New TV - what are my options

[garyellis]

My compnay is giving me a Sharp LCD screen TV for my 25th year anniversary award. It has HDMI / component / svideo / coax inputs...Also is has ATSC/QAM/NTSC tuners...the screen is 16:9 with 1366 x 768 resolution. (only 26 inches screen size, but its free)

I'll be putting it in my bedroom, replacing an old small tv in there.

Today I run the small tv in my bedroom with an MVP, thus using Svideo to the TV. The family room TV runs from the HTPC and main copy of Sage and is about 30 feet away)

If I want to continue to use SageTV, what are my options with this new TV.. I know I can just use the svideo from the MVP and that would be pretty good...

Seems like a shame to waste all of the HD/digital features of the new TV.

I also have Time warner cable if that helps.

Thanks for the input,

Gary Ellis

[paulbeers]

Since it will be in your bedroom, I would stick to the MVP. You could also use the ASTC tuner (put a good HDTV antennae in the bedroom) to pull down HDTV OTA. If this tv was in your living room, I would say make a good HDTV client, but if your bedroom is like mine, I don't want a computer spinning away at all hours of the night. MVP is obviously silent (as you know). Just my .02 worth.

[garyellis]

you are right on the bedroonm part..no client in there (WAF would go below zero)...

With the QAM tuner, if I connect the time warner cable, might I be able to receive unencrypted HD channels...If there are any...instead of using an antenae?

[Polypro]

Yup, just scan for the QAM channels and it should work.

P

[garyellis]

Now, having said that..How do I make it work in Sage?

I have a PVR 150 and a PVR 500..I don't believe that either of those will handle HD. So, would I need a tuner that handles HD that the Time Warner cable can plug to?

I understand that the latest beta version of Sage handles QAM.

Gary

[blade]

Originally Posted by garyellis

Now, having said that..How do I make it work in Sage?

I have a PVR 150 and a PVR 500..I don't believe that either of those will handle HD. So, would I need a tuner that handles HD that the Time Warner cable can plug to?

I understand that the latest beta version of Sage handles QAM.

Gary

Yes you'd need a HD capable tuner that Sage has QAM support for. I haven't heard of anyone trying the current tuner Sage supports. It is a USB tuner and I believe it is around $155-170. There is another one that hopefully will have support for Sage before too long that connects with a network connection that has dual tuners.

[garyellis]

I think you are talking about HDHomerun...I've been reading the posts..That sounds promising. But since this is going through an MVP, I will still need an MVP with QAM output....

when is that coming.....????


Gary

[gplasky]

Originally Posted by garyellis

I think you are talking about HDHomerun...I've been reading the posts..That sounds promising. But since this is going through an MVP, I will still need an MVP with QAM output....

when is that coming.....????


Gary

I think you're confusing two items. To get HD from a cable box you need a tuner (your PVR500 and PVR150 are tuners) that supports QAM.
Then, if you're connecting your MVP to a HDTV, the MVP does not output high definition. It outputs SD. So the MVP is not the correct device if you want to output high definition video to your HDTV. It will output SD (standard definition) to your HDTV.

Gerry

[blade]

Originally Posted by garyellis

I think you are talking about HDHomerun...I've been reading the posts..That sounds promising. But since this is going through an MVP, I will still need an MVP with QAM output....

when is that coming.....????

I think you're a little confused. Are you asking about a HD capable media extender or a way to record HD onto your Sage server?

You need QAM capable tuners to capture HD from the cable company. QAM has nothing to do with playing back the video. You'd need a PC client to output HD. Sage is supposed to add a HD capable extender at some point, but who knows when that will be.

Edit: Darn I was very slow on this one.

[heffe2001]

Now if Sage would just get off their duffs and release a HD extender, that would be the best way to go . Hopefully one day...

[garyellis]

I guess that was my real question....when are we getting an HD extender?

Hopefully along with DVD support through the MVP/extender.

Thanks for the help,

Gary

[Jesse]

Hi,

Seems like a shame to waste all of the HD/digital features of the new TV.

Right on.

The family room TV runs from the HTPC and main copy of Sage and is about 30 feet away)

You could pick up a couple of cat5-->component baluns and use the cat5 that currently connects the mvp to connect the main sage box to the new HDTV in the bedroom. You could then just use the mvp in the family room. That would just leave setting up your bedroom remote to operate the HTPC in the family room. There are numerous remote extender solutions so that should not be a big deal.

I am, of course, assuming you are using an SDTV in the family room and that your mvp is wired. If not then just ignore me.

Link to cat5-->component baluns: http://www.svideo.com/1080i.html

HTH

Jesse

[heffe2001]

What I don't understand is, they've been working on it for the better part of a year, and still haven't released the darn thing. If I remember correctly, the box in question was a Buffalo Linktheater, and I believe they actually had it mostly working when I asked about it then (and before Opus or anybody says anything, I'm under no kind of NDA, and wasn't told I couldn't say anything about it).

As soon as they release the HD extender, we can quit selling MCE2005/Xbox 360 extender combos, and start selling the Sage systems I'd much rather support.