Is there a good working TV out hardware for SageTv

[rak306]

In April, 2004, I bought 2 new intel based computers, along with the PVR-250 and PVR-350. I use SageTV server with the 250, and client on the 350. The PVR-350 has hardeware decode out and provides an excelent picture. The software provides all of the functionality that I want. The only trouble is the well known issues with the PVR-350 and the OSD together are unstable on many platforms (including mine).

For me reliability is number one in importance for such a device, and so I don't use my SageTV system.

Its been several months since the "official release" and I have not seen any "fixes" for the 350 OSD anounced. At this point, I'm considering swiching hardware. Is there anything that provides the excelent picture of the PVR-350, with hardware decoded TV out, that also works (reliably) with SageTV that I can use for my client?

I am not interested in PC video cards, as all of the ones I've seen have real noticable artifacts.

Thanks in advance.

Rick

[Opus4]

I'm using an Xcard and have never had it cause any problems. BUT SageTV cannot display the user interface through the Xcard onto the TV, so you either have to have a nearby monitor or have the video card output go to a 2nd TV input & switch between them to see either the UI or video playback.

- Andy

[lotusvball]

I am using a ATI 9600 and the pq is pretty good. I did a little tweaking with the color settings this weekend and the pq seems to be much better. The card was around $120 and the UI works great connected directly to a tv. no second monitor.

[mlbdude]

nVidia 5700 for me, looks just as good as my POS 350 after a bit of tweaking. Plus with new hardware coming out like the Plextor that encodes right to DivX I see the 350 going bye bye.

[Jere_Jones]

My nVidia GeforceFX 5200 makes a beautiful picture after it is tweaked correctly. It is as good or better than straight cable.

Jere

[JasonJoel]

Ditto. My Nvidia 5700 has a wonderful picture.

Jason

Originally Posted by mlbdude

nVidia 5700 for me, looks just as good as my POS 350 after a bit of tweaking. Plus with new hardware coming out like the Plextor that encodes right to DivX I see the 350 going bye bye.

[rak306]

Opus,

My PVR-350 works great with the OSD disabled also. I am wondering if there is a similar device that is supported with OSD.

Lotusvball,

My motherboard has a built in ATI Radeon 9100, with TV out, and it is not even close to the PVR-350.

Mlbdude, and Jere Jones,

I don't believe any PC video cards will work for me (but I could be wrong). Many of the artifacts that I see I believe are related to conversion to/from non-interlace to interlace.



So I take it from what I see, there is still no card supported with hardware MPEG decode with OSD support, other than the PVR-350, with its known issues.

Rick

[RobDMB]

I know its been talked about a lot lately but I really wish we could get some kind of response from sage if they would consider looking into making OSD work with the Xcard. That would make this software by far my first choice.

[lotusvball]

Originally Posted by rak306

My motherboard has a built in ATI Radeon 9100, with TV out, and it is not even close to the PVR-350.

I have never had any luck with integrated graphics. The PQ of the 9600 is not perfect, as in HD, but I am currently watching the football game it is the same as if I was going straight through to TV without sage running. And for the price I feel like it was a pretty good deal.

[Hector]

Originally Posted by Jere_Jones

My nVidia GeforceFX 5200 makes a beautiful picture after it is tweaked correctly. It is as good or better than straight cable.

Jere

I have a 5200 and a pvr-350.

Admitedly I don't know how to tweak a software card but my experience is that things like old tv shows and talking head type programs look almost as good on the 5200 but something like a football game looks very VERY soft by comparison. Almost like some international soccer satellite feed.

I have AMD 2800/512k which I assume is enough machine for software decoding. My inputs are analog cable and DirectTV. My output is all S-vid.

I've seen 5700 and ATI cards that my friends are very proud of but to be honest they don't even come close to my 350's output which looks about the same if not a bit better than my Tivo.

I assure you I am not a '350' snob I'd give anything to be out from under it's OSD crashing problems. I switch to the 5200 and try like heck to be satisifed since everything works so much better but the output is just no where near as good.

I've never tweaked my 350 but if you play the same video from the same box and switch between the outputs there is absolutley no doubt as to which is which. It's just better. It's a more noticeable difference in quality than say the difference between composite and S-vid if you follow me.

Is 'tweaked correctly' something simple enough to share? I'd really like to wrong about software decoding.

peace . . .

PS Thanks for comskip. It rocks.