HD200, a few questions.

[KryptoNyte]

I recently invested in a couple HD200's, for use with my SageTV V7 Server.

1) Is there a way to apply a friendly name to the HD200, something like "Livingroom" rather than the string of numbers/letters?

2) Is there a way to change the default interface skin? Does it change with whatever the server GUI is using?

3) When using optical out to my receiver, the volume seems to be fixed on the HD200, and I must control it with the receiver. Is there a way to control the volume with the extender instead?

4) I'm kind of new to the HD200, are there any other nifty features, via SageTV server, that I probably haven't figured out yet?

Thanks.

[routerunner]

Originally Posted by KryptoNyte

I recently invested in a couple HD200's, for use with my SageTV V7 Server.

1) Is there a way to apply a friendly name to the HD200, something like "Livingroom" rather than the string of numbers/letters?

2) Is there a way to change the default interface skin? Does it change with whatever the server GUI is using?

3) When using optical out to my receiver, the volume seems to be fixed on the HD200, and I must control it with the receiver. Is there a way to control the volume with the extender instead?

4) I'm kind of new to the HD200, are there any other nifty features, via SageTV server, that I probably haven't figured out yet?

Thanks.

1) Are you talking about the hostname? If so yes, in stand alone mode when enabling Windows shares, you can personalise the hostname. In the Web Server GUI you can changes the MAC address to a name you like.

2) In stand alone mode there is a bit complicated way to do it that that involves using an usb stick with your're new skin with a special name that gets loaded automatically by the HD200 and flashed in the HD200 memory. There is a thread somewhere with details instructions, but I need to dig up a little bit...
In server mode is easy as the UI is independent from the server and there are some very nice themes via plugin interface available to download.

3) It depends on the media, if the audio track is DD, you have no choice, if is PCM then yes you can chance the volume, also the latter depends on whether you have setup the audio output to Digital PCM as Digital bitstream is always pass-through.

[KryptoNyte]

Thanks RR. I'm not sure if it's the hostname or not - it's the name that appears as "currently watching xxxx" in the web based plugin (where I see and schedule all my TV in an Internet Explorer window). It also shows in in the TaSTVRemote Android app as a controllable client.

Understood regarding the audio passthrough.

Don't worry about the skins. That sounds like enough fooling that I'd probably bork up the unit somehow.

I've been using SageTV server for years, for the sole purpose of saving my TV to hard drive. It was just over the past 6 months that I started realizing the real power of the system, and now, I'm late to the party.

Just out of curiousity, how much did the HD100, 200, and 300 sell for initially? Why does the HD300 draw a much higher price today than the 200?

[routerunner]

Originally Posted by KryptoNyte

Thanks RR. I'm not sure if it's the hostname or not - it's the name that appears as "currently watching xxxx" in the web based plugin (where I see and schedule all my TV in an Internet Explorer window). It also shows in in the TaSTVRemote Android app as a controllable client.

Understood regarding the audio passthrough.

Don't worry about the skins. That sounds like enough fooling that I'd probably bork up the unit somehow.

I've been using SageTV server for years, for the sole purpose of saving my TV to hard drive. It was just over the past 6 months that I started realizing the real power of the system, and now, I'm late to the party.

Just out of curiousity, how much did the HD100, 200, and 300 sell for initially? Why does the HD300 draw a much higher price today than the 200?

The "currently watching xxxx" is the MAC address of the unit and in the Web Interface GUI can be changed, just click on the long number...I'm not sure about TaSTVRemote Android as I never used it.

I just bought HD200 and HD300 at different times, but I live in Europe and I had to pay Royal Majesty tax which wasn't cheap. The HD300 has higher specs compared with the HD200 in particular in the audio domain, considerably faster, smaller, however runs a lot hotter.

Yes, the server/extender is in my opinion the best combination and works really well, however I think you're not that late, recently Jeff posted some inklings in the forum, so it may be possible that SageTV is not that dead, the hope is the last to die

[KryptoNyte]

Originally Posted by routerunner

The "currently watching xxxx" is the MAC address of the unit and in the Web Interface GUI can be changed, just click on the long number...I'm not sure about TaSTVRemote Android as I never used it.

Well, that worked perfectly. With a quick restart of the SageTV service, now even the TaSTVRemote Android app sees the friendly name instead of the mac address.

Thank you, I NEVER would have found that!

[KryptoNyte]

After purchasing my first client license a couple years ago, I can't tell you how many countless hours I spent trying to throw together old computers (HTPC style) to use Sage SMOOTHLY on another TV in the house.

I can't believe how easy the extenders are to get running, and I'm completely blown away with how smooth they are. I wasted SO much time on HTPC's.