Opinion Needed - Integrating Chromecast with SageTV

[will]

So I have come up with this novel idea of how to get Chromecast into my SageTV setup.

My idea is to use a:

• HD-PVR 1512
• J-Tech Digital Hdmi To Hdmi w/the Chromecast

The J-Tech device should take care of the HDCP and the HD-PVR is how I'll get the feed into Sage.

I'll setup the new HD-PVR as a new source and map a channel with no EPG content to it. Since you use your phone/tablet to control the Chromecast I don't have to worry about the remote.

I'd like to get some opinions on the feasibility of this setup. Also, I currently use two 1212 HD-PVRs (which work great). Does anyone know if the 1512 will work with the 1.5.7 drivers? I've read that people have had issues with the 1512 and live streaming feeds with HD200s. I'm hesitant to update my drivers as my two 1212s work great (no lockups in a very long time).

[Fuzzy]

What is it you are actually trying to accomplish?

I'm not sure the HD-PVR will be able to record from the chromecast, I'm betting most apps implement HDCP.

[will]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

What is it you are actually trying to accomplish?

I'm trying to distribute full 1080p/5.1 on-demand services to my extenders without having to install additional hardware at each TV or have to change the TV source/audio source when I want to watch HBO GO, Hulu, or Netflix.

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

I'm not sure the HD-PVR will be able to record from the chromecast, I'm betting most apps implement HDCP.

Correct, the Chromecast does implement HDCP but the J-Tech Digital Hdmi To Hdmi can help with that (it is the middle man between the Chromecast and the HD-PVR).

[sacrament055]

That sounds like a good idea and it seems like it should work. I'm curious to see how this works out for you.

[IVB]

Bah. When I bought my $35 Chromecast, I opted to buy a new $1K HDMI switching receiver. And $2K projector/106" screen. And $2K in speakers. And, it'll only cost me $5K/room to do the same everywhere!

But hot damn, does the Chromecast sound great, Google Play Movies have never looked better.

[PiX64]

Originally Posted by will

So I have come up with this novel idea of how to get Chromecast into my SageTV setup.

My idea is to use a:

• HD-PVR 1512
• J-Tech Digital Hdmi To Hdmi w/the Chromecast

The J-Tech device should take care of the HDCP and the HD-PVR is how I'll get the feed into Sage.

I'll setup the new HD-PVR as a new source and map a channel with no EPG content to it. Since you use your phone/tablet to control the Chromecast I don't have to worry about the remote.

I'd like to get some opinions on the feasibility of this setup. Also, I currently use two 1212 HD-PVRs (which work great). Does anyone know if the 1512 will work with the 1.5.7 drivers? I've read that people have had issues with the 1512 and live streaming feeds with HD200s. I'm hesitant to update my drivers as my two 1212s work great (no lockups in a very long time).

I have a chromecast, and i don't understand how or what you are trying to do exactly. can you elloborate?

what are you going to "cast" to the chromecast? is it that you want to throw something to the tv, and have the HDVPR capture it so it is then available to other devices on the "sage" network? similiar to the old school loop back channel we are all familiar with from Sage 6 and netflix days?

[will]

Originally Posted by PiX64

I have a chromecast, and i don't understand how or what you are trying to do exactly. can you elloborate?

Well I'm looking for a way to get full 1080p Netflix/Hulu/HBO Go (when Chromecast eventually supports HBO Go) to my five TVs throughout the house without having to buy separate Chromecasts for each TV.

Originally Posted by PiX64

is it that you want to throw something to the tv, and have the HDVPR capture it so it is then available to other devices on the "sage" network? similiar to the old school loop back channel we are all familiar with from Sage 6 and netflix days?

I'm not familar with the loop back channel but what you said sounds correct.

I realize with my proposed setup the household would only be able to watch one thing at a time but I think this may be a decent solution for getting HD Netflix into SageTV. My concern isn't so much the cost of having to buy multiple Chromecasts but the fact that I have to change sources on the TV and have something else plugged into the TV. I love the simplicity and functionality of my extender setup.

[Deacon Crusher]

Did you get this working? Very interesting idea.

I have all the pieces to put this together (chromecast and spare HD PVR) except for the HDCP defeat piece.

Please share rest of story. What "guide" did you attach to this 1 channel source?

Thanks

[wayner]

I would guess that the delay will drive you nuts. The HD-PVR introduces a couple of second delay in the stream. That is fine when you are watching TV but when you are trying to interact using a remote, or your phone, you don't get immediate feedback when you take action.

I tried doing something similar once and I couldn't take the delay - I tried running the video output of my Control4 Home Automation controller though an SD tuner.

Given that the Chromecast is $35, and I have seen Black Friday sales for $30, then about six Chromecasts equals one HD-PVR in terms of price, unless you have an unused HD-PVR. I think you are better off to just buy a bunch of Chromecasts and save yourself the hassle.

