Hauppauge WinTV HD PVR (H.264) screenshot and pre-order link

[petereader]

Wow! It's very exciting to hear all of your experiences with the HD PVR. Just wish I was in the pack receiving one soon. Can't wait for my budget to recover from some pretty big hits I took last month (but I'm still itching to push that buy button).

I just moved into a new house, and for some reason I'm not getting internet or cable right now Arrrgh! Very frustating (I've got a cable rep coming by tomorrow to take a look at the line outside...on A Sunday, I could'nt believe it). I just broke down and headed to a local coffee shop just so I could check out how all of you were doing with this. I feel like a college student again.

Now, if only someone nearby would only be willing to invite me over for some HD viewing I'll bring food, popcorn, and cook!

[Brent]

Got this HD-PVR question from a blog reader.

I don't own a HTPC, but ordered the item for another purpose.

I have many programs on my HD DirecTivo that are in HD that I want to archive. It appears that this device would let me do so through the component out.

I have a new macbook pro, but it looks like I will need to run windows to make this work. Since this is the only purpose I would use the device for, is it your understanding that this device would work for my purposes?

I guess I hadn't really considered this functionality (archive already recorded shows from a box) before, but it should work I guess. To me it would be an expensive tool if you weren't using it for true, HTPC purposes, but it should work I would think. Anyone agree/disagree? Is there a better way for this guy to do what he is wanting to do?

[mayamaniac]

From what I read, the HD-PVR comes with the software to archive HD content to DVDs and Blu-Ray discs. But since it only works under WinXP and Vista at the moment, he will need to run Windows with Bootcamp. And install the HD-PVR in Windows on his macbook pro.

[Brent]

I'm getting things prepared for the HD-PVR's arrival tommorow and have read the Quick Installation Guide on Hauppauge's site. I'm just wondering if there are any special instructions for SageTV users? The things I can think of that are SageTV specific:

• IR Blaster setup - I've not done this before so I'll have to do some searching on these forums for this. Is there something special we'll have to do in SageTV to get this to work?
• Firewire channel changing - I've still not gotten this to work for my box unfortunately so I'll have to put it back for a future project...
• Download and install latest SageTV Beta version (I've been running with this for many days now)
• Download and install latest HD-100 firmware (again - been running with the latest firmware successfully for a while now)
• Upgrade my SageTV client HTPC to dual core - done
• Install codecs needed on my SageTV client HTPC - still working on this.

Anything I'm missing?

[matt91]

Originally Posted by Brent

I'm getting things prepared for the HD-PVR's arrival tommorow and have read the Quick Installation Guide on Hauppauge's site. I'm just wondering if there are any special instructions for SageTV users? The things I can think of that are SageTV specific:

• IR Blaster setup - I've not done this before so I'll have to do some searching on these forums for this. Is there something special we'll have to do in SageTV to get this to work?

[...]

I still can't believe we don't have a wiki someplace for just this sort of thing! Having everyone who comes after have to read this whole thread for hints just doesn't make sense.

Matt

[Brent]

Originally Posted by matt91

I still can't believe we don't have a wiki someplace for just this sort of thing! Having everyone who comes after have to read this whole thread for hints just doesn't make sense.

Matt

I would imagine that a sticky post on this will come soon. Keep in mind that before Friday afternoon, only one person (that I know of) had an HD-PVR box in the SageTV community and that person was testing for SageTV. Give it a few days and things will sort out. This thing is very, very new and beta so we're really all learning and testing together at the moment

[matt91]

Originally Posted by Brent

I would imagine that a sticky post on this will come soon. Keep in mind that before Friday afternoon, only one person (that I know of) had an HD-PVR box in the SageTV community and that person was testing for SageTV. Give it a few days and things will sort out. This thing is very, very new and beta so we're really all learning and testing together at the moment

Well, I didn't really mean just for this issue, but for lots of the things that happen in the forums, it would be nice to have a wiki. A sticky, of course, doesn't allow users to contribute alternate strategies for getting something done, for example.

[m1abrams]

Originally Posted by Brent

I'm getting things prepared for the HD-PVR's arrival tommorow and have read the Quick Installation Guide on Hauppauge's site. I'm just wondering if there are any special instructions for SageTV users? The things I can think of that are SageTV specific:[LIST][*]IR Blaster setup - I've not done this before so I'll have to do some searching on these forums for this. Is there something special we'll have to do in SageTV to get this to work?

