Straight talk on "Tivo" like system, howto

[Gunn]

I've been researching a lot and comparing software, hardware, etc. I'm still a bit confused on all that is out there. Basically, what I want to do is have a TiVo-like system for my living room TV. That's it. But I want all the extra nice features that come along with using a PC, don't want the Tivo subscription fee, and like to build and tinker with PC's. So....

I just built this PC...a 2.4Ghz P4 with WindowsXP. It has a GeForce FX5200 with S-video out. I've looked at the Hauppauge WinTV 250 adn 350 cards, along with SageTV and SnapStream. Trying to decide what to get, if anything. I also have my old computer...a P2-400...

So, what I want to do is have video from my DirecTV satellite go through my PC for live recording, etc. and out to my living room TV set. BUT, I also want to be able to use this P4-2.4Ghz compute for what I'm using it now for...web surfing, email, games, video editing, etc. IS THIS POSSIBLE?

I've been told that using the GeForce video out will display my desktop. Which shoots down using the computer while my wife, kids are watching TV in the living room...right? Is there a way around this? Is the P2-400Mhz machine too outdated to be used in any way if there is no way around this?

There's a lot of stuff out there and any suggestions you can give would help me clear all this stuff up -before- I start buying anything. But I have the $$$ to do it now...with my wife's ok. Actually, she's the one pressing me to do it.

Thanks,

[RobertH]

you could do 2 things, the pvr could get slapped in the 400 and it will record fine (act like a media server) or if you could get the cpu up to something around an 800 and it has an agp slot you can slap the pvr and a cheap geforce in it and with nvdvd it would be fine for doing recording/playback

if you put it in the 2.4 you would be able to play games on it while using the pvr because it uses no cpu power (well almost none 1-4%) to do encoding. If someone is watching tv on the computer then it will not allow you to use the system because snapstream must be displayed on the primary display, you could set the svideo out as the primary then use something to push all apps to the vga port and use it that way but that will degrade performance on most cards.

[jfourman]

If you have the capability of hard wired Ethernet connected at the PC and the TV, I suggest you get a Prismiq or a Networked DVD like GoVideo, Gateway or Oritron.

I use the Prismiq and it is awesome. While my XP PC is recording a show, my wife can be working on the PC without a hitch (PVR-250 is doing the work). All the while I can be watching a recorded movie on my TV at DVD quality using my Prismiq. My 2.0Ghz P4 doesn't even blink. I ripped a couple of DVDs to my hard drive this evening and played the full VOB file with perfect quality through the Prismiq.

Prismiq is rather new and the software and UI need a lot of work; but the hardware does the job extremely well and the software is continually being worked on.

I stress the hard wired Ethernet if you want to stream 720 x 480 video at 6MB Bitrate (DVD Quality). Some say 802.11G wireless is working well with the Prismiq.

Currently the Networked DVDs mentioned above only stream at 3MB Bitrate or slightly better than VHS Quality.

The coolest thing about my setup now is that it just runs. Snapstream captures every video I tell it to record and the Prismiq immediately lets me view it. No re-encoding, no worry about someone else on the PC. ...no hassles...it is almost boring now. I have to find something else to get excited about.

[duncan]

jfourman,

I too have a prismiq and I wouldn't characterize your description as even close to my reality (or others that I have read about both here and at prismiq.org). There are several of us that can't get the media station to play SS mpg files consistently and you also left one important thing out - the current rev of the prismiq software does *not* automatically add new recorded shows to its list - you have to go to the pc and manually force it to update its index of files on your pc (a major limitation of the product and otherwise PITA).

I would agree that the combination of prismiq and ss have tremendous potential but it is far from being production for the rest of us yet.

Note also that the problem with the SS mpg files has nothing to do with the network connectivity (wired vs wireless etc.). It just plain doesn't work reliably over any type of connection (I have tried wired, .11b, .11g, .11a...) even low quality recordings and they *all* stutter on the prismiq horribly.

[jfourman]

You are right Duncan, My Prismiq experience doesn't match yours at all. I have had no problems with the Prismiq. I have had it for a couple of weeks now. I am able to stream 720 x 480 SS MPEG2s at bitrates of 6MB and ripped DVD VOBs with results that match perfection. I have never seen a studder. My Ethernet path from the PC to the TV goes though 2 Linksys switches and 1 Linksys Cable Router/Switch. A Divx AVI that I had did not perform well but that is because the Prismiq has to transcode anything other than MPEGs on the PC. Since SS creates MPEG2s and the Prismiq has an MPEG2 hardware decoder, the Prismig is much more efficient with MPEGs and VOBs.

