Opinions Please on new Client for SageTV

[Naylia]

I may be a little late…but what’s the quad core for?

You mention Comskip…but that’s done on the server. Your client just has to read the resulting edl file with timestamps.

If you aren’t gaming, and just sticking to client HTPC duties I’d go with a lower powered dual core. It’ll be a lot easier to run cool and quiet.

[nwboater]

I originally was going to use a dual core. Someone on the Sage Forum suggested the Quad core because he said Comskip duties could be shared with the server. I have no experience yet with Comskip so just took his word for it. I hope it can partially be shared. Guess I should have looked further into it. I ordered it all yesterday! Do you have any idea if that can be done?

This PC is only for HTPC duties.

Thanks for your interest.

Rod

[George L. Schmauch Jr.]

Comskip is single-threaded, which means that a Comskip will only run for a single recording, using a single core, at any time.  If you have 2 cores, you can run two instances of Comskip, which would then run on two separate recordings at the same time.

You could have Comskip running on multiple computers, as well, which is what they were probably referring to.

[Naylia]

[quote=”Skirge01″]
Comskip is single-threaded, which means that a Comskip will only run for a single recording, using a single core, at any time.  If you have 2 cores, you can run two instances of Comskip, which would then run on two separate recordings at the same time.

You could have Comskip running on multiple computers, as well, which is what they were probably referring to.
[/quote]

This makes sense to me if you are recording on multiple pcs and then each pc does it’s own comskipping with available resources of the shows it recorded, but I wonder how this would impact network bandwidth if you run comskip over the network. Especially if you already have clients and/or network tuners using some of it. I guess you could schedule it for only late night hours and then the network bandwidth wouldn’tt be an issue.

[George L. Schmauch Jr.]

[quote=”Naylia”]
This makes sense to me if you are recording on multiple pcs and then each pc does it’s own comskipping with available resources of the shows it recorded, but I wonder how this would impact network bandwidth if you run comskip over the network. Especially if you already have clients and/or network tuners using some of it. I guess you could schedule it for only late night hours and then the network bandwidth wouldn’tt be an issue.
[/quote]

I’ve run 1 comskip instance on my client PC (E6600), while 3 were running on the server (all recordings are on the server) and watching a recording was not impacted at all over the Gb network.  Perhaps my CPU wasn’t processing the recording quickly enough to impact the network?

If they were all hitting the same drive, then I could see a potential issue.  I never checked if that scenario ever happened.  But, network bandwidth never seemed to be an issue.  Also, for playback, I always made sure that I had one free core on both the server and the client.

BTW, I did all this via Sage Job Queue.

[nwboater]

Thanks for the info on Comskip. Does sound like I’ll be able to share between the server and client. It may take a bit of learning and set up for me. I’m going to wait for a couple of things before I get involved with it though. 1. The new Client built and running smoothly with me learning Windows 7.  2. SageTV 7 to be out of Beta. Two may very well happen before One does!

Rod

[George L. Schmauch Jr.]

[quote=”nwboater”]
Thanks for the info on Comskip. Does sound like I’ll be able to share between the server and client. It may take a bit of learning and set up for me. I’m going to wait for a couple of things before I get involved with it though. 1. The new Client built and running smoothly with me learning Windows 7.  2. SageTV 7 to be out of Beta. Two may very well happen before One does!
[/quote]

FWIW, it took me all of about a week to figure out Windows 7 and that was coming directly from XP, with only about 5 minutes of experience in Vista.  One tip I learned through many OS installs:  Once you have Windows 7 installed and before you install any other programs, get it configured how you want and then create a backup image of the OS.  Then, install SageTV, get that configured how you want and create a 2nd backup image of the OS.  This will give you 2 pristine images to fall back to at any point in your future “fixing”.

SageTV will be out of beta very soon.  Even if it’s not out of beta when you’re ready, start with whatever the latest beta is.  I’ve gone from 18 to 23 without a single issue.

[nwboater]

Thanks for the encouragement and tips. I have only XP experience but am really looking forward to 7. Just think it will take a little time cause I run on autopilot with XP.

I have done lots of backups, but never made an ‘Image’. I do have a 2 or 3 year old copy of Acronis True Image, but doubt that will run on 7. If I have to get something new what do you suggest? BTW I do all our backups with our WHS.

Rod

[George L. Schmauch Jr.]

[quote=”nwboater”]
Thanks for the encouragement and tips. I have only XP experience but am really looking forward to 7. Just think it will take a little time cause I run on autopilot with XP.

I have done lots of backups, but never made an ‘Image’. I do have a 2 or 3 year old copy of Acronis True Image, but doubt that will run on 7. If I have to get something new what do you suggest? BTW I do all our backups with our WHS.

Rod
[/quote]

If you’ve got WHS, just use that then.  Manually create those two backups and lock them, so that WHS won’t delete them on you.  I go a little overboard with how long I keep my backups because I have the storage space, but you’ll probably be fine with more moderate settings.  WHS is a wonderful thing to be able to fall back on.

[nwboater]

[quote=”Skirge01″]
[quote=”nwboater”]
Thanks for the encouragement and tips. I have only XP experience but am really looking forward to 7. Just think it will take a little time cause I run on autopilot with XP.

I have done lots of backups, but never made an ‘Image’. I do have a 2 or 3 year old copy of Acronis True Image, but doubt that will run on 7. If I have to get something new what do you suggest? BTW I do all our backups with our WHS.

Rod
[/quote]

If you’ve got WHS, just use that then.  Manually create those two backups and lock them, so that WHS won’t delete them on you.  I go a little overboard with how long I keep my backups because I have the storage space, but you’ll probably be fine with more moderate settings.  WHS is a wonderful thing to be able to fall back on.
[/quote]

Good idea on the Manual Backups – I’ll do that.

Yes WHS is wonderful. I have no regrets at all on building it. And so far it ‘Just Works’.

Thanks again.

Rod

[buddysdad]

UPDATE

 

Thought I’d let you all know how it’s going. The new build went very smoothly. This was my second build and I was much less nervous than the first time. Actually I had a panic moment at first power on and it wouldn’t post. Found that one of my memory cards wasn’t fully seated. After that it has worked flawlessly.

 

Had no difficulty learning the little bit I needed to of Win 7. It’s much more intuitive in many ways than XP (I avoided Vista).

 

SageTV install went well. I did have to chose a different renderer than the default. Sage is running beautifully. Could be my imagination but the picture quality seems a bit better.

 

I’m running it with onboard video and it’s great. CPU on HD runs 10-20%. So I have an extra 8400 card which I didn’t install. And a spare Dell GT280.

 

I have also installed JRiver MC15 which we use for audio and sometimes movies. It also got up and running fairly easy.

 

Yet to come is Comskip, MyMovies for SageTV and Blue Ray. I think the latter may be the biggest challenge.

 

So thanks to you folks here for the great guidance!

 

Rod

[skirge01]

Glad to hear that it wall went so smoothly.  Having reliable backups definitely helps with your own confidence in doing builds, too.  I just did a new mobo install and didn’t give it a second thought.  If something went south, I’d just swap the old mobo back in and restore from the previous night’s WHS backup.  Now, if WHS v2 would just get here sooner!  🙂

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