Help me to understand please

[crimkid]

Ok, here is the deal. I would love to ditch my current system, cable from Comcast, 3 TV's, 2 with small basic box, 1 with DVR box. I have a decent system that i would like to serve as my media server. From my understanding, i buy the sage software, install it on my box. Then, eventually put the extenders at the TV's. Now from what i have been reading, i only will be able to see channels that are currently unencrypted from comcast, basically up to like 78? If so, how can i see more of them?

And will the 3 TV's be able to watch different channels of live TV, recorded, etc?

Any help/input is appreciated. I want to try this, i just want to make sure i understand everything.

[GKusnick]

To use SageTV to watch or record all the channels you subscribe to, you'll need a cable box to do the decryption. For standard-def programming, you can connect the S-Video output of your STB to an analog capture card installed in your PC. For high-def, you'll need a Hauppauge HD-PVR to capture the STB's component output.

To watch or record more than one program at a time, you'll need more than one STB and more than one capture device (one per STB).

You'll also need an IR blaster such as the USB-UIRT to allow SageTV to change channels on the STBs. One USB-UIRT can control up to three STBs.

Using media extenders to connect your TVs to Sage is the simplest approach. Each extender is an independent client with its own playback stream and pause/rewind controls. Different extenders can watch different recordings or live TV shows. (Live TV is just a recording that's being played back before it's done recording.)

How many STBs and capture devices you need depends less on how many TVs you have than on how many programs you watch that are on opposite each other. Two TVs watching the same program can share a single STB and capture device. So unless you really need to be able to channel-surf at random on three TVs at once, you may be able to get by with less than three STBs.

[crimkid]

the STB would be the small, basic cable box from Comcast? so if i set up the server in the basement, with two cards, two cable boxes, and two connections to the IR blaster, i will be able to watch live TV on 2 tv's, or record 2 items and watch movies on my Hard drive?

[PGPfan]

Yep, that's how it'd work!

[crimkid]

thanks. once last question, i get the Sage software, 3 hauppauge media extenders, and 3 licenses for the extenders?

[PGPfan]

In general, if your buying the Hauppauge Media Extenders from Sage then they will include the license for use with Sage. Same thing if you are referring to the HD Extender (which is a Sage product, not Hauppauge). The only time you need a seperate license is if you are buying either used or from somewhere that doesn't sell the Sage software and as a result can't bundle a license.

Does this help?

-PGPfan

[GKusnick]

It's also worth noting that extender licenses apply to simultaneous active connections, not to the individual devices themselves. So if you never have more than (say) two TVs turned on at once, then two licenses is all you'd need, regardless of how many extenders you own.

[crimkid]

thanks for all the info guys. I think i will be making a go of this. I would look at the media extender from Sage, but i only see the HD one, and i dont really need the HD.
I remember they used to sell just the regular extenders and wireless ones, do they not do that anymore?

[GKusnick]

I'm not seeing the Hauppauge extenders in the Sage store either, but you can get them elsewhere, such as pcalchemy.com. Doing it that way of course you'd need to buy the license separately.

[stanger89]

If price isn't an issue, get the HD Extender anyway, it's a much better device with much better format support. If you only are playing SD recordings, the MVP extender will work fine. But if you are going to want play other formats (h.264, etc), or if you want to start recording digital from either OTA or cable, then you'll definitely want to get the HD100 as the MVP requires server transcoding of all those.

One more thing to consider, I'd probably grab a "normal" SD tuner and a QAM capable tuner (or maybe something like the Hauppauge 2250 hybrid dual-tuner). The SD tuner will let you record a significant amount of stuff without relying on a cable box. And you'll probably get your locals in HD and even if you're not watching on an HDTV, the quality should be better that way.

[crimkid]

thanks for the advice.

[mistergq]

I would also add if you are just now getting in, I would buy the Sage HD Extender over the Hauppauge MVP / Hauppauge Extender. I have an MVP that is collecting dust. Yes, I am recording HD now, but I was using them before I switched over to HD. The quality is unbelievable.

Also, are you thinking about upgrading to HD in the next 3 years? If so, I would put the extra money into getting the Sage HD Extender now.