Dscaler 4 vs SageTv 4

[hfsoares]

Guys,

I have the Sage Tv 4 and I cant get the same quality in watching tv as I get from DScaler 4.

I have copied the plugins from DScaler 4 to Common directory, and use the TomsMoComp, but the image is not as crisp and clean as it is on DScaler.

I know that Sage Tv uses an old version of DSCaler, and I have seen a thread saying that it is not possible to upgrade.

Any tips?

[]s Humberto

[hfsoares]

No tips at all?
Even a "Forget it. You'll never get in SageTV the same quality of DScaler" would be good, so that I can forget about it.

[]s Humberto

[stanger89]

What card are you using? What are you trying to do (record/view)? Sage works fundamentally differently than Dscaler, Sage is a PVR, Dscaler is viewer.

[IncredibleHat]

Sage also has various recording qualities... and since Sage watches a recording, if you have the recording quality set too low, it will look worse than DScaler. Also, make sure you have selected a decent video/mpeg encoder/decoder in the Sage setup. I find using the Intervideo NonCSS, works best out of the ones I have.

[hfsoares]

stanger89

I'm using a WinTV PVR150. I'm trying to watch and record LiveTV with Sage, basicly soccer matches.
I was comparing the quality of Sage Live TV with DScaler. I thought that I could get the same quality as Sage can use DScaler as a deinterlace plugin. But its not what I get it. That is what bothers me. Is it possible to get the same quality inside Sage TV?

IncredibleHat
Knowing what I said before, will quality records settings influency the LiveTv quality???? I will make some experiments and try the Intervideo NonCSS

[]s Humberto

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by hfsoares

will quality records settings influency the LiveTv quality????

Since "Live TV" is actually recorded & played back from the recorded file: yes, the default recording quality setting affects live TV.

- Andy

[hfsoares]

I've made the changes suggested, but the quality it is still far from DScaler.
Is it really impossible to upgrade the DScaler plugin on Sage to get the same quality?

Anyway, thx for the tips.

[stanger89]

DScaler and Sage, work in very different ways, DScaler takes raw video strait from the card, Sage takes the encoding of the 150.

The default recording quality will affect the PQ of Live TV in Sage
The decoders you choose will affect the PQ of everything in Sage.

[IncredibleHat]

Along the same note...

A clarification about the "MPEG2" and "DVD" decoders. SageTV can have its recording quality set to one of "Type: DVD", and also of "Type: MPEG-2". I have mine set to "DVD Standard Play, Type: DVD".

Now, under Video/Audio, you can set a "MPEG-2 Decoder". Ok, what now? There is also a setup menu for DVD and you can set a "DVD Decoder".

So, since you can record in DVD type... does that mean the DVD decoder you select is used for replaying record TV? Or is it using the MPEG-2 decoder? Reason I ask is, if you have recorded in DVD format, then wth is the decoder you select for MPEG-2?

Confusing...

If the MPEG-2 decoder you select is used for replaying recorded TV (even though recorded TV is in DVD format), then it really ought to say "Recorded Video Decoder" and not use the format name of MPEG-2 if that isn't what the video was recorded in.

Or am I missing something. HEH!

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by IncredibleHat

Along the same note...

A clarification about the "MPEG2" and "DVD" decoders. SageTV can have its recording quality set to one of "Type: DVD", and also of "Type: MPEG-2". I have mine set to "DVD Standard Play, Type: DVD".

OK, all recordings* done by Sage are MPEG-2. The ones labeled DVD, are simply recorded with paramaters that are DVD compliant. Selecting a quality not labled DVD, will result in a recording that may not be DVD compliant, but still MPEG-2.

Now, under Video/Audio, you can set a "MPEG-2 Decoder". Ok, what now? There is also a setup menu for DVD and you can set a "DVD Decoder".

There are two video decoder settings, one in Video, and one in the DVD settings. The one specified in Video is used for basically any MPEG-2 file.

The settings under DVD are used if Sage detects you're playing a DVD (either from the DVD-ROM drive, or a DVD rip on the hard drive).

So, since you can record in DVD type... does that mean the DVD decoder you select is used for replaying record TV? Or is it using the MPEG-2 decoder? Reason I ask is, if you have recorded in DVD format, then wth is the decoder you select for MPEG-2?

Recordings always use the decoder specified in the Video settings. Recording quality has no bearing on which of the two are chosen.

*The only time Sage doesn't record in MPEG-2 is if you have a tuner card that can record in something else, like DivX/MPEG-4.

[IncredibleHat]

Thanks. I figured that was the case... I just had one of those 'frain barts' and thought I would just ask, instead of assume it was what you said, and actually end up being wrong or something.

Good to have that little bit of information cleared up in the back of my mind so I can stop worrying about it.

Now... if I can only figure out which recording quality is the best (sometimes bigger file != better). Buts thats another topic, and we shouldn't derail this thread with it

[stanger89]

MPEG-2 Max quality is a good start. Really bigger is better since we're dealing with a single encoder/codec. However most find there's a point (usually 2-3GB/hr) where increasing it gets you nothing.