Maximum Number of STV Media Extenders One Sage Server can serve?

[SoonerLater]

Q. - What is the maximum number of SageTV Media Extenders which one Sage Server can serve on a single subnet over a wired ethernet 100mb network?

My apologies if this answer lies somewhere in the fora or the Sage site. I did read the FAQ, and did a search, but saw nothing on this issue.

I'm considering the purchase of one SageTV server license, one place-shifter license and three HD100 Media Extenders. Everything would be installed in my home, which has a wired network with network drops everywhere there is a tv in the house. While we'd seldom have all three Media Extenders displaying content at the same time, I'd like to know that they can. I don't plan on ever using the Sage server to record tv (I already have three ReplayTVs which suit me fine, even without hd support), but I am looking for a solution which:

-- Will serve up various recorded files on my server (I'll rip all my children's dvds to... divx or h.264, probably);
-- Will play my Rhapsody music service subscription (I saw on the forum that somebody develope "dynamic menus" which can be made to control online services such as Rhapsody);
-- Will play Netflix video-on-demand (which must originate in an IE 7 browser).

If it can only do the above, it's enough for me. Will it?

[reggie14]

The short answer is no. The media extenders can't play back any DRMed audio or video sources. I can't see that ever changing. If you need to do the last two items on your list you'll need to buy three computers.

[GKusnick]

Leaving aside the DRM issue and just addressing the networking question, I'd say three simultaneous SD streams should be no problem over 100 Mbit. Three HD streams might be pushing it. I'd suggest a gigabit NIC in the server and a gigabit switch so the server-to-switch leg doesn't become a bottleneck.

[BFisher]

I have 1 HD Extender and 4 SD MVPs - and have tested them all running at once and had no issues. I plan on adding 1-2 more HD Extenders to replace some MVPs but it's not been an issue so far.

I play my kids DVDs through all my extenders, it can be done.

Netflix Now integration is not done. Some people are talking about it so it's something that may show up soon, but nothing now.

Good luck.