HDTV support - which cards are likely?

[JJarmoc]

I know HDTV support for Sage has been discussed before, and I'm sure I'm not alone in hoping for it.

In the meantime, I'm looking at getting an HDTV tuner card to play with, but I don't want to shoot myself in the proverbial foot by getting something unlikely to be supported by sage eventually. So my question is, are you guys far enough along the HDTV road that you can give any indication about which cards are more or less likely to be supported? Obviously, I don't expect a firm commitment, but if someone can at least mention which cards definitely won't be supported, I can try to keep away from them.

[dkardatzke]

I can't really say right now because we haven't gotten into testing any HD cards to date. Our goal would be to support as many as possible though. Sorry I can't be more specific.

[JJarmoc]

That's alright.. I was just hoping to narrow down the selection a bit. I'm sure you can understand that I don't want to end up buying two cards if it can be avoided. I'll probably try to wait a while, and hopefully sage development of HD will be a little further along when I finally take the plunge.

[JJarmoc]

Sorry to harp on this topic further, but a co-worker just pointed out that Hauppauge has a fairly new card out called the WinTV-HD I'd assume that seeing as how other Hauppauge cards are supported in Sage, this would be pretty high on the list of cards you guys might be looking at.

Is that an accurate assumption?

As you can tell, I'm really dying for HD time-shifting. It'd be awesome to be able to do it with Sage.

[dkardatzke]

It will definitely be one of the cards we focus on and we are already trying to get more information directly from Hauppauge on the card.

[JJarmoc]

Thanks, that's encouraging. I don't mean to beat a dead horse, but I'm REALLY anxious to see HD come to Sage. If it helps any, I'd be happy to test when the time comes. I don't currently have any of the HD tuners, but I'd be willing to buy whatever card you guys are looking at.

I hope I'm not coming across as annoying, just anxious.. and hopeful. :-)

[Mark Lamutt]

JJarmoc,

As an aside to this discussion, the WinTV-HD card is one of the oldest HD tuner cards on the market today, and frankly isn't very good. The tuner is MUCH less sensitive than the other cards out, and doesn't have very good support out there. Most people that have had this card over at AVSForums have dumped it in favor of a Hipix, MyHD or HiDTV card. I'm not even sure if the WinTV-HD cards are readily available anymore.

Believe me, I'm hoping every bit as much as you are for HD capabilities in SageTV. The issue is getting the card manufacturers to provide some information to the Frey guys to make it all work.

[JJarmoc]

Yah, I did some checking on AVSForums and it seems the consensus is to avoid the WinTV-HD. It does appear to still be available, but given all the problem people have reported, I think I'll avoid it, unless Sage support is worked out.

It's amazing that most of the card manufacturer's think their software is good enough. Everything in the way of HD recording is so far in it's infancy, you'd think they'd be happy to have software support in 3rd party apps. I guess all we can do is wait.

[Narflex]

HiPix has a very high probability of being the card that we first support for HDTV. SageTV is already able to control the HiPix card for recording in the latest build (with some tweaking and a custom proxy I wrote).

[metz123]

Are you going to record the native transport stream format or extract the MPEG II out of the HDTV signal and record as an MPEG file?

Is playback going to be through the HDTV card or video card?

Thanks

[Narflex]

It records the transport stream straight to disk.

Playback will be through your video card at first using HDTV software decoding. Later we will look into using the video output on the HiPix and other HDTV cards.

[edmc]

> Playback will be through your video card at first using HDTV software decoding.

This is very encouraging - and surprising. From what I understand, the only S/W Decoder folks have been satisfied with is the one that ships with the DViCo FusionHDTV I/II. I didn't know there were other options that were satisfactory for folks.

What do you feel will be the H/W resources required. I take it the S/W Decoder will actually utilize the DxVA of the Video Card. Can you comment on this?

[JJarmoc]

Bummer, the HiPix card is discontinued and can no longer be purchased.

[Narflex]

Yeah, figures that'd be the one with the TCP/IP interface....which Sage has the ability to interface with for ANY type of capture device if a server were to exist, like one does for the HiPix card.

[python]

Since the Hipix card is essentially discontinued, why don't you guys add support for the MyHD card which seems to be the most popular one currently available? They (MIT) also may be open to giving you information needed for supporting the card. Has Frey tried contacting them?

[Mark Lamutt]

Yup. The hipix was first, because the interface to it was by far the easiest of all of the cards right now, and because I happen to have 2 of them so testing was/is simplified. MyHD is definitely on the list if Jeff can get the information he needs out of the MIT people. You might send them off an email asking them to provide everything that Jeff needs.

[python]

I'm happy to ask MIT for assistance but could you be more specific with regards to what is needed to add support for the MDP-100/120?

[mkerdman]

I would like to join Geoff Reynolds in inviting all present and prospective SageTV and Sage Recorder users with an interest in HDTV to take a look at the accessDTV Digital Media Receiver which is available now and sells for $249.95 complete with an excellent indoor Silver Sensor Antenna.

THE FOLLOWING IS FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND NOT INTENDED AS A COMMERICAL OFFER:

http://216.207.142.133/local/buyonline.htm

The accessDTV is the ONLY HTVD PVR card that can:

- Pause live HDTV

- Record a buffer of up to one hour that you can FF or RWD through and watch a program from the beginning while still recording/buffering the rest.

- and many many more "trick" features to come...


iTech, owners of the accessDTV product, have agreed to make ALL the underlying source code available to the new All-Volunteer OFFICIAL AUTHORIZED accessDTV Software Development Team to further develop its features to take greater advantage of the excellent hardware that exists of the card.

Geoff and I are forming the nucleolus of the All-Volunteer OFFICIAL AUTHORIZED accessDTV Software Development Team and would like to invite:

- anyone with technical code writing expertise and access to the requisite development tools to respond or PM either of us with your qualifications, interest and area of expertise in participating in the further development of the accessDTV software

- Frey Technologies to cooperate to bring together the best HDTV PVR hardware/software ("accessDTV") with the best EPG Programming and Guide Data ("SageTV & SageRecorder") to create the ultimate in HTPC HDTV Time Shifting and Recording available.

- all forum members and end users of both accessDTV and/or SageTV to express their support for developemnt of the SageTV service for the accessDTV Digital Media Reciver.

Please express your interest by posting here and feel free to PM me or Geoff Reynolds ("gsr") directly.

[dkardatzke]

We have already contacted the MyHD folks and have been interacting with them for a few weeks. I'm still waiting to here back on a few interface questions.

Feel free to contact them to plug the support of SageTV with their card though.

Murray and Geoff, we will be in touch regarding the support of accessDTV.

[mkerdman]

Dan,

Geoff and I as well as the new accessDTV Software Development Team, along with the entire accessDTV community look forward to bringing the power of SageTV (now available without monthly fees) together with that of the accessDTV Digital Media Receiver (now available for only $249.95).


Murray Kerdman