I have not used GBPVR, but I do use SageTV. I also have the SageTV HD Media Extender. So far I have been very happy with SageTV (I installed the plug in on my MSS for this as well). The only issue I have I think relates to needing to upgrade the RAM on my MSS, as SageTV runs a little slow on my MSS vs using on my PC. I also just ordered the new PCH (A-110), so hopefully that will arrive soon and the real testing begins.

As for the interface, I find SageTV fairly straightforward. I believe you can download a trial version to test out for yourself.

Thank you dirkomatic and dbone1026 for your replies. I do appreciate them.

In Canada, we get very few OTA HD channels such that I would consider them as worthless channels. All QAM channels are encrypted requiring the use of the cable/satellite vendors digital boxes.
As a result, I can't use the majority of HD tuners out there including the hdhomerun which would have been perfect since it sits on your network LAN.

To get around this, I just purchased the Hauppauge HD-PVR which requires your cable/satellite box to be connected to it. The cool thing is that it takes advantage of the "analog hole" by using the component connection to capture the HD channels' video output.

Why am I explaining all of this?

I want to use a PVR software to record HD content that I could then use my Popcorn Hour A-100 to view. The key is for the Programming Guides of the considered product to be accurate and the ability for the created HD files to have a meaningful name so that the PCH can view them and for the WAF (wife acceptance factor). These files would be stored to the MSS of course.

So that's why I'm now looking at PVR software. If this all works out, I would purchase another popcorn hour like the A-110 that's now been released as an upgrade to the A-100 for another TV in the house.

_________________
Richard

My gadget blog: http://www.gadgetinsane.com

I've been thinking about getting the hauppauge PVR, how has your experience been? SageTV should integrate nicely with that (if you go to their website I think they just updated their software to play nice with the PVR, I think you can even buy the PVR with SageTV as a combo through sagetv.com). Check out the forums there (through the support tab) to see, actually you already know this, I just went to the forum and see an "All4Fun" member posting!!!

My experience with the hauppauge PVR has been great so far. The video output has been indistinguishable from the source (to me) and other feedback that I've read suggests the same thing. There were some production issues with overheating when the product first released but I haven't encountered them with my C2 revision of the hardware. As well, you are limited to 2 channel audio. Hauppauge has said they will support 5.1 in their next driver release for the hardware. I've also been following feedback on this product on avsforum.

No PVR software appears to be perfect but, so far, SageTV seems to be accommodating my needs and I'm asking questions on their forums for issues that I'm running into. My only issue is their software licensing model. You pay "a la carte" or peacemeal for every part of the solution.

If I can get GB-PVR going, that's free. Although I currently running into issues of just getting video to appear on my computer screen.

I also am trying to limit the amount of tinkering that I have to do with either software. I just don't have the time or energy anymore. If it "just works", I'll pay for it if I have to.

I feel bad about hijacking this thread because it's the PCH thread but I'm just trying to integrate the PCH into my overall home setup. I'm hoping that I've given other ideas for using the PCH out of all of this.

Sorry for the hijack. I suppose that any further discussion about the Hauppauge HD-PVR, Sagetv or GB-PVR should go into it's own thread.

_________________
Richard

My gadget blog: http://www.gadgetinsane.com

I had the mkv files on my local PC and everything streamed perfectly from my PC to PCH.

Then I purchased a MSS with the sole purpose of media streaming to my PCH and other devices. So I loaded my mkv files on my MSS and now those files are not visible or recognized by PCH. Basically its like those files don't exist on my MSS.

I loaded the encoders and a MKV player on the MSS server itself and I can play them via remote desktop. But it appears the media sharing software on the MSS doesn't recognize the mkv files to stream them.

That is what I conceive is happening and I have yet to find a work around online. Anyone have any suggestions or what plug in I should use?

Thanks!