The idea of the loop back was to take the output of your PC's video card and feed it into an HD-PVR so that you could access it from your Sage extenders. But the problem was then how to control the PC when you weren't in front of it.

[will]

Originally Posted by Deacon Crusher

Did you get this working? Very interesting idea.

I've done a lot of research on this topic and I haven't pulled trigger yet because I am concerned that the HD-PVR 1512 would not work well with my setup. I read on the forums that the HD-PVR 1512 doesn't work with live TV on HD200s which is what I would need with the Chromecast. I thought about using another HD-PVR 1212 but I don't believe that wold work with a 1080p source converted to component (the source would still be 1080p and the HD-PVR 1212 maxes out at 1080i).

As for HDCP, after doing lots of Google searches I discovered a couple switches that cost about $20 which work with HDCP inputs and allow non-HDCP outputs (in essence, HDCP strippers).

Yesterday I learned that PlayOn and PlayLater now support 720p video. I'm considering trying out their software again and seeing if the quality would suffice. I'd be fine with 720p resolution if Netflix would use the 1080p bit rate (5mb/s) but I have read online that 720p uses around 3.5mb/s bit rate so I need to do some testing. I'm thinking the PlayLater feature could work well with my setup: create a new import folder called Netflix or HBO Go and "DVR" the TV shows I want to watch from those services.

Originally Posted by wayner

I would guess that the delay will drive you nuts

With a Chromecast the delay wouldn't be an issue because you don't actually have an interface with a Chromecast, you use the standard Netflix app on your phone and then press a button to have it display on the Chromecast...so no delay issues.

[wayner]

Originally Posted by will

With a Chromecast the delay wouldn't be an issue because you don't actually have an interface with a Chromecast, you use the standard Netflix app on your phone and then press a button to have it display on the Chromecast...so no delay issues.

OK, cool. So all of the content selection is done on your phone/tablet? That solves the issue.

[trk2]

I just set this up using my Colossus and the HDMI splitters discussed in this thread to solve the HDCP issues. HD Netflix with 5.1 audio in Sage finally! And it works great!

The delay doesn't bother me since with streaming you are waiting for things to buffer anyway. Since Sage is recording the stream, you have much improved pause/resume/rewind/fast forward response by performing those actions within sage then traditional streaming through the Netflix interface.

Highly recommended.

[will]

Originally Posted by trk2

I just set this up using my Colossus and the HDMI splitters discussed in this thread to solve the HDCP issues. HD Netflix with 5.1 audio in Sage finally! And it works great!

Are you using a Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, or something else? Just curious, I know it shouldn't matter what device you use.

[wayner]

The interesting thing is that I bet that you could use an HDMI switch that is IR controlled, like they sell at Monoprice, and use all of the above. The problem would be that you would need a smartphone to control them since you typically would not be in the same room as the device.

[will]

Originally Posted by wayner

The interesting thing is that I bet that you could use an HDMI switch that is IR controlled, like they sell at Monoprice, and use all of the above. The problem would be that you would need a smartphone to control them since you typically would not be in the same room as the device.

Yeah, and that is why I think the Chromecast is the best solution for this setup because it doesn't have a remote. You use the phone apps for the services, e.g., Netflix, Hulu, to find what you want and then it plays through the Chromecast. Chromecast still lacks a lot of app support but I think that will be better over time.

[trk2]

Originally Posted by will

Are you using a Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, or something else? Just curious, I know it shouldn't matter what device you use.

I'm using Chromecast. Roku or Apple TV would work, but I think it would be a lot more cumbersome trying to control them with an IR remote with the delay. Chromecast being wifi controlled works for me since my sage server is in a closet without IR access anyway.

[mikejaner]

Is this the device you were referring to, and are you sure it strips HDMI? If so I want to order one at this price and do the same with my Chrome cast with my Collosus.
http://www.amazon.com/J-Tech-Digital.../dp/B00BIQER0E

[trk2]

Originally Posted by mikejaner

Is this the device you were referring to, and are you sure it strips HDMI? If so I want to order one at this price and do the same with my Chrome cast with my Collosus.
http://www.amazon.com/J-Tech-Digital.../dp/B00BIQER0E

This is the device I'm using that removes HDCP.

[mikejaner]

Originally Posted by trk2

This is the device I'm using that removes HDCP.

Sweet, thanks.

[Deacon Crusher]

Doing a little Saturday Sage work.

Have the ViewHD hdmi switch (arrived yesterday, thanks for the direction), have a colussus that's been sitting around doing nothing and have a chromecast.

Curious what format you have the chromecast set to and how you got there. Looks like the Colussus maxes out at 1080i same as all my older hd pvrs. Did you set the chromecast up while plugged into some other TV and then move to the hdmi splitter or?

And then did you set the new tuner up with 1 bogus channel or ??

And did you have any driver issues with the colussus? (I have an hd-pvr in the same system and don't want to mess it up.)

Thanks