Basic Setup, Newbie

[averyd]

I have been reading the forums for the past three days. Countless searches, my head is spinning, I finally decided to post my thoughts and see what you experts had to say:

Purpose: Create a DVR from my existing PC and underutilized upstairs Dishnetwork 301 receiver, but downstairs in the study.
Be able to control said receiver from downstairs through several walls. Upstairs tv is used from morning till 7PM, but not after 7PM.

Process: Decided on the Hauppage 250 card for my current system (AMD 64 3000, 1g RAM, 264 Raid 0 Sata setup, ATI 9800 Pro, one or two monitors depending on usage). Will run a coax out from the 301 receiver to upstairs central control box. Connect with coax line going down to study)

Q1) Will the 301 be able to drive a single that far, approx 50ft of coax??

Coax into 250 card. SageTV as controlling software.

Q2) What controller to change channels from upstairs system??

Q3) Will this work? What am I missing??

Q4) How much HD space does each hour of tv take up? (Raid 0 is 64k blocks sadly).

Payoff: Same cost as new receiver, installation and new tv - but without the DVR aspect. I don't want to give Dish anymore money. Can't believe they won't give me another receiver for free!!!

Thanks,

D. Avery

[jptaz]

Q1) I do not believe you will have a problem as long as the 50 ft Coax is high quality RG6...maybe even a Quad Shielded cable from Radio Shack.

Q2) This is the tough one. I could be wrong, but your only choice would be an Actisys IR 200L to control the box and I am not sure how well that will work when connect to that long a serial cable run. A 50 Serial Cable Extender is about $20 (http://www.ramelectronics.net/html/mem-90056-_.html)

You may want to consider something like a CAT5 Serial Extender if you do not get enough power over the 50 foot length. http://www.ramelectronics.net/html/EXT-RS232.htm ($100)


Q3) In theory you should be able to make this work. It all depends on being able to control the BOX over that distance. Also do you plan on watching the DVR on your Computer in the study? Are you going to want to watch on a TV in the room with the Receiver?

Q4) It all depends on what quality setting you are comfortable with. I use 3.25GB/HR with my HD TV, but before on my 25" TV I used 2GB/HR.

Hope this helps,
John

[averyd]

My problem is running the serial cable period. Almost impossible in my 2story house. Was hoping for a room hoping IR transmitter, similar to the 501 series provided by dishnetwork?

Have no idea what type of coax was used, but would suspect cheap. Builder grade.

I am planning on watching tv in the study, but not at the same time as the system upstairs. I plan on watching DVR playbacks at the same time someone upstairs is watching TV. I didn't think this would be a problem given the DVR is an MPEG2 and I could play it out of most viewers?? Am I wrong?

Thanks for all the answers and the storage numbers. Still going to be cheaper to just keep adding HDs to my existing system if warranted.

Now to solve the remote issues.

[jptaz]

I guess I am confused. How are you going to run the 50 Ft Coax cable from the 301 to your PC in the Den? Has that already been run was it built into the house?

I am not sure about a solution like the 501. I believe it is actually an RF remote, not IR.

In terms of playing back the Files this is not a problem. The MPEG2 codec included in the PVR 250 is sufficient or if your computer has a DVD player program the codec from that can be used.

John

[averyd]

Yes the coax is all ready installed. So I will use existing.

Are there any RF to IR convertors. I thought I read someone had a remote that sat in front of the reciever to get/send signals. I maybe out of luck here.

[jptaz]

I know of a number of remotes that transmit RF to a base station that then transmitts the IR. This type of thing would work for you, but the issue is finding something like this that can be controlled via the PC so that SageTV can change Channels.

[jptaz]

Wait....I found the solution:

http://www.smarthome.com/8220A.html

Use either a USB UIRT or an ACTISYS IR 200L and connect the remote extender to it. Then hookup the RF Receiver with the IR Repeater next to the box.

So:

USB UIRT $44.95
INFRARED REMOTE EXTENDER $49.99

John

[averyd]

YOU ARE AMAZING. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[jptaz]

Your Welcome.

Hope it all works for you.

[chrysek]

I would do it differently, for example setup a smal HTPC with SageTV in the room where you do have your receiver, connect that HTPC to a network in your home and then setup other PC's as clients, that configuration does work perfectly for me.

I have main HTPC box setup with 1 cable receiver and 1 Satelite receiver, I am planning to add another card and have just simply local channels or maybe for $10 per month more I will get another receiver from my cable company.

Then I have a PC running with a Sage Client on it and I can see all the recorded information plus I can even watch TV, change channels etc....

Its pretty good and I have no complains. Easy to control my receivers, no serial cables to run...

Yeah but the investment is greater since you need to purchase addidtional hadrware (PC) one dedicated to recordings and controling of the receivers and the second one as a client.

Just wanted to thorw this at you...