Oh I got it, err maybe. You are using the Windows Media Center on the MSS. You need to add a hard drive to the Popcorn hour and get Samba or NSS running. That gives you a whole lot of options for the way to see and share the MSS share files.

If you give the MSS the right permissions (like you did the PC), then you could bypass the MPC server and just look at the shares on the MSS directly from your PCH. Then they would stream fine...

I am guessing here but it kinda makes sense..

_________________
John E Pombrio
Do not meddle in the affair of wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger.

So I would add another drive to the network and that would be on the PCH.

Basically then the MSS would only serve non-mkv files and others would be on the PCH drive.

Which I could be doing via a normal PC like I'm doing now.

Hmm.. I kinda wanted to put all my stuff, video/audio/pictures, on the MSS.

There has to be a way to use the MSS to do all.

You can use your MSS for all this. I use the iStar HD which is the same as popcorn hour accept no HD. I installed NFS on my MSS because I have a bunch of 1080p mkv's. The current way I stream movies is using MovieJukeBox (http://code.google.com/p/moviejukebox/). It creates html pages automatically in my Videos share on my MSS and searches and downloads the covers automatically. Very easy to use. Let me know if you need help setting this up to work.

I guess by putting a hard drive in my PCH, I could also use it to play ISO's.

So I assume MKV's and ISO's on PCH hard drive and everything else on MSS. Not my ideal setup, but I guess I have no other choice. But it makes me wonder if I should keep my MSS?

Regardless, off to the store I go on Monday!

The MSS has LOTS of things going for it. You can back up your main computer or all the computers in the house. I use mine to stream to 3 computers, an XBox360, a PS3, and my popcorn hour. I can have my son access stuff from the MSS from college.

If all you are using the MSS for is streaming and your computer does the job, then you really do not need a server. I thought that way too about a home server until I had one for a while!

I do like the hard drive for the PCH tho. As someone else posted, you can carry your streaming stuff with you and run it on pretty much any TV.

Yep, PCH hard drive does .iso but you can stream them from your MSS, just not a Blu-Ray .iso. Nice to have the whole movie available. For my purchased movies, I use AnyDVD (I have AnyDVD HD but not real useful for now) and imgburn to create the .iso.

Listen to the others about how to do .mkv as I do not use it myself. There are other forum posts about .mkv and the MSS. Do a search.

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John E Pombrio
Do not meddle in the affair of wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger.

I use Swisscenter installed on the MSS and configured it to stream MKV and ISOs to the PCH. I've also installed NFS on my MSS as well.

With some searching, you'll see that everything is possible and that you can put everything on to the MSS. I have no interest in having my media all over the place and have centralized it all to the MSS and it's working just fine.

You can also see what others are doing with the PCH on networkmediatank.com

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Richard

My gadget blog: http://www.gadgetinsane.com

Ya, I'm usually good at searching for answers and/or figuring out myself. But for some reason I'm stuck getting the MSS to solve my wild and crazy dreams.

Installing Swisscenter and we'll see.

In case you missed it, if you look on page 3 of this thread, I explain how to configure swisscenter to support ISO and MKV.

I'm no expert with swisscenter by any means but through some tinkering, I've gotten it to work.

I haven't tested other potential apps that may do the same thing.

_________________
Richard

My gadget blog: http://www.gadgetinsane.com

Just too confirm.. I need to follow these instructions to add NFS to my MSS correct?

http://www.networkedmediatank.com/showt ... p?tid=1434

Heh! Not at all. Nothing that elaborate...
NFS is built into the the hard drive apps that get loaded in. Someone else posted how to add a share.

Its like nfs :\MSS\Shared Folders\Video

There is also SMB built into the hard drive apps. That works just fine too. (I used that instead of of NFS).

ZipZoomFly has a Western Digital 320 MB PATA hard drive that is only $57 with free shipping. It is QUIET, runs cool, works great, and arrives in about a week.

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John E Pombrio
Do not meddle in the affair of wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger.