Quick question on STB cutover and new HDTV

[budgie]

Hi all,

I've been running on my new setup for a couple of months now (see http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=47251 for the design and my journey through it) and I'm ready to get to the good stuff: the new TV. First, though, we have to get new HD cable boxes, and I just wanted to get a sanity check on the plan.

Right now, we have two digital (but not HD) Comcast STBs each plugged into their own HD PVR via composite. The video card is going VGA out to a video converter, which is then RCA video out to the TV (CRT). My plan is to swap the old STBs for the latest HD STBs and plug them into the HD PVRs using the component cables that came with the HD PVRs. I assume at that point that I will have to redo the source setup in Sage because of the cabling change, and from there can watch the non-HD channels with the CRT TV. Is this all correct, and is there anything else?

The final phase would be getting the HD TV, ditching the video converter, and connecting the video card directly to the new TV via HDMI. The TV that we're likely going with is the Samsung UN55C6500 (http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-UN55C6.../dp/B0036WT4I8). Just wondering if anyone has any thoughts/experience with that model.

Thanks!

Ron

[Tiki]

Originally Posted by budgie

Right now, we have two digital (but not HD) Comcast STBs each plugged into their own HD PVR via composite. The video card is going VGA out to a video converter, which is then RCA video out to the TV (CRT). My plan is to swap the old STBs for the latest HD STBs and plug them into the HD PVRs using the component cables that came with the HD PVRs. I assume at that point that I will have to redo the source setup in Sage because of the cabling change

Yes, you will have to re-do the source setup in Sage.

Originally Posted by budgie

, and from there can watch the non-HD channels with the CRT TV.

Actually you should be able to watch the HD channels too, but they will be down-converted for display on your non-HD TV. Your PC will first scale the video to whatever the VGA output resolution is set to, then the VGA to RCA converter will scale it again and interlace it to get to the 480i analog signal your TV accepts.

The HD channels may look slightly better even on your old TV, just because your capture device has a better signal to start with, but you won't get real HD playback until you upgrade your TV.