HD Media Extender - Exactly When ?

[davefred99]

Originally Posted by fyodor

Get comfortable. What do you think is more likely? They haven't updated the status in four months because they want it to be a super-neat surprise when it comes out in May? Or that it's taking so much longer than expected that they don't know when it will be available?

Until I see evidence otherwise, IT'S JUST VAPORWARE

[Nate]

Blah.

[MeInMaui]

Originally Posted by fyodor

Get comfortable. What do you think is more likely? They haven't updated the status in four months because they want it to be a super-neat surprise when it comes out in May? Or that it's taking so much longer than expected that they don't know when it will be available?

Sage has always had a policy of keeping their mouths shut right up until a product/update is ready for release. This is no different, so I wouldn't try to read anything into it. They have had a pretty good track record up to now, so when they say Q2, I believe them. Until it's ready, I guess we'll just have to exercise some patience. If we haven't heard anything by the beginning of Q3, then I'll probably start bellyaching.

Aloha,
Mike

[bcjenkins]

Originally Posted by davefred99

Until I see evidence otherwise, IT'S JUST VAPORWARE

I saw it in action during CES. Not vaporware.

B

[fyodor]

I'll happily eat crow if I'm wrong, but a few things to consider:

1.This is a hardware product-it's not just Sage, it's the third parties that make the product, the firmware etc.

2.These Sigma Designs based media extenders have a terrrrrrrible record in terms of on-time releases.

3.They were promising this thing back in 2006.

[Lucas]

Well the HD extender showed at CES looked very much like this one which seems to available.

http://www.snavio.com/SnaVio_VOD.asp

Given the problems experienced by owners of such standalone products I appreciate the fact that SageTV wants to iron most of the issues out because of the wide use it would have. The experience with the MVP proves the point.

[briands]

Originally Posted by Lucas

There is a model without the DVD player which is cheaper.

I don't think the SageTV HD extender will have a DVD player built in.

All this speculation and what ifs is driving me mad.

My SageTV pc can't handle h.264 and I am itching to upgrade yesterday....

I would welcome the local DVD function... can't really replace my client machine unless this is included... of course and HD-DVD (or hybrid BD/HD) player would be even better... hey a guy can dream can't he...

[autoboy]

I'm dreaming about my HD-extender replacing all my clients and ridding me of all my compatiblility problems, noise problems, size problems, and stability problems. It will never happen and I'll keep dreaming about it. Meanwhile, I will sit and wait and

[sainswor99]

Originally Posted by autoboy

I'm dreaming about my HD-extender replacing all my clients and ridding me of all my compatiblility problems, noise problems, size problems, and stability problems. It will never happen and I'll keep dreaming about it. Meanwhile, I will sit and wait and

And it will slice and dice, and make me biscuits with gravy.

mmmm, biscuits.

[Trepidati0n]

Originally Posted by sainswor99

And it will slice and dice, and make me biscuits with gravy.

mmmm, biscuits.

......mmmm gravy

[hemicuda]

after getting an HD tv this week... man I REALLY can't wait for the HD extender to get released. Just hope I can talk the wife into letting me get one. She's very disappointed in SD playback of her soaps. I'm still trying to track down the root of it. it's either Sage or the cards because DVDs look great through the MVP. Hoping that if I can pass HD from end to end she'll be pacified for awhile.

[dotheDVDeed]

Are your DVD files 16x9 enhanced, while your recorded soaps are not?

[Taddeusz]

Originally Posted by hemicuda

after getting an HD tv this week... man I REALLY can't wait for the HD extender to get released. Just hope I can talk the wife into letting me get one. She's very disappointed in SD playback of her soaps. I'm still trying to track down the root of it. it's either Sage or the cards because DVDs look great through the MVP. Hoping that if I can pass HD from end to end she'll be pacified for awhile.

Get an HDHomeRun and when the HD extender comes out it will do the full res.

My next purchase is going to be an HDHR so I can get the QAM channels over my cable connection.

