Help with HDPVR 1212 and Sage

[Fencepost]

I am new use of the HDPVR 1212 and I have some questions that I am sure are answered somewhere in all of these pages but I have spent 3 hours reading and can't find the answers.
)1 How do you view the recorded files on your computer? I try to play and they are .ts and everything I tried crashes. My plan is to burn the file to DVD for playing on DVD player. I am not using as server or streaming, just as a DVR.
)2 I have the latest HDPVR driver (1.5.6), Vista 32 bit, 2.8 quad dual core, 4 GB DDR3 ram, Nvidia Gforce 9800 ( 512mb DDR3) optic from DirecTV to HDPVR.
)3 What does the sage service control serve in my use?
)4 I don't know if I have Dolby or surround sound since I cannot watch what I record.

Any help would be appreciated.
Fencepost

[Beefcake550]

1) Files are mpeg4, so you will need the arcsoft decoders (or something equivalent) to watch the video. For audio, you need the Arcsoft audio decoders. Both are there when you install the Arcsoft software that was included with the HD-PVR.

2) awesome.. similar to me.

3) That all depends. I have WHS and I don't use the sge control service. Under WinXP and Vista, it will ruN SageTV as a service and thus start the program when the PC is rebooted/looses power, etc.

4) If you are using an optical audio cable from the DirecTV STB, set the DirecTV STB to output Dolby Digital. Then you will have it.

Good luck

-Brian

[Fencepost]

Originally Posted by Beefcake550

1) Files are mpeg4, so you will need the arcsoft decoders (or something equivalent) to watch the video. For audio, you need the Arcsoft audio decoders. Both are there when you install the Arcsoft software that was included with the HD-PVR.

2) awesome.. similar to me.

3) That all depends. I have WHS and I don't use the sge control service. Under WinXP and Vista, it will ruN SageTV as a service and thus start the program when the PC is rebooted/looses power, etc.

4) If you are using an optical audio cable from the DirecTV STB, set the DirecTV STB to output Dolby Digital. Then you will have it.

Good luck

-Brian

What is WHS? I installed the Arcsoft that came on DVD but when I go to open it, nothing happens.

[Beefcake550]

WHS = Windows Home Server (the OS on my server)

Well, that is the problem. I had to go into the driectory which contained the Arcsoft software itself and ran install.exe rather than the generic install.exe in the root dir.

[Fencepost]

Originally Posted by Beefcake550

WHS = Windows Home Server (the OS on my server)

Well, that is the problem. I had to go into the driectory which contained the Arcsoft software itself and ran install.exe rather than the generic install.exe in the root dir.

I will try that when I get home.
Thanks for your help. I am sure there will be more when I get in front of it.

[Fencepost]

Originally Posted by Fencepost

I will try that when I get home.
Thanks for your help. I am sure there will be more when I get in front of it.

After removing and reinstalling 3 times, it finally worked.
Another question: How do you stop SageTV from disabling Vista areo when it starts?

[Beefcake550]

I'm pretty sure it has to in order to render porperly, but I could be wrong there since I use extenders only now.

Glad to hear it works now.

[Fencepost]

Beefcake550,
Some more questions please:
1( where is the "delay to wait" setting, and on one of your post elsewhere you advise to chagne it. Do I still need to change since I am using native and firewire?
2( what is the red light on HDPVR mean? I thought it meant recording but reading some pages on here, I think they are saying it is a problem.
3( What about the acceleration? Does that need to be enabled?
4( Due to size of file and recording to DVD, I am using "Good" setting. Should this be a .ts extension?
For Now,
Thanks.

[Beefcake550]

1) in sage.properties there will be one setting per tuning device. You only need to change the one for HD-PVR

2) red light = recording (at least on min it does)

3) acceleration? what exactly are you talking about? It generally refers to Hardware acceleration on a video card. Definitely want to turn that on.

4) what do you mean recording to a DVD? Is your plan to take a recording, put it on a DVD+-R and then play it back in a DVD player? That won't work sicne the HD-PVR puts out MPEG-4 instead of the older MPEG-2 which DVDs are based on.

[Fencepost]

Originally Posted by Beefcake550

1) in sage.properties there will be one setting per tuning device. You only need to change the one for HD-PVR

2) red light = recording (at least on min it does)

3) acceleration? what exactly are you talking about? It generally refers to Hardware acceleration on a video card. Definitely want to turn that on.

4) what do you mean recording to a DVD? Is your plan to take a recording, put it on a DVD+-R and then play it back in a DVD player? That won't work sicne the HD-PVR puts out MPEG-4 instead of the older MPEG-2 which DVDs are based on.

I found the delay and changed it, we'll see how that goes.
Acceleration on hardware. Will turn that on.
Somewhere early in this forum I thought I read where it said to use Arc soft to burn to DVD and it will play on any house DVD player.???

[Beefcake550]

you can store the .ts files that are created on a DVD-+R, but they definitely won't play in a stand alone DVD player. I'm not sure if some BluRay players will play a regualr .ts file, but that is probably worth a shot.

