DirecTv vs. Cable

[mike1961]

Hello - I'm trying to decide whether to go with Satellite or keep cable. What I'm wondering has to do with how many boxes can be controlled by a server if all the tuner cards are in the server. Really the question is what is the best way to change the cannels on the STB. As I understand it, with Satellite, you have have to have a separate STB for each tuner whereas with cable you can use a splitter and still have access to the lower channels without any STB at all. So, if I go satellite and want at least four tuners I'm wondering what is the best way to for Sage to control four STB's or how many can it control. I understand it can control one through a com port such as com1 assuming the STB has a serial in. Otherwise, do I just control all the STB's with the IR? Will the IR's conflict with each other?

I'm thinking if I go with satellite I should get at least one HD box and I'm wondering if Sage will still be able to record from that box but just scale it down such that it's not in HD at this time.

Also - are there any other advantages / disadvantages one can think of going with cable or satellite? I can't yet decide which to go with.

Thanks again,
Mike

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by mike1961

Hello - I'm trying to decide whether to go with Satellite or keep cable. What I'm wondering has to do with how many boxes can be controlled by a server if all the tuner cards are in the server. Really the question is what is the best way to change the cannels on the STB. As I understand it, with Satellite, you have have to have a separate STB for each tuner whereas with cable you can use a splitter and still have access to the lower channels without any STB at all. So, if I go satellite and want at least four tuners I'm wondering what is the best way to for Sage to control four STB's or how many can it control. I understand it can control one through a com port such as com1 assuming the STB has a serial in. Otherwise, do I just control all the STB's with the IR? Will the IR's conflict with each other?

I think you've pretty much got it. Yes the best way is to control them with serial, I assume you're only limited by the number of com ports. As for IR, there are basically 2 options, you can set the different boxes to use different IR codes (Dish boxes can do this), or you can get external emmitters for the UIRT and build IR "forts" around them, the UIRT can control up to 3 boxes.

I'm thinking if I go with satellite I should get at least one HD box and I'm wondering if Sage will still be able to record from that box but just scale it down such that it's not in HD at this time.

If the box outputs HD over S-Video (downconverted of course) then yes.

Also - are there any other advantages / disadvantages one can think of going with cable or satellite? I can't yet decide which to go with.

I'm sick of the semi-crappy/noisy analog cable channels, with Sat you get all digital channels, and from what I've seen (little) they're a lot cleaner.

I'll be getting DirecTV when I move (soon maybe ).

[dbfresh23]

I have DirecTV and will probably never go back to cable. The quality difference is worth having to use 1 STB per tuner.

I wouldn't even consider using IR to control it, knowing how great serial control works. Also, as I recently found out, using serial control you can disable the STB OSD that you would normally see behind the SageTV OSD. To control 4 STBs it would likely mean getting a PCI serial adapter to add additional ports to the PC. I've heard that USB to Serial adapters don't work very well though I haven't tried it myself.

I personally wouldn't bother getting HD right now. I am waiting to see what happens with the MS/DTV deal to get the digital tuners in the PC, similar concept to cablecard. If you were to do the same that STB would become useless.

Disadvantage
I did lose my signal from time to time before I got a cover for the dish, mostly just when snow that was on it started melting or during very very bad storms. Avg rain storm doesn't impact it. Since putting the cover on I almost never lose my signal.

Advantages
Much better picture quality - IMO
Usually cheaper - Unless you get into one of those triple play packages - which DTV will be offering possibly by the end of the year.


If you do go the DTV route, I'd suggest getting a dish that can do MPEG4 so that you don't have to upgrade it later.

[aperry]

If they didn't charge for extra STB's and/or lowered the cost by quite a bit, I'd be all over a satellite solution. I've got waaayyyyy too many tuners to make that financially viable at this time...

[aperry]

Originally Posted by dbfresh23

If you do go the DTV route, I'd suggest getting a dish that can do MPEG4 so that you don't have to upgrade it later.

Dish is going to be switching to MPEG4 as well so the same applies there.

[jchiso]

mike1961:
You did not mention the capture hardware you have or are planning to get. My primary Sage server uses a combination of PVR-150s and HD capture cards. I use DirecTV HD boxes for most of my programming. I have the PVR-150s set for DirecTV on SVHS and also use the onboard cable tuners. I have a pair of HD tuner cards for OTA digital programming.

I use a USB-UIRT to control the set-top boxes. I have used serial to control other (non-HD) set top boxes but have not found an DirecTV HD box that could be controlled via serial from within Sage. That covers Hughes HTL-HDs, a Samsung SIR TS-360 and a DirecTV H10. I've tried each with and without a TVTranslator.

I have also used, or use a myBlaster IR controller for some of the set-top boxes, as the USB-UIRT would not work reliably with the Hughes boxes.

[Steve52]

Originally Posted by jchiso

mike1961:
You did not mention the capture hardware you have or are planning to get. My primary Sage server uses a combination of PVR-150s and HD capture cards. I use DirecTV HD boxes for most of my programming. I have the PVR-150s set for DirecTV on SVHS and also use the onboard cable tuners. I have a pair of HD tuner cards for OTA digital programming.

I use a USB-UIRT to control the set-top boxes. I have used serial to control other (non-HD) set top boxes but have not found an DirecTV HD box that could be controlled via serial from within Sage. That covers Hughes HTL-HDs, a Samsung SIR TS-360 and a DirecTV H10. I've tried each with and without a TVTranslator.

I have also used, or use a myBlaster IR controller for some of the set-top boxes, as the USB-UIRT would not work reliably with the Hughes boxes.

I have a Hughes HTL-HD. What do you think is my best option to control channel changing with STV? What hardware (model number if it applies) would you recommend?
Thanks!
Steve

[Scriber]

Keep cable, imo.

