Thinking about moving to a 2 HD-PVR Configuration, am I asking for trouble.

[hometheaterfan]

I have been using a single HD-PVR on my system for a couple of years and have had virtually no problems. I am thinking about adding a second HD-PVR and cable box, am I asking for trouble. Is a two HD-PVR configuration any more problematic than a single HD-PVR? I am using a USB-IRT to change channels on one cable box now. What do I need to do to get a USB-IRT to control two cables boxes? Do I need to place the boxes in different shelves?

My thought is that it would be more stable to go with another HD-PVR rather than add a colossus HD-PVR. If I am wrong, please let me know.

BTW, I am using Win 7 x64 and have HVR-1600, HVR-2250, and a PVR-150 in the box.

[korben_dallas]

HD PVR + Colossus combo is troublesome. Do not go there.

I have been playing around with options - either getting a 2nd HD PVR to replace my Colossus or trying out a cablecard. My HD PVR has been rock solid since moving to a new motherboard & Win7 Ultimate x64. The Colossus has been.. a dissappointment.

In the HD PVR Colossus thread, at least one user had 4 x HD PVRs going with full HD channels & optical audio (Dolby 5.1). The only multiple Colossus users reporting success are using hdmi recording. Unfortunately my STBs have HDCP locked down on all channels, so I couldn't test hdmi recording.

[Jesse]

I'm with korben_dallas.

I have an hdpvr and a colossus. If I could do it again I would buy a second hdpvr instead of the colossus. It is working now, but I have to restart every 3-4 days to keep it stable.

Jesse

[egeller]

I have had 2 HD-PVRs going for a while now.

USB-UIRT to drive two boxes was easy to set up. Directions are posted elsewhere. You need some hardware that I think I either scavenged from the HD-PVR or got at Radio Shack.

Get a copy of a freeware program called "USBView." The advice from experts is to make sure you have the two devices plugged into 2 different hubs and USBView makes that visible to you.

My setup includes having them on two shelves with "shields" around the emitters. My shields are nothing more than homemade cardboard boxes.

I have not had problems that are traceable to the HD-PVR setup since moving the devices to separate USB hubs. The last issue I resolved was to replace the memory on the motherboard. I had been resetting HD-PVRs almost daily. When the PC began to reboot randomly, I did some investigation that led to replacing memory. Since that fix was installed I have not reset the HD-PVRs even once. It's been two weeks and the setup has been rock-stable.

[hometheaterfan]

Thanks encouraging to hear that you have two working without issues. I definitely don't want to introduce issues to my sagetv setup, or my wife will be very upset.
Thanks for tips on what precautions to take. BTW, do you have a link to the information on using USB-UIRT to drive two boxes. I have two separate shelves that are about 5 feet apart from each other, so hopefully that will be enough to prevent the IR from interfering.

[gambitpvr]

Just my $0.02 but, my HD-PVR + Colossus combo is rock solid. Of course, it took me awhile to figure out how to get it that way. I haven't tried using the HDMI or optical on the Colossus but using analog cables, it works fine.

It took me several months to figure it out but here's what I did:

• Add a cooling fan to my HD-PVR. This was needed because my HD-PVR would overheat and lockup
• Set SageTV to run in 'Service Mode'
• Lock cable box output to 1080i (this was critical to fixing my issues)
• Update Colossus to the latest drivers
• Use Windows task scheduler and a .bat file to restart the SageTV service every night. This problaby isn't needed anymore but, I never bother removing it.
  

[korben_dallas]

Sorry to dredge up a sensitive issue but

HD-PVR + Colossus combo is rock solid

using analog cables, it works fine

restart the SageTV service every night

the above is not what I would call rock solid or fine. Yes I know analog stereo is ok for some and that restarting/rebooting SageTV is as well, but rock solid in my mind requires no restarts and fine in my mind means optical audio. HD PVR, good. Colossus, bad.

[gambitpvr]

the above is not what I would call rock solid or fine. Yes I know analog stereo is ok for some and that restarting/rebooting SageTV is as well, but rock solid in my mind requires no restarts and fine in my mind means optical audio.

