Questions before the LEAP from MCE

[dcardellini]

Edited with several new questions as I read deeper into forums.

Abandoned using SageTV a year ago and have been pushing MCE beyond its limits for over a year. Ready to make leap with this Beta, but a few questions that I can't find answers to here (looked hard through forums and read entire manual).

Current System: (2) identical HTPC's each with (2) Fusion5lites (OTA), (1) Happaugue 150, firewire to cable PVR Motorola 6212. MCE rollup2 with MyMovies plugin and Timmoores MCE Firewire stuff. Recordings are made locally on each HTPC, and batch file transfers recordings to an Infrant ReadyNAS x6 (1.6TB) at 3:00am daily (HTPC's auto wake up). MCE on both HTPC's set to monitor these remote "recordedtv" folders. Ripped DVD's and CD's (wma lossless) also stored on ReadyNAS.

System has grown unstable and has had quirks from day one, and know I really need a client/server model. If successful with SageTV, will put a separate SageTV Server next to NAS and have all tuners, cable boxes fed into it (qty-3 Fusion OTA, qty-2 firewire, qty-1 Hauppague 150).

Questions:

New A: Can I just put a CD in the HTPC and play a CD? Wife and kids do this often today.

New B: Can I just put a rented DVD into the HTPC and play the DVD? This happens really often.

1. Today, when I insert a CD, I have option in MCE to copy to library with simple remote control....is same in SageTV alone, or do I need SageMC? Is there choice of formats to rip to?

2. When I insert a DVD, MyMovies plugin prompts for "CopyDVD?", and again from the MCE application, using simple remote commands, query IMDB and copy this (with 3rd party resident app to allow copying). Again, will SageTV alone handle this? SageMC?

3. Will a SageTV Server handle the number of tuners/firewire I plan on?

4. Is the firewire plugin (as) useable as timmoores stuff on MCE/

5. What are issues with streaming these simultaneous recordings on a gigabit network direct to the ReadyNASx6? Don't know if I have option for 64k blocks on this Linux device. Anybody doing this today?

6. I will strip my local HTPC's down (add SageTVClient), and change out my screaming loud 6600GT's with passive-cooled 7600gs's. Any issue here for 720p, 1080i content to my 720p native displays?

7. When is someone coming up with small, affordable HD-MVP? Anybody putting a 6150 board w/no-PCI cards in a super slim, external power brick configuration for this?

8. At the least, I need to streaming HD recording to regular SD TV's. Will current MVP's do this without a separate explicit conversion step?

9. Can I download the new beta as a trial, as I am currently do not hold a SageTV license of any kind?

10. Is it really possible that SageTV will not work with Fusion tuners if MCE rollup2 is loaded up, even with services disabled? (oops cross-post on another thread!..sorry).

Thanks in advance for advice/info. Hoping the time is right to do this.

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by dcardellini

1. Today, when I insert a CD, I have option in MCE to copy to library with simple remote control....is same in SageTV alone, or do I need SageMC?

I'm not aware of any CD ripping capability in Sage today, be it native or add-in

2. When I insert a DVD, MyMovies plugin prompts for "CopyDVD?", and again from the MCE application, using simple remote commands, query IMDB and copy this (with 3rd party resident app to allow copying). Again, will SageTV alone handle this? SageMC?

Likewise.

FWIW, I do all my ripping on my desktop PC, and save the files off to my file server and NAS where SageTV finds them. I've always found it easier that way, especially since I usually want to reauthor my rips "movie only" and I've not found anything that can do that automatically.

There are a couple customizations that allow for looking up of DVD metadata though.

3. Will a SageTV Server handle the number of tuners/firewire I plan on?

If your system will, Sage will. If not you can always setup encoding servers.

6. I will strip my local HTPC's down (add SageTVClient), and change out my screaming loud 6600GT's with passive-cooled 7600gs's. Any issue here for 720p, 1080i content to my 720p native displays?

I don't see any. I'd vote for a 7600GT though, since those offer IVTC and Bad Edit Correction for HD. I believe there are some passive 7600GTs out there.

8. At the least, I need to streaming HD recording to regular SD TV's. Will current MVP's do this without a separate explicit conversion step?

If you've got enough horsepower on the server, it will transcode HD for the MVPs automatically.

9. Can I download the new beta as a trial, as I am currently do not hold a SageTV license of any kind?

As far as I know.

[GKusnick]

Originally Posted by stanger89

I'm not aware of any CD ripping capability in Sage today, be it native or add-in

There are CD ripping methods in the Global API, and they appear to be accessible via undocumented features of the standard STV. Set Extensions/Enable_OpticalDrive=BurnBabyBurn in your properties file and you should get a Rip CD option on the DVD/CD menu of the Media Library. I have not actually tried this feature to see it if works, but the menu support is there (if somewhat hidden).

