Colossus 2 + SageTV Review

[SHS]

All test where done with Dishnetwork Joey
You still need this SageTV Fix see attach file below..

Well after min endless hours of recording and watch with it I say it good replacement for 1st Colossus and even HD-PVR 2 if want go Internal Device.
I REALLY push the Colossus 2 as hard as I could recording running 6 days in row non stop with clips as long 8 hours as one clip and min small 30min up to 2 hours long all day and night it doesn't even get warm at all unlike HD-PVR 2 which dose get a bit warm and audio on the Colossus 2 still seem be in sync as far I can tell, As for PQ it is only as good your Incoming Source.
You can do HDMI + HDMI Audio AC3 5.1 recoding I think mainly to do driver as change over last years when was the last I look at them and the fact they add new SetEDID tool build into Hauppauge Capture Tool which helps but Note DON'T use the HDMI output on the device nor with HDMI Splitter/HDCP strippers for Live TV that will causes the HD-PVR 2 and Colossus 2 to use the EDID Stereo sound setting unless your TV had DD 5.1 support.

I only found one small problem with it that should be fix in next driver update it has to do microphone where all my recording clip had a second audio track which it should not be doing has they told me.
If you plug in a mic, then there will be a second audio track.
If you don't plug in a mic, then there will not be a second audio track.

Like HD-PVR 2 and 1st Colossus you will still get this ever now one bad clip once per-week maybe not even at all if real lucky where the video jump right end in time bar but it playing the begin of the show then stop all on it own it not bad clip as it still play fine with other video player but just not in SageTV and there a work around to problem reload that video hit skip back then keep skipping back to the begin of the show (I did get one whale testing).

If you can't get HDMI + HDMI Audio AC3 5.1 to work you can still used this trick How get HDMI+AC3 with newer model HD-PVR 2 for HDMI+ AC3 5.1 SPDIF.

I made no reboot in the 6 day so that in self is much better option over the 1st Colossus.

[KryptoNyte]

So what's the improvement over the original Colossus or the HD-PVR2 for that matter?

[SHS]

Originally Posted by KryptoNyte

So what's the improvement over the original Colossus or the HD-PVR2 for that matter?

Vs the Colossus
1: Doesn't run as hot
2: Doesn't need daily reboot with SageTV
3: HDMI output (depend on what you want do with it)

Vs the HD-PVR 2 (Depend which rev HD-PVR 2 after all there 3 diff update models)
1: Doesn't run as hot
2: Internal Device free up desk space
3: You can use A/V Bracket and Cable Set

[peternm22]

I understand the HD-PVR 2 caused problems with the extenders when playing live TV. Does the new Colossus have the same problems?

[TechBill]

Originally Posted by peternm22

I understand the HD-PVR 2 caused problems with the extenders when playing live TV. Does the new Colossus have the same problems?

I wonder the same thing too ...

Bill

[SHS]

Originally Posted by peternm22

I understand the HD-PVR 2 caused problems with the extenders when playing live TV. Does the new Colossus have the same problems?

I have no idea as I don't have any extenders

[patja]

I just got mine and will be installing it this weekend!

[TechBill]

Originally Posted by patja

I just got mine and will be installing it this weekend!

Do you have extenders?

Bill

[SHS]

Originally Posted by patja

I just got mine and will be installing it this weekend!

If you need help let me know patja

Originally Posted by TechBill

Do you have extenders?

Bill

Sent me your Bill

[HelenWeathers]

Originally Posted by SHS

If you can't get HDMI + HDMI Audio AC3 5.1 to work you can still used this trick How get HDMI+AC3 with newer model HD-PVR 2 for HDMI+ AC3 5.1 SPDIF.

SHS: I'm curious if you've used the patch with SageTV running as a service. The patch worked for me with the HDPVR2 about 90% of the time if I ran SageTV as an exe on my server. It worked less than 20% (if that much) of the time for me when I ran Sage as a service.

I ended packing up the HDPVR2 and putting it away for later. That was some time ago. I do have hope for the HDPVR2 now as Sage is going OS.

[TechBill]

Originally Posted by SHS

If you need help let me know patja



Sent me your Bill

I am willing to *loan* you a HD300 if you are willing to test it out.

