newbie questions

[wayner]

Hi there - I am thinking of trying out Snapstream and I have some questions. The first question is should I start my trial now or wait for Canadian support as I am in Canada.

Background -
I live in Canada and have 2 TiVos. I have to "roll my own" guide data as TiVo does not provide guide data. This is done using xmltv. Can I use the same xmltv file for Snapstream. Snapstream does not appear to (yet) support Canadian listings - what is the downside to using xmltv listings?

(note my cable provider is Rogers and I have digital cable using SA3200 and SA3100HD boxes)

Can I use a cheap serial - IR blaster to control my cable box?

Can Snapstream play shows off of my TiVos? I have installed vserver on my TiVos which allows me to play these files from my PC using mplayer - can Snapstream be adapted to play these? (note that TiVo doesn't support this!)

Is Snapstream open? - what I mean is that can users write their own enhancments - i.e. integrating TiVo files.

I bought an ATI TV Wonder Pro Remote Edition for a good price ($90 - Canadian) so I will be using this card. What are the pros and cons of this card vs. others (i.e. the Hauppauge cards that many people rave about)?

I have an HDTV and currently receive digital using my SA box with an HD card can Snapstream be used as a PVR for HD over-the-air content? What HD card is recommended for this?

[Brett]

Originally posted by wayner
Can I use the same xmltv file for Snapstream. Snapstream does not appear to (yet) support Canadian listings - what is the downside to using xmltv listings?

Version 3.4 will support Canadian listings. It is currently in RC stage (which means the version is done except for some minor bug fixes). the exact release date is not yet posted, but it should be relatively soon.

Can I use a cheap serial - IR blaster to control my cable box?

I don't personally use this setup, but I believe that is how it is done.

Can Snapstream play shows off of my TiVos? I have installed vserver on my TiVos which allows me to play these files from my PC using mplayer - can Snapstream be adapted to play these? (note that TiVo doesn't support this!)

I have a TiVO v1 never heard of vserver, but never really hacked my TiVO either. In any case if the files are standard MPGs (which I think they are) they can be played. Since the devices are networked, you would need to map a drive letter to the TiVO and then add this drive letter to your video folder. It may need a 'hack' if you have only read access, not read/write access. But just post here and I can explain the hack in detail.

Is Snapstream open? - what I mean is that can users write their own enhancments - i.e. integrating TiVo files.

Its not open, like you can modify or add compontents. But as far as 'integrating' TiVO files you can play any MP3, WMV, DIVX, or MPEG file from within Snapstream. Version 3.5 is suppose to support folder navigation which should make organization a little easier.

I bought an ATI TV Wonder Pro Remote Edition for a good price ($90 - Canadian) so I will be using this card. What are the pros and cons of this card vs. others (i.e. the Hauppauge cards that many people rave about)?

The pros are you get a great remote control. The cons are the card itself. Being a FORMER TiVO user, I would go ahead and say I don't think I would be satisified with anything less than a PVR250. If you are using the computer to surf the net or play videogames or do anything besides Snapstream at the same time its the way to go. If the machine is only for Snapstream then a TV Wonder might be sufficient.

With the PVR250 it is possible (and relatively easy) to get the CPU usage to 0-2% during recording and 10-18% during playback. You can use Snapstream on another monitor without even noticing the computer is running the application (as all the recording processing is done on the PVR250). People also claim crisper pictures, I don't know how accurate that statement is but I am certain there will be less (if any at all) frame drops. I am able to run Snapstream on my TV 24/7 and still use my computer for my other stuff (which can be heavy at times).

I have an HDTV and currently receive digital using my SA box with an HD card can Snapstream be used as a PVR for HD over-the-air content? What HD card is recommended for this?

Much requested feature, no mention of when/if this feature will make an upcoming release. Its currently a relatively small market (percentage wise). Plus the cards themselve are not cheap. However, alternative set-top boxes that can handle HD will/do cost as much as a computer itself.

-Brett