[dcardellini]

Thanks (again) Stanger for help here. I think I'm ready to do it this time.

(1) and (2) are nice to haves (easy ripping CD and DVD), but now that I have finished ripping all of my media, I find that I am the one putting new stuff into system, and this not a problem for me. Instability in the PVR is killing the WAF and KAF....and fixing this is the priority today. So, in short, not a show stopper.

Great on (8), MVP transcoding HD to SD. Server will be a dual core athlon, 3800+, and no display on it. Assume that OTA and firewire is simple data transfer with little CPU load, and that Haupaugge encodes from its hardware. Think enough horsepower here?

On question (6) Passive 7600gs does not have heatsink protusion above card height (my Antec Overture cases have no extra room for anything extending above PCI card), and think the passive GT's extend above . What do I lose without IVTC and Bad Edit Correction for HD?

Thought I remember reading that you had an Infrant ReadyNAS somewhere here, Stanger89. Any insights for me on do-ability with this great device?

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by GKusnick

There are CD ripping methods in the Global API, and they appear to be accessible via undocumented features of the standard STV. Set Extensions/Enable_OpticalDrive=BurnBabyBurn in your properties file and you should get a Rip CD option on the DVD/CD menu of the Media Library. I have not actually tried this feature to see it if works, but the menu support is there (if somewhat hidden).

As the API docs note, the API calls used for this are only for the Linux system. This will not work on Windows, and may only work on a certain type of the Linux version. (Which is why it is hidden and not even documented as a secret feature.)

- Andy

[GKusnick]

You're right; I missed that note in the docs. My mistake.

[dcardellini]

Added two new questions for features I am not clear on (and edited my originating post with these additions):

New A: Can I just put a CD into my HTPC dvd/cd drive and just play it from the SageTV interface?

In MCE, it automatically cddb's the album cover jpg and song list, puts it up on the screen identical to those in your hard drive library, and away you go.

New B: Can I just put a DVD into my HTPC dvd/cd drive, and at least play it with standard remote commands (same as if it existed on hard drive in Library?

Wife/kids rent DVD's all the time.

[MeInMaui]

Originally Posted by dcardellini

Added two new questions for features I am not clear on (and edited my originating post with these additions):

New A: Can I just put a CD into my HTPC dvd/cd drive and just play it from the SageTV interface?

In MCE, it automatically cddb's the album cover jpg and song list, puts it up on the screen identical to those in your hard drive library, and away you go.

Sage doesn't do this natively. There is a plugin to do this using windows media player, but I've never used it.

New B: Can I just put a DVD into my HTPC dvd/cd drive, and at least play it with standard remote commands (same as if it existed on hard drive in Library?

Wife/kids rent DVD's all the time.

DVD's are handled natively in SageTV. The only quirk is that sage doesn't remember where you left off if you stop and resume later. (Not sure if this has changed in V6, but there is a plugin for this too)

There are also plugins and alternate UI's (such as SageMC) that allow you to use an external media player if you want.

Aloha,
Mike

[dcardellini]

Thanks, MeinMaui!

Playing rented DVD's is real important...good there. Can live with not being able to insert a CD and play (for now).

Remaining unanswered questions:

4. Is the firewire plugin to a Motorola 6412 STB (as) useable as timmoores stuff on MCE?

5. What are issues with streaming these simultaneous recordings from the SageTV Server on a gigabit network direct to the ReadyNASx6 (network storage)? Don't know if I have option for formaatting 64k blocks on this Linux device. Anybody doing this today?

Nearly good to go!

[MeInMaui]

Originally Posted by dcardellini

Thanks, MeinMaui!

Playing rented DVD's is real important...good there. Can live with not being able to insert a CD and play (for now).

Remaining unanswered questions:

4. Is the firewire plugin to a Motorola 6412 STB (as) useable as timmoores stuff on MCE?

5. What are issues with streaming these simultaneous recordings from the SageTV Server on a gigabit network direct to the ReadyNASx6 (network storage)? Don't know if I have option for formaatting 64k blocks on this Linux device. Anybody doing this today?

Nearly good to go!

I just went through setting up two SA3250HD boxes for recording via firewire. Unfortunately I had to settle for just firewire channel changing and using the s-video outputs for recording. All of my channels are 5C'd. There are, however, a number of people successfully recording over firewire using timmoore's drivers. There is a very large thread on it in the hardware support forum. Check out the first post. I can say the channel changing works very well.

I can't really help you with #5. I just use a client/server over gigabit with no problems. I know others use NAS setups with good success, but I have no direct experience. Hope this helps.

Aloha,
Mike

[dcardellini]

Good enough. Enough unknowns cleared to invest a weekend. thanks!