why does SageTV provide a Enable TV out for PVR 350?

[carlgar]

I am very curious about why the option to enable TV out is needed for the PVR 350. I believe the only purpose to have a PVR 350 is for the TV out. Therefore, I would expect the TV out to always be enabled. Does the chip run cooler if you have it disabled? Was this option added as a work-around due to problems encountered by having the TV out enabled? Any other thoughts or comments about this subject.

[mlbdude]

What if I have a 350 and don't want to use the TV out because I can't watch DVD's or DivX through it? Not everyone using a 350 is using the TV out.

[carlgar]

If you don't use the TV out, why do you have the 350? If you just turn off the TV out to watch DVD's, do have have to restart SageTV to get it to take effect?

[mlbdude]

Oh, my 350 is in a closet . I would agree that buying a 350 for SageTV and not using the TV out is a waste of $$$. I got mine long before Sage was ever around and just used it with WinTV. Just trying to give a justification as not everyone can dump a card and replace it easily.

[Opus4]

I vote for all 3: 1) not everyone want sto use its TV out, 2) It probably runs cooler with TV out disabled, and 3) due to the many problems encountered, it is probably a safety valve to be able to choose whether TV out is turned on or not. How's that for having a decisive opinion? I'm firmly on one side of the fence or the other.

(disclaimer: I don't have a 350.)

- Andy

[zz5]

The TV out may always be on in some sense. It's just not always getting data sent to it. If you were using software playback and TV out was always playing also, you'd have to have double the stream bandwidth.

[carlgar]

If you were able to turn the TV out on and off without restarting SageTV it would make much more sense to me. I always have the TV out enabled, even when I am watching on the monitor.

The reason I started this thread is that I when see the 350 mentioned I assume that TV out is being used. However, it seems to me that most people assume the opposite. Even my support requests result in them coming back and asking if TV out is enabled. If think some people have misinterped some of my comments about not being able to use Sage TV 2.0. I may be able to use it if I have TV out disabled, but it is not even worth an attempt for me. When I comment about the 350 I will be referring to using the TV out, unless I say otherwise. I am not sure but I believe when you first install Sage TV the enable option defaults to the disable state.

[krutaw]

Originally posted by carlgar
I am very curious about why the option to enable TV out is needed for the PVR 350. I believe the only purpose to have a PVR 350 is for the TV out. Therefore, I would expect the TV out to always be enabled. Does the chip run cooler if you have it disabled? Was this option added as a work-around due to problems encountered by having the TV out enabled? Any other thoughts or comments about this subject.

Maybe because Frey knows that this particular portion of SAGETV doesn't work for the majority of motherboard/processor combos available.

I too wouldn't even think of not turning on the tv out on the PVR-350, and it's the whole reason why I bought the PVR-350 in the first place.

[mdmint]

To me the ability to disable or enable the PVR350 TV Out is a simple logical matter of providing a choice. I would NOT want the TV Out feature to be forced on.

[zz5]

You can turn the 350 output on or off without restarting Sage. I've switched from 350 output to software playback, then back to 350 output without restarting Sage. I think the enable/disable options just determine whether or not Sage is sending data to the 350.

[carlgar]

zz5, Do you know that when you change the option it really does take effect? I am using only interested in enabling the TV out and I find that after setting the option I have to restart to see the tv out. I am still using sage TV 1.4 so this could have changed is 2.0.

[zz5]

Yes, it really does take effect. I'm testing out a system right now using the beta multi IVAC15/16 drivers that Narflex posted. Normally, I have the 350 output enabled and software playback disabled. We've watched everything using the 350 output. One time I switched to software playback and turned off 350 output and played a little of a recording. Then I turned software decoding off again, and re-enabled 350 output. Video played and GUI worked again from the 350 output. I've rebooted 2 times so far. At boot-up, I've always had 350 output enabled. Maybe if 350 output hasn't been enabled at Sage startup, you have to restart Sage when you enable it. When I disabled 350 output, I got the color bar test pattern. Maybe it was still really enabled in some way but had the color bars since it wasn't receiving a stream.

[Watter]

Originally posted by mlbdude
What if I have a 350 and don't want to use the TV out because I can't watch DVD's or DivX through it? Not everyone using a 350 is using the TV out.

My situation exactly. I got tired of wrestling with my PVR350.

-Watter

[thomaszoo]

The 350 also has an FM tuner which I use to record my favorite radio program which I then listen to on my commute to/from work. I only wish that Sage had support for that!