-Brian

[Fencepost]

Originally Posted by Beefcake550

you can store the .ts files that are created on a DVD-+R, but they definitely won't play in a stand alone DVD player. I'm not sure if some BluRay players will play a regualr .ts file, but that is probably worth a shot.

-Brian

Brian,
I burned the .ts file to a dvd and it will play and the sound is great but the video is jumpy. This puts a damper on what my plans were. I bought the HDDVR strictly for a VCR. I do not use it as streaming or server, just to record and move to DVD, ie; Ball games.
I have searched some for a solution but have not found what I am looking for. Most of them have you shrink then convert to MPEG but I am sure that will produce a large loss in quality.
??

[gplasky]

Originally Posted by Fencepost

Brian,
I burned the .ts file to a dvd and it will play and the sound is great but the video is jumpy. This puts a damper on what my plans were. I bought the HDDVR strictly for a VCR. I do not use it as streaming or server, just to record and move to DVD, ie; Ball games.
I have searched some for a solution but have not found what I am looking for. Most of them have you shrink then convert to MPEG but I am sure that will produce a large loss in quality.
??

To be DVD compliant any software that can burn that to a DVD will transcode it to be DVD compliant and to fit on the disk. That will also reduce the resolution. Try DVD Flick. I have taken many HD SageTV recordings and have burned them to DVD and they look great. If you want to maintain the HD resolution then you would be burning to a Blue Ray disk.


Gerry

[Fencepost]

Originally Posted by gplasky

To be DVD compliant any software that can burn that to a DVD will transcode it to be DVD compliant and to fit on the disk. That will also reduce the resolution. Try DVD Flick. I have taken many HD SageTV recordings and have burned them to DVD and they look great. If you want to maintain the HD resolution then you would be burning to a Blue Ray disk.


Gerry

Is .ts the only or best file that I can save recordings? if there are other ones, how do I change the format that I use?

[gplasky]

The file format the recording ends up in is dependant on the tuner you have. Your HD-PVR encodes it in h.264 and that ends up in a .ts file. Other tuners record to mpeg2 format and end up in a .mpg file. You could use Sage to transcode the file to a different file format. This can also be done to resize the videos for an iPod or other devices. Either way you'll need either an external program like DVD Flick or use Sage to convert the .ts file into an mpeg2 format to easily burn it to a DVD that can play anywhere. There may be other programs that can work with the .ts file to do what you want.

Gerry

[Fencepost]

Originally Posted by gplasky

The file format the recording ends up in is dependant on the tuner you have. Your HD-PVR encodes it in h.264 and that ends up in a .ts file. Other tuners record to mpeg2 format and end up in a .mpg file. You could use Sage to transcode the file to a different file format. This can also be done to resize the videos for an iPod or other devices. Either way you'll need either an external program like DVD Flick or use Sage to convert the .ts file into an mpeg2 format to easily burn it to a DVD that can play anywhere. There may be other programs that can work with the .ts file to do what you want.

Gerry

How do you use Sage to transcode the file? I tried DVD Flick like was suggested but the file was big, All I use is HDPVR and it is needed for recording ball games and burn them to DVD, no IPOD.

[gplasky]

In the default STV choose a recording and then choose Advanced Options. Look for the Convert button.

Gerry

[Fencepost]

Originally Posted by gplasky

In the default STV choose a recording and then choose Advanced Options. Look for the Convert button.

Gerry

I found it, I did not know this existed! A lot of options. Which one do you feel would be the best choice for me to use based on what I am trying to do?
Thanks a lot for your help,
Roger
I have tried several conversions, ie; DVD, MPEG 4, different qualities and etc, and they all fail as soon as they start. What am I doing wrong?

[sleonard]

Originally Posted by Fencepost

Brian,
... I bought the HDDVR strictly for a VCR. I do not use it as streaming or server, just to record and move to DVD, ie; Ball games.
...

1) You should have purchased something like the Hauppauge PVR 150 instead. It would have been much cheaper and produced video that was already DVD comliant. No transcoding needed.

2) You probably don't need Sage either. The simple recording SW that comes with the PVR card would have done the trick. You are bypassing 90% of the best features of Sage and using only the ones that were included in the free SW bundled with the device.

Is it too late to get your money back and buy what your really need instead?

S

[Fencepost]

Originally Posted by sleonard

1) You should have purchased something like the Hauppauge PVR 150 instead. It would have been much cheaper and produced video that was already DVD comliant. No transcoding needed.

2) You probably don't need Sage either. The simple recording SW that comes with the PVR card would have done the trick. You are bypassing 90% of the best features of Sage and using only the ones that were included in the free SW bundled with the device.

Is it too late to get your money back and buy what your really need instead?

S

I asked on the forum what would be the best for recording ball games and was advised to get the HDPVR or 2250. There is no need for me to cry about it now, I can't do anything but make something work with what I got. Done spent too much money to change directions and I can't redo any of that.
Any help going forward?