Using PVR on my TV; with SageTV?

[Gunn]

I'm being overwhelmed with different products and somehow I got here and SageTV seems pretty hopeful.

I started out by reading out WindowsXP Media Center. That got me thinking. I found out about the ATI All-in-wonder cards and thought that was the ticket. But then I have a Satellite TV and this wouldn't work completely with my TV...I wouldn't be able to schedule recordings in advance. So I'd have to keep my danged VCR.

I started reading about IR blaster's, remote controls, ahhhh! So my simple question...

I want to be able to sit at my TV with a remote control, watch a TV program and be able to pause Live TV and continue later...stuff that a PVR is supposed to do. Or, record programs to my harddrive and be able to watch it later. All *without* having to go to my PC which is in another room.

I liked the idea of the ATI AiW cards having the RF remote so I could keep the PC in another room. I also like the idea of video out so I can watch the captured video on my 32" tv with the rest of the family and not at my little 19" PC monitor.

So, can someone give me, in a nutshell (hahah), what it would take to do this? Specifically, have a remote control control the PC software AND my DirecTV receiver so that I can flip channels, record, pause LIVE TV and watch it all from my living room?

As I said, the ATI almost does this...if only it had an IR blaster...

Thanks!

[dkardatzke]

Here's my stab at it, please ask back where you need more detail.

The least costly way of doing this would be to put your PC in the next room and run your Audio and Video cables back to your Home Theater to get the video/audio from your PC to your TV. To then control SageTV, you could use an IRMan with an extended cable to accept commands from any remote control. Or you could use the ATI remote through the use of Girder.

You would also put your DirecTV receiver in the other room with your PC and it would be controlled by SageTV through a serial cable or an IR blaster. This way SageTV can change channels when necessary to record your scheduled programs.

SageTV is a true PVR application that records 24/7 and gives you full timeshifting capabilities like Record, Pause LIVE TV, Instant Replay, an Integrated Programming Guide, Favorites Recording, etc. (See the detailed list of features on our website for more. www.sage.tv/stvfeatures.html ). SageTV also records in MPEG-2 format so you can instantly burn/archive your shows to DVD.

Another possibility is to again have your PC in the other room and use a wire or wireless network to stream video to your room with the TV. We are about to introduce the SageTV Client version that gives you the full functionality of SageTV from any PC on a network. You could use an old PC or a small form factor PC that would only be used to stream music and video to your main Home Theater. You could then hook up a remote control to that PC and everything would be in the same room.

The choices are endless so let us know where you have questions or want more information.

[Gunn]

Dan, thanks for the reply. I think I have your ideas drawn out on paper correctly to see the "flow" of all the audio/video and commands from remote.

I understand and seem to like best your 2nd idea of placing the RCA DirecTV receiver in the same room as the computer. That way I could use the serial connection easily without having to extend the cable 30' or so to the other room. But I would still need an Irman sitting on the TV in the room, with a serial cable long enough to reach back to the PC to be able to send commands correct?

Just to check my thoughts...So as far as hardware goes, I should get the WinTV-PVR-350, as that has the video in -and- video out. Would I just not use the software and remote that comes with the WinTV 350? Or could I use this remote and IR receiver instead of the Irman and just get extension cables to extend the IR receiver to my living room?

And one more thing, on your 3rd option of having two PCs networked together (I have 2 PC's...the client one would be a PII-400Mhz though)...which PC would hold the capture card, and which would store the recorded channels?

Thanks again for the great information.

[Narflex]

Originally posted by Gunn
I understand and seem to like best your 2nd idea of placing the RCA DirecTV receiver in the same room as the computer. That way I could use the serial connection easily without having to extend the cable 30' or so to the other room. But I would still need an Irman sitting on the TV in the room, with a serial cable long enough to reach back to the PC to be able to send commands correct?

Yes

Originally posted by Gunn
Just to check my thoughts...So as far as hardware goes, I should get the WinTV-PVR-350, as that has the video in -and- video out. Would I just not use the software and remote that comes with the WinTV 350? Or could I use this remote and IR receiver instead of the Irman and just get extension cables to extend the IR receiver to my living room?

I can't say this for sure, but if you try to use an extension cable with the Hauppauge remote receiver, you'll more than likely suffer too much signal loss for it to even work anymore.

Originally posted by Gunn
And one more thing, on your 3rd option of having two PCs networked together (I have 2 PC's...the client one would be a PII-400Mhz though)...which PC would hold the capture card, and which would store the recorded channels?

Thanks again for the great information.

A PII-400MHz isn't really fast enough for a client unless you've got a really powerful graphics card. The client has to do the MPEG-2 rendering which uses a fair amount of CPU (which can be significantly offloaded to the graphics card if it supports it)

but to answer your question, the server holds the capture card and stores the recorded shows

Thanks,

[Gunn]

Thanks again for the quick reply. I'll probably then stick with the 2nd option to put the satellite receiver with the computer and an Irman for the remote. That is if I can use the Irman and extend its cable to the PC without suffering too much signal loss.

It would be *really* nice if someone had an RF remote I could use!

[Narflex]

FYI - the IRMan website says you can use a serial cable of up to 20m (66 ft).

[justme]

It would be *really* nice if someone had an RF remote I could use!

You can buy the ATI RF remote seperately. It's on eBay all the time and, there are several electronics sites that sell them as well. Best of Luck.

[tachi]

I'm no fan of x10 (those popup ads drive me nuts) but I thought you'd like to know there is a selection when choosing an RF remote(albeit small) :

Lola

[Gunn]

Wow, cool. Good deal on the IRMan...

So would the RF remote from X10 and/or ATI work with the SageTV softare though?

[justme]

I'm pretty sure the ATI is supported by Girder. And Girder does support SageTV, so Girder should bridge the ATI to SageTV no problem. I'm guessing since i've not done it, but I'm pretty sure it would work great.