Since you have not done the IR blaster thing before, I strongly recommend that you attach the blaster to the box they usually have clear double-sided tape. Then cover the box and blaster with some black electrical tape. This will prevent stray IR signals from hitting the sensor.

[dadams]

Is there any conflict with using the IR blaster that comes with the HD-PVR and the USB-uirt at the same time?

[Kirby]

Originally Posted by CyRex

5. Updated to latest Sage beta.

6. Installed latest TS splitter.

Wouldnt the latest beta already have the latest TS splitter in it? And if not, what would be the need for an updated TS splitter?

[jrog]

Originally Posted by Kirby

Wouldnt the latest beta already have the latest TS splitter in it? And if not, what would be the need for an updated TS splitter?

What's the need for TS Splitter at all? It looks to me that it just takes a file and cuts it into chucks that fit on DVDs. Is it necessary in any way?

[Taddeusz]

Originally Posted by jrog

What's the need for TS Splitter at all? It looks to me that it just takes a file and cuts it into chucks that fit on DVDs. Is it necessary in any way?

The splitter demuxes the stream and sends the video and audio to the appropriate codecs.

[Kirby]

Originally Posted by Taddeusz

The splitter demuxes the stream and sends the video and audio to the appropriate codecs.

so if you are dealing with only HD100's for playback, then it wouldnt be needed right? since all decoding is done inside the HD100?

[brb84]

I've tried reading through the hundreds of forum posts on this product, but I'm obviously missing something as to why people are so excited about it.

What makes this so much better than any existing digital tuner? Sure, the internal PCI tuners only take the coax input, but isn't that all your set top box takes for HD anyway? What can I watch with this that I can't watch by just using the coax output from a STB?

[Kirby]

Originally Posted by brb84

What makes this so much better than any existing digital tuner? Sure, the internal PCI tuners only take the coax input, but isn't that all your set top box takes for HD anyway? What can I watch with this that I can't watch by just using the coax output from a STB?

Nothing, as long as you want to keep watching STANDARD DEFINITION captured through your coax output of the STB. When you want to capture HD for all channels from your STB, then you might want to buy one of these units.

[brb84]

This is where I'm confused then. The set top box is only using coax to get HD from the cable provider. What couldn't I get HD through the STB's coax? Does the box itself downgrade the signal before resending it?

[Kirby]

Originally Posted by brb84

This is where I'm confused then. The set top box is only using coax to get HD from the cable provider. What couldn't I get HD through the STB's coax? Does the box itself downgrade the signal before resending it?

ok, to make it simple, your cable company sends encrypted and un-encrypted digital (and analog) channels down the coax to your STB. your STB then decrypts the channels your are authorized to view, and sends the channels out the various connections on the back (hdmi, dvi, component, rca and coax out).

If you use the coax output of the STB, everything is going to be 480i analog (it might be possible that the in-the-clear HD channels get passed through this port, but those are surely only the local HD broadcast networks). This unit allows you to capture the component outputs (720p, 1080i, etc) along with the optical digital audio (Toslink) and encodes in real-time to H.264. Its the only method to capture HD (encrypted) into a HTPC other than a cable card PC running Vista MC (or using the other method that uses something from Blackmagic?).

[Taddeusz]

Originally Posted by Kirby

so if you are dealing with only HD100's for playback, then it wouldnt be needed right? since all decoding is done inside the HD100?

I believe tssplitter.ax is also used for other duties during and after recording.

[CyRex]

Originally Posted by Kirby

Wouldnt the latest beta already have the latest TS splitter in it? And if not, what would be the need for an updated TS splitter?

Good question. Since Andy had posted the splitter as a separate file after the beta was released, I was assuming that it was a newer version than the one included with the beta install.

I don't know that the new TS splitter will have any effect on the recording / playback of the HD PVR, but I believe it did address issues with the HDHR, which I also have.

-Dan

[bialio]

I think the TS splitters ANdy posted where for the 6.4.2 beta. IF you are running 6.4.3 you should not need them.

btl.