HD-PVR Check-In - How Well Is Yours Working w/SageTV 7?

[phelme]

I have two HD-PVR's, both connected to DirecTV sources, both using optical audio. My oldest is directly connected to the server running ancient drivers (1.0.5.301) because I'm afraid I'll tempt fate if I upgrade (the firmware is current). The DirecTV box is controlled via Paterson serial. The newer one has up-to-date drivers and is running as a network encoder on the family room SageTV client, because that's where another DirectTV receiver is. USB-UIRT for channel changing there.

If there is a hang with either it's because the DirecTV box hung first (not unheard of after DirecTV software updates). The older box produces more recordings with the occasional audio "brrrrips"/dropouts on 5.1 material. At first I assumed this was due to the older drivers, but the chatter at DBSTalk makes me thing it's the DirecTV box itself. Other than that, both setups are remarkably stable.

I bought a digital power timer last year intending to use it at regular intervals on my server room HD-PVR/DirecTV combo but never did as things have been humming along well. I should however consider using it on my Comcast cable modem.

[TallMomof2]

My HDPVR is a pain. Nothing seems to make a difference in stability. I put in a USB card, taped the IR port, electrical power is conditioned, etc. This is also the replacement HDPVR since my original was marginally worse. I just had to reinstall the drivers to get the danged thing to work. That's the second time I've had to do that in about 18 months.

It's almost enough to make me switch to the new cable card tuners. Heck, if they can be made to work in SageTV with Copy Freely material I'll add one just to lessen my dependency on the HDPVR.

[darcilicious]

I don't see how folks can expect copy-free from software that is CableCARD-friendly. WMC and TiVo don't have it now, why would SageTV? Or am I completely missing something?

[Striker:WG]

My HDPVR has been flawless on Sage7.

I've actually been very happy with it for the last couple months. Ever since I switched to Firewire tuning, it doesn't miss channel changes, ever. It doesn't lock up, ever.

I usually have to reboot my Sage system a couple times a week because of other Sage issues, but it is otherwise on 24/7 and the HDPVR is utilized both by Extender and by the Sage PC client running on the server without issue.

I would like to see the time required for tuning a channel be reduced, but i'm not even sure if thats possible.

-Striker-

[limiter]

I stopped using the HD-PVR because it had problems frequently, even with Firewire channel changing (SageTV ver 6). I use Uverse DVR now and SageTV for other videos and DVD rips, but with the recent changes to Uverse (it seems they allow fast forward disable flag for sports and select channels, the do not record flag, and even now some specific commercials do not allow fast forward) I am thinking of going back to HD-PVR. I just wish I could buy some other product to capture HD, the HD-PVR was a big disappointment for me.