Which WinTV to choose?

[Insyte]

I'm not real clear on the differences between the various WinTV cards:

Is the 150 the only one with built-in IR support? If so, how do you use remotes/cable boxes with the 350 and 500?

How much benefit is the hardware decoder on the 350?

And finally, what's different between the normal and MCE editions of the 150/350/500?

Thanks!

-Ben

[blade]

Don't bother with the 350 it has a lot of problems with it's decoder.

MCE versions don't come with a remote.

You don't really control the card directly. You use a IR receiver and a remote. The command is sent to Sage and then Sage tells the card what to do. For example my client is in the living room and the server with the capture card is in the basement. I use the remote on the client and Sage changes the channel on the tuner in the basement.

You use something like:

http://www.usbuirt.com/
Works with almost any remote.

There are other options as well, some cheaper and some more expensive.

[cbhatt]

The 500 is the best IMO because you get 2 tuners on the same board.

[Narflex]

If you want to control an external cable or satellite receiver than you should use the PVR-150 that comes with an IR blaster (available through our store)

[laurenglenn]

Originally Posted by Insyte

I'm not real clear on the differences between the various WinTV cards:

Is the 150 the only one with built-in IR support? If so, how do you use remotes/cable boxes with the 350 and 500?

How much benefit is the hardware decoder on the 350?

And finally, what's different between the normal and MCE editions of the 150/350/500?

Thanks!

-Ben

The MCE versions of the 150 and 500 don't come with a remote.

I used to own a 350 and I wouldn't recommend one for the reasons someone said here. Also, for the same price, you could get a 150MCE and the MVP with the same results (with less crashing).

Do yourself a favor and get the 150 or the 500. They're both the same except the 500 has 2 150's on one card.

For playback, get an MVP from the Sage Store. It comes with a remote and hardware decoding.

Lauren

[Insyte]

Originally Posted by laurenglenn

For playback, get an MVP from the Sage Store. It comes with a remote and hardware decoding.

What is an "MVP"? I didn't see anything like that in the "Hardware" section of the Sage store...

-Ben

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by Insyte

What is an "MVP"?

MVP refers to the Hauppauge MVP, which is the device used for the SageTV Media Extender .

- Andy

[AboveUnrefined]

Originally Posted by Insyte

And finally, what's different between the normal and MCE editions of the 150/350/500?

There's too many different models of the 150 floating around that it's sick and really annoying. I've seen many people saying the MCE doesn't have a remote - I've seen that, yes, but I also bought a 150 MCE that came with a USB receiver and MCE remote that works with MCE. I also bought another 150 MCE that came with the silver remote that Sage Linux is compatable with. Software and documentation were quite raw with these packages and real fun when setting up in windows - especially after learning that the CD's included were not pressed correctly down in Korea or wherever they were produced (I tried the cd's in several drives and when I tried to read/copy files from them I was getting CRC errors/Read errors). Hardware is fine though as the chipsets are all the same, layout on the back was different for both though they were supposed to be the same model (minijack for audio, RCA & SVideo for video and the IR Jack in one and straight RCA for audio & video as well as SVideo for the other).

Unless you're tight on space get whatever is cheaper between the 150 and 500, depending on your goals. If it's cheaper to get 2 150's get them, make sure one will have the IR remote jack on it and not the USB remote as the USB remote doesn't work in Sage Linux - though I'm pretty sure it could be made to be supported.

[Opus4]

BTW: Hauppauge lists the various PVR card differences here. The MCE 'kit' versions come with a Microsoft MCE style remote + receiver -- I don't believe that will be much help for the Linux version. (Edit: maybe a little help; see the next post.)

- Andy

[PGPfan]

Andy, apparently the MS 'MCE remote' is supported under Linux with a driver from the LIRC website. Don't know if it supports 'blasting', but at least it's possible to use the remote for basic control.

-PGPfan

[Insyte]

OK. Assume, for the moment, that I don't need "blaster" functionality to control an external cable box. Is it better (and by "better" I mean "easier" or "more featureful") to buy one of the 150s with included remote or buy a 150/500 without a remote and use the remote sold by Sage?

Thanks!

[Insyte]

Originally Posted by Opus4

BTW: Hauppauge lists the various PVR card differences here.

That chart is very helpful. Thanks!

[amac]

Insyte,

I'm still a new member but open-ended questions of the style of 'which is better' generally don't receive the best answers without more information of the planned use.

Imagine if I asked "which is better, blue socks or red socks". The best answer would be "it depends on what else I'm wearing, where I'm going, ..."

Define what you mean by better. Why not try outlining your planned environment:
Will the computer be in the same room as the TV (if not, a firefly remote that uses radio frequencies might be better as it can transmit through a wall).
Will you be using a digital cable/satellite box?
How many tuners will the box come with? If only 1 then the PVR500 is overkill)
How close will the computer be to the d-box? (Cable lengths come into play with certain remotes)
Will you use any form of power management on your PC (not all remotes are well behaved with power management, some can bring a machine out of standby with the touch of a button)
Do you want a remote that can control other devices (e.g. DVD player, CD player, receiver, TV ,...) Then don't go with the Firefly or the Hauppauge remote, neither can do that. Of course having a Hauppague remote and buying a univeral learning remote (like an All In One) would enable you to teach the universal all the codes provided by the Hauppauge.


I know you really just want a recommendation. I've only used the Hauppauge hardware. I can say it works well.

FYI:

I use a PVR150 with the IR remote, receivers, and IR Blaster transmitter that came with the Hauppauge package. It works well enough. More often, I use a universal learning remote that is compatible with the IR receiver (of course that is a whole other discussion).

I have a single satellite box (single tuner) which the Hauppauge blaster controls just fine. I do experience hiccups with the IR.EXE interaction with SageTV when I return from standby. There are a few workaround solutions for this.
The picture quality seems fine.

You may also want to consider a hardware DIVX encoder. They are pretty cheap at Tigerdirect these days. Of course they don't come with a remote ...

Hope this helps.