If it the same issue as HD-PVR on live shows then see if you can fix that issue for us.


Bill

[SHS]

Originally Posted by HelenWeathers

SHS: I'm curious if you've used the patch with SageTV running as a service. The patch worked for me with the HDPVR2 about 90% of the time if I ran SageTV as an exe on my server. It worked less than 20% (if that much) of the time for me when I ran Sage as a service.

I ended packing up the HDPVR2 and putting it away for later. That was some time ago. I do have hope for the HDPVR2 now as Sage is going OS.

I only use service mode on my SageTV Media Server but that shouldn't make any diff at lease I think it shouldn't make any diff.

Originally Posted by TechBill

I am willing to *loan* you a HD300 if you are willing to test it out.

If it the same issue as HD-PVR on live shows then see if you can fix that issue for us.

Bill

I can't fix it, but it would love give a chance to see if there any diff from the HD-PVR 2 if willing to loan to me one for a weeks then I sent it back to you, if your ok with that check your PM I sent you my addres

[TechBill]

Originally Posted by SHS

I only use service mode on my SageTV Media Server but that shouldn't make any diff at lease I think it shouldn't make any diff.



I can't fix but it would give a change to see if there any diff from the HD-PVR 2 if willing to loan to me for a weeks then I sent it back to you, if your ok with that check your PM I sent you my addres

I sent you a PM

Bill

[patja]

Originally Posted by TechBill

Do you have extenders?

Bill

Yes, I have two HD200's and one HD300.

[SHS]

Originally Posted by patja

Yes, I have two HD200's and one HD300.

Sweet let us know how it gose
Buy the way what input are going to use ?.

[TechBill]

Originally Posted by patja

Yes, I have two HD200's and one HD300.

Cool! Please do report back how it goes for you. I am itching to order 2 myself asap.

I think one of my colossus is getting ready to give up. I had to keep pulling it out and use eraser to clean the slot contact points to get it working again.

Bill

[patja]

I am hooking it up to an H21-200 DirecTV receiver's HDMI. No HDCP.

It is a bit of a slog to setup. It shows up first as a USB hub for some reason. I should mention I am installing it as a PCI passthrough device to an ESXi VM where I run Sage.

It is not quite working in Sage yet, but I've produced a short test recording using the included WinTV v8 software.

It shows up in Sage as a video source "Hauppauge Siena Video Capture."

Within Sage, trying to setup the HDMI input on it resulted in:
There was a Capture Error in playback. Details: ERROR (-5,0x80140000): There was a problem setting up software video compression

I am looking into the registry settings SHS posted about here: http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=61733
and hdpvr2_sagetv_fix patch. Going to try the patch file first before diving into the registry.

[patja]

Looks like it is working now, except for being in stereo.

I am going to try the registry edits to get HDMI + SPDIF AC3 working. I've got the WinTV v8 application to produce a test recording with HDMI + SPDIF with DD 5.1 / AC3

What's the story behind HDMI AC3 5.1 audio with this? I see SHS referred to some issues with EDID contributing? Is this a problem with the Colossus telling the STB it only can handle stereo over HDMI?

[patja]

Well I guess similar to what was reported with the HD-PVR 2, even though switching the audio input pin in the registry to SPDIF for the HDMI input results in good recordings from Hauppauge's software, recordings from Sage with this setup result in no audio.

For now I switched the registry back to use the HDMI audio, which results in a recording that seems fine except for being in stereo.

[patja]

I may have figured out how to get the HDMI 5.1 audio. I re-read some of SHS' posts and saw he said something about an EDID tool in the Hauppauge capture software. I poked around in the capture software and found in the advanced settings a checkbox for "disable AC3 audio on HDMI". It was checked!

It took a few tries for me to get it to stay unchecked, but after restarting Sage I was able to make a recording in 5.1:

Encoded by: Hauppauge Siena Video Capture Best-H.264
File Format: MPEG2-TS[H.264 16:9 1080i@29.97fps, Dolby Digital/384Kbps@48kHz 5.1, AAC@48kHz Stereo]

I am proceeding with some burn-in tests of heavy recording with lots of channel changing to see if this thing can be brought to its knees like its predecessor.