Andrew Van Til

[babgvant]

[quote=Chroner]

it is my understanding that the ceton card has multiple tuners that can be ‘allocated’ to different machines since they act as network tuners.  would i be able to allocate 1 of the tuners to PC2 (with the remaining allocated to PC1) and then record or view live content on PC2?  So for example, i could be watching live content using PC1 (or content that was recorded on PC1) in 1 room, while my wife could be using PC2 to watch live content (or content recorded on PC 2). 

Is that correct?

[/quote]

Yes

[quote=Chroner]

is there an expected timeframe on IVB?  I’m not in a particular rush to swap hardware at this point, but i was thinking of doing it prior to summer.  I’d probably try to keep the budget for the upgrade around $700 including the tuners.  I figure around $250-300 for tuners, $150-200 for cpu, $100-150 for mobo, $40-50 for memory.  I plan to use my existing HDD’s and case, but I’ll have to take a look at the PSU to see if it will be sufficient.

[/quote]

April or May.

[babgvant]

[quote=Chroner]

Any suggestions on graphics?  Are onboard graphics to the point where i wouldnt have to worry about a discrete card?

[/quote]

Yes, if you’re starting fresh onboard graphics is more than enough unless you are planning to play a lot of games. Both AMD’s Llano and Intel’s Sandy Bridge (SNB) IPGs are excellent choices. Personally I prefer SNB because it’s easier to configure and the drivers tend to be more stable. That said, because of the timing I’d say wait for Ivy Bridge (IVB); it will be better in every way compared to SNB (lower power, faster GPU, faster CPU, etc).

[babgvant]

[quote=umdivx]

A Quote from the OP:

[quote]I haven’t had much time to think about hardware but I’d likely be grabbing some middle of the road components because the machine is really only used for viewing/recording TV an occasional DvD and light web browsing.  [/quote]

Based on this statement in his last paragraph I read it as he was more focused on the TV/DVR aspect than he was of other features.

-Josh

[/quote]

You should have kept reading…

[quote=Chroner]

… I’ve been considering adding bluray capability so I’d have to switch over to HDMI and verify HDCP compatibility.  

[/quote]

[babgvant]

[quote=Chroner]

1)Assume I have PC1 with a cablecard tuner and PC2 is a laptop on my network, both running win7.  If PC1 records a show that is set to be DRM flagged can I then use WMC to watch that recorded show on PC2 at a later time or is it only accessible using PC1?

[/quote]

No, it is only accessible on the PC that recorded it or an extender connected to the PC that recorded it.

[quote=Chroner]

2)Can I use PC2 to initiate a recording using the tuners in PC1?

[/quote]

Not really. You could use something like Recording Broker though.

[quote=Chroner]

3)Can existing recordings I have from Sage be easily imported into WMC (probably ~400 recordings)?

[/quote]

Depends what the desired output is. 7MC will be able to play them, and you can import them into the Video experience, but without an alternate video browser you will not get metadata or useful pivots.

[babgvant]

[quote=umdivx]

My #1 thing for my HTPC is DVRing, that is it.

[/quote]

In that context I can understand your position, but you should disclose the context because for many the HTPC provides a complete home theater solution. Outside of your limited use there is a large set of use cases where they are not the same; I just pointed this out.

[quote=umdivx]

Because PC’s suck at getting high quality video out properly for movies and such I still use a dedicated BD player, in my case the Oppo BDP-93.

[/quote]

I disagree with this statement. It can take some effort to get a PC to produce high quality output (especially on AMD GPUs where they like to process the heck out of everything) though.

[quote=umdivx]

However extenders will infact play back M2TS

[/quote]

I didn’t say that extenders won’t play M2TS. I said it can be a pain to get M2TS to play on the PC (which is true).

[quote=umdivx]

I “backup” all my kids movies to mkv, then convert them to M2TS for native playback on extenders.

[/quote]

This is a clear e.g. of a functional gap b/w the two products. Using a SageTV PC client or extender you don’t have to do anything but put the bits on a disc somewhere. No converting, transcoding, track stripping, downresing – it just plays.

