SageTV HD Media Extender

[geogecko]

Originally Posted by mightyt

Would this extender allow you to make greater use of custom UI's and plugins like a Client PC? Such as Dynamic Menus, Comskip, SageMC, etc.? Or what customizations could you not do?

The current SD Extender allows you to do that, so I would hope we wouldn't lose that ability...

[BFisher]

I have 5 of the current extenders - and basically the interface is very similar your server PC... you can install SageMC, it will commercial skip, etc. (IIRC, animations don't work)

However, my understanding is that the box is pretty dumb and that the processing is being done on the server. So (for example) you don't install MC on the extender, you just enable it on the extender once it's installed on the server.

The basic extenders work great, looking forward to the HD ones!

[mayamaniac]

I like the Hauppauge 45 button silver remote for the MVP, it's almost perfect. It's small, the buttons are not too closed to each other (particularly the directional arrow buttons), and I love the button layout where the arrows and playback control buttons are right in the middle of the remote (I hold the remote at the middle, not at the bottom).

Anyway, I'm hoping for an as great remote for the HD extender. I don't mind if it's simple, meaning it doesn't need to control my other devices, although it would be cool if I can turn on the TV + Volume with it.

So Narflex, if it's not too much trouble, please post an image of the HD Extender remote, thanks.

[autoboy]

A remote that can turn on / off my TV and control the volume is a great feature of the MCE remote. If it does not have that, I will have to re-engineer the setup in my bedroom. I specifically built my system so everything could be operated from the MCE remote. My speakers use an external amp connected to the variable audio out of the TV so the MCE remote can turn the TV on and control the volume without any extra commnads and I still get great 2.1 sound from my Def Tech Mythos 2s and Monitor Audio R720 dual 8" sub. It works really really well.

Since Sage has control over the hardware, I wonder if they have the ablility to use different remotes with the extender?

[motobarsteward]

Now, I've never got very excited about extenders before but the thought of spending £400 on a new PC client has focused my mind a tad!

The problem is that I now have to use my son's laptop as a client for the next month while Sage launch their new extender. The laptop is 4 years old, over heat, shuts down and is very noisy.

I do hope, that after waiting a month, I don't have to wait any longer and that, when the spec is released, I don't find an annoying short-coming that means it's no use to me!

Anyway, a question for Narflex, will this thing produce PAL and will us guys in the UK be able to buy from Sage in the US or will you appoint UK distributors?

Also, I know that the extender will be available in mid December but when will you launch it, i.e. release the specifications?

If it carries on past Christmas, I'm going to have to go the PC lient route instead.

[mightyt]

Originally Posted by BFisher

I have 5 of the current extenders - and basically the interface is very similar your server PC... you can install SageMC, it will commercial skip, etc. (IIRC, animations don't work)

However, my understanding is that the box is pretty dumb and that the processing is being done on the server. So (for example) you don't install MC on the extender, you just enable it on the extender once it's installed on the server.

The basic extenders work great, looking forward to the HD ones!

Excellent! Thanks ... That's good news ... I have always wanted to extend my Sage to my upstairs master bedroom. Tried it a while ago (around v.3) with a 54G Wireless Client PC in my son's room , but was very dissappointed due to a lot of stuttering.

I am going to run CAT5 to the my bedroom, so this may do the trick! Plus HD!

[drewg]

Originally Posted by autoboy

Yes, my TV is a progressive scan TV with 1920x1080 resolution. In order to display an interlaced signal, my TV or other equipment must deinterlace this to a progressive frame. There are many ways to do this, and some of them are better than others, with some of them able to display the full 1080p resolution from a 1080i signal using a process called Inverse Telecine. This is the process that my TV and the HD extender will not be able to do, and is why I am considering the video processor in the Onkyo receiver.

I'm currently shopping for a 1080P LCD to go with the HD extender when it finally arrives. Your comment about neither the HD extender nor your TV being able to do IVTC on 1080i stopped me cold in my tracks. I had thought that modern LCDs were able to properly deinterlace 1080i. Is it just your TV which cannot do it? Is it all TVs? Is there a list of TVs which work properly? Is this what the "120Hz" buzzword is about?

Should I just hang on to my 4 year old direct-view 1080i CRT HDTV until they pry it from my cold, dead hands?

Thanks,

Drew

[KarylFStein]

Your 1080p panel should be able to display the 1080i signal. It's just that there are different ways to process that signal and some may be "better" than others. Personally, I don't have an issue with picture quality on my 5 year old 1080p panel when feeding it a 1080i signal, but then I've never seen the difference of other processing techniques, or a full 1080p feed, so can't really compare. Maybe that's a good thing!

