HD300 Live TV

[awesomo]

I am SERIOUSLY considering setting up a SageTV setup in my home. @ $16 for the dvr, $11 a box, and another $20 on top of all that for house DVR, the fee's are out of hand.

I don't care about any, movies, music, etc... stuff. I want to know if the HD300 will be a suitable set top box replacement.

Does it freeze/Lockup in LiveTV mode? If so, how often?

The biggest issue, Should I use a SageTV 7 server on windows 7 with an hdpvr and my cable box changes the channel nearly instantly, how long would the HD300 take to change the channel?

How long does it take to turn on and get to a position where I can be watching live tv? Is there a way to do this automatically from power-up?

I can't seem to find any reviews or writing concerning this functionality.

[KeithAbbott]

Originally Posted by awesomo

I am SERIOUSLY considering setting up a SageTV setup in my home. @ $16 for the dvr, $11 a box, and another $20 on top of all that for house DVR, the fee's are out of hand.

I doubt if I have saved money by using SageTV. However, I do feel that I am now more in control of the money that I do spend, and I think I have a much more comprehensive solution for my media needs. I think if you approach it with more of an open-mind, instead of strictly dollars and cents, you will be more pleased with the outcome.

Originally Posted by awesomo

I don't care about any, movies, music, etc... stuff. I want to know if the HD300 will be a suitable set top box replacement.

The HD300 is not a direct replacement for a cable set top box, in large part because there is no tuner contained within the HD300. Some cable companies are still broadcasting at least some of their content unencrypted, although over time that may no longer be the case. If your cable company is one of those, you may be able to get by with a tuner card like the Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-2250 for your SageTV server. However, if your cable company encrypts the stations that you need, then you will likely need the HD-PVR, which connects to a single cable box via component connection. Additionally, if you need the capability to record/view more than one show simultaneously, you would need multiple HD-PVRs connected to multiple cable boxes to do that.

Originally Posted by awesomo

Does it freeze/Lockup in LiveTV mode? If so, how often?

Generally speaking, the answer to this question is no. There are a lot of variables in play, many of which are not in the control of SageTV. I use a HDHomeRun tuner for OTA with an attic-mounted antenna; if I have signal strength issues, the station may freeze for several seconds until the signal strength resumes. Also, your network design and responsiveness could have an impact. Also may depend on whether your SageTV server is single-purpose or multi-purpose. Probably many other variables, but with a properly implemented system, you should experience little or no freezing/lock ups.

Originally Posted by awesomo

The biggest issue, Should I use a SageTV 7 server on windows 7 with an hdpvr and my cable box changes the channel nearly instantly, how long would the HD300 take to change the channel?

Depends on whether you use firewire or IR to change the channel. The delays are configurable within SageTV, so to a certain extent, you are in control of that. I think you should expect channel changes to be the same or slower, I don't think there is anyway that they could be faster. But the real beauty of Sage is to reduce the need to watch live TV, and instead watch prerecorded shows at the time that is most convenient for you. In this case, it doesn't really matter how long channel changes take.

Originally Posted by awesomo

How long does it take to turn on and get to a position where I can be watching live tv? Is there a way to do this automatically from power-up?

I leave my HD300 powered up all of the time (it consumes less than 10w of power), so from pressing the "on" button on my remote to watching TV is probably 10 seconds or so, most of which is the TV itself turning on and locking into the HDMI signal from the HD300.

Not sure I understand your question about doing this automatically from power-up.

[Rockhopper]

Looks like most of your questions have been answered, but one thing to remember regarding the cost is that all of the hardware you buy retains at least some residual value. So even if you're only saving a couple of dollars each month, you still own all of the hardware and can sell it if you ever decide to get rid of your setup. With the cable company's equipment, there's no recovering any of your costs. Once you've paid for it, that money is gone.

[gregmac]

Originally Posted by awesomo

How long does it take to turn on and get to a position where I can be watching live tv? Is there a way to do this automatically from power-up?

