Best HD Component Capture Device

[Tofu]

What is the best HD capture device for a cable companies HD tuner? My new service agreement with Charter will include a HD box, so I figure I might as well figure out how to use it with SageTV.

[darcilicious]

The only HD / component capture device I'm aware if the Hauppauge HD-PVR. You'll either love it or hate it

[paulbeers]

Ignoring any Professional grade devices (of which would probably not work with Sage anyway), there are 3 devices that I am aware of:

1. Hauppauge HDPVR
2. Hava (Monsoon) Titanium HD
3. Avermedia USB HD DVR and HD DVR

Here are the breakdowns:

1. Officially supported by Sage. Can capture 1080i and 720P (as well as 480i and 480P but those are nothing new). Recordings in H.264.
2. Not officially supported, but does work. Only captures in 720x480 so HD recordings will not be in full HD. Advantage is that it records in Mpeg2 which is a much older/easier to playback format.
3. Avermedia USB HD DVR and HD DVR. Crossing fingers this is able to get working with SageTV but it currently does not work with Sage. USB HD DVR is more expensive but utilizes a built in chip to encode the video where as the internal HD DVR uses CPU to encode.

Hope this helps!

Edit: I said there are 3 devices, but technically it is 4 if you count both HD PVR's by Avermedia as separate devices.

[paulbeers]

Oh to answer the original question: HD PVR. Mine has worked flawlessly since basically day one (over two years ago). I know initially there were a lot of problems, but for many of the issues initially found, there have been work arounds and new versions (I am still on an original tho). I would not be happy with a non-HD resolution.

[darcilicious]

To #2, you could also add the Hava/Monsoon Wireless HD model. In either case, you may need to use a USB-UIRT blaster because the built-in one won't work with SageTV (with the latest Hava/Monsoon firmware).

There's work around but I haven't played with it:
http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/down...do=file&id=299 but I think it also requires a previous firmware version.

I tried to get this http://babgvant.com/blogs/andyvt/arc...l-release.aspx to work but had no luck though Andy thought it should so it might have just been a set-up error on my part.

For #4 ;-) you could add the upcoming Monsoon Vulkano yet to be released but I believe it too will do full HD hardware encoding.

[darcilicious]

Apparently Monsoon has just announced the Vulkano product line:

http://shop.monsoonmultimedia.com/shop/products.aspx

Comes with its own PVR functionality, no idea if it could be made to work SageTV or WMC, etc.

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by darcilicious

Apparently Monsoon has just announced the Vulkano product line:

http://shop.monsoonmultimedia.com/shop/products.aspx

Comes with its own PVR functionality, no idea if it could be made to work SageTV or WMC, etc.

$279? wow...

[Bizarroterl]

"Near HD" doesn't sound encouraging.

[darcilicious]

Yeah, I saw that too. Very odd.

[gplasky]

Well the input is component and supports 1080i. Also sounds like recordings record on the device's local hard drive and then can be downloaded to PC, smartphones and other devices. No recording to the network. And only certain drives are certified to work with it. The OS is Linux. It states in the FAQ it doesn't work with Windows Media Center. In essense this is its own recorder and player on the network. They're going after the Roku, Tivo, Slingbox group.

•TV content is passed from the set-top box’s analog output (component, composite) to Vulkano; using resolutions up to 1080i

The process to put 2 of these on a network is a little convoluted also:

In order to set up Second Vulkano Unit in a Single Network, you have to configure One Vulkano Unit at one Point of time. Your first Vulkano Unit should not be plugged to the power source during the basic Configuration. Once you configure your Second Vulkano Unit, you can Plug in the first Vulkano unit as well.

However, only one Vulkano can be seen as Local Vulkano unit. It depends on the IP Address assigned to your Vulkano devices by your Network Router. For example if the IP Address Assigned to one of your Vulkano is 192.168.1.15 and the IP Address assigned to your other Vulkano is 192.168.1.16, in this case the Vulkano with .15 IP address will be seen as the Local Vulkano as per the IP Stack.

Now to make your preferred Vulkano as your First Vulkano, you need to disconnect the other Vulkano for a While, Reboot your Router then the Vulkano which is connected to it, it will rearrange the IP address. You can then Turn on other Vulkano as well.

Gerry

[Jason]

Originally Posted by darcilicious

To #2, you could also add the Hava/Monsoon Wireless HD model. In either case, you may need to use a USB-UIRT blaster because the built-in one won't work with SageTV (with the latest Hava/Monsoon firmware).

There's work around but I haven't played with it:
http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/down...do=file&id=299 but I think it also requires a previous firmware version.

Just to clarify, the built in ir functionality works just great! The link you referenced is an older 'hack' that was a basic channel changer (via RTP...) tha id not always work.

Check this link for a better (and quite complete!) useage...

http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/show...29&postcount=5

Originally Posted by darcilicious

Apparently Monsoon has just announced the Vulkano product line:

http://shop.monsoonmultimedia.com/shop/products.aspx

Comes with its own PVR functionality, no idea if it could be made to work SageTV or WMC, etc.

Well, it appears that Monsoon may have 'abandoned' the 'virtual' tuner functionality that we loved in the HAVA units in the newest Vulkano offering. I am seeing (not verified...) that Monsoon wanted to go with their own UI and try and incorporate 'everything else' INTO the Vulkano as opposed to offering the Vulkano as an addon TO 3rd parties (MCE, Sage, etc...) From their FAQ:

http://www.myvulkano.com/support_faq.html#q1

I should be getting a review unit soon, so I will keep everyone informed if I have a misunderstanding.

Now I may be barking up the wrong tree here, but the Vulkano DOES offer itself up as a UPNP client. The problem comes in linking/tying an EPG for use with Sage. Stuckless did a good job in describing the issue here...

http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/show...44&postcount=9

Best regards,

Jason

[UgaData]

Are you running a 32 bit or 64 bit OS? If you are running a 32 bit Windows OS you could give firewire a try. Basically firewire lets you use the cable co. HD tuner as an external tuner.

Problem with firewire is although the 1394 port is working the cable provider will use copy protection to clobber your ability to record shows. It can also be a bear to setup.

[darcilicious]

Originally Posted by Jason

Check this link for a better (and quite complete!) useage...

http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/show...29&postcount=5

So this will work with the latest firmware? I have 272.325 installed on my Hava Wireless HD.

I should be getting a review unit soon, so I will keep everyone informed if I have a misunderstanding.

I think you're right but it's hard to say for sure without the darn thing in hand. I'm totally looking forward to your review. The only other one I've seen so far (no time yet to look for more) is this one:
http://www.webtvwire.com/monsoon-volcano-hd-review/

[elfman]

Originally Posted by darcilicious

So this will work with the latest firmware? I have 272.325 installed on my Hava Wireless HD.

I just upgraded my firmware from 270.322 to 272.325 and havafun still works for me. I haven't tried havafun from windows7 yet; maybe someone else has?

[darcilicious]

Originally Posted by elfman

I just upgraded my firmware from 270.322 to 272.325 and havafun still works for me. I haven't tried havafun from windows7 yet; maybe someone else has?

Hey, thanks for the update about this I might have to give this a shot tomorrow I've got a few other toys I need to play with first

[Jason]

Originally Posted by elfman

I just upgraded my firmware from 270.322 to 272.325 and havafun still works for me. I haven't tried havafun from windows7 yet; maybe someone else has?

Still works... UAC is a bit of a pain to overcome, but if you turn it off, then all is OK...