Hardware advice on building 1st PCTVPVR

[bboldschool]

I am new to this forum..but from what I have been reading here and other places..looks like SAGETV/Sagerecorder is the software I want to use to build my 1st pctvpvr..but I need some advice..on a good motherboard and cpu..AMD or Pentium that could handle numerous TVtuners(pvr 250's)..that would assist in making this process as smooth as it could be...so I am not concerned on the size of the case...I have my own special tv room...so size or looks is really not my concern at this time..but its ability to expand for numerous tuners.....and large/multiple hard drive IDE slots..and eventually burn to external or external dvd recorder..I know this is fairly broad question but any advice would be appreciated...Thanks...

[fidget]

Originally posted by bboldschool
I am new to this forum..but from what I have been reading here and other places..looks like SAGETV/Sagerecorder is the software I want to use to build my 1st pctvpvr..but I need some advice..on a good motherboard and cpu..AMD or Pentium that could handle numerous TVtuners(pvr 250's)..that would assist in making this process as smooth as it could be...so I am not concerned on the size of the case...I have my own special tv room...so size or looks is really not my concern at this time..but its ability to expand for numerous tuners.....and large/multiple hard drive IDE slots..and eventually burn to external or external dvd recorder..I know this is fairly broad question but any advice would be appreciated...Thanks...

What are your constraints? How many tuners do you want? What kind of TV do you have (HDTV, standard)? Do you want to be able to surf the net or just watch TV?

I have had no problem with running SageTV with two PVR-250s, but adding a third to the mix has been a problem. The problem has only manifest itself when I tried playing back while recording. Recording three shows worked fine. Also, the 350 seems to not like playing with the 250. I am running an AMD AthlonXP 2500+ and VIA chipset mainboard and WindowsXP home. I don't know if XP Pro is appreciably better, nor do I know if using a RAID controler would make any difference.

I use a GeForceFX 5200 and its TV out is not bad, but some people feel that the ATI cards have a better picture. FWIW, I prefer to not use software rendered MPEG, but I don't have a choice right now.

When the on screen display gets running on the PVR-350, my system will change to have one dedicated tuner PC, with 3 PVR-250s, and one dedicated TV PC, with a PVR-350 using the S-Video out. It is nice to be able to surf the net using the PC (as I am doing now) so I will need to do something to retain that functionality.

The next thing you will need to address is the remote. I don't use one, but rather decided to use a wireless keyboard and mouse (Gyration makes a really nice RF combo that has a 25' range). I would like to find something that is comparable in features to my TiVo remote, or something that has a pre-programmed TiVo keyset.

I think that SageTV has enough functionality that my TiVo will finally find another home. *sigh* It's been a good little toy, but it just doesn't have the functionality that I need (a victim of its own success, I suppose).

[bboldschool]

I will be using standard tv for now...untill I get a little more experience with this type of system....as far as the number of tuners..probably no more than six...do you need a audio card for each tuner? I assume yes...I will be recording only or watching one while recording..Internet access is a given...I just did'nt know how much cpu would be needed to run a high number of tuners..what motherboards seem to be working well with the pvr cards and software...? It may not matter? just finding a mb that has 6 or more pci slots? From what I have been reading is using pvr 250's and a good AGP card with tv out..is the way to go now..
due to the 350 out not working well yet...I will be using XP home...of course..is there a choice? Do you need added cooling for such a high number of tuners? What is a reasonable choice for the AGP card with tv out? Thanks again

[fidget]

Originally posted by bboldschool
as far as the number of tuners..probably no more than six...do you need a audio card for each tuner?

That means you will need to have at least two PCs doing the recording (you can fit at most four PVR-250s in one box). You just need an audio card in the PC that is doing the playback.

I assume yes...I will be recording only or watching one while recording..Internet access is a given...I just did'nt know how much cpu would be needed to run a high number of tuners..what motherboards seem to be working well with the pvr cards and software...?

I am using a VIA KT400 based mainboard and am having a few problems, but I don't know if they are related to the chipset. Since the endocing is being done in hardware, the CPU requirements for recording are quite small. The big issue is the playback PC. With my 5200, I get <30% CPU usage on playback and I don't notice any CPU usage due to recording

It may not matter? just finding a mb that has 6 or more pci slots? From what I have been reading is using pvr 250's and a good AGP card with tv out..is the way to go now..

There seems to be a driver issue with > 4 PVR-250s so I would recommend getting a cheap PC (or two) for holding the tuners and something a bit higher end for driving the TV.

due to the 350 out not working well yet...I will be using XP home...of course..is there a choice? Do you need added cooling for such a high number of tuners? What is a reasonable choice for the AGP card with tv out? Thanks again

With two tuners, my case runs at 32 degrees C, but adding the third causes the temp to jump to about 48 degrees. I have a funny feeling that this is due to the proximity of the third card to the temperature sensor in the case, but I am not positive. With increased ventilation comes increased noise so you may want to put your main recorder PC in another room (or well ventilated, and sound shielded, cabinet).

[Crazedz]

Another idea would be to use a couple PVR2 usb's in place of several internal cards. Since they are supposed to work now it should be do'able and would cut down on heat in the case as well. So since you could use the pci slots as well as usb ports to make up the difference it should make it easier to do on a board with less slots. Though of course their more expensive than a 250 so it depends on how much your willing to spend.

You can look to this thread for info on this.
http://www.freytechnologies.com/foru...&threadid=1363

[Narflex]

What's this about a driver issue with >4 PVR250s? I've seen rumors of it, but never heard from anyone that tried to do it and had problems.

I know we've got one user with 5 tuners, and I'm pretty sure they're all in one case.

[fidget]

Originally posted by Narflex
What's this about a driver issue with >4 PVR250s? I've seen rumors of it, but never heard from anyone that tried to do it and had problems.

I know we've got one user with 5 tuners, and I'm pretty sure they're all in one case.

Among other places in the message lists, here.

If 5 PVR-250s work together, then I would definitely recommend having 5 250s in their own PC (in another room) and having a PVR-350 in a PC for driving the TV. That way you can transition over to the 350's S-Video out when the OSD gets ported. I, however, will probably stop at a mere 4 tuners.