I get this kind of performance even while SS is recording a show and someone else is sitting at the PC doing homework.

I realize that the Prismiq software has a long way to go. And yes, once a day I have to "scan" my folders which is a pain and not yet totally "hands free". Prismiq is now releasing the 3.2 beta which has "Auto Scan"...so I expect this issue to be resolved within the next few weeks.

I had been using BroadQs QCast to stream videos to my son's Playstation2; but the maximum bitrate supported for MPEG2s was 2MB. I believe QCast is however better with Divx than the Prismiq; but I am not interested in encoding/transcoding...I just want to stream the video in the format that it is captured.

I actually followed the development of Snapstream for 2 years before I was able to buy a PC that could support SS and I felt SS was ready for primetime. I followed the advice on these forums religously to make sure I had the right hardware (PVR-250, Actisys, memory, 250GHD, Wired 100MB Ethernet), and software/drivers (HERemote). The due diligence really paid off. I have to say that literally none of the problems that I read about on these forums has occured for me....knocking on wood and fingers crossed.

....So, I know that SS can work well with the Prismiq. Maybe I have good PVR Karma.

[riekl]

FYI -- One major benefit of using the SS to record shows and the prismiq to stream them is obvious .. You can buy 1 prismiq for every tv (or at least those you use most often) and watch your recorded shows where YOU want to.

_my_ current setup is a DirecTivo (T60) in the bedroom and finishing my HTPC/SS setup in the living room today. This thread gives me pause, I can potentially rid myself of the Tivo (i do love it to death) and be able to record all my shows via the SS, and watch those recorded shows AND all my dvd's in my bedroom and the living room with a prismiq in each room.

I need to look into this today .. i was originaly going to couple myhtpc to SS and utilize that to do my dvds/pictures/mp3's/recordings but this may ultimately be a better method.

[jfourman]

I hope to be able to get another Prismiq for my bedroom as well. I am not sure what the result will be if I try to stream shows over 2 Prismiqs at the same time...My PC or network may choke. We may have to have a house rule of only one Prismiq on at a time.

Take Duncan's issues with the Prismiq seriously...apparently, "your results may vary..". The Prismiq software and UI are weak; but I am optimistic that the developers are working hard to make improvements that will come shortly. I got my Prismiq from Buy.com on one of their "Price Mistakes of the Day" for $189.00. I just happened to see it on the day I was doing my research on the Prismiq and I couldn't resist.

I am a believer in the "house server" paradigm were a central storage unit ...like Network Attached Storage (NAS) and a central PC will be able to serve up any media to any room. This central server will also be the hub for home automation...telling my toaster when the toast is done .

[riekl]

jfour

Assuming you are not using wireless, a wired network should not even begin to cough at 5 prismiq's running at the same time. 5 * 6mbit stream = 30mbit, a 100mb network shouldn't drop a single packet at this load. Neither should your serving computer.

As far as the spotty service the only part of the above that is concerning me is the choppy playback, i don't understand how that could be happening with a hardware mp2 decoder.

[riekl]

My biggest grumble is there is no component output .. what were they thinking when they designed this ?

[MooDoo]

I'm new to SS and pvr's in general but interested in setting up my own system. The setup that you guys are talking about with the PrismIQ, you can't use the pause/rewind live TV, correct? With this setup, are you logged into the PC to setup SS to record the shows that you want and the PrismIQ is used just to play your record shows on the TV.

I'm still trying to figure this all out... thanks.

[jfourman]

You are correct. I am not able to pause, or view for that matter, Live TV through the Prismiq. I am only interested in viewing recorded shows. I guess Live TV, other than sports, have little interest to me since I can record and then watch at my own chosing.

[duncan]

All good info/perspective.

I am really hoping that I can get the combination of prismiq and SS working together as I know I can sell thousands of these as an installed solution to our existing base of cable tv and broadband users. With SS and the Prismiq in the house, the old argument of 150 channels on cable and there is still nothing on won't fly anymore. There is always something on now and everything that is on, is exactly what you want to see... what a world we live in today!

If SS and Primiq can work together to implement the FSUI access into the Prismiq - as I am guessing they are doing now as we type - and actually have it be reliable, wow.