what are the current options like for mpeg-4/divx support rec/play?

[bluenote]

Right now I'm using a pvr-350 for output and a MCE 500 for extra tuners, but I just cant keep up with the disk space even though Iv'e bought several 200+ gig drives. I convert to mpeg-4 (my dvd player supports it) and mark the files as archived then delete them manually (so I can keep show information around). This is about as automated a process as I can come up with for now (triggered by the 'create xml file' from malore and windows scheduler) but its still a far cry from integrated xvid and I cant play the resulting files in sage.

It seems like if I want to go the integrated (and compressed) route, I need to start using software decoding and get some kind of vid-card output (I dont know what people are using ... tv-out from vid card? vga-converter?)

Really I'd just like to have my same setup but with everything being recorded and played in xvid. Can anyone educate me on how much of this is possible at the moment? I know sage now supports wmv at least for playing ....?
Is this moot ? I cant imagine that sage is NOT thinking about other recording formats that are smaller.......?

thanks for any thoughts

Cory

[stanger89]

The only way to record in anything but MPEG-2 is with the Plextor ConvertX, and yes, you'll need to use software decoding and your video card's TV out.

[bluenote]

So if I add a Plextor box to my setup, Sage will support completely integrated Xvid use?

Does anyone here have this kind of a setup, and can you comment on any pitfalls / unexpected limitations? Does it work as expected (ie: exactly the same as Sage did with your normal hauppage tuners for example)?

How about converting the old files, has anyone tried this? (will it go faster somehow utilizing the plextor?)

If I convert, I suppose I will get rid of my PVR-350 and MCE 500 (sigh) or are there any reasons to keep any of them?

Is it best to use a video card out, or is there such a cable as to take a standard monitor output and convert it to component or svideo for your SDTV?

I dont have an HDTV, but Im kind of peeved that I've only had my hauppages for about 8 and 3 months respectively , so I'm kind of interested in buying what I need now -- do any of the HDTV cards support xvid, and can they be operated in an SDTV (?) mode? (perhaps this doesnt even make sense or they are expensive so its dumb).

Thanks for any other comments guys, much appreciated!

Cory

PS. I find my file sizes are about 30% at decent quality for my viewing using XVID, can anyone comment on their experiences with file size and comparable mpeg-2 size with the plextor?

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by cnovak

So if I add a Plextor box to my setup, Sage will support completely integrated Xvid use?

AFAIK, it will work just like a PVR 150/250, with the hitch that it will record to an .mpg container and then convert to .avi (.mpg is needed for timeshifting).

Oh, and it doesn't record to Xvid it records to MPEG-2, MPEG-4 or DivX.

Does anyone here have this kind of a setup, and can you comment on any pitfalls / unexpected limitations? Does it work as expected (ie: exactly the same as Sage did with your normal hauppage tuners for example)?

The main pitfal I've heard of is that the file sizes aren't significantly smaller for the same quality.

How about converting the old files, has anyone tried this? (will it go faster somehow utilizing the plextor?)

Despite the name, it does NOT convert already recorded files.

If I convert, I suppose I will get rid of my PVR-350 and MCE 500 (sigh) or are there any reasons to keep any of them?

As backup tuners?

Is it best to use a video card out, or is there such a cable as to take a standard monitor output and convert it to component or svideo for your SDTV?

S-Video, or SDTV is just not that great, best bet is probably to use the S-Video out on the video card. Although if you've got component in on your TV most new video cards offer Component output.

I dont have an HDTV, but Im kind of peeved that I've only had my hauppages for about 8 and 3 months respectively , so I'm kind of interested in buying what I need now -- do any of the HDTV cards support xvid, and can they be operated in an SDTV (?) mode? (perhaps this doesnt even make sense or they are expensive so its dumb).

No HDTV comes pre-encoded as an MPEG-2 transport stream, nothing converts that to DivX/MPEG-4 automatically. As for SDTV, all the Sage supported HDTV cards have no output, so the video will be automatically downconverted on playback. It will still be upwards of 9GB/hour thought.

PS. I find my file sizes are about 30% at decent quality for my viewing using XVID, can anyone comment on their experiences with file size and comparable mpeg-2 size with the plextor?

From what I've read here, you'll be lucky to get 50%.

[bluenote]

Stanger,

Thanks muchly for taking the time to answer so completely. From what you have said I think I will struggle onwards a little further with my current setup and see if the market matures a little more. thanks again!

Cory

[stanger89]

My opinion. For general usage, the best option is to use the 150/250/350/500/etc, MPEG2 encoder, at the best "bang for the buck" quality ("Best" for me), and then just invest in more HDD space if you can't record enough.

If you're going to be archiving, you'll get the best final file size/quality if you record originally with a x50/500/etc at MPEG2 MAX QUALITY, and then compress it after the fact. You use MAX QUALITY so that you avoid compressing (XviD/DivX) compression artifacts (MPEG2).