Completely lost with first time install

[ekern]

I am completely lost. I've searched the forums and read the documentation with the card and I still can't figure it out. I feel really stupid, just because I have approx. 25 years in the PC and Networking field, but can't figure out how to connect video components.

Here's what I know:

1. I purchased the Sage Bundle with the HVR-1600.
2. I have digital cable (not HD) with a cable box.

Here's what I don't know.

1. How do I connect everything? TV, Cable Box, PC
and
2. What cables do I need?

[GKusnick]

Coax from wall to cable STB (as usual).

S-Video & stereo RCA from STB to HVR-1600 capture card.

S-Video from your PC's TV-Out to your TV. Stereo RCA from your PC's sound card to your TV.

If you don't have S-Video inputs or outputs, RCA composite video will do in a pinch, but S-Video is preferable.

You'll also need an IR blaster connected to the PC so that SageTV can change the channels on your STB as needed. I don't use the HVR-1600 so I'm not sure if that card comes with an IR blaster. If not, you can order a USB-UIRT blaster through the SageTV online store.

[matt91]

Or, if you don't feel that you need to watch the channels that are on the digital tier, you can return the STB and record all the available analog channels and the unencrypted QAM channels.

two coax straight from wall, one into each input on the card.

[Djc208]

Originally Posted by GKusnick

I don't use the HVR-1600 so I'm not sure if that card comes with an IR blaster. If not, you can order a USB-UIRT blaster through the SageTV online store.

The 1600 should come with an IR blaster (the cord also contains the IR reciever for the Hauppage remote). For one cable box it should work fine.

Originally Posted by matt91

Or, if you don't feel that you need to watch the channels that are on the digital tier, you can return the STB and record all the available analog channels and the unencrypted QAM channels.

two coax straight from wall, one into each input on the card.

Even if you decide to keep the cable box, I'd still recommend splitting the cable line before the cable box. Run one cable directly to the digital input on the card and the second through the cable box as described. I'm not sure what digital channels you'll get (probably just locals) but the card has two tuners, you might as well use both.

[Polypro]

What kind of TV? If it has HDMI/DVI or VGA inputs, you can use one of those to connect your video card from the computer.

P

[ekern]

Originally Posted by Polypro

What kind of TV? If it has HDMI/DVI or VGA inputs, you can use one of those to connect your video card from the computer.

P

I have a Samsung 42" rear Projection:
Video Interface HDMI , S-Video , Component , Composite
PC Interface VGA (HD-15)
USB Port Yes

OK, so I can use an S-video/RCA combination cable to go from the cable box to the Hauppage 1600 card.

I can also run a separate coax from my wall splitter to the PC card.

Next question: Should I buy an HDMI cable to run from the Hauppage card to the TV?

Thanks for everyone's help. This is well appreciated.

[matt91]

Originally Posted by ekern

Next question: Should I buy an HDMI cable to run from the Hauppage card to the TV?

As long as you can wait a few days for it to be shipped, $5 will get you one at monoprice.com.

[GKusnick]

Originally Posted by ekern

Next question: Should I buy an HDMI cable to run from the Hauppage card to the TV?

HDMI is fine, but the output to your TV comes from your graphics card or motherboard graphics controller, not your Hauppauge card (which is an input device). If your PC doesn't have HDMI out, you may need to get a DVI-to-HDMI converter. Tell us what sort of graphics hardware you have and we'll be able to give better advice.

[Djc208]

I found the VGA input easier to work with on my Samsung. You can use the TV to tweak the picture size and location. Between the TV and the graphics driver you can get a good image with no overscan or underscan. The HDMI input does not allow this and graphics drivers wouldn't let me get a perfect full screen image without over or under-scan but YMMV.

Sage has it's own setup for picture size but windows does not. And personally I couldn't really tell a difference between the two for quality.

[Peter_h]

Originally Posted by Djc208

The 1600 should come with an IR blaster (the cord also contains the IR reciever for the Hauppage remote). For one cable box it should work fine.



Even if you decide to keep the cable box, I'd still recommend splitting the cable line before the cable box. Run one cable directly to the digital input on the card and the second through the cable box as described. I'm not sure what digital channels you'll get (probably just locals) but the card has two tuners, you might as well use both.

The 1600 has a QAM input, an analog cable input, and svideo. Does that mean he can have 3 sources? Will they all work at the same time? Do they show up as 3 different sources in SageTV?

[Djc208]

Originally Posted by Peter_h

The 1600 has a QAM input, an analog cable input, and svideo. Does that mean he can have 3 sources? Will they all work at the same time? Do they show up as 3 different sources in SageTV?

No, I don't think so. I think the analog cable and svideo share the same encoder chip so that you can only record from one source at a time.

The QAM tuner is separate though, so you can do a QAM and an analog signal at the same time.

[Striker:WG]

Originally Posted by Djc208

I found the VGA input easier to work with on my Samsung. You can use the TV to tweak the picture size and location. Between the TV and the graphics driver you can get a good image with no overscan or underscan. The HDMI input does not allow this and graphics drivers wouldn't let me get a perfect full screen image without over or under-scan but YMMV.

Sage has it's own setup for picture size but windows does not. And personally I couldn't really tell a difference between the two for quality.

Its really a TV model dependant issue. I've got a Samsung 42" Plasma and I've used both the VGA and HDMI inputs and I much prefer the HDMI because the VGA limits me to a resolution of 1024x768 whereas the HDMI can do a full 1920x1080.

You can get a DVI to HDMI cable which will save you a couple of bucks on an HDMI to DVI adapter and it will work just as well.

Of course, all of this is assuming there is a DVI output on your PC.

