dish 211 with component output to Hauppauge PVR and PVR component to a TV for immediate viewing and USB to PC for recording. Setup Dish broadcast schedule to be seen in Sagetv schedule. (Should this PVR output go to my HTPC or WHS???)

Any input would be welcomed and hopefully this is the proper thread for this post.

[Fuzzy]

My first suggestion would be to skip installing 6.6. Just go straight to SageTV7 - it's so much simpler to setup/customize - there's really no need to use 6.6 at this point, especially in a new install.

[shatter]

I am not running a multiple tuner setup so maybe I am ignorant on all of this but couldn't two of the computers (item 5, 7, 8) be replaced with two HD300 units? Then you'd have one media server doing all the recording of shows and serving out of media. Then your HD300 boxes would connect to the server and pull shows and other media directly from it. You could also store all your STBs with your media server that way and keep things nice and tidy.

That would save you the extra cost of putting together 2 extra servers and you wouldn't have a potentially noisy computer in each room sucking down power and producing heat. I am in the process of moving my media server from behind my family room TV to a closet, it isn't noisy but you can still hear it when the TV is off and I'd like to remove all noise from the room that I can.

Please don't get offended, it just seems like you could have modified the build and still get it to do everything you need for a lot less cash than you have invested here.

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by shatter

I am not running a multiple tuner setup so maybe I am ignorant on all of this but couldn't two of the computers (item 5, 7, 8) be replaced with two HD300 units? Then you'd have one media server doing all the recording of shows and serving out of media. Then your HD300 boxes would connect to the server and pull shows and other media directly from it. You could also store all your STBs with your media server that way and keep things nice and tidy.

That would save you the extra cost of putting together 2 extra servers and you wouldn't have a potentially noisy computer in each room sucking down power and producing heat. I am in the process of moving my media server from behind my family room TV to a closet, it isn't noisy but you can still hear it when the TV is off and I'd like to remove all noise from the room that I can.

Please don't get offended, it just seems like you could have modified the build and still get it to do everything you need for a lot less cash than you have invested here.

He didn't purchase those pc's for this build, they were already in place working as stand-alone HTPC's. Now, they will function as SageTV Clients. The recording will still all be done at the single server. I agree, the HD300's are really nice, but if you've already got the HTPC's up and running, adding sage client licenses is only $30 each.

[kcjack]

Fuzzy,
Thanks for all the help.
I now have a client up and running on my HTPC and server on my WHS along with the HDHOMERUN tuners working with the server, (although I now understand what you said about my whs server cpu (slow)). MyMovies is also up and running on my client HTPC/Sage Client and I couldn't be happier.

I will tackle the HD300 install next with MyMovies to see what my wife thinks about the response time to her button pushes on the remote and response on ISO startups for MyMovies. The other two clients will be a piece of cake after the first Client install.

It has been a steep learning curve for me as a non-tech type, but I am enjoying the project.

Thanks to both Fuzzy and PluckyHD and all others helping my initial project.

[PiX64]

Hd300 should be a walk in the park. Just plug it in and go basically. In my exp (i have hd200(s) not 300) the hardware extenders are much more responsive, startup quicker, just plain easy!

good luck.

[Ericft]

I agree with Pix64...in the long run, not having to deal with codecs to get all your media playing when dealing with client PC builds will be a huge hassle saver....the HD300s just work...sure could they be as faster, yes. But for the plug and play capacity, they can't be beat..and then when you travel, you can easily pack one with you to use for Placeshifting...bonus.
but maybe someone can come up with a Windows 7 image that would include all the necessary installed programs/codecs that will run a client flawlessly...

[kcjack]

Thanks for the info from PiX64 and Ericft. I am already considering re-purposing my HTPC to be my WHS for Movies / TV / SageTV as it has six open drive bays and an i5 processor that I could just bump to an i7.

If I picked up 1 more HD300 to replace my HTPC, I would then retire my HPHomeMediaserver to normal backups of everything except my music and movies and my HTPC would then become my mediaserver with Vail, once Vail is finalized and there is available software.
I have not hooked it up yet, but I agree that I hope the HD300 is the way to go. Looking to get that done this Wed Nov.3rd when I finally have some time again. THANKS!!

[PiX64]

Keep us posted on the progress and how it goes tomorrow. I know im interested :-D

kinda wish i could re-setup my entire house...its a sickness really

[Polypro]

I'll give you the other side: I love having actual HTPC's running Sage. I have an HD200, and it's great...but I think HTPC's are even faster and more responsive and you can multitask (I'm typing this, converting some music, and watching TV with Sage in a window ATM). The comments are spot on, but if you build a solid, working box and get it perfect (hard sometimes, I know)...it beats even extenders IMO (I wouldn't build a computer just for the guest bedroom, but if your going to be using it often, build away! Plus, it's fun).

P

[kcjack]

This is outside my initial setup I am completeting this week. I actually have 2 Hauppauge HD1212 PVRs. One I bought another given to me.
I am now starting to wonder if I can record dish and play / distribute it anywhere in the house.

I have a 722 dish box and a 211.
Could I hook up a pvr to each of these and have them record 1080i? I also have a usb ubirt blaster from years ago when I used Beyond TV I could use.

Here is the main question, could I have both set top boxes output analog to the same pc or could I somehow have them output to my WHS Server?
I also assume I would loose realtime watching of Dish network and could only record 2 items at one without going to a SD output on the 722 which allows 1 hd output and 1 sd output.

Questions are sarting to abound about possibilities Ha!!

[Fuzzy]

If you want to use dish network, have HD STBs, and two HD-PVR's and a USB-UIRT, I dont' know why you WOULDN'T use them. Just co-locate them with the SageTV Server, use the USB-UIRT to control the boxes, feeding the HD-PVR's. Set the Dish boxes to use IR Address 1 and 2, and teach the USB-UIRT (via the SageTV tuner setup) each in turn. You won't be able to utilize the 2nd tuner on the 722 easily (as you'll need the TV2 IR to UHF adapter) - but you could easily utilize that tuner for some random remote television - garage, etc).