SAGE GURUS in HOUSTON AREA- inquire within

[vbtweb]

SAGE GURU IN THE HOUSTON AREA!

I am looking to pay barter beg trade pretty much ANYTHING to get some hands on help with a project. Please email me at vance@vbtweb.com if you might be interested or would like more information. I'm getting really desperate and so is my client. It's a big job, but everything is done except for software configurations. If your REALLY good, and think you can help a new install if I open up a remote connection, then contact me as well. Here is a chance to put all this learning and research to good use and profit as well!


Thank you so much in advance.

[davephan]

What is overwhelming about installing SageTV? Do you have a computer system already? What are you using for sources (over-the-air, cable, DirecTV, Dish Network)? How many tuners do you plan to have? How much disk do you have? What kind of back system are you planning?

I'm not in the Houston area. I may be able to help via remote control. If you install the free LogMeIn program, I could help, or maybe others could help. The first step is to go to www.logmein.com and install the free LogMeIn software version. The free version cannot transfer files, but there are other programs that can transfer files if files are needed.

Dave

[vbtweb]

That would be awesome.
I understand citrix remote technoledgies like that, I could even open RDP ports to make it even easier. I'm not an IT Idiot, in fact I'm (embarassing) an MCT, but I'm clearly a Sage Idiot. Sage software > me every time I try to make it work. I can't fix an issue, without creating more. Nothing works consistantly. 2 Sources, 2 Dish Network Boxes, 2 Solo's 1 Duo (to choose from). USB/UIRT I've gotten everything to work at one point or another, but never in tandem, and never permenently. I've logged on the software alone, maybe 60-80 hours actual work time. I've uninstalled reinstalled, reloaded, blamed STB's sent them back got replacements, got one working, then within days poof. If I wasn't so invested at this time already, I'd prolly look for an alternative.

[MitchSchaft]

What OS are you running and what's your hardware setup, Mr. MCT?

[vbtweb]

That avatar sure matches the post

Off the top of my head, I have a intel server (dell) running 1xDualCore 3.0ish Xeon. PCI Nvidia 6 series 256 ddr2 DX9. Sound Blaster Audigy. 4 Gigs Ram. Add on PCI USB 2.0 Ports. Multiple Spanned Terabyte Drives (for storage only OS Independent) Full Gigabit Ethernet throughout home, high end managed GBE Switch.

OS is currently Vista Ultimate. I have already tried and failed with home server, and RTM 7 Enterprise. OS is a non issue, I can spin whatever is needed Microsoft. System is attached to 2X HD PVR, and 1 USB UIRT. 3 Set Top Boxes, Vip211k solo X2 and VIP222k duo X1 (take your pick of 2 so to speak)

TV is the main thing I can't get to work. Everything else I've had working well many times. I've gotten TV to stream, but not change channels, from one source only, and for a limited time (day or two) before Errors are seen from customer screen. I got it to stream AND change channels on one source (from the DUO STB) for almost two full days before it just stopped changing channels.

I've also never managed to get television to sync audio and video longer than a few minutes.

I can scrap the server, build and order another PC. I can do whatever it takes no matter how bad it hurts at this point.

Part of being a good technition in any industry, is knowing when you don't know what your doing, and stopping before you make things harder for someone else to come in and fix it. So I am stopping at this point, and buying some help, anything more I do independantly is wasting more time, and more money.

If anyone feels confident in making this configuration work, I'm ready to deal. Project has dragged on and off for several months. I took it on as a favor to a client, assuming they had Comcast for TV and Internet, and could go the way of VMC or 7MC. However with Satelite and no cablecard assessibility, I only had DVB hacks to use, and guess what? All the 300$ HP Extenders I bought which claimed to support nativly the format did not.

So I pulled all the boxes I had mounted, bought all new Sage stuff, remounted it all, reloaded the machine, and have not got that to work either.

My experience is mostly all MS related, but for all I know a linux disto would be the way to go to make it more touch free system. I would be happy to be onsite with anyone who wants to subcontract for me, I believe it could be done in a day, possibly hours. I'd be happy to provide whatever is needed, transportation etc. I just can't keep taking time off, to wrestle with a favor, thats where I am at here. It's beginning to cost me money, and that's the reason for this post.

Thanks for your time

Vance

[davephan]

Vance,

There are a few things that might be causing you trouble.

Your computer sounds like it is easily up to the task. There are many people who use XP, Vista, and WHS. Fewer try using Macs and Linux.

The USB-UIRT will change channels, but you have to have the right IR file, that is a file with an extension, "IR". Or, you may be able to configure the USB-UIRT directly with the SageTV program. The first step is to find out what brand and model set top box you have. There may be someone already on the forum with the exact same set top box and a working IR file. In that case, all you need is a copy of the IR file from that forum member. There is a small free program called IRHelper that can help you setup the USB-UIRT if you need to figure out if it is working and to help troubleshoot problems. The USB-UIRT has a model number printed on it. If the model number has a small letter "z" after the model number, then the USB-UIRT can do multiple zones. The USB-UIRT can use the built-in IR device, and it has a 1/8" stereo jack for two additional IR devices. Therefore, you can control three separate set top boxes with one USB-UIRT. Although, if the set top boxes use the same codes, you will need to optically shield the set top boxes from each other. When I had Dish Network, the set top boxes I used had programmable IR 'channels', so you would not need to optically shield them from each other.

I did not catch what type of tuner card you are using. There is a list of supported tuner cards on the SageTV web site. I use Hauppauge PVR-350, 2250, and HD-PVR. Many people had trouble with the PVR-350, although I haven't. I also have a HDHomeRun for over the air digital broadcasts. If the tuner card is not on the supported list, it may cause you lots of problems.

I recommend using a HD-200 media extender, which is for sale on the SageTV web site. The HD-200 will off load a lot of processing from the computer, and will allow you to run your SageTV computer headless. I do not recommend using the old MVP media extenders.

The hard drives used to store video need to be formatted with 64K blocks. If you use smaller block sizes, you can have stuttering. You need to make sure that several ports open between your media extender and computer. Otherwise, you may have video stuttering. The ports are documented in the SageTV PDF

I would also recommend starting with one tuner card, one HD-200 media extender, and one USB-UIRT. Once the system is working, you can expand the system with more tuner cards and more extenders.

Hopefully, some of this information is helpful to you.


Dave

[vbtweb]

Using HD PVR as a tuner, Component from it to the VIP Solo Dish STB.
I did try to DL a few .ir codes from people but never managed to get one to work right, except once, but it only worked like I said for a limited amount of time, then stopped permenently. So I self taught the UIRT using the Dish remote, and it worked for 3 days, then stopped permenently. Now I can't get anything to work. I do use about 12 of the extenders you mention.

After talking with someone about it locally today, I think the answer is to use Windows XP, regardless of what OS choices are available these days.

[davephan]

Vance,

You could try using IRHelper to troubleshoot the USB-UIRT. Hold the remote about 1 inch from the USB-UIRT and 'learn' the code. Then you can use IRHelper to transmit the code to the set top box to make sure it works. Sometimes the "Repeat count" parameter might need to be changed to make the USB-UIRT work reliably.

Dave

[loonsailor]

Have you contacted Sage directly? Most companies will be happy to do extra services like this, for a fee. If you're willing to pay, why not go to the source?