[autoboy]

Originally Posted by drewg

I'm currently shopping for a 1080P LCD to go with the HD extender when it finally arrives. Your comment about neither the HD extender nor your TV being able to do IVTC on 1080i stopped me cold in my tracks. I had thought that modern LCDs were able to properly deinterlace 1080i. Is it just your TV which cannot do it? Is it all TVs? Is there a list of TVs which work properly? Is this what the "120Hz" buzzword is about?

Should I just hang on to my 4 year old direct-view 1080i CRT HDTV until they pry it from my cold, dead hands?

Thanks,

Drew

I'm being overly anal with my requirement of being able to do Inverse Telecine. It is only useful on movie (film) content and it is barely noticeable even to me who knows what to look for. I would not hesitate to use the 1080i deinterlacer in the HD extender, or even your TV's deinterlacer with the box set to native mode. 95% of the time there will be no difference, and those times there are differences, you will probably not see them. I just figured since I know about it, and the scaler in the Onkyo 875 can do it for what to me is a pretty trivial amount of $, then I might as well. However, I don't like to throw $ at something I won't use, so that is why I was asking about it. Just to let you know, I think I'm going to skip the Onkyo 875 and will stick with my current receiver for now. However, I'm going to run out of digital inputs when I add the HD cable box for OnDemand movies. I'm not sure what I'm going to do about that.

Crap, you know what? I just realized that will use up all my TV inputs as well. Wow. All 3 HDMI ports are used, and both Component inputs.
HTPC (extender soon) HDMI
PS3 HDMI
XBOX360 Component
Wii Component
HD Cable Box HDMI

[valnar]

Originally Posted by autoboy

PS3 HDMI
XBOX360 Component
Wii Component

Game a lot?

[autoboy]

Originally Posted by valnar

Game a lot?

Actually, no, not really

I use the PS3 for a BluRay player and I don't even own a game for it. I play a little Halo 3 on the Xbox and primarily use it for HD-DVD, and I thought the Wii would be a great thing to play when people are over, or with my girlfriend. It turns out it gets old fairly fast.

[drewg]

Originally Posted by autoboy

I'm being overly anal with my requirement of being able to do Inverse Telecine. It is only useful on movie (film) content and it is barely noticeable even to me who knows what to look for. I would not hesitate to use the 1080i deinterlacer in the HD extender, or even your TV's deinterlacer with the box set to native mode. 95% of the time there will be no difference, and those times there are differences, you will probably not see them.

Thanks! You made me feel a lot more comfortable

Drew

[autoboy]

As long as I don't tell you what to look for you will be happy.

Ignorance is bliss

[stanger89]

That is so true.

[Jabroni]

Damn why did they had to release first the beta software which supported the 'unkonwn' hardware... they just make me hammer the site every hour to see if any more information is leaked/posted.... I cant wait to get one of these, since im getting another HD LCD soon and I would love to have my HD collections in it too....

Hope to see more information bout the extender soon

[ybrew]

Originally Posted by autoboy

snip....I thought the Wii would be a great thing to play when people are over, or with my girlfriend. It turns out it gets old fairly fast.

True dat.

I tried my nephew's Wii for 2 days. By day 2 I was really bored with it.

Lovin' the 360 though.

[autoboy]

Originally Posted by ybrew

True dat.

I tried my nephew's Wii for 2 days. By day 2 I was really bored with it.

Lovin' the 360 though.

Yeah, I ended up taking it over to my folk's house when the whole family was over and we had a blast playing Wii Sports and a few other games, but I actually left it there and haven't felt the need to pick it up for 2 months. Now, where is that HD extender???

[DaFrogBoy]

Is there a plethera of these in stock? Otherwise, is there a pre-order available?

I'd hate to run into the issue with the MVP's constantly running out of stock, and since a pair of these is my x-mas present, I don't want to disappoint... myself ;-)

Do we have an ETA on them yet (is it still late Nov, early Dec.?)

[sic0048]

Originally Posted by KarylFStein

Personally, I don't have an issue with picture quality on my 5 year old 1080p panel when feeding it a 1080i signal, but then I've never seen the difference of other processing techniques, or a full 1080p feed, so can't really compare. Maybe that's a good thing!

There were 1080p panels out 5 years ago? You must have paid a fortune for it!

[KarylFStein]

Originally Posted by sic0048

There were 1080p panels out 5 years ago? You must have paid a fortune for it!

Well, that may be an exaggeration--probably more like 3 years. But it helps the upgrade argument to say 5 years, so I'm sticking to that.