matrox vidcard/SageTV Client issues

[IVB]

I'm using a G550 to display SageTV Client on my analog TV. I have no other display.

My problem is that in order to get the G550 to display the video on the TV, I have to have DVDMAx with clone. However, this means that the screen will auto-resize to the video frame size. This means that I get no overlay. I've got the play/pause/forward/backward buttons coded which work fine via my USB-UIRT, but my guide and home and other buttons don't work.

This means that if I want to switch recordings, I have to Alt-F4 and shutdown SageTV client, then restart it. Needless to say, this is a PITA.

Anyone been able to get their G550 to display on an analog TV without issue? [or even the G450 or G650]

[pcuoco]

IVB,

What's happening is your display is switching from clone mode to DVDMax. Your guide and everything should still be working, you just can't see it. There is a workaround. You basically have two options:

1. Disable DVDMax and set your Screen for 24bits in clone mode. This will display video and OSD all the time. You sacrifice the perfect interlacing of the DVDMax with this option however.

2. Keep DVDMax enabled (video will look better) and program a hotkey in the Matrox Powerdesk software to toggle between Clone and DVDMax. The video looks great with this option though it can get annoying. Still beats closing and restarting Sage, though, and if you use Girder you could program the hotkey in to your remote commands. Once you toggle back to clone you should see your guide, menu's etc. However when you go back to video, it won't auto kick in the DVDMax anymore, you'll have to hotkey toggle back.

Hope this helps. (I use the G400 by the way.)

[IVB]

Perfect, thanks. For archival purposes in case someone else has issues, I can't get the TV/overlay to display correctly with DVDMax disabled, but as I want to perform an operation [i.e., pause or switch programs], I don't care. My hotkey allows me to switch between a maximized screen and a partial screen showing the window with just audio and no video but most importantly the desktop with all controls. This works for me.

Thanks again.