Multiple PVR Coparison Guide

[SoonerToucan]

Multiple Cards in One Server / Multiple Clients
1.The server houses all tuner cards.
2. All cable boxes (if any) reside with the server.
3. The server is responsible for recording all shows.
4.The clients must have an additional TV out card with an IR input.
5. H250 is prefered to the H350 card because the Mpeg2 file is streamed to the client before its decoded, leaving the Client PC to decode.
6. Server Runs Sage TV 2.0
7. Clients runs Sage Client to access shows from the server. (No Sage Recorder is needed as all tuners are on the server.)

Pros
1. All tuners are in the same location
2. Clients can be off/sleeping while multipble shows are recording.
3. H250 Cards are cheaper than H350 Cards.
4. Less Software to purchace.

Cons
1. Additional Tuner cards/IR recievers

One Server 1 Card / Multiple Clients 1 Card in each client
1. The server houses only one tuner card (if you want the server to act as a PVR as well)
2. Cable boxes reside with the clients
3. Each Client is responsible for recording shows via. Sage Recorder / Client Combo.
4. All shows are saved on the server and accessed via. Sage Client.
5. H350 Card is fully utilized in this setup, on client machines, because it encodes MPEG2 to be sent to the server then uses its built in decoder to decode the MPEG2 files it recieves from the server.
6 Server runse Sage 2.0 Clients run Sage Client and Sage Recorder.

Pros
1. Less hardware to purchace
Cons
1, More software to purchase
2. Clients PCs must be running to record multiple shows

Having read many posts concerning client/server setups I thought it would be nice to bring much of this info together. Please add comments and make any corrections to this comparison guide as these are assumptions of a newbie.

Other important setup threads
Controlling multiple cable boxes

[stanger89]

Originally posted by SoonerToucan
Multiple Cards in One Server / Multiple Clients
1.The server houses all tuner cards.
2. All cable boxes (if any) reside with the server.
3. The server is responsible for recording all shows.
4.The clients must have an additional TV out card with an IR input.

Standard video card (which you will probably have in it anyway) is all that's needed. You make it sound like another TV card is needed.

5. H250 is prefered to the H350 card because the Mpeg2 file is streamed to the client before its decoded, leaving the Client PC to decode.

The MPEG2 file is always streamed to the client and decoded there, regardless of what card captured it. The 250 is preferable in this setup because it is cheaper and you wouldn't be using the 350's output.

6. Server Runs Sage TV 2.0
7. Clients runs Sage Client to access shows from the server. (No Sage Recorder is needed as all tuners are on the server.)

Pros
1. All tuners are in the same location
2. Clients can be off/sleeping while multipble shows are recording.
3. H250 Cards are cheaper than H350 Cards.
4. Less Software to purchace.

Cons
1. Additional Tuner cards/IR recievers

You don't need additional tuners.

One Server 1 Card / Multiple Clients 1 Card in each client
1. The server houses only one tuner card (if you want the server to act as a PVR as well)
2. Cable boxes reside with the clients
3. Each Client is responsible for recording shows via. Sage Recorder / Client Combo.

This is somewhat misleading, network encoders (what you describe here) are dumb, they have no control over what's recorded, that it dictated by the Server, without which, nothing would be recorided. SageRecorder simply enables the SageTV server to use the card in the client, and SageClient simply allows access to recordings/data/UI/etc.

4. All shows are saved on the server and accessed via. Sage Client.
5. H350 Card is fully utilized in this setup, on client machines, because it encodes MPEG2 to be sent to the server then uses its built in decoder to decode the MPEG2 files it recieves from the server.
6 Server runse Sage 2.0 Clients run Sage Client and Sage Recorder.

Pros
1. Less hardware to purchace

No less hardware is required, you need at least as much if not more or at least more expensive hardware (350s vs 250s)

Cons
1, More software to purchase
2. Clients PCs must be running to record multiple shows

Having read many posts concerning client/server setups I thought it would be nice to bring much of this info together. Please add comments and make any corrections to this comparison guide as these are assumptions of a newbie.

Other important setup threads
Controlling multiple cable boxes

[SoonerToucan]

Thanks for the clarifications.

Hopefully this wil help newbies like myself answer a bunch of questions in one place.

Standard video card (which you will probably have in it anyway) is all that's needed. You make it sound like another TV card is needed.

I was wondering, if you don't have a TV tuner card in the client machine, what hardware do you use to recieve the IR input to change channels ect? Can you buy video cards with IR input, or possible stand alone PCI IR input cards?

edit
It appears on further research, most remotes come with a USB infrared reciever cable.

Considering the above post which setup is recommended?

-ST

[stanger89]

Generally my recommendation would be to go with the all-in-server approach, network encoders just add extra complexity to the system.

There are of course exceptions to that, most notably if you have a client connected to an SDTV where quality is of the utmost importance, then it would be advantageous to have a 350 in it for output, and you might as well set it up as a network encoder.

The reality is probably that the best system for any given person could easilly be a combination of the two (most encoders in the server, with a client or two with a 350).