Hardware Combo (Cable Box control)

[keats76]

I just stumbled accross this site and it appears to be exactly what I was looking for. I like the Snapstream UI a little better, but the ability to stream a live mpeg2 feed from the Hauppage 250 won me over. A few questions:

1) If I purchase the networking hardware bundle (1 client, 1 server, 1 PVR 250 card), will this come with a remote. With this remote will I be able to access all of my digital cable channels from my cable box or will I need to purchase the IR 250 thing as well?

2) How well would the quality be of streamed live tv be over a cable modem (hard wired ethernet on both ends)? I travel a good bit and would like the have my HTPC at home stream shows to me over my laptop when I'm away on business (football especially . Could I change channels remotely via the client?

Thank you all very much. If this pans out then I'll probably be passing the word along as many of my co-workers were quite intrigued with this idea, and building PC's is my hobby so I thought I might hook them up.

I'd appreciate any help you could offer,
Mike

[jmeeks]

1) The PVR250 is the retail package and it comes with a remote.

2) I think your idea of streaming is extending to transmitting the mpeg2 stream over the internet is beyond the scope of what the client/server relationship in SageTV can do. It is for distribution over your local area network not to go over your cable modem out to the internet. I also don't think your cable modem, even if you could setup SageTV to stream out to the internet, could handle the bandwidth requirement. Or that your cable ISP, would allow that amount of uploading even if your cable modem could handle that kind of throughput.

[mikbro]

1. The PVR-250 comes with an infrared remote controls and IR sensor that plugs into the back of the PVR-250 card. The remote controls itself has nothing to do with changing channels on you digital cable box. You can purchase the Actisys 200l from frey (or elsewhere). Once configured the actisys will send channel changes to your cable box. You may want to do a search in the forum for 'Actisys' and see some of the issues people have with it. In theory using an IR transmitter to 'mimic' a remote control to change channels on your cable box should work without a hitch, in practice people do have issues. This is not a problem with Sage mind you, just a problem with the process in general. I wouldn't let this stop you though... just a heads up.

2. There are two (and probably more) problems with your idea of watching shows from remotely (while at work) served up from your pc at home via your cable modem and the internet:

A. The amount of data that needs to be transmitted per second to watch a show from your pc 'server' at home up your cable modem and to your pc at work is just too much. It won't happen. You cable modem's upload speed is proabably 384kbps/second if that, a show recorded in Sage at a reasonable 2gigabytes per hour translates to 4,500kbps per second. Upload speed with todays technology is just way too slow.

B. You would need to have your Sage server 'exposed' to the internet in order to see it from work. I don't believe Sage was built to withstand the possible attacks from hackers that may ensue.

Sage's client/server technology was really meant to be used within a LAN, meaning the computers are connected with 100mbps wired connections (or the newer 802.11g or 802.11a wireless protocols capable of speeds up to 54mbps).

Sage is truely an awesome product that has features that blow the competition out of the water. I would recommened buying the pvr-250 and trying it out. I think Frey has a return policy, or you could just run over to your local Circuit City and pick up a card and download the trial. IF you don't like it, just return the card.

[andrewswright]

There is also now a plugin that supports serial control, rather than infrared control of some motorola cable boxes. In my system this is more reliable. It is, however, still somewhat slow due to the added steps in controlling the cable box.

Andrew

[jglev]

For controlling your cable box, you will need one of three things: the Actisys IR Transmitter (supported directly by SageTV, but only transmits. You will still have to use the IR cable that comes with the PVR-250 to control Sage) or the USB-UIRT receiver/transmitter (presently the receiver capability is supported directly by SageTV. The transmitter capabilities is not yet incorporated into Sage, but will be in the next release. To be able to use the transmitter function of the UIRT before it's incorporated into Sage , you will need a program called Girder) or a serial cable for a Motorola digital cable box (of course the box must have a working serial port).