[hemicuda]

Originally Posted by Taddeusz

My next purchase is going to be an HDHR so I can get the QAM channels over my cable connection.

the TV does QAM Now I know how many digitals I should get w/ an HDHR: NBCx2, CBS, ABC, PBSx4, about 54 music, ESPNHD, TBS, and a couple of others I can't identify yet.

I'm going to look for a calibration procedure for the 350 and 500. The recorded shows from CBS are dark and blurry even in media player. darn strange that it just started this after I get this fancy new TV.

[reboot_this]

I wonder if the lack of announcements with the HD extender has anything to do with the delay in the approval of the final specs of x.11n wireless standard? I read somewhere that approval might be by June 2007 (ie end of second quarter). But now there is another delay, due to various reasons, and that approval could be pushed back until the first of 2008.

Has anybody heard whether or not the HD extender will have wireless "N" built-in? That would be cool for the faster speeds but that's almost another year if the Sage guys want to wait until IEEE's final approval to release the new extender... but if it will have wireless "N", I can understand Sage waiting to release it, so we all don't chance owning "bricks" for extenders because they (extenders) don't comply with the "N" standard.

[bjkiller]

Originally Posted by reboot_this

I wonder if the lack of announcements with the HD extender has anything to do with the delay in the approval of the final specs of x.11n wireless standard? I read somewhere that approval might be by June 2007 (ie end of second quarter). But now there is another delay, due to various reasons, and that approval could be pushed back until the first of 2008.

Has anybody heard whether or not the HD extender will have wireless "N" built-in? That would be cool for the faster speeds but that's almost another year if the Sage guys want to wait until IEEE's final approval to release the new extender... but if it will have wireless "N", I can understand Sage waiting to release it, so we all don't chance owning "bricks" for extenders because they (extenders) don't comply with the "N" standard.

I do not think "N" is the show stoper, most people use non-wireless version. not-wireless much much reliable.

[Taddeusz]

Originally Posted by bjkiller

I do not think "N" is the show stoper, most people use non-wireless version. not-wireless much much reliable.

I've often felt that wireless networking is kind of a kludge. When it works it works fairly well but depending on the layout of walls, chimneys, major appliances, in-wall wiring, construction material, etc you can get really weird dead zones. There are just way too many variables that determine your signal strength and throughput. Wired is the only way to go for a guaranteed speed with no need for added security other than a firewall to the internet.

[lobosrul]

Theres already this nifty device out there: http://reviews.cnet.com/Netgear_EVA8...-32331171.html

It can stream content from HD tuners, and can decode x264/AVC. So I think were just waiting on software.

It retails for $350 BTW. Certainly cheaper than any HD capable PC client, but it will never do everything a PC can do.

[flavius]

If the Sage extender retails for less than $200, I'm wondering what the specs are going to look like: It's got to be something really stripped down, something *essential*. How else could they do it?

I have to say I'd rather pay more, well, but I guess that ship has sailed.

[reboot_this]

Alright, who's arm do I have to twist to get an HD extender in my hands???

Don't laugh, please...

My sagebox has been connected to an SD TV in the living room ever since I built it. Well our bedroom TV is an HD unit that we, me and my wife, got a heck of a deal on last Christmas, and we usually watch DVDs on it. The picture is awesome for DVDs but watching live tv is not so impressive (with the exception of the limited 1080HD content out there). So in the wait for an HD extender, we just watch most of our tv in the living room (via Sage of course)

Well, I was having issues with the sage box tonight, so we were forced to watch tonight's episode of Lost via "live" tv in the bedroom instead of waiting until later to watch it. WOW! What an experience! I NEVER knew the difference between SD and HD would be that huge!

Holy crud!!! Now I can see what we've been missing by watching the primetime evening shows on the SD TV in the living room! There is NO comparison between the two. Other than the fact that I REALLY REALLY am now going to wait for an HD extender, instead of settling for the SD MVP version for now, well and the fact that we might start watching Lost via "live" tv... there are only 3 more episodes this season.