Ideas for new options

[laurenglenn]

I love this software!

Finally, a program that lets me use the Creative DVCR card they way it should be. I wish you guys would let them bundle this software with the card.

Now, to the point of this post...

1-- I would love the option to go Back after going to the menu. For example, after scanning ahead in the grid two days ahead and hitting another option which takes me from the grid, I can't get back to where I was without going to the grid and moving back there manually.

2-- It would be great to have the option to only record shows off a particular channel with the Favorites option. Case in point, Friends is on NBC-4 in NY and re-runs are also on WB-17. I could probably set it to First-Run only, but if I do that and NBC shows a re-run, wouldn't that not record?

3 -- Fine tuning options would be nice, but I would imagine that isn't possible. The Creative card's "software" doesn't allow you to select HRC or IRC cable systems when scanning channels.

4 -- It would be nice to schedule recordings using the Composite or S-Video input. I don't know how, if it's possible. The reason is that my "cable system" forces you to use a cable box to watch the Sci-Fi channel and I can't seem to use the grid with the card's tuner and record Stargate SG-1 on Sci-Fi with this program.

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The picture and sound quality are great with this program! Finally, it looks like a Tivo and the frame rate is excellent compared to the BT1 program that came with this card. I have PowerDVD and it's great to use the PowerDVD software decoder which is much better than Creative Labs's video output (and it's great to have the MPEG muxed without having to export the file).

Keep up the good work. I'll be purchasing this program and the EPG subscription when my trial expires this week.

[Narflex]

(I moved this thread to SageTV since that's what its about)

1 - Try hitting Left. There's some menus where it'll do what you're asking such as Detailed Info.

2 - This will be done in the future. The First Run/Rerun work in almost all cases.

3 - I don't think there's anyway to do IRC/HRC distinction that I've seen in PC capture cards.

4 - We support the use of an IR transmitter to control your cable box. You can buy an Actisys IR-200L from us to use if you'd like; or obtain one from elsewhere. We also support Girder, so any IR transmitter that works with Girder will work with SageTV.

Thanks for the positive feedback. We've spent an enormous amount of tme on this software, and it's always good to know that it's pleasing people. Thanks again.

[ruel]

Originally posted by Narflex
1 - Try hitting Left. There's some menus where it'll do what you're asking such as Detailed Info.

I've mapped the BACK button on the Creative VB DVCR remote control to "Left" which is like how Jeff suggested. I have a graphic or will have a graphic at my website that shows how I've mapped the remote control to do SageTV commands.

Originally posted by Narflex
3 - I don't think there's anyway to do IRC/HRC distinction that I've seen in PC capture cards.

There is a "fine tuning" patch over at the Creative Labs website which provides for this. The user may want to be sure that he or she can roll back to a previous system registry if the patch does not work the way expected -- because I don't know if you can un-patch it. From what I understand, the patch adjusts the channel settings in the registry and they should work for either the regular default software for the Creative VB DVCR card and for SageTV. It does a patch for somewhere in the Microsoft sections in the registry. To get the patch, go over to the Creative Labs website, select support, driver downloads and follow the prompts.

The "fine tuning" patch is for fine tuning the channel adjustment like if you are on a cable provider that tunes some of its channels a little differently from everyone else. So if you have a good picture (or relatively good picture) on all your channels, then don't bother with the patch -- or if you do then be sure you can roll back to a previous version of your system registry. The patch is NOT for making the picture better. I received an email from from a user who thought that patch would make the picture better but apparently screwed up his channel settings.

[laurenglenn]

Thanks for the reply.

The Left button works some of the time. Thanks. Someone mentioned to me via e-mail that hitting "Options" may work also. So, I'll give them both a try.

As far as #4 goes, it's not the control of the cable box, but the fact that I can't have the program record from the external input (Composite video) for one schedule and then the internal Creative DVCR tuner for the next schedule.

According to the manual, it mentions setting up the Cable system using either RF, Composite, or S-Video. I was just wondering if it would be possible to add the ability to map a channel so that it would use the external input. This way, I can use the IR device you mentioned (or program the cable box) when I need to record off a channel that requires the channel to be descrambled (like HBO and the like)

Some cable systems have a few channels that need a cable box to decode them. If the cable box isn't needed all the time and there are other people in the house, you can record most shows without it to free up the cable box when you're not there. It would just be a nice feature to have, IMO.

Lauren

Originally posted by Narflex
(I moved this thread to SageTV since that's what its about)

1 - Try hitting Left. There's some menus where it'll do what you're asking such as Detailed Info.


4 - We support the use of an IR transmitter to control your cable box. You can buy an Actisys IR-200L from us to use if you'd like; or obtain one from elsewhere. We also support Girder, so any IR transmitter that works with Girder will work with SageTV.

[Narflex]

Lauren,

It's possible to set it up like you mention IF there's 2 different providers available for you. I'll explain with an example on my system.

In the setup wizard, after I enter my zip code, on the providers screen, there's Adelphia Cable and Adelphia Digital Cable and a few others listed. Adelphia Cable has all of the analog channels and Adelphia Digital has all of the digital cable box channels.

First I would setup Adelphia Cable on my RF input and complete the Setup Wziard. Then select Add/Modify a Source and go back through and pick Adelphia Digital on the composite input and complete setup.

If I now go to the EPG, there'll be all the channels for both analog & digital listed (some will be listed twice if they're on both). To get it to the configuration you desired, you'd then just need to disable the analog channels on the digital lineup and also disable the digital channels on the analog lineup in Channel Setup. Then you'll get the behavior you're looking for.

Any questions, let me know.

[laurenglenn]

Thanks! It does work, but the question remains... What if there's only one provider? Anyway, no big deal. I guess you would just have to use the cable box for all channels.

I may just have to get that IR transceiver one of these days. It sounds like a great thing to have.

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One other idea I had was to have SageTV use an LCD display from someone like CrystalFontz.com (http://www.crystalfontz.com ) They have serial and USB models and I know there's a program called RemoteSelector that can use them. It would be great to have it display the running time, channel displayed, total time, etc. on these backlit LCDs in addition to the TV display.

The LCDs come in 24x4 and 24x2, I believe. They offer different types of backlighting too.

Anyway, it's just a thought. I haven't gotten around to buying one yet, but since RemoteSelector supports it when using PowerDVD, it would be interesting to see how well it works when watching a DVD.

Lauren

[dkardatzke]

Lauren,

I'm running SageTV commanding a Motorola DCT 2000 Set-top through Comcast. Using the IR-200L, it's never missed a channel change for one of my recordings. I will admit that sometimes it slips if I'm channel changing quick but it's never missed a scheduled recording. Just a thought as you consider it.

It sure is nice recording movies I've never seen from the 8 HBO channels I get and then saving them to watch later!

Dan