SageTV HD Extender Update

[valnar]

Originally Posted by Slipshod

The question I'd like to see answered on the HD200 is whether or not anything changed with the de-interlacing and scaling. Is it still entirely flag-based for the deinterlacing, or do we finally get something real?

I second this question. I currently use the deinterlacing in my Sony TV which is average at best, but still better than the HD100. It works fine to do it that way, but my TV takes a couple seconds to sync every time I change channels or go in/out of the menu. That really ruins the WAF (but yes... still better than dealing with a PC.... that's not the point. We want perfection)

If it weren't for the scaling/deinterlacing quality and the pause my TV creates in native resolution mode, I could use the Sage extender as a PVR for *all* TV watching instead of just recorded shows. But as it stands, it's still a bit too cumbersome to leave the TV in Sage mode all the time.

[Bacon2002]

Hi,

So whats the story with the new box?

I'm assuming it's an updated HD100.

Is there a FAQ or more details available and what was wrong with the old one?

Ta,

David

* merged *

[Ralphjb]

Will this playback non-copy protected Blu Ray files?

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by drewg

Will the HD200 support any form of comskip in "media tank" mode, when playing files from a NAS?

I switched from MythTV to SageTV for the HD100 a year ago, and I've never liked the SageTV server recording setup as compared to MythTV. If I could skip commercials without the SageTV server, then maybe I could go back to using MythTV for recording... Especially if the HD200 has a web browser I could use to manage recordings.

Thanks,

Drew

Should be possible, but someone would need to make a custom STV(i) for the standalone mode. OOTB it wont.

Originally Posted by Brent

OOTB I would say no. But I would imagine one could create their own hacked firmware to do this and even use the HD200 as an extender for other software programs. That being said, you could have done the same with the HD100 and the MythTV guys who started working on that never finished that project.

Shouldn't require any firmware hacking, just a new STV(i).

Originally Posted by james_k_p

If Andy or anyone knows this, it will make or break it for me.
Currently the HD100 has problems with some 1080P MKV files with it simply not playing, or very bad pixelating.
With this new one work with all 1080P mkv's regardless of profiles and stuff. Someone asked the question in the engadget responses too, and to me, this is the most important thing.

Well it's still going to be limited to the profiles supported by the chip (whatever they may be). I think you'll perhaps want to wait for some first-hand reports (I haven't had a chance to try any myself).

I see it says "1080P" support, but wasn't the HD100 supposed to support 1080P too? Or am i incorrect. I will buy one right now if it will run all 1080P straight up on matter the bitrate, profile, etc.

You're still going to be limited to BD/standalone/PS3/Xbox type profile regardless of the chip. It's a fact that there are MKVs out there that won't play no matter what, due to how they're encoded.

Originally Posted by Slipshod

The question I'd like to see answered on the HD200 is whether or not anything changed with the de-interlacing and scaling. Is it still entirely flag-based for the deinterlacing, or do we finally get something real?

Unfortunately, no real change.

I really don't want to, but it's probably going to end (badly) with me buying a Yamaha RX-Z7 receiver next year after the price drops.

You could snag an AVM-50 while they're on sale Your TV should have decent deinterlacing, so you could just set it to Native Output switching and nullify the issue.

[Ralphjb]

Searched the user manual and found nothing on this. Was curious if this device has IR blaster capability? Or if not, if you could hook-up something the USB-UIRT to accomplish the same thing?

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by Ralphjb

Will this playback non-copy protected Blu Ray files?

Not with new audio codecs.

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by Ralphjb

Searched the user manual and found nothing on this. Was curious if this device has IR blaster capability? Or if not, if you could hook-up something the USB-UIRT to accomplish the same thing?

No; the SageTV server is where an IR blaster is used, not on an extender.

- Andy

[babgvant]

Originally Posted by valnar

But nobody wants to mux in uncompressed multichannel PCM into their MKV files. That's a waste of space. Having Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD support (or passthrough) is a very, very nice feature that is missing.

Compared to the size of the video, what's a couple hundred extra MB for LPCM?

Sure it's less than ideal, but storage is too cheap to be a blocking issue.

[Ralphjb]

Originally Posted by stanger89

Not with new audio codecs.

Thank you for your answer. Excuse my ignorance. Does this mean it can play some Blu Ray files?

[logsvp]

Originally Posted by drewg

The usb ports work on the HD100 if you load the right kernel module.

Ok - So it appears to be physically possible - just needs the firmware to enable it It will be great if the HD100 is able to be updated to the new firmware - I live in hope

[peternm22]

I've got a question that I don't think has been asked yet.

The HD100 limited the UI resolution to 960x540 (see this thread http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31903 ), and it seemed to be because it wasn't powerful enough to render the UI at a higher resolution.

Does the new extender support a 1920x1080 resolution for the user interface?