You should be more open-minded about how this system works, and how it will change your viewing habits. It's really not like a cable company's PVR at all, other than both can record shows (granted, I've not used a cable co's PVR in a while, so maybe their UIs have improved in the last year or two). Cable company PVRs feel to me more like a regular cable box, that has had a PVR tacked on as a sub-menu. SageTV is more like a media player with the ability to record broadcast shows, that also happens to have an option to watch live TV.

I basically NEVER watch livetv (with the exception of the occasional hockey game). In fact, in my opinion, the whole live tv experience in general is really crappy: There are specific times you have to be watching to see your show, there are commercials .. it's such an antiquated experience.

Instead, any show I'm interested in, I mark as a favourite. Sometimes I browse through the guide, sometimes I just search for specific shows. I have a 640GB drive to store recordings, which is (give or take -- depends on source/quality) 16 days of non-stop content. That is a LOT of TV. They also expire by default, so if you don't watch them and your disk is full, the oldest ones are removed. As a result, I generally have ~40 episodes of The Simpsons to choose from, if I feel so inclined.

When I want to watch TV, I go to the recording list, and I get to choose among many shows that have been recorded recently, which I can watch right from the start (doesn't matter if it's currently 7:04pm or 8:19 or whatever). Most of the time (so long as the show ended more than a few minutes ago) commercials have been marked and get automatically skipped. I don't even remember what it's like to try and be around at a specific time to watch a show I want to see.

So LiveTV via sage is going to be slower, especially if you "channel surf" (do people still do that?), simply because it adds another layer between you and the signal source. Using OTA and analog/clear-QAM cable receivers is also a bit slower than directly changing channels with your TV, but not by that much (takes 1-2 seconds to change). But like I said, this doesn't really matter, because chances are sagetv will change the way you watch TV completely, and livetv will become a thing of the past.

[Mike]

I'll second the idea that your viewing habits will change. I was also concerned with live TV when I started, but I rarely watch it now. Sometimes the news or in my case very rarely a sporting event will get watched live. For sports the ability to instant replay anything you want is seriously cool. The rest of the time I watch recordings. My TV watching doesn't have to be at the command of a clock. I can watch what I want when I want. My Wife and I probably watch 2 hour programs and I half hour program most days and it takes us about 2 hours to do so. I have many many hours of programing available to me at any given time.

My HD300 is usually up by the time my plasma display is (hint: use "Home" to turn it on rather than power - it's faster) and it takes another minute or so to tune live TV if I was to do that.

Good Luck

[Imaham]

Originally Posted by KeithAbbott

I use a HDHomeRun tuner for OTA with an attic-mounted antenna; if I have signal strength issues, the station may freeze for several seconds until the signal strength resumes. <snip> Also may depend on whether your SageTV server is single-purpose or multi-purpose. Probably many other variables, but with a properly implemented system, you should experience little or no freezing/lock ups.

I have a similar requirement, i.e. I want to replace my VCR's with a Media Extender, and use either WinTV or SageTV server to record ATSC TV from Hauppauge HVR-1600 and eventually add an HVR-2250. I use OTA but live in a fringe area, and sometimes the signal dropouts causes some missing segments in the video or audio stream.

My current setup (TS file -> USB memory stick -> TV USB Media Play) hangs or exits at these dropout locations. I hate to spend $200 on a Media Extender + SageTV Media Center only to find I have the same issues. I'm hoping someone can clarify exactly what happens to the TV picture when there are short dropouts in the original Transport Stream. Does it act the same way that Live OTA TV looks, where the picture may freeze, block, or "no signal" indicator ? Any experiences with a TV show freezing and unable to play the rest of the Movie / Show ?

[gplasky]

To be honest, if you live in a fringe area with spotty reception none of the recording products is going to do you much good including your vcr. I would think you would want to spend some money first and purchase some better or multiple antennas and possibly an amplifier. Fix your problem good and your recording solution will fall into place.

Gerry

[Imaham]

Originally Posted by gplasky

To be honest, if you live in a fringe area with spotty reception none of the recording products is going to do you much good including your vcr. I would think you would want to spend some money first and purchase some better or multiple antennas and possibly an amplifier. Fix your problem good and your recording solution will fall into place.

