Newly installed - three issues

[johngoes]

Hello!

I am sitting watching recorded history channel shows with my sageTV. Here are the specs:
Dell 8400 3.0GHz Intel PC
512 MB DDR2 RAM
1 80 GB HDD, 1 200 GB HDD (SATA)
Haupauge PVR-500MCE
ATI RADEON X300 128 MB Video Card (S-video & DVI out - using S-video)

Everything works as expected except for the following issues:

1) I'm using a monitorless system with realVNC ported to my laptop. Works great, but when I enable SageTV for full screen, the VNC viewer session also goes to full screen and I can no longer work on the HTPC computer. I would like to work on the computer via vnc while the TV is showing stuff. Do I need to use the SageClient on my HTPC as well as the server?

2) The picture quality of the TV is very poor. What I see is a series of diagonal fuzzy bars on all channels. It didn't take but seconds for WAF to plummet. I need to understand how to get the output to be clearer. I am using the default SageTV decoder. The MCE version of pvr-500 doesn't come with decoder because it tells you to use the winDVD decoder that comes with a MCE system. I only have XP Home. Would changing decoders improve picture quality? If so, which one is compatible with ATI Radeon x300? (BTW, the picture quality of the computer screen is absolutely clear on the TV when sage isn't running so I think the ugly video quality is not necessarily video card related.)

3) In the monitor settings if I use the default size, it doesn't use the entire TV screen real-estate. But when I choose the overscan setting it fills the screen, but sageTV gets chopped off at the top (the entire date/time is missing from menus). Does anyone know how to use overscan without loosing a portion of the screen?

Are these questions that should be sent to support?

Thanks,

John G.
Austin, TX

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by johngoes

Hello!

I am sitting watching recorded history channel shows with my sageTV. Here are the specs:
Dell 8400 3.0GHz Intel PC
512 MB DDR2 RAM
1 80 GB HDD, 1 200 GB HDD (SATA)
Haupauge PVR-500MCE
ATI RADEON X300 128 MB Video Card (S-video & DVI out - using S-video)

Everything works as expected except for the following issues:

1) I'm using a monitorless system with realVNC ported to my laptop. Works great, but when I enable SageTV for full screen, the VNC viewer session also goes to full screen and I can no longer work on the HTPC computer. I would like to work on the computer via vnc while the TV is showing stuff. Do I need to use the SageClient on my HTPC as well as the server?

I'm not sure waht you're getting at here, you need SageClient on the HTPC if you are running SageTV on the server.

As for VNC, I'm not sure what you're running where.

2) The picture quality of the TV is very poor. What I see is a series of diagonal fuzzy bars on all channels. It didn't take but seconds for WAF to plummet. I need to understand how to get the output to be clearer. I am using the default SageTV decoder. The MCE version of pvr-500 doesn't come with decoder because it tells you to use the winDVD decoder that comes with a MCE system. I only have XP Home. Would changing decoders improve picture quality? If so, which one is compatible with ATI Radeon x300? (BTW, the picture quality of the computer screen is absolutely clear on the TV when sage isn't running so I think the ugly video quality is not necessarily video card related.)

Sounds like you've got a signal strength issue (or possibly a ground loop problem), that can't be fixed inside the PC. First, remove as many splitters as you can, see if it improves the picture. If it does, then you may want to consider an AMP, or a better splitter/more balanced splitting config.

3) In the monitor settings if I use the default size, it doesn't use the entire TV screen real-estate. But when I choose the overscan setting it fills the screen, but sageTV gets chopped off at the top (the entire date/time is missing from menus). Does anyone know how to use overscan without loosing a portion of the screen?

So you want to enable overscan in your video card so it fills the screen, but you want Sage to fit the screen? No problem, just go through the Overscan wizard in Detailed Setup -> Multimedia (IIRC).

Are these questions that should be sent to support?

You could, but these are the kinds of questions ideal for the forum.

[johngoes]

Howdy Stranger!

After I posted the entry if found the scan adjustments and got that fixed up. The TV screen is now fully utilized.

I will give the splitter cutout a shot. Right now the cable company has a six-way splitter on the outside and I've now got a two way splitter at the wall. I'm assuming when you say AMP you mean an amplifier? After I try the splitter bypass, I'll see if I can find a reputable video cable signal amplifier.

I had read in some post about the ground loop issue. I will see if I can get that post and make sure I'm not getting 60Hz feedback interfering.

I have one computer on which I installed the PVR card, and it also has the video out card. All in one. I don't have a monitor for that computer (my HTPC). I just have the s-video cable attached to the tv. To control that computer I installed real VNC Server on the HTPC and I have a VNC Client on my laptop. With the laptop I connect to the HTPC and see and control in a window exactly what I would see on the HTPC if I had a monitor attached. I performed all the SageTV setup with the vnc. When I go to set sageTV to full screen the VNC montor window on my laptop also goes full screen and doesn't allow me to work on the HTPC anymore. I would like for my TV to go to full screen and still have my vnc "monitor" to be usable for computer work.

Evenually I'll figure that one out I hope.

Thanks,

John

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by johngoes

When I go to set sageTV to full screen the VNC montor window on my laptop also goes full screen and doesn't allow me to work on the HTPC anymore. I would like for my TV to go to full screen and still have my vnc "monitor" to be usable for computer work.

The only thing I can think of, is to setup your displays in Extended desktop, with Sage on one and the rest on the other, but I don't know if VNC will get both or not.

One other possibility is to use the Video Mirror (or Theater Mode, or DVDMax) on your card, but you won't get the Sage OSD on the TV then.

[Jesse]

Hi,

I would like to work on the computer via vnc while the TV is showing stuff. Do I need to use the SageClient on my HTPC as well as the server?

I am not sure if this is exactly what you intend but this thread may help. http://forums.freytechnologies.com/f...ead.php?t=9230 Because you are using vnc to take control of the sage machine I dont see why you would need a sage client.

Good luck and welcome to the forums!

Jesse