Need suggestion to setup my new 5 cards PVR

[ice7400]

Hi guy, I just got Sage2.0 a few weeks ago and really enjoy using it, and my girlfriend start to love this system more than me (>-<). Anyway, I'm planing to build the new system that will have 5 cards in the system so I think I might need some suggestion from you guy. Hopefully this won't bother you guy so much.
The plan is these belowed, plz correct me if you think this configuration won't work, since I dont' know a lot about computer but just wanna mess up with it. This PVR will serve only recording purpose and might run 24x7.

1. 5 cards --- I decided to go with 250 all of them.
2. Intel 2.8 mhz with 1 gb ram. Need suggestion for motherboard (Does FSB important for PVR ..510k or 1MB?)
3. Nvdia 5200- 128mb with tv-out.
4. 2x250gb Maxtor--Haven't decided yet whether RAID 0 or 1. I want speed while my girl friend won't let any mistake happen.
5. Many people told me that win2000 is more stablizer than XP what do you guy recommand? I recalled that people often mention that XP won't release cache, therefore, we need to restart the system sometimes. XP vs 2000?

I know that some questino might already answered, but I realized that the other people system might not be these intensed, so I think I really need suggestion from you guys. Thanks a lot...

[tmd]

I'll give this a shot! Use XP PRO, it's the latest version of Windows 2000. Install ALL hotfixes and Updates before loading application software.
'XP Proffessional' is better (more stable) than 'XP Home' or 'Win2000'.
FSB referrs to the buss speed for memory access. Pertains to CPU usage more than I/O from cards like your PVR. As the CPU often waits for data from storage (HD) and I/O (NICs and PVRs) this should not be a problem. In my oppinion your app (SageTV) will be more affected by FSB when using all 5 cards. Faster is always better! Check that mobo chip sets are compatable to the hardware you are adding.
Recording 5 shows at once will eat up 250GB of disk fast. You might want to leave the drives UN-RAIDed. If the show is worth keeping copy it to CD or DVD. Hardware will fail, Systems will crash, if data / shows are worth keeping get a copy of it off the system. You are more likely to lose data to a Worm/Trojan/Virus than hardware failure. I assume that you will be connected to the inet for program schedules.

[mls]

Not sure about 5 tuners, but thought I'd mention that I have had 3 internal, plus an external USB2 running with an Intel Celeron 2.6GHz under Windows 98SE.

I have had all 4 tuners in use recording while also playing back a previousely recorded file on the server, while also playing another previousely recorded video to a client machine.

Can't say there were any major problems doing that much, and think could have actually handled one more tuner or client (although that may be pushing the limits of my system).

Not sure why so many people think XP is so much more stable (guess they just don't know how to set up Win98SE correctly)..

Why anyone would want to use such an overblown, insecure, Mattel playtoy (with all the un-necessary processes it runs in the background) like XP for a simple HTPC setup has always baffled me.... but to each their own.

SIDE NOTE: If ya want to know more about all the extra baggage XP runs in the background and/or how much of it you can disable to improve stability/speed check out Black Viper's website http://www.blackviper.com

[zz5]

There's a post here on the forums where SHS mentions that the drivers limit the use to 4 250's in a single computer. I know of a least one person who is using 8 tuners on a single computer, but only 4 250's (the other 4 are the USB version). However, there's a post by another guy who was using 5 250's on a single computer. You might want to see if you can find out whether or not you will really be able to use 5 on one computer.

[kny3twalker]

250 GB or even 500 GB will be eaten up really fast with five tuners
look at a TB if you are going to do five tuners
also is this going to be feeding a HDTV or SDTV directly or are you going to get a client?

also there could be problems using the first pci slot beside the AGP slot because of IRQ sharing

[PGPfan]

mls-

The reasons to use XP over Win9x are counless. I'll try to touch on just a 'few'.

1) 32bit OS kernel - Unlike Win9x, when (if) an application hangs it will only crash that instance of the "application" not the OS. The OS remains just fine unlike what will likely happen with Win9x. (I do VERY WELL know how to do a stable install of Win9x, and although it CAN be installed and run pretty stable, it's nothing compared to a 32bit OS)

2) Networking ease - Win9x is a royal pain in the a$$ compared to configuring a network on XP.

3) Feature set - Yes, this is the reason that there are many unnecessary processes on by default. Most people don't have a need for all of them running, and IMHO it was a mistake by MS to turn them on by default but for the folks who do use alot of the features, your not going to get anywhere close to it in Win9x.

4) Product and driver support - Let's face it, Win9x is OLD. Less and less products are released that will work with it, fewer drivers will be written for it, and it is rapidly heading toware End-of-life.

5) It's not available new, in-the-box anywhere that I've seen (other than Ebay, ymmv)

There are many other reasons too numerous to list.

-PGPfan

[mdmint]

Don't have 5 PVR250s in same box but 4 PVR250s in Server and 1 in Client Network Mode (PVR250 in Client primarily for remote control usage, and of course overflow 5th tuner if/when needed.) OS on both Server & Client XP Pro.

Server's been up rock solid 47days since last downed for HD subsystem upgrade.

[srothwell]

What do you mean by an HD system upgrade? I thought Sage couldn't do anything with HD.

If I'm wrong, please tell me what you did and I'll order an HD card faster than I can get the credit card out of my wallet! :-)

Stacy

[mdmint]

Originally posted by srothwell
What do you mean by an HD system upgrade? I thought Sage couldn't do anything with HD.

If I'm wrong, please tell me what you did and I'll order an HD card faster than I can get the credit card out of my wallet! :-)

Stacy

HD as in hard drive subsystem upgrade not high definition, sorry to get you excited for nothing!...

[srothwell]

RATS!!!

[stanger89]

Yeah, if someone did get HDTV going in Sage, it would have been a huge thread by now.

[ice7400]

Hi, thx for you guys threads..
Still wonder why you recommand TB over regular250?
How about my PVR configuration, do you think it's enough to handle this requirement?.

and thx again

[stanger89]

Originally posted by ice7400
Still wonder why you recommand TB over regular250?

I believe the recommendation was that you would need closer to 1TB of disk space than the 250GB you have listed. I'd tend to agree, I have 180GB for Sage with 1 tuner and it's barely enough, of course it will depend on how long you let stuff pile up.

Aside from HDD space, that system should be more than enough.