Gerry

Thanks, Gerry. The VCR issue is more related to the poor quality tapes that are available now, the picture isn't HD, and the size of the picture is too small for late model TV (VCR is fed from a Digital to Analog coupon-type STB). But I'm forced to use it for now, because at least I can watch a show or movie all the way through. I was hoping there were some others who use OTA who could clarify how the Media Extender handles OTA signals (TS data stream) when the data stream isn't perfect - which I think is the norm. The comments I've read so far seem to indicate that the HD300 for example will handle "anything I throw at it" but it's not clear if the person is using a cable STB or OTA Transport Stream.

[SimeonPilgrim]

Originally Posted by Imaham

I have a similar requirement, i.e. I want to replace my VCR's with a Media Extender, and use either WinTV or SageTV server to record ATSC TV from Hauppauge HVR-1600 and eventually add an HVR-2250. I use OTA but live in a fringe area, and sometimes the signal dropouts causes some missing segments in the video or audio stream.

My current setup (TS file -> USB memory stick -> TV USB Media Play) hangs or exits at these dropout locations. I hate to spend $200 on a Media Extender + SageTV Media Center only to find I have the same issues. I'm hoping someone can clarify exactly what happens to the TV picture when there are short dropouts in the original Transport Stream. Does it act the same way that Live OTA TV looks, where the picture may freeze, block, or "no signal" indicator ? Any experiences with a TV show freezing and unable to play the rest of the Movie / Show ?

I'm currently a new user, doing OTA, and having signal quality problems (now that my network problems are solved) and the HD300 handles the bad input well.

Ether one of two things happens, if its flaky: then the show must go on, and the screen get pixelation, or half screen rubbish, or freezing for a few seconds.

or if the tuning is really bad: then sage will not capture the recording. The later only happened for a station that was tuned (but bad), then I moved the aerial to improve CBS, and it impacted the second tier station (that happened to be airing The Simpson's) and now I have just removed that station from the channel list.

[PiX64]

SimeonPilgrim

what kind of antenna are you using?
is this a set top antenna, or did you build one and put it in your attic?

how far away are you from the channels point of origin?

take a look at this thread for some more info:


http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=48146

~PiX64

[SimeonPilgrim]

I'm using an Antennas Direct Clearstream 2, but it's sitting inside my house, pointing towards the other side on the house (though house), because, that there the office is and that the direction of the Peoria, IL broadcast towers.

I'm about 10-11 miles from the tower, and the based on the TVFool report the ok channels are the internal "blue" channel, where-as the others like 18-x don't tune at all.

I'm thinking of putting the aerial on the pole outside used by the landlords for directtv, but cable from outside to inside is used by the internet (still with cable company for that). So not sure I have many options.

[Edit:] I moved the sever upstairs and to the south side of the house so it was only going though outside wall. I was having issues with the HD300 not seeing the server on the powerline/ethernet side, but my laptop could see the server with not issues via the wifi network of server. I then noticed Win7 can bridge networks, so my hd300 now see the other server equipment via the sagetv servers wifi link (thus has internet access) and I have much better OTA signal strength. (well fingers crossed it appears truly rock solid)

[Imaham]

Originally Posted by SimeonPilgrim

I'm currently a new user, doing OTA, and having signal quality problems (now that my network problems are solved) and the HD300 handles the bad input well.

Ether one of two things happens, if its flaky: then the show must go on, and the screen get pixelation, or half screen rubbish, or freezing for a few seconds.

or if the tuning is really bad: then sage will not capture the recording. The later only happened for a station that was tuned (but bad), then I moved the aerial to improve CBS, and it impacted the second tier station (that happened to be airing The Simpson's) and now I have just removed that station from the channel list.

SimeonPilgrim,

Thank you so very much - you wouldn't believe how hard it has been to get this question answered !! I'll be placing my order soon...Jack

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by Imaham

you wouldn't believe how hard it has been to get this question answered!!

Really? looks like you got it answered pretty easily... a couple days isn't that long.