X-Card just ordered

[Maladin]

Doesn't seem worth it to me. That card is cheap, but you get what you pay for.

I use my XCard to play back DVD's and other pre-recorded content 480p, via JovePlayer. SageTV plays back through my PVR 350's s-video port. I hope some day SageTV will support the OSD on XCard, then I will use it for everything.

An inexpensive video card with decent TV out, e.g. GeForce FX 5200, would be a better investment and better quality overall. If I recall your CPU is XP 1800+. That's plenty fast enough for software decoding at NTSC resolution. XCard is only marginally useful for SageTV, unless you can live without the OSD. Trying to force it to decode your mpeg and then forcing it through a cheap video card is defeating the purpose of the XCard.

[LarryFlint]

Guys, about the VIP thing, have you guys seen the PMSvideo website? they offer a combo of an Xcard and their PDI card, which takes in the VIP feed into the PCI bus to output to the graphics card. This is discussed in depth in the AVS forum, they use this combo to get a DVD feed into dScaler and output via the graphics card to a Hi Def display, effectively simulating Hi Def progressive from DVD data.

Would this be something that could work with Sage in some level?

LarryFlint

[stanger89]

At some level, yes. It should work fine except you'd need to switch between Dscaler for video and SageTV for UI/OSD.

[SHS]

LarryFlint that PDI not very useful you end runing 2apps when eazy just to get older Video card that has VIP and save free PCI slott for other things.

[stanger89]

But you don't get the awesome Dscaler deinterlacing/auto-pulldown detection using VIP, that is the true benefit of using the PDI method. Plus it would be possible to use a Holo3D with all the Faroudja DCDi glory. That is why I am waiting for an OSD on the Xcard.

[SHS]

You don't need it all done automatic deinterlacing/auto-pulldown by the Xcard but you rigth using a Holo3D with all the Faroudja DCDi glory is best way if you have that kind cash to fork out which I fine but not very useful in long run so which I think is a bit over kill when only dose video output you may as well just buy really good Home DVD Player for what that device cost and still have lot money left over.

[stanger89]

I admit the Holo3D is a high-end piece, but a home DVD Player can't duplicate the media server capablities of an HTPC/SageTV, ie a media server. To do that you need something like a Kaleidescape system, those are only $20,000, and that's just for 1 client and 500Gb. HTPCs are not just a low end-cost effective peices, for many of us they are statement peices that would cost thousands of dollars to replace with components.

[7up]

Is OSD via the Xcard technically feasible such that it might be added as an option for SageTV someday?

[stanger89]

Jeff said it was doable but hasn't given us a timeline yet, he's been pretty busy with 2.0 though.

[Opus4]

Long ago, there was this post suggesting it will be doable at some point, but I haven't seen any comments since then regarding when/if it might get added.

- Andy

[Xleon]

There may be another way in the mean time.......

JovePlayer has proved that you can take the output of the Windows desktop by 'grabbing it' and putting this on the Xcard output.

This is all done internally via the JovePlayer software, but there is a limit of 10 frames per second that can be displayed due to the grabbing process involved but I'm sure that would be enough to allow comfortable control over Sage.

At present, it has only be setup to allow screensavers and web browsers to use this function, but I've requested a button / option to allow you to show the desktop whenever you like.

[Opus4]

I tried JovePlayer in the past... not sure if I didn't set thigns up correctly, but it conflicted horribly with SageTV. Jove would grab my Hauppauge 250 (hmmm... or was it the xcard?) & not release it ever again. Since I'm still using SageTV, you can guess which one I considered less important.

- Andy

[Xleon]

All I can say is to give the new version a free trial run. They have addressed that problem of JovePlayer hogging the Xcard and you can now press a button on the remote to put JovePlayer to sleep and it releases the Xcard to other software.

You can also tell JovePlayer to ignore the PVR250 now in the config settings menu which might help you.

[Opus4]

Hmmm... Thanks, I may have to check it out again sometime. I won't use it for TV (SageTV is much better for that), but it might be better for DVD playback than the Xcard's XMedia Player.

- Andy

[Xleon]

It very much depends on how you use your system. I use my in a simpler way with SRecorder so the Xcard plays a bigger role.

Then of course, you get the added bonus of 480p
and 576p

[Beelzebub]

I'm a little confused, doesn't the Xcard use a overlay, when you use the VGA port. I know the H+ card does this, and it works in SageTV with the OSD, using the VGA port. I don't see any reason why the Xcard should be able to do this. Actually I do, maybe the graph is set to send the video to to the TV-out instead of the overlay mixer. I have a Xcard, but I misplaced in my last move. I did however find a old Hollywood Plus card, and It works great, Fullscreen Video with the SageTV Interface. Worst comes to worst, you could always get one of these cards, then get a vga - video scan converter.

Now I'm going to tear apart my apartment, and find my Xcard. I know I can get it to work.

[SHS]

No only it can only do Full Screen with VGA Pass-though cable it not like Hollywood Plus, NetStream 2000/2000TV or 4000 which can do overlay on PC monitor or aka Windows Mode so the only way get the card to work with Windows Mode is have use the VIP 26 pin feature connector.
The key is setup using Xmedia first then SageTV will use that setting.

[SHS]

Well I have nVidia GeForce 3 with all goodeie on it here to me so we find out weather not S/Video output on GF3 will work with VIP.

[kny3twalker]

Sweet
please give a mention of quality compared to without VIP
post some screen shots if possible and maybe include a screen shot of the decoding on the monitor, TV via svideo and TV via X card no OSD

if you do not mind

[SHS]

Well I have it but so I'm a bit dispoint I can't seem enable both my 19" KDS Monitor and graphics card TVoutput (S-Video) at same time only seem be one at time dran that a bit of drag.
On the up side my GF3 dose in dee Display Video over S/Video output on the graphics card with Xcard VIP hook up.
I would do that kny3twalker but the camera I is only cap at VGA rez which look like carp someday I have to get a round to buying a good 2/3 MEGApixel Camera.