New HTPC: Dual Tuners, DScaler, Sage & UK

[DeanSheehan]

Hi,

Just about to go build my first HTPC and was wondering whether anyone could give me some guidance on the best tuner cards to use (2 of them, best in perf not price) for use with Sage. I want to also use DScaler at some point and it sounds like there are restrictions on its support.

I'll be taking the feed from NTL Cable Box via Composite or SVideo I guess.

Thanks for any advice.

cheers,
- Dean

[mdmint]

The tried and true PVR250 seems to have best support and least configuration problems. Or so my research led me to believe when I built my systems back May04. I've been running 5 PVR250s flawlessly since then.(4 in Sage Server one in main Client network mode) OTH, I just ordered a dual tuner/encoder 500MCE to replace one of the 250s in my Server so will know in a week or so how they compare.

[Opus4]

For anyone looking for a dual tuner & needs composite/svideo connections: just be aware that the pvr-500mce has only 1 external composite/svideo connection. There are header pins inside for a 2nd connector to be added, but unless you build your own, there isn't an add-on avaiable for that yet.

- Andy

[mdmint]

Originally Posted by Opus4

For anyone looking for a dual tuner & needs composite/svideo connections: just be aware that the pvr-500mce has only 1 external composite/svideo connection. There are header pins inside for a 2nd connector to be added, but unless you build your own, there isn't an add-on avaiable for that yet.

- Andy

Do you know off the top of your head if the 500 supports 1 coax and 1 sVid input simultaneously? OTH I'll find out myself in about a week when mine arrives. If it doesn't no biggy will just use a PVR250 for the single sVid. Currently running strictly analog cable but thinking to add 1 digital cable box for Premium channels.

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by mdmint

Do you know off the top of your head if the 500 supports 1 coax and 1 sVid input simultaneously?

If I read this SHS forum thread correctly, it does.

-Andy

[DeanSheehan]

Thanks for all of the replies.

Looks like I will probably go with 2*250s but the DScaler docs state this isn't supported.

Anyone out there making good use of DScalar? If so what capture card are you using?

cheers,
- Dean

[nielm]

There are lots of dscaler things...

The dscaler.exe *application* is intended for recording from video capture devices that provide raw uncompressed video output. The PVR* devices do not provide this (only MPEG2 video) so the descaler app cannot support them.

The Dscaler MPEG2 DirectShow decoder filter can be used by sage (and other apps) to decode MPEG2 video and audio. It is in a early alpha stage, but will eventually be able to use the Dscaler advanced deinterlacing/scaling algorithms as part of the decoding process...

The dscaler deinterlacing filter and plugins can be used by sage ONLY with the Elecard MPEG2 decoders to provide the advanced deinterlacing/scaling argorithms in Sage. A few users have tried it and say it is great... For me it does not give much difference, and caused a few crashes, but thats Alpha SW for you

The Dscaler plugin DLL's can be used with the FFDSHOW filter to provide deinterlacing/scaling with other MPEG2 decoders... There are several users here using FFDSHOW/dscalter to upscale SDTV to HDTV.