Sagetv orphan pre-install questions, Colossus help (1 Viewer)

[IlikeIceCream]

Hey everybody,

I'm a poor soul that has been abandoned by SageTV. I've looked at the alternatives, and Media Portal appears to be the best option, hands down. I have a couple questions about what to expect with the jump.

My main computer is an AMD 3.1x3, 4GB DDR3, ATI 4550, Win7 x64, HVR 1600 (QAM tuner 1, S-Vid STB tuner 2), Colossus (Component/SPDIF). STBs are both Comcast Pace RNG110 tuned by USB-UIRT.

Here are my questions in no particular order or logic:

1: What is the status of Colossus issues with Mediaportal? Sage still has (unsolved as far as I can tell) random blue screens, jumpy recordings, progressive loss of stability, audio sync problems, among others, for about 50% of users (including me). I read as many pages as my sanity would allow of the Colossus support thread here and it looks like you guys may have created a successful bandaid solution to all the hauppauge driver issues? Am I reading that correctly?

2: For server/client operation, I would like to add a client computer to my setup in a few years when my kid gets old enough to care. Can the "server" be used as my primary computer and serve a client at the same time, or does it have to be a dedicated server?

3: It looks like I would probably need to use Schedules Direct for a reliable EPG, For the Record for comskip to work, and IRSS for my USB-UIRT to work. Are any of these plug-ins going to be a factor in getting my colossus working correctly?

Any further tips for a painless move are graciously accepted.

 

[gtfreymann]

Hey everybody,

I'm a poor soul that has been abandoned by SageTV. I've looked at the alternatives, and Media Portal appears to be the best option, hands down. I have a couple questions about what to expect with the jump.

And you're just getting here now? ;-) I left SageTV behind back in August and really like what MePo has to offer.

2: For server/client operation, I would like to add a client computer to my setup in a few years when my kid gets old enough to care. Can the "server" be used as my primary computer and serve a client at the same time, or does it have to be a dedicated server?

You could likely use do both on one computer, as the server stuff runs in the background. Ultimately having a dedicated server/client would be best but that's up to you.

3: It looks like I would probably need to use Schedules Direct for a reliable EPG, For the Record for comskip to work, and IRSS for my USB-UIRT to work. Are any of these plug-ins going to be a factor in getting my colossus working correctly?

I use Schedules Direct for my EPG.

You don't have to use "For The Record" for comskip to work, the MePo TV Server will work fine with comskip.

I use IRSS with my Microsoft IR Transceiver and two external satellite receivers. It is working fine.

I used this link to get me started:

MediaPortal Setup Guide

It will help you figure out Schedules Direct and ComSkip.

This page will help with your USB Uirt:

Set Top Box Blasting - MediaPortal Wiki

When installing, install MePo and then use the Extension Manager icon on your desktop to install things like Moving Pictures, TV Series, Weather, trackt, etc. That will make sure you are getting the compatible versions.

Install the LAV Filters from Extension Manager and you should be able to play just about anything (on a win7 system at least).

One of the reasons I left SageTV was the problem of not being able to expand as they aren't selling licenses or the extenders anymore. With MePo I've been able to expand to my liking -- for free! I did make a contribution to the MePo project and will donate again in the new year.

Good luck with your transition. As with anything new the first few weeks will be a bit of a puzzle but it all eventually works and I think you'll enjoy trying out the various skins! Check out StreamedMP and AMPed for sure!

 

[IlikeIceCream]

Awesome. Thanks for the info. I'm still hoping someone can share their experience with a Colossus with MP.

 

[mm1352000]

Hi and welcome IlikeIceCream

I don't own a Colossus but I was very closely involved in adding support. I haven't seen any BSODs or problems like you describe reported by people using the Colossus in MP. I think setup may be a little more complