is there a start-up guide for using hd-pvr?

[t4uecker]

hi there -

i have a sage system using an hvr-1600 for tuning and with three hd100 extenders. my wife is complaining that the quality of sd channels through sage is a fair amount worse than those channels were through our previous tivo hd. since comcast is increasing the number of (encrypted) hd channels it offers, i was thinking of replacing my existing tuners with two hd-pvrs. (i'm also wondering if the hd-pvr's recording quality for sd channels will be better than my current hvr-1600's).

i went through a fair amount of pain to get my current setup working and am not looking forward to further pain to switch over to the hd-pvrs. i assume others have already dealt with hiccups and was wondering if there's a guide/sticky somewhere about how to set up a system with the hd-pvrs while avoiding any headaches/troubles/pains/etc.

thanks,
tu

[gibsonpa]

I am hoping someone can chime in here as well, as I am in the exact same situation. Have Sage with 2 1600's and 4 extenders. Using Dish HD package with 2 vip211's, but using s-video (SD) via the 1600's.

Really want to replace with HDPVR's...but am confused. The whole setting of quality in Sage versus elsewhere (drivers?) seems confusing. In other posts, folks mentioned you set the quality setting in Sage..but I thought the HDPVR did the H.264 encoding in hardware...so the Sage setting overrides any other? I have seen posts about constant bit rate and variable bit rate...is that is Sage as well?

Secondly, I am using a USB-UIRT for my Dish 211's. What happens with using an HDPVR? Does the UIRT control both the 211's and the HDPVR? Not sure how this works....or really what on the HDPVR is being controlled by IR...is it to power on/off, or record start/stop, etc.

[gibsonpa]

Any help on this?

[bcjenkins]

Installs are fairly easy. You don't control the HD-PVR with IR, SageTV does via USB.

I just helped a friend with his on Windows, yest. I installed the drivers, then updated to the latest version from website.

Installed only the TME, but he is using serial control for DirecTV.

B

[gibsonpa]

Thanks for the feedback! Especially the part about IR not controlling HD-PVR.