Is this doable? 1 Server, 1 HTPC, 6 HD100s, 7 Monitors

[bfb1963]

Setting up a wired home network with Windows Home Server where getting all my Comcast digital channels is important (I do not care about on-demand service).

I will hide my HD100s behind the monitors, but prefer to have all my STBs in the server room where the HTPC also resides.

I doubt more than 5 monitors will ever be on at any given time.

What would be an appropriate method to make this happen? I was thinking I could use 5 STBs with 5 USB UIRTs.

Thanks for feedback.

-barry

[IVB]

A bunch of us have the STBs in centralized locations. They're controllable via the SageWeb plugin, you could use that, works great.

[bcjenkins]

I don't think you need 5 USB-UIRTs. I thought I have read each one supports up to 3 devices. Other than that, since you didn't spec your server, make sure your processor is big enough to handle commercial detection if that is of any interest to you.

B

[bfb1963]

My server is a 2.4 quad, so I should be good there.

Regarding sageweb: I see that is for web-based sage control. My application is about trying to get all the stb's talking to the HD100's. How does sageweb help this?

When an HD100 is turned on, does it stay linked to just one particular stb or can sage help it find an stb that is not being used?

[gplasky]

The server utilizes and controls the stb. Think of the stb as the tuner for Sage server. The HD 100s talk to the Sage server. Using the HD 100 it's interface mimics the server's interface. Punch in a channel or channel up the HD 100 talks to the server and the server talks to the stb through the USB-UIRT. All the HD 100s connect to the Sage server.

So unless you have 6 people in the house watching TV all the time and they all watch 6 different channels you may find you really don't need 6 STB. If people like the same program you make it a favorite and record it. You'll eventually go away from watching Live TV and will just create favorites so people can watch the programs they like at any time or day. I would suggest starting with 3 STB since I don't know how many people are at home. Add more if you get recording conflicts.

Gerry

[sic0048]

Originally Posted by bcjenkins

I don't think you need 5 USB-UIRTs. I thought I have read each one supports up to 3 devices. Other than that, since you didn't spec your server, make sure your processor is big enough to handle commercial detection if that is of any interest to you.

B

The USBUIRT can support three unique zones. That being said, I'm not sure that Sage supports mulitple USB-UIRT zone (I'm just unclear - it very well may). This means that you could send the same IR signal out to three different STBs and control each one individually (ie press Channel Up and send it out to Z1 will only change the Z1 STB and not all the STBs).

If you can modify the IR code for the STBs, you don't even need to use different zones and could use a single USB-UIRT to control all the STBs. It depends on your ability to change the IR code.

For example, if all the STBs use the same code to change the channel up, then you need to use the zones. But if you can change the IR code so that STB1 uses one IR code for channel up, STB2 uses a different code, etc, then you don't need to use zones. A STB will simply ignore the IR codes that don't pertain to it. So if you send out the code STB1 Channel up, STB2 and STB3 would simply ignore it and only STB1 channel would be changed.