Recording HD

[compuguru]

Hi Everyone,

I'm looking at using SageTV to replace our Tivo. Right now I have a computer (2.0 GHz, 768 MB of RAM) that I have Windows Home Server installed on it and plan to setup Sage TV for Windows Home Server on it too. I was looking in the forums and it seems like a lot of people are using the Hauppage 1600 or the HD HomeRun.

I was wondering if anyone would tell me what would be best in my situation. All I would like to be able to do is record the standard channels on our Cable (the ones that we can get without the Box) and the Local HD Channels our Cable provides. The HD HomeRun website said that it would be able to pickup the HD Channels, not sure about the Hauppage though. Any recommendations? I have Charter cable is that helps.

[OneThomas]

Look at the Hauppauge HVR-1600 card in the SAGE Hardware store. Does both over the air HD and standard cable.

[compuguru]

This card will pickup the HD channels over cable right?

[rlvogel322]

I have WHS, Charter and use both an HDHomerun and a HVR-1600. The HDHomerum picks up all my QAM channels where the 1600 misses a few. It will work exactly like you describe.

Are you planning on using the WHS box for playback? If so, you may run into issues watching HD content. Sonce I went to the HD extender I've had ZERO issues with playback and the WHS box has been rock solid.

[compuguru]

I was planning on using extenders to view the content. Right now I can only afford either the 1600 or the HDHR. Is there one that you would recommend I get?

[Djc208]

All I would like to be able to do is record the standard channels on our Cable (the ones that we can get without the Box) and the Local HD Channels our Cable provides.

The HDHR can only do digital signals, so without another tuner card you won't be able to record the "regular" analog signals like you wanted without a seperate analog card. The 1600 has one analog tuner input and one digital tuner input and can capture from both at the same time.

Right now I can only afford either the 1600 or the HDHR.

If you can only get one then it will have to be the 1600 (or its PCIe brother the 1800) to do both analog and digital. The HDHR does digital better than the 1600/1800 but that's all it does.