[slaponyc]

I don't have any experience with SageTV. I use the Mvix 780-HD currently to read IFO/VOB files on my Windows Home Server. All in all, its a good setup, although the GUI is greatly lacking as it does not readily support DVD cover art.

If someone could provide some information and perhaps clarify some conceptions or misconceptions I may have, I'd appreciate it:

I'm very interested in the HD Theater. I don't see any documentation on it. Where can I find it?

Does the HD Theater support DVD Cover Art (i.e., MyMovies or any other software that easily downloads a .jpg file into the VIDEO_TS folder)?

What happened to the SageTV software for WHS? Does Sage TV Media Center software run on WHS?

Does the HD Theater require SageTV server software to read files from a NAS? What functionality does the SageTV server software bring to the HD Theater?

Thanks in advance!

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by slaponyc

I'm very interested in the HD Theater. I don't see any documentation on it. Where can I find it?

The first post of this topic has a link to the PF manual or see the extender FAQ topic at the top of this forum. You can also download the full SageTV manual to see details about the entire SageTV interface when used as an extender.

Does the HD Theater support DVD Cover Art (i.e., MyMovies or any other software that easily downloads a .jpg file into the VIDEO_TS folder)?

If you provide the art, SageTV will use it. I think there are customizations for use in extender mode that can download art.

What happened to the SageTV software for WHS? Does Sage TV Media Center software run on WHS?

The SageTV downloads page has the download link & the beta releases also have links for the WHS version for each beta.

Does the HD Theater require SageTV server software to read files from a NAS? What functionality does the SageTV server software bring to the HD Theater?

In stand-alone mode, it should be able to read the files itself. When connected to a SageTV server, it acts as an extender client for the main server, with the full SageTV interface for TV recordings, all the media the server sees, & so on.

- Andy

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by peternm22

I've got a question that I don't think has been asked yet.

The HD100 limited the UI resolution to 960x540 (see this thread http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31903 ), and it seemed to be because it wasn't powerful enough to render the UI at a higher resolution.

Does the new extender support a 1920x1080 resolution for the user interface?

The UI resolution is currently the same as the HD100; I do not know whether that will ever change on the HD200.

- Andy

[slaponyc]

Thanks Andy for the fastest reply in history.

MyMovies currently grabs all of the DVD cover art automatically and places a file called "folder.jpg" into each Video_TS folder. I also use Front Row on my Mac (it accesses the WHS as well) and it pulls up the cover art if I rename the files "preview.jpg" (a real pain). Will Sage automatically use that file to display cover art? Can I edit the reg file (if that's the proper term) so that it will do so?

I'm not sure I understand the purpose of the Sage software. I run Windows Home Server. I hardly utilize it up to its capabilities. Its basically a NAS on which I store my music and videos. The WHS does not have a tuner and I don't anticipate I will be using the HD Theater to record TV. Do I need the software for anything?

[evilpenguin]

Can this device finally use the the MCE remote that I love and miss?

[pjpjpjpj]

Originally Posted by slaponyc

MyMovies currently grabs all of the DVD cover art automatically and places a file called "folder.jpg" into each Video_TS folder.

Putting a file called "folder.jpg" in either the VIDEO_TS folder or in the main folder (DVD title) will make the art show up. So you can use MyMovies to do that.

[pjpjpjpj]

So I came in late this evening and discovered the new Extender and held my breath for a few minutes when I looked at the "store" page. I had no intention of buying more HD extenders (got all I need for now) assuming they were the same, but when I saw something different, I almost choked out of fear that everything would change and my current setup would be left behind! So I am one of the few who is actually glad that not much has changed. I can get over not having the whole "stand-alone" aspect available on my HD100s.

What concerns me, though, is the new STV seen on the screenshot. Is this screen capture a "master" Menu that comes on when you start up the HD200, and then when you choose "SageTV Servers" (upper right), it takes you to your SageTV STV (whether it be original, SageMC, customized, or whatever)?

[Brent]

Originally Posted by pjpjpjpj

...I almost choked out of fear that everything would change and my current setup would be left behind! So I am one of the few who is actually glad that not much has changed. I can get over not having the whole "stand-alone" aspect available on my HD100s.

Yep, that is a positive for sure - at least for those of us happy HD100 owners.

What concerns me, though, is the new STV seen on the screenshot. Is this screen capture a "master" Menu that comes on when you start up the HD200, and then when you choose "SageTV Servers" (upper right), it takes you to your SageTV STV (whether it be original, SageMC, customized, or whatever)?

This STV is for the stand-alone operation. In the HD100 you go to a setup menu (at least the first time you use it) to get everything set up, add firmware updates etc. With the HD200 you'll start on this screen and can then move on to the extender-mode which will look just like the HD100's or other clientPC STVs do. As with the HD100, you can set it to auto-login to the extender mode's server so you don't even see this screen when you turn it on.

[mayamaniac]

is the manual for the HD200 somewhere online?