You make a good point so, I'm not going to argue. We'll just call it a difference in preferences

I don't care about optical audio thus, I don't consider that an issue. I don't use optical for my HD-PVR either. From what I've seen in the forums, using optical audio is a bit hit and miss with the Colossus.

I was doing weekly restarts before I added the Colossus. When I added the Colossus, I switched to restarting nightly to force it to reset when there were issues (caused by recording channels with different resolutions). After locking my cable box output, those issues went away but I kept the nightly restarts anyway. In my experience over the years, Sage needs restarts every so often no matter what tuners you have so it was just easier to keep the restarts as-is than trying to figure out how long Sage could go before something blew up...especially since it always seemed to happen when I went out of town Besides, I'm only restarting the service and not the entire box.

That being said, I'll agree that if someone wants to use optical audio, adding a second HD-PVR is probably a safer choice than using a Colossus. If optical audio isn't in the picture, then there's no need to fear adding a Colossus, especially since they are cheaper, internal and don't require additional shelf space or another power adapter. Also, I don't know if anyone else has seen this or not but, the Colossus seems to capture a slightly better image than my HD-PVR. It's not a huge difference, but it is noticeable.

[hometheaterfan]

For me, I want optical Audio is a requirement for me. I have a nice 5.1 setup and notice the difference.

I am also trying to convince myself that paying $10 more a month for another cable box is worth it. I record most of my shows off of my 2250 and 1600 tuners. the HD-PVR is just for my extend cable HD shows. Unfortunately, some of the channels my wife likes to watch have moved from standard cable to digital cable only, so on Monday Nights (Monday Night Football) and Thursday nights (when NBA basketball comes back on) there is a conflict. I can watch those shows in SD, but I would rather watch it in HD. If I get another digital cable box, it will cost me $10 a month for essentially 4 to 8 recordings per month.

Cablecard is only $3 a month. I am considering getting a 2650 with cablecard and using WMC for my Monday and Thursday night games (I have TWC, so sagedct is not an option). That way I could stream it to my xbox in my bonus room and leave sagetv for everything else. Still haven't decided what I am going to do.

[jerryt]

I am running two HDPVR's with DVBlogic and it has been rock solid since I switched from Sage controlling the HDPVR's.

Also DVBlogic uses the Media Center Blasters instead of the USB-UIRT.

Best part is that Sage, and Media Center can both access, both HDPVR's like network tuners.

[hometheaterfan]

I never heard of DVBlogic until you mentioned it. I don't understand how a tuner could be shared with both programs. Once I assigned my HD-PVR to SageTV, I could not even use the HD-PVR with the software that came with it.

Originally Posted by jerryt

I am running two HDPVR's with DVBlogic and it has been rock solid since I switched from Sage controlling the HDPVR's.

Also DVBlogic uses the Media Center Blasters instead of the USB-UIRT.

Best part is that Sage, and Media Center can both access both HDPVR's like a network tuners.

[jerryt]

Originally Posted by hometheaterfan

I don't understand how a tuner could be shared with both programs.

It is Magic

http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=51579

http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=51628

Main advantage is that it is rock solid, plus I use Windows Media Center for live TV. Tuners are on "First come, first served" basis, so it is possible to run out of available tuners. It has never happen to me yet.

[SteveD]

Operating two hd pvrs with no problems, as mentioned before, apply a cooling solution to the hd-pvrs. Using onboard usb ports. I do not have to reboot nightly, maybe just the random reboots that windows require.

[hometheaterfan]

Originally Posted by jerryt

It is Magic

http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=51579

http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=51628

Main advantage is that it is rock solid, plus I use Windows Media Center for live TV. Tuners are on "First come, first served" basis, so it is possible to run out of available tuners. It has never happen to me yet.

Ok, but since it is incorporated into sagetv, it will not support copy once cable card channels, right?

[jerryt]

Originally Posted by hometheaterfan

Ok, but since it is incorporated into sagetv, it will not support copy once cable card channels, right?

I don't know. Sage see the channel, like satellite freqs. I don't know about copy once channels, since I don't have any.