Advice wanted - Moving to HD

[graywolf]

Guess it is finally time to plan the move to HD.
Currently DirecTV, Hauppauge 1600, Windows 7, HD300/HD200

Not sure going to stick with DirecTv, might go with Dish or even cable (Spectrum). Depends upon who will give best deal.

What works best with SageTV for the Capture device and does it make a difference if cable or satellite?

Anything else I might need to consider?

Don’t do/have OTA

[UgaData]

Are you currently using S-Video to the Hauppauge 1600 for recording?

The simplest setup for HD is to go OTA with the ATSC connector on the Hauppauge 1600 and record from the HD channels.

I think the only way to get HD with satellite is to use an HD-PVR (or Colossus). I've never had satellite so it is quite possible there is another HD option available.

The HD-PVR can also be used with a cable STB or if it works out in your area cable card. Cable card depends on the copy once flag not being set by the cable provider.

An HD_PVR (or Colossus) is the only direct way to record Premium channels (HBO,SHO,Starz, etc). Yes, there are network video encoders but those also require setting up Windows Media Center as the "tuner". If Premium Channels are not a concern, feel free to ignore this.

A highly unlikely option is using the Hauppauge 1600 as a QAM tuner with cable. Most cable providers have locked down the ability to use a QAM tuner any more.

[KryptoNyte]

Do you know if the Spectrum in your area was originally Charter Cable? Or was it originally Time Warner or Brighthouse? Do you watch any of the premium channels regularly (HBO, Showtime, Etc.)?

[wayner]

Originally Posted by UgaData

I think the only way to get HD with satellite is to use an HD-PVR (or Colossus). I've never had satellite so it is quite possible there is another HD option available.

There are also a type of network encoder that you can buy on AliExpress like the BM-1000 - see a thread in the hardware section on these devices. They even have some that are 4K - you could skip HD altogether and go right to UHD!

[graywolf]

Originally Posted by KryptoNyte

Do you know if the Spectrum in your area was originally Charter Cable? Or was it originally Time Warner or Brighthouse? Do you watch any of the premium channels regularly (HBO, Showtime, Etc.)?

Was Time Warner
Encore Westerns (Starz/Encore package) no other Premiums.
Don't watch much Network shows so never bothered with an Antennae (tried indoor ones but didn't work well) so OTA isn't a big deal for us.
Other channels we tend to watch, History, Discovery, AMC, Cable News

[graywolf]

Colossus , Colossus 2, HD PVR, HD PVR 2, and the BM-1000 look to be my options if I stick with satellite.
Pros/Cons for each or pretty much the same?

[wayner]

The HD-PVR takes component input so your boxes have to have component outputs - I don't know if the latest cable/sat boxes have those.

With HDMI you may have to worry about HDCP. The BM-1000 boxes don't seem to care about that (this may be why they are only sold out of China). But for the Colossus and HD PVR 2 you will need a device to "break" HDCP. Sometimes HDMI splitters will accomplish this task.

I am also not 100% sure if the HD PVR 2 works properly in SageTV. It didn't at one time but that may have been fixed - perhaps you are more up to speed on that if you have read the threads on the device.

The BM-1000 devices also only appear to take stereo audio so you will lose DD 5.1 if you care about that. That may also be the case of some other devices - but I have the original HD-PVRs and they do accept DD 5.1 via the SP/DIF optical conection.

[JustFred]

Originally Posted by graywolf

Pros/Cons for each or pretty much the same?

I'd recommend the BM-1000 (or one of it's siblings).

Experience with the HD PVR and PVR2 has been very disappointing, from a reliability standpoint. They frequently lock up, requiring a nightly reboot to keep them stable. This is even after replacing the notoriously short-lived wall-wart power supply with a heavier-duty version. Colossus & Colossus 2 are basically the same encoding hardware, with basically the same reliability issues. Search this forum for the tale of tears.

[wayner]

Originally Posted by JustFred

I'd recommend the BM-1000 (or one of it's siblings).

Experience with the HD PVR and PVR2 has been very disappointing, from a reliability standpoint. They frequently lock up, requiring a nightly reboot to keep them stable. This is even after replacing the notoriously short-lived wall-wart power supply with a heavier-duty version. Colossus & Colossus 2 are basically the same encoding hardware, with basically the same reliability issues. Search this forum for the tale of tears.

For some reason some folks have this problem all the time and others rarely do. I have been running two HD-PVRs in my system for 9+ years with only very rare issues - usually the PS problems that you cited.

[graywolf]

Have splitters that should handle the HDCP
Haven’t done network encoders before, could that be on same machine sagetv is running?

[graywolf]

Another important question. Which of them supports CC? I know not all devices do since had no issues with 1600 but could never get the 22xx series to capture the CC stream

[reggie14]

Originally Posted by graywolf

Another important question. Which of them supports CC? I know not all devices do since had no issues with 1600 but could never get the 22xx series to capture the CC stream

You're only going to get CC if you use an over-the-air ATSC tuner or use CableCard. Though, if your cable provider was previously TWC, then I'd worry that the channels would be DRMed and thus unable to be used with Sage using a CableCard tuner.

If you use an HD-PVR, Colossus, or HDMI encoder, then all you can do is turn on captions on your STB and let them get permanently recorded as part of the video.

[jchiso]

I would recommend DirecTV and an HD-PVR for each receiver you designate for SageTV. The current STBs still have component video and optical audio outs, so they are well suited for the HD-PVR ...