[quote=umdivx]

360’s also support DVD playback and doesn’t detract from Extender mode, pop in a dvd, starts playing dvd, stop, goes back to extender mode, you never see the dashboard. While this solution doesn’t work for everyone, it does for my family.

[/quote]

Sorry, I meant ripped DVD (i.e. VIDEO_TS) support.

 

 

[quote=umdivx]

While there are constraints you have to work within, I still find it a better solution in the end. And has me spending less time supporting the systems vs. actually using the system.

[/quote]

Everyone is entitled to an opinion. I can see why, in a very limited context, the comments you made are correct. The thing is that in the broader context, to someone who has a more demanding set of requirements and is unwilling to live within the constraints of a 7MC PC + extender relationship, your statements don’t convey the total experience. It is important to look beyond your use cases when giving advice, or at the very least, disclose the pillars so those consuming the outputs will have the ability to properly access the validity for how they intend to use it.

[babgvant]

[quote=umdivx]

Functionally it is the same, its a UI that does media content and DVRing.

….

Again No. This has been one of the reasons many went to SageTV and elsewhere, but extenders are honestly just as good.

[/quote]

If TV, music and photos are the only use cases requiring consideration then this is true, otherwise there are huge functional gaps b/w SageTV and 7MC. The most glaring is proper support for non-TV content; for e.g. 7MC extenders don’t support DVDs, HBR audio, BD quality video and the even the PCs are difficult to configure for BD-Lite, M2TS and MP4 playback.

[babgvant]

Will the hard drive be used just for storing movies to playback on this HTPC? If not (recording TV or multiple clients), I’d probably swap it out for a 7200RPM drive with more cache.

[babgvant]

New rev that supports args.

[babgvant]

Are you typing it in or double clicking to browse for it?

[babgvant]

Not currently. I’ve thought about adding support for launching resume processes with arguments (which would make this possible), just haven’t gotten around to it.

[babgvant]

Make sure you have the correct native resolution set in the desktop, then run though the WMC display setup again. HDMI and DVI are of equivalently high quality, you shouldn’t see any difference.

[babgvant]

[quote=RehabMan]

There are other reasons to go with low wattage parts — not necessarily economic.  In particular, it is easier to keep lower wattage parts cool, which can help keep the system quiet.  Whether your particular situation requires that depends on where your equipment is located, your sensitivity to noise, and your desire to have a quiet system…

Something to think about…

[/quote]

+1

I really like the S/T parts for exactly this reason.  There’s not a huge difference in many cases but it’s refreshing to have a guarantee.

[babgvant]

[quote=babgvant]

 

Newegg was selling it for $239 over the weekend

[/quote]

Looks like that price is still good.

[babgvant]

[quote=psg190]

Now I’m torn! 🙂 So many great processors and so little time. Any performance issues with a non-internal CableCARD tuner? Thinking about the SiliconDust HDHomeRun Prime.

[/quote]

No.  FWIW, I’ve been using the PRIME exclusively for a few months.  Preferring the flexibility that an external, network attached DCT provides to an additional tuner. 

Unless you need the extra tuner or can get the USB model for a great price (e.g. Newegg was selling it for $239 over the weekend) its hard to go wrong with the HDHR.

[babgvant]

[quote=psg190]

Which i5 would you go with and do you have any alternative motherboard suggestions? MacMall does carry the 2390T. I really like the DH61AG for a motherboard, but I guess it does leave a little to be desired in the way of expansion. What are you using? I’m now wondering if any current motherboards will be compatible with Ivy Bridge chipsets. 

[/quote]

H67 boards will be compatible with IVB, I’m not sure if H61 (what the DH61AG uses) will be.

The main benefit of IVB will be advances in GPU performance, with a little bit of clock and power efficiency gain on the CPU side.  If you’re not playing games there shouldn’t be a huge difference in performance b/w the platforms.

[Author]

Posts