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SageTV HD Theater - Media Player Discussion related to using the SageTV HD Theater as a Media Player, i.e.: in use while not connected to a SageTV server. Questions, issues, problems, suggestions, etc. relating to using a SageTV HD Theater as a Media Player should be posted here. Use the SageTV Media Extender forum for issues related to using it while connected to a SageTV server.

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  #1  
Old 03-15-2009, 11:25 AM
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cat6man cat6man is offline
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hd200 discussion on mpcclub

http://www.mpcclub.com/modules.php?n...=158894#158894


most of those folks are outside of the US and very focused on sub-title support.

board owner -hijack- can be a bit cranky....

(i was interested for a while in their coverage of HDI BD Prime media player with BD supported, the first media player with official BD support.............$600 or more and not yet available in the US)
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  #2  
Old 03-15-2009, 12:28 PM
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HelenWeathers HelenWeathers is offline
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There's a lot of discussion on the web about the HD-200. If Sage can just get the TP playback working well, some of my friends from my BeyondTV days want to buy one. So far Sage has been in overdrive on adding capabilities to the HD-200. I think they see the market potential out there. There just isn't anything like the HD-200 for the money.
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  #3  
Old 03-15-2009, 05:53 PM
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i'm with on that..........i'll need 3 units in total at some point.
i was thinking of the HDI unit since it would also replace the ps3 as my DVD/bluray player, but now i think hd200+bluray player is a better option
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  #4  
Old 03-17-2009, 06:15 AM
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Slack Slack is offline
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I went from no extenders to 2 HD-200s in about two months time. And can see a third in the future.

Solid box that does what it does well. Now to put my server in a closet upstairs, and contemplate the future...
BlueRay drive addition is a must
More storage is waiting (in a small form factor case to fit in my entertainment center) for a relocation to bigger case.
Give play-on a whirl (if Sage hasn't added hulu or something similar native to the HD-200 by then)
Look into WHS
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  #5  
Old 03-18-2009, 08:52 AM
ractar28 ractar28 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HelenWeathers View Post
There's a lot of discussion on the web about the HD-200. If Sage can just get the TP playback working well, some of my friends from my BeyondTV days want to buy one. So far Sage has been in overdrive on adding capabilities to the HD-200. I think they see the market potential out there. There just isn't anything like the HD-200 for the money.

What is TP? Are there any short-comings in the HD-200 that you'd like to warn me about?
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  #6  
Old 03-18-2009, 09:15 AM
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HelenWeathers HelenWeathers is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ractar28 View Post
What is TP? Are there any short-comings in the HD-200 that you'd like to warn me about?
.tp is Beyond TVs version of the .ts (transport stream) container. That issue has already been resolved in firmware update that will be released soon.

As a SageTV Media Extender the HD-200 already beats a PC SageTV Client for playback. As a Media Player (standalone) they are adding file formats for playback all the time. As I said, There just isn't anything like the HD-200 for the money. No warnings here.
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  #7  
Old 03-18-2009, 01:01 PM
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ditto.........i'm working with the current beta and developers and the problem with TP recognition is understood and resolved..........no issues...........

TP, by the way is not BTV's version of TS, it is a standard format not too much different than TS that BTV chose to use...........the hd200 has no problem playing either
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  #8  
Old 03-18-2009, 01:10 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cat6man View Post
TP, by the way is not BTV's version of TS, it is a standard format not too much different than TS that BTV chose to use.
YES! That's what I meant to say, but mangled so very badly.
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  #9  
Old 03-19-2009, 11:32 AM
topperdude topperdude is offline
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In the thread linked above, I noticed there's a comparison which notes that this device uses the 8635LF chipset and the popcorn hour A-110 which uses the 8635c.

Further googling for differences, looks like the major difference between the two chipsets is HDMI 1.2 versus HDMI 1.3 - which in turn comes back to the support for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD in 8635c and lack thereof on the 8635LF chipset (there are ofcourse, other differences between the two HDMI versions, but for all practical purposes, this is the main one for me).