Hope this helps,

[keats76]

Lucky for me I live in downtown Charlotte, NC. Only a few blocks away from Time Warner Cable I get around 2.4 Megabits per second DL, but for upload speed your estimate was closer to the truth. I guess the main reason I got started on this idea was that a number of users in the Snapstream forum mentioned streaming live feeds from their servers at home over the Internet. They, however, were using a compressed AVI stream I believe . . . the Haupagge cards couldn't do live streaming due to the capturing being in MPEG2, so if I really want that type of solution, it looks like I'd have to sacrifice quality (i.e. go with a cheaper card that captures AVI) and go with Snapstream.

Guess I'm torn at the moment. From all that I've read it seems like SageTV is the way to go for the richest featureset and quality. I guess I'll have to settle with broadcasting over my LAN instead.

Thanks for the comments and quick replies. In relation to changing channels, I guess this means if I just stick with the included Hauppage remote that SageTV will only have access to the analog channels from my coax cable connection (i.e. I won't be able to change to HBO), unless I make user of the IR 250?

Thanks again.

[jglev]

Originally posted by keats76

I guess this means if I just stick with the included Hauppage remote that SageTV will only have access to the analog channels from my coax cable connection (i.e. I won't be able to change to HBO), unless I make user of the IR 250?

Yes, that won't be a problem. You can hook up a coax cable to the PVR-250 and Sage can use the analog channels without any IR hardware.

SageTV is a fantastic program and the support by Frey and the people on this board is fantastic. SageTV 2 will be in beta soon and have a completely customizable interface. See this discussion for some information on Sage 2: http://forums.freytechnologies.com/f...&threadid=1417

[RXWatcher]

SnapStream PVS actually uses Windows Media Video. You'd need to transcode the MPEG2 to WMV to stream via thier product or you could add another tuner and stream with that tuner for live TV and record other shows with the PVR250. It's a hack job for the moment but it does work...multituner support isn't out for the PVS yet. The Default Tuner is the one that's used for the streaming so if you want to record shows with the PVR you have to switch the tuner manually. It's a pain.

I have a ATI AIW 9700 Pro and the PVR250.

-Jim

[keats76]

So I guess this means there's no way to control the cable box from Sage itself then (i.e. I'm on the client machine in another room and want to change the channel to HBO West . . . since that channel is scrambled digital, the only way for me to access it would be to go to the room with the server and change the channel on the digital cable box with the Hauppage remote).

I think I remember seeing that Snapstream had a serial control cable that would connect from the PC to the cable box, but I could be wrong about that.

Thanks,
Mike

(same would go for setting up pre-recording too I guess . . . say I want to record a football game on ESPN, which I can access over analog, but if I also wanted to record a show on HBOW 2 hrs later, I would have to manually intervene to do so right?)

[salsbst]

keats76.... you *can* do that from SageTV client with a Girder/USB-UIRT combo or with the Serial control plugin that andrewswright put together (if you have a Motorola DCT 2000 series with an active serial port).

[jglev]

I do that all the time from the client. Using the client from another room, I can: 1) watch Sage recordings; 2) schedule Sage Recordings; 3) Watch Live TV from any cable channel just by double-clicking the program in the guide. Using Girder/USB-UIRT, Sage will change the channel of the digital cable box to the requested digital channel. I don't have to get out of my chair.

[dkardatzke]

keats76,

The control your cable box SageTV needs to utilize an IR transmitter. We have fully integrated the IR-200L which we sell or you can use Girder and a different IR transmitter like the USB-UIRT.

If you are accessing through the SageTV Client and you pick HBO, the server will send the command to change the channel to HBO. This requires no intervention from you.

It seems like this post has gotten confusing and there should be no reason for concern as to manually changing channels.

[andrewswright]

Originally posted by salsbst
keats76.... you *can* do that from SageTV client with a Girder/USB-UIRT combo or with the Serial control plugin that andrewswright put together

I can't take that credit, the actual author is Beelzebub.

Andrew

[salsbst]

Whoops, my bad. I went to school with a guy named Andrew Wright so your name sort of sticks in my head!

Sorry, Beelzebub!