HELP with building my own DVR

[electrofex]

I am new to this technology. I would like to build my own DVR that is transparent in the sense that it works simply like my current cable HD DVR/box (two tuners HD output). Can someone guide me on what hardware software I would need to do this? I already have a PC computer set aside for this.

Thanks

[tchapin]

Hi there.

Well, it'd be helpful to know the stats on your computer. To record and play back HD, you need something pretty beefy in terms of hard drive space and processor power, and I'm sure a big bunch or RAM wouldn't hurt either.

I haven't stepped into the HD arena yet, but I've read a bit about it, both on this board and others. Since you have a computer, and for the moment, I'll assume that it will be adequate, you need a HD tuner. Some people on this forum like the HD Homerun unit, which is an external tuner device that attaches to your cable and to your network. It has two tuners and your computer would connect to it over the network.

Hauppauge also makes a PCI HD tuner card, which you can find on their site. I think it only has one tuner per card.

For the software, you need SageTV. So, you're in the right place. If you want to be able to watch the HD recordings in HD quality on more than one computer, I think that your only option is to have a computer at each location you want to watch the video and have a separate SageTV client installation. Your main computer, would be the SageTV server unit and each client would query it for video listings and would get streamed video from it.

There is a device called the Hauppauge MVP, which is a small form factor device who's sole job is to display audio & video from a server. It works with SageTV, however, currently it only does non-HD. There are rumors that there will be a HD version, but no one seems to know if that will really happen, and if so, what the timeline will be. If you only have a HD display at one location, you could attach your server computer to that display and put MVPs at each of your other displays. Your server would have to be even beefier, as I think that Sage would transcode (process / down-sample) any HD recordings into non-HD format. And that takes a lot of processing power.

Best of luck.

Todd

[setherd]

Also what is your current cable setup? I mean are you getting basic cable? premium? satellite? Tell us your location and cable company

[electrofex]

Hi Todd & Seth,

Thank you for responding.
Currently I have an older Dell Celeron computer (2.4GHz 768MB Ram) that sits in a closet and is on all the time connected to the internet. The location of this computer is where all my cat6 wires and RG6 cables terminate, analog phone, DSL modem, Router, 1Gig Switch, Vonage Box, NAS backup drive, one big 12 power supply for all items and of course a UPS. The computer is there because I use it as a CCTV DVR system with a 8 security DSP camera card. I am hoping that this computer has enough computer power to be a TV DVR too. Last year I crawled thought my attic and pulled; Two CAT6 per room Two RG6 per room and One CAT5 per room. I kind of over did it but I prefer a wired connection over wireless.

I really don’t want to put a computer at each TV. I want anybody to be able to sit down in front of any TV and be able to use it with out needing a computer science degree.
Questions:
1) Is it true that the Sage TV Media extender is not HD? 2) And that other wise that would be all I need at each TV? 3) How many Media Extenders can I link to one computer (server) 4) Do any of the TV tuners work with the cable cards for viewing the premium channels such as HBO? 5) How bug free and stable are these TV cards and sage products? 6) Does this “HD HomeRun” receive old (NTSC) stile TV channels too? 7) How many TV card tuners could or should you connect to a server? 8) Do you know anything about the new D-Link HD Media Player (DSM-5110)? Could this unit work with and control the Sage software like the sage Media Extender?

Thanks for you help!

Walter

[tchapin]

Hi Walter,

What's the processor load like on your current system with the current set up? I suspect that your processor is not fast enough for transcoding HD, but I'll let others make a more certain judgement.

How many streams is the CCTV DVR, writing to disk at once? My guess is that if you were to add Sage into the mix, you'd want to put in another drive to store the Sage recordings.

I'll answer the questions that I can:

1) Yes, currently, the SageTV media extenders are not HD.

2) Correct. I would expect that Sage TV could down-convert the HD into pretty nice looking SD though, given enough horsepower on your computer.

3) Well, the outside of the MVP box said that one could have 24 MVPs connected to the same server. The manual said 12. I think I saw in someone's signature around here that they were running 12 extenders.

6) I think that it should be able to.

7) Depends on how often you think that you'll be recording more than one program at a time, or watching live TV and recording one or more programs at a time. For me, one tuner is sufficient. For others, it would be to

8) No, this would not work.

Todd

[electrofex]

Hi again Todd,

Thank you for your information. I see you did not answer my Cable Card question. I did a little more research and have learned that recently ATI and Microsoft have come out with solutions for the Premium cable channels. I am not sure if these cards are compatible with Sage-TV. However I have learned the current cable cards only work one way, and can’t be used for Pay-Per view or On Demand type viewing. Also not that it would be a big deal when using Sage-TV, cable cards currently can not access the on screen guide. (This makes buying a Cable card ready TV pointless for now).

Well any way in the end I really want to get started with Sage-TV but I am thinking I should wait until Sage-TV comes out with a HD Media Extender or makes their software compatible with the D-Link unit and Hauppauge or HD Homerun TV tuners work with the new Cable Cards that will access the ON Demand Programming.

If you hear any new info about this please let me know


Walter

[setherd]

everyone wants a cblae card that just works but we're still waiting. The first cable card systems are gonna be OEM from dell from what I hear. and the reviews I've read so far show it to be a lot of work to get things working right.

Personally I would say start using sage on your main TV. Get 2 tuners 1 SDTV and one HDTV and have fun. it's something new to learn, you can add on and upgrade as the technology comes out.
good luck!

[electrofex]

OK say I did go ahead and get a Sage bundle. Can you explain the difference why SageTV Hybrid Media Center In-a-BoxTM is $149 and
SageTV Dual-Tuner Bundle & Remote is $229?

They both seem to be duel tuners and come with remotes!

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by electrofex

OK say I did go ahead and get a Sage bundle. Can you explain the difference why SageTV Hybrid Media Center In-a-BoxTM is $149 and
SageTV Dual-Tuner Bundle & Remote is $229?

They both seem to be duel tuners and come with remotes!

The SageTV Hybrid Media Center In-a-Box comes with a Hauppauge HVR-1600, which has 1 analog tuner/encoder and 1 digital tuner and comes with a Hauppauge remote + IR blaster.

The SageTV Dual-Tuner Bundle & Remote comes with a Hauppauge PVR-500, which has 2 analog tuners/encoders but has no remote of its own. This bundle comes with a StreamZap remote.

It depends on what types of tuners you are looking for.

- Andy

[carlgar]

Why do you think the SageTV Hybrid Media Center In-a-BoxTM comes with a remote? No remote is pictured and I saw no mention of one. The normal price for the bundle is $169 giving only a $40 difference. The difference in the hardware price accounts for $20, and I assume the lack of a remote accounts for the other $20.

BTW: In your question 6 above, the HDHomeRun will only recieve digital channels. Therefore it cannot receive the old style analog channels. It can receive the digital channels that only broadcast in 480i or 480p like WKRN vs WKRNDT.

[electrofex]

According to the SageTV web store the price I quoted was for a remote with either package. I was wondering why the bundle for the high/low definition setup was cheaper than the older dual low definition setup. Should one just get the hardware from somewhere else?

I just don’t want to add to my box of un-useable computer cards so quickly