I agree with aperry. I've thought about going to DTV but its just not workeable when you need 5+ boxes. Also, with locals supposedly going digital in the near(er) future, I presuem that all cable channels be digital for TVs with boxes.

[dbfresh23]

Originally Posted by Scriber

Keep cable, imo.

I agree with aperry. I've thought about going to DTV but its just not workeable when you need 5+ boxes. Also, with locals supposedly going digital in the near(er) future, I presuem that all cable channels be digital for TVs with boxes.

Well that's just silly! Once they all go digital you'll need to rent a box for each tv / tuner, no longer just plug it right into the analog tuner!

[AndyS]

Originally Posted by dbfresh23

To control 4 STBs it would likely mean getting a PCI serial adapter to add additional ports to the PC. I've heard that USB to Serial adapters don't work very well though I haven't tried it myself.

My experience with USB/Serial adapters has been that they work very well. I have a number of the IO-Gear adapters in long-term use in an HA/HTPC setting and they never hiccup.

Andy.

[Scriber]

Originally Posted by dbfresh23

Well that's just silly! Once they all go digital you'll need to rent a box for each tv / tuner, no longer just plug it right into the analog tuner!

Seems so imo... at least (if?) when cable no longer offers any analog signal.... I don't think analog will go dark the moment the locals are all digital. Thus, I'd keep cable, at least now. There may be no difference someday though.

[jchiso]

Originally Posted by Steve52

I have a Hughes HTL-HD. What do you think is my best option to control channel changing with STV? What hardware (model number if it applies) would you recommend?
Thanks!
Steve

Steve:

I am currently using a USB-UIRT and a myBlaster to control one box, and just a myBlaster to control the other. That being said, neither device does an adequate job of controlling the box. I can fully control the boxes via the serial port and the DirecTV Control software, but not from within Sage.

I've tried several different configurations and asked around but no one seems to have any ideas at all as to how to make this work.

[Steve52]

Originally Posted by jchiso

Steve:

I am currently using a USB-UIRT and a myBlaster to control one box, and just a myBlaster to control the other. That being said, neither device does an adequate job of controlling the box. I can fully control the boxes via the serial port and the DirecTV Control software, but not from within Sage.

I've tried several different configurations and asked around but no one seems to have any ideas at all as to how to make this work.

Thanks!

I have a USB-UIRT that I am using to control STV. On the back of the USB-UIRT there is a plug for some device (IR sender and cable I assume)to control a STB. What are you using to plug into this port on the USB-UIRT? and Does the STV software control channel changing on the DirecTv STB by IR without any third party software?

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by Scriber

Also, with locals supposedly going digital in the near(er) future, I presuem that all cable channels be digital for TVs with boxes.

IMO, the ONLY advantage cable currently has over Satellite is simplicity (ie just split the cable). If/when cable goes 100% digital*, then that advantage is lost. There is VOD, but IMO, if I "demand" it, I'll buy the DVD for the better quality/OAR.

*This is quite conceivable once OTA goes 100% digital, then the cable companies would have to convert digital to analog otherwise.

Plus, by the time cable goes digital, there will be DirecTV "cards" for PCs.

[dbfresh23]

I'll toss you another advantage for local cable companies - They don't charge you extra to subscribe to HDTV (over what the cost of each HD box costs). With DTV it's $10/mo + the cost of any additional HD boxes.

[stanger89]

But you don't get anything but OTA, if that. I get jack in HD on my cable.

For $10 with DTV you get:
ESPN HD
ESPN2 HD
Universal HD
Discovery HD
HDnet
HDnet Movies

To get those same channels on cable, you need to $$$ for the HD package as well.

[mike1961]

Okay...I still see an advantage to cable over satellite. Many of you are saying how when cable goes to digital the advantage is lost. I don't see, this. You see, I have two cable boxes. My thought was I could use those two boxes to control the upper channels above 125 and just use a splitter and use as many more tuners as I want to run the cable directly into the tuners for channels below 125. In this way - I can watch and record several shows at the same time and still have access to the upper channels on two tuners at once. I'm looking to put all the tuners in the server. I'm trying to figure out how many satellite boxes I could control on the server. If I can use the serial port then I'm limited by the number of com ports but I'm not sure how many. If I use the IR cable or perhaps a USB/UIRT remote I suppose I could control the STB but I'm not sure if the IR cables signals could conflict if I'm using several IR cables. How many STB's is everyone out there controlling with satellite and how are you doing it (with the IR cable, the com port, etc). In the scenario I'm describing, I'm assuming all the tuner cards are in one computer file server.

Thanks,
Mike

[dbfresh23]

The "advantage" you see is 100% price. If quality is of concern then there is really no advantage to cable, in fact there IS an advantage with DirecTV.

I'm only controlling 2 DTV STBs - both via serial. Adding serial ports is cheap, maybe $10-15 for a 2 port pci serial card. That with the two on the mobo would give you the 4 you'd need. (assuming you have a board with 2 already)

When cable does go 100% digital - AND IT WILL - the price advantage is absolutely lost as you will need a STB for every tuner you have just like it is with DTV.

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by mike1961

Okay...I still see an advantage to cable over satellite. Many of you are saying how when cable goes to digital the advantage is lost. I don't see, this. You see, I have two cable boxes. My thought was I could use those two boxes to control the upper channels above 125 and just use a splitter and use as many more tuners as I want to run the cable directly into the tuners for channels below 125.

If/when cable goes 100% digital, you won't be able to view it without a box, or a (most likely) CableCard or DCAP card.

[dbfresh23]

Another "advantage" - this time for DTV. They don't answer to cable labs!! This could prove important when it comes to being able to get the tuners to get digital cable/sat on the pc w/o an STB.