Questions...SageTV and HD-PVR

[Tiger62]

I currently have SageTV and a Hauppauge 1800 tuner card, which works well for HD OTA channels. I'm feeding the S-Video from a Directv box into the S-video of the 1800, so those channels are only in SD.

I want to get the Hauppauge HD-PVR, so I can record the Directv channels in HD. My question is this...Using the HD-PVR, which outputs to the USB port of the PC, am I going to be able to "Watch Live TV" from the HD-PVR like I now do from the 1800 card? I'm unclear on which software on the PC will perform this function...Sagetv or the Arcsoft, which comes with the HD-PVR. Also, will the Sage interface still perform the Record/Playback functions? Any discussion will be appreciated.

[PLUCKYHD]

It will work will livetv and still record will act as the capture device just as your tuner does know except you will have an extra box and use component video cables instead of s-video.

[aflat]

The HD-PVR will act just like any other tuner that you put into Sage. So you can still watch live TV. Really there won't be any difference between the HD-PVR and the 1800, except HD.

[Tiger62]

Will "Watching Live TV" put a strain on my cpu? I'm only running a 3.4 GHz P4. (No Dual core)

[PLUCKYHD]

No all the heavy lifting is done on the hd-pvr.

[sleonard]

Originally Posted by PLUCKYHD

No all the heavy lifting is done on the hd-pvr.

For recording, not watching.

Without a dual-core you might have an issue playing back high def h.264. Yours is pretty fast though so you might be OK. If you have a video card with HW acceleration for h.264 you will be OK.

S