-Striker-

[ekern]

I'm using an IBM NetVista 8315-23u desktop

System specifications:
Microprocessor Intel® Pentium® 4 processor 2 ghz

Memory 1gb

Video - Intel Extreme™ graphics v Accelerated graphics port

Audio Integrated SoundMAX 3 audio

So I guess I need a VGA cable to get the video to the TV.

I feel like an apology is necessary for being so stupid. My biggest problems here is what cables I need.... Today I purchased an S-Video cable, HDMI cable and an RCA cable. Of which I think I'm only going to be able to use the S-Video cable.

All I have on my PC for sound is the standard audio out (for speakers). If I'm understanding this correctly I will have to get sound to my TV somehow.

More later.

Many thanks,
Eric

[Striker:WG]

Originally Posted by ekern

I'm using an IBM NetVista 8315-23u desktop

System specifications:
Microprocessor Intel® Pentium® 4 processor 2 ghz

Memory 1gb

Video - Intel Extreme™ graphics v Accelerated graphics port

Audio Integrated SoundMAX 3 audio

So I guess I need a VGA cable to get the video to the TV.

I feel like an apology is necessary for being so stupid. My biggest problems here is what cables I need.... Today I purchased an S-Video cable, HDMI cable and an RCA cable. Of which I think I'm only going to be able to use the S-Video cable.

All I have on my PC for sound is the standard audio out (for speakers). If I'm understanding this correctly I will have to get sound to my TV somehow.

More later.

Many thanks,
Eric

First and foremost, there is no need to apologize. The only stupid question is the one you didn't ask. Everybody has to learn somehow and its why there is a community to support each other. I've posted my fair share of forehead slappers too

You're right, you will need an audio cable to connect to your TV unless you want to listen to the audio off your computer speakers. If all you have is the standard audio port, then you will need a 1/8mm stereo jack to L/R RCA style cable.

For the video you will need a VGA cable unless you also have a DVI port.

You can probably use that RCA cable to carry the audio from your STB to the Tuner card.

-Striker-

[Djc208]

Originally Posted by Striker:WG

Its really a TV model dependant issue. I've got a Samsung 42" Plasma and I've used both the VGA and HDMI inputs and I much prefer the HDMI because the VGA limits me to a resolution of 1024x768 whereas the HDMI can do a full 1920x1080.

You can get a DVI to HDMI cable which will save you a couple of bucks on an HDMI to DVI adapter and it will work just as well.

Of course, all of this is assuming there is a DVI output on your PC.

-Striker-

We have a 50" Samsung plasma at work. The VGA port supports the TVs native resolution (which is something weird like 1330x765) as well as a few "standard" resolutions (like 1024x768). The VGA connector is capable of handling 1920x1080, but chances are your 42" plasma only has a native resolution of something close to 720p, so pushing 1080p resolution to it provides no real benefit, which is why it's not supported by the VGA input.

As a 42" DLP though I figured his set is closer to mine (46" DLP) in age and capabilities, plus his graphics card is probably more capable of pushing the TVs native resolution, which is all you really need anyway.

[ekern]

OK, I think I'm getting closer.

Plan:

Cable from wall to ATSC port on 1600.

Cable from Cable Box to Digital port on 1600.

1/8mm to L/R RCA cable from sound port on PC to TV.

VGA from PC to TV.

Does the S-Video from cable box to 1600 do anything for me at this point?

Thanks.

[GKusnick]

Originally Posted by ekern

Does the S-Video from cable box to 1600 do anything for me at this point?

That depends on your cable service. The 1600 can receive only those digital channels that your provider sends in the clear, i.e. unencrypted. How many channels you can get this way varies from market to market, but typically it's just your local broadcast channels (ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, PBS, etc).

Channels beyond that (what we think of as "cable" channels, i.e. CNN, TNT, SciFi, etc) are typically encrypted and can't be decoded without the cable box in the loop, so if you want to receive those channels in Sage, you're probably going to need the S-Video cable from the STB to the 1600, plus the IR blaster to change channels on the STB.

[ekern]

So I can leave the cable going into and out of my stb as well as running the S-Video from STB to 1600?

I bought the 3.5mm to RCA today. Now home from work and getting ready to give everything a try. Thanks and wish me luck!

[Striker:WG]

Originally Posted by Djc208

We have a 50" Samsung plasma at work. The VGA port supports the TVs native resolution (which is something weird like 1330x765) as well as a few "standard" resolutions (like 1024x768). The VGA connector is capable of handling 1920x1080, but chances are your 42" plasma only has a native resolution of something close to 720p, so pushing 1080p resolution to it provides no real benefit, which is why it's not supported by the VGA input.

As a 42" DLP though I figured his set is closer to mine (46" DLP) in age and capabilities, plus his graphics card is probably more capable of pushing the TVs native resolution, which is all you really need anyway.

Yeah, we have a 46" LCD Samsung at work that i've seen do 1920x1080 over VGA and it looks great. My set is just really old. I got it about 3 years ago and it was a year old clearance model when I got it. So its 4-5 year old technology now.

The weird resolution your talking about is probably 1360x768. That's the native resolution on all the 32" LCD's at work.

Yeah, I think the native resolution on my set is 1024x768.

-Striker-

[ekern]

This news gets worse the longer I go. It seems I do not have a vga port on my Samsung 42" TV. However there is a DVI port, however I do not have a dvi port on the PC. So is there a converter to convert VGA from PC to DVI to TV?

I'm getting close to the point of chunking everything to ebay and dropping to the bottom of the barrel with that awful "T" word. Just kidding. I'm not beat yet.