OTOH, I've also read comments from forum members here that the HD200 will get support for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD formats with a firmware upgrade in the future.

What's confusing is if the chipset does not support these audio formats, how can a firmware upgrade change this? Or am I missing something?

Thoughts?
-Topper
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  #10  
Old 03-19-2009, 02:57 PM
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if i'm not mistaken, hdmi-1.3 supports bitstream HD so that AVR can do the decoding to 5.1, etc

my sony ps3, as an example, decodes the HD audio to multi-channel PCM which can be sent over hdmi-1.2 (the ps3 doesn't have hdmi-1.3 so it has to decode to pcm)

they are bit identical, just decoded in different places..........if the hd200 doesn't have 1.3, it can still do HD by decoding to multi-channel pcm

edit: and i would put HD audio at the very top of my list of needed features, even higher than BD menu support................i can happily live with basic BD playback as long as i can get the HD audio done right...........hope it is soon

Last edited by cat6man; 03-19-2009 at 03:00 PM.
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  #11  
Old 03-20-2009, 01:27 PM
topperdude topperdude is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cat6man View Post
if i'm not mistaken, hdmi-1.3 supports bitstream HD so that AVR can do the decoding to 5.1, etc

my sony ps3, as an example, decodes the HD audio to multi-channel PCM which can be sent over hdmi-1.2 (the ps3 doesn't have hdmi-1.3 so it has to decode to pcm)

they are bit identical, just decoded in different places..........if the hd200 doesn't have 1.3, it can still do HD by decoding to multi-channel pcm
So if I understand this correctly, it would be possible (if/when Sage releases the appropriate firmware for the HD200) for the HD200 to decode the HD audio formats and send it over the HDMI cable to the receiver. Only thing receiver would do then is amplify the audio signal and drive the speakers (analogous to the "old" days when for example Dolby Digital was decoded by an external device such as DVD player and then send the decoded signal over separate RCA cables to the receiver, only difference being that now instead of 5 or 6 different cables, the decoded signal for the 7 channels and 1 subwoofer would be passed on the single HDMI cable, along with the video signal ofcourse). Does this sound correct?

Quote:
Originally Posted by cat6man View Post
edit: and i would put HD audio at the very top of my list of needed features, even higher than BD menu support................i can happily live with basic BD playback as long as i can get the HD audio done right...........hope it is soon
Agreed. HD audio, along with Hulu support (not via Playon, which I understand is already working) are higher on my list as well before I jump in with both feet and convert the entire house to Sage with one central server and multiple HD200.

While we are on the topic of discussing HD200 and comparing to other streamind devices, I came across a thread on these forums about people who had purchased and liked the WDTV. After doing some more research, it looks like the WDTV and HD200 use the same chipset (Sigma 8635LF) for their decoding duties. So, to a newbie like myself, it seems if one only cared to use HD200 in standalone mode only, the WDTV would do pretty much the same things for about half the price. Granted WDTV has some limitations, such as:
a) Missing some input connectors (S-video, component, etc.) But this should not matter if the user connects using HDMI only
b) Missing network connector - I understand there is a hacked firmware which gets around this limitation
c) DTS downmixing - Most movies also have atleast another, Dolby Digital, audio track.
Are there any other advantages of HD200 (in standalone mode) over WDTV?

Would appreciate any thoughts from forum members.

Thanks,
-Topper
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  #12  
Old 03-20-2009, 03:33 PM
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cat6man cat6man is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by topperdude View Post
So if I understand this correctly, it would be possible (if/when Sage releases the appropriate firmware for the HD200) for the HD200 to decode the HD audio formats and send it over the HDMI cable to the receiver. Only thing receiver would do then is amplify the audio signal and drive the speakers (analogous to the "old" days when for example Dolby Digital was decoded by an external device such as DVD player and then send the decoded signal over separate RCA cables to the receiver, only difference being that now instead of 5 or 6 different cables, the decoded signal for the 7 channels and 1 subwoofer would be passed on the single HDMI cable, along with the video signal ofcourse). Does this sound correct?

Thanks,
-Topper
yes...........and that is exactly what the sony ps3 does
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