Hauppauge Colossus HD-PVR

[Hunter69]

So do you think it is better to leave the hd pvr installed?

I need to do a minimal install, due to installing on WHS, any suggestions?

Thanks for the help

[Vysrany]

I installed my 2 colossus first, then added the hd pvr. I don't think order matters to be honest, but personally I wouldn't try to get it all working at the same time either. Get 1 working and recording first, verify it is stable, then add the next one.

[Hunter69]

Originally Posted by Vysrany

I installed my 2 colossus first, then added the hd pvr. I don't think order matters to be honest, but personally I wouldn't try to get it all working at the same time either. Get 1 working and recording first, verify it is stable, then add the next one.

Thanks for the info. My sage server has been very unstable since introducing the colossus. I am now working on getting the colossus working and stable. I am debating getting another, if this becomes stable. It has been extremely bad when trying to use the hd pvr and a colossus at the same time. What pvr drivers are you using?

[Vysrany]

I used the latest that's on their website.

Have you set your java heap size? I set mine to 1024. Also, I did not use any plugins while I setup the tuners.

[korben_dallas]

HD PVR @ Component + Optical Audio is very stable, and Colossus @ Component + RCA Audio is very stable. I haven't had any problems since changing the Colossus to RCA Audio.

But that defeats the purpose, as I don't really want to record movies without DD 5.1. I guess I could remove the movie channels from the Colossus lineup, but how about Hauppauge getting the driver fixed so that I have a full-featured product.

[Hunter69]

Originally Posted by Vysrany

I used the latest that's on their website.

Have you set your java heap size? I set mine to 1024. Also, I did not use any plugins while I setup the tuners.

I had adjusted my java heap a while back. I think it is set to 768, for some reason (not sure why) my server did not like 1024. I could try adjusting it again. Right now I ran hcwclear, detached my HD PVR. Reinstalled the colossus. It seems to be running well, although I want to see how it does for a few days.

What is the general stability of 2 colossus in a server with no hd pvr in the mix?? Are people still having to reboot?

Thanks

[mistergq]

Originally Posted by Hunter69

I had adjusted my java heap a while back. I think it is set to 768, for some reason (not sure why) my server did not like 1024. I could try adjusting it again. Right now I ran hcwclear, detached my HD PVR. Reinstalled the colossus. It seems to be running well, although I want to see how it does for a few days.

What is the general stability of 2 colossus in a server with no hd pvr in the mix?? Are people still having to reboot?

Thanks

I have 2 colossus in my server. I do a daily reboot via scheduled task because I needed a restart starting about a year or two ago. I have never turned it off because the system is now stable. My only issue with colossus is a driver issue that gets the video and audio out of sync after each commercial. Hopefully the next driver release will take care of that problem.

[Taddeusz]

Originally Posted by mistergq

I have 2 colossus in my server. I do a daily reboot via scheduled task because I needed a restart starting about a year or two ago. I have never turned it off because the system is now stable. My only issue with colossus is a driver issue that gets the video and audio out of sync after each commercial. Hopefully the next driver release will take care of that problem.

This is kind of a contradiction. You can't say your system is stable if it requires a daily reboot.

Granted, I don't have a Colossus but my system is completely stable and doesn't require regular reboots. I can't remember the last time it was rebooted.

[TechBill]

Originally Posted by Taddeusz

This is kind of a contradiction. You can't say your system is stable if it requires a daily reboot.

Granted, I don't have a Colossus but my system is completely stable and doesn't require regular reboots. I can't remember the last time it was rebooted.

I have to agree with this.

Our system been stable for 3+ years with PVR500 until we intro Colossus into the system then we started have to do daily reboot

I would not say it stable if a daily reboot is needed and I am not even calling my system stable as you can see in several post back that I am waiting for the day that either Happauage or SageTV fixes whatever is causing the system to be unstable before I can declare it stable.

Zero reboots = stable system period
(I am not counting the reboot needed for windows update or intro of new softwares but only the reboots because your system is rendered useless due to a crash or unstable drivers/hardwares)


Bill

[mistergq]

Originally Posted by Taddeusz

This is kind of a contradiction. You can't say your system is stable if it requires a daily reboot.

Granted, I don't have a Colossus but my system is completely stable and doesn't require regular reboots. I can't remember the last time it was rebooted.

Not really. I instituted daily reboot almost 2 years ago, well before the colossus was released because of the java heap issue being exceeded and having problem with sage and the extenders. Since I instituted the daily reboot, my system has been rock solid. I am not as convinced that this is Colossus issue as it is a Hauppage and Sage issue combined. I am curious to find out how many that are requiring daily reboots are using extenders. This could be that Sage is not releasing the java heap from extenders correctly. In fact, my issue started when I added a 3rd extender into the mix.

At the end of the day, I don't have time nor do I want to trouble shoot the problem. So if at 4:20 in the morning, my computer self reboots, and I don't have to worry about it, that is stable to me. For others, it is not stable. What I don't understand is why we continue to have this same conversation. For some people, daily reboot is non-issue. For others, it is an issue. But to automatically assume that a simple fix like a daily reboot is unstable fails to consider that it keeps the WAF high and keeps my stress level low because I don't have to worry about the server, and to me is success and stable.

[KeithAbbott]

My concern is that if we are all complacent with a daily reboot, that the underlying root cause of the problem will never get fixed. We need to keep the pressure on Sage/Hauppauge to correct the real problem, so that we no longer need to do daily restarts to get their product to perform reliably.

[bits]

Originally Posted by mistergq

Not really. I instituted daily reboot almost 2 years ago, well before the colossus was released because of the java heap issue being exceeded and having problem with sage and the extenders. Since I instituted the daily reboot, my system has been rock solid. I am not as convinced that this is Colossus issue as it is a Hauppage and Sage issue combined. I am curious to find out how many that are requiring daily reboots are using extenders. This could be that Sage is not releasing the java heap from extenders correctly. In fact, my issue started when I added a 3rd extender into the mix.

At the end of the day, I don't have time nor do I want to trouble shoot the problem. So if at 4:20 in the morning, my computer self reboots, and I don't have to worry about it, that is stable to me. For others, it is not stable. What I don't understand is why we continue to have this same conversation. For some people, daily reboot is non-issue. For others, it is an issue. But to automatically assume that a simple fix like a daily reboot is unstable fails to consider that it keeps the WAF high and keeps my stress level low because I don't have to worry about the server, and to me is success and stable.

I agree.

Just curious though as to why you reboot the PC as opposed to just stop/starting SageTV Service? That is what I have been doing since installing the Colosuss and my system is very stable with no problems with Colosuss recordings.

[Skirge01]

Originally Posted by Taddeusz

This is kind of a contradiction. You can't say your system is stable if it requires a daily reboot.

I would tend to agree. In my mind, it's like saying, "My car is reliable, as long as I change the oil every day."

Regarding what he said about extenders not releasing the java heap, though, I don't have any extenders, don't have to reboot unless there's a Windows update, but I do run 2 HD-PVRs. So, maybe he's onto something?

[Taddeusz]

Originally Posted by Skirge01

I would tend to agree. In my mind, it's like saying, "My car is reliable, as long as I change the oil every day."

Regarding what he said about extenders not releasing the java heap, though, I don't have any extenders, don't have to reboot unless there's a Windows update, but I do run 2 HD-PVRs. So, maybe he's onto something?

Since the beta started I've had zero problems with my Java heap. Previous to the beta I would need to restart my SageTV service about once a week or else it would have episodes where it would pause for several minutes while the JVM cleaned things up.

[sleonard]

I've been running 3 extenders for years without any java heap issues at all. Only after installing the colossus did I experience anything that even looked like a java issue and the Colossus issue was traced to the firmware/driver. Calls to hardware drivers must be made from the Sage core so if there is a bad driver it takes Sage down with it. This has the effect of causing the java heap numbers to increase but the root cause was still the Huappauge drivers and not Sage.

Since the latest Hauppage driver these symptoms have disappeared and now I only have the very occasional blue screen recording (NOT BSOD). Only two or three total so far. I have stopped the nightly reboot as it is no longer needed for me because my system is now stable again.

<commence beating the dead horse>

Originally Posted by Mistergg

I instituted daily reboot almost 2 years ago, well before the colossus was released because of the java heap issue being exceeded and having problem with sage and the extenders. Since I instituted the daily reboot, my system has been rock solid.

That is the definition of unstable system, sorry. Before, during, after the Colossus does not matter. Whether or not the root cause is Sage, Java, extenders, or something else entirely does not matter. The "raison d'etre" for the nightly reboot is instability.

But

There is nothing horribly wrong with a nightly reboot, I have done it myself when I have had to. Sometimes you have to take what you can get in order to keep up the WAF. If a workaround solves the practical issue then you can put off finding the root cause. Really, if you can't use it what's the point, right?

S

[Taddeusz]

The danger with using a workaround such as a nightly reboot or service restart is that the root cause may never be found. The reboot just becomes regular routine. And in fact, the cause may be discovered and fixed by someone else but the person who now has a routine reboot never knows.

The point is that a regular reboot should NEVER be routine. A system should remain stable without regular reboots or service restarts. It may work around an "emergent" issue but it certainly does nothing to solve it.

[tvmaster2]

Originally Posted by Taddeusz

The danger with using a workaround such as a nightly reboot or service restart is that the root cause may never be found. The reboot just becomes regular routine. And in fact, the cause may be discovered and fixed by someone else but the person who now has a routine reboot never knows.

The point is that a regular reboot should NEVER be routine. A system should remain stable without regular reboots or service restarts. It may work around an "emergent" issue but it certainly does nothing to solve it.

agreed

[bits]

Originally Posted by Taddeusz

The danger with using a workaround such as a nightly reboot or service restart is that the root cause may never be found. The reboot just becomes regular routine. And in fact, the cause may be discovered and fixed by someone else but the person who now has a routine reboot never knows.

The point is that a regular reboot should NEVER be routine. A system should remain stable without regular reboots or service restarts. It may work around an "emergent" issue but it certainly does nothing to solve it.

While I generally agree I can not help but wonder how the PC/PC component manufacturer's performance specifications stack up to your definition of stable. Especially when considering the nearly infinite combination of hardware, power, software and use scenerios.

In this particular case the general root cause seems to be the addition of the Colosuss. So until Hauppauge and or Sage find the issue, a daily service restart IMO does not constitute a danger. Before Colosuss no reboots or service restarts unless warranted.....after Colosuss it is required in order to get on with life in regards to TV recording/viewing.

[sleonard]

You are correct that a workaround is left in place until a permanent solution is found however long that takes. His point is that you should be diligent in pursuing the root cause and not accept a workaround as a permanent solution, unless you truly have to. There is a real danger that once a workaround is in place the root cause will be forgotton.

The IT department I work for follows ITIL best practices. When we encounter an issue for which the root cause cannot be fixed or identified quickly we pursue a workaround so the end user can continue to work and then open a problem ticket so that the root cause is not forgotten and that someone will continue to pursue a permanent solution. That problem ticket stays open until the root cause is fixed or we determine that it will never be fixed. In that case the workaround is accepted as the permanent fix and the ticket is closed.

S

[reggie14]

I have a USB HD-PVR that just died. It's still under warranty, but its probably going to be a while before I get a new one.

I actually have a Colossus just sitting around that I never installed. Various problems with the Sage betas and stability problems with the Colossus scared me away from installing it. But, under the circumstances, this might be a good time to install it.

Would I need to do anything special to install the Colossus since I already had an HD-PVR installed? I'd rather not wipe away all of my Hauppauge drivers, since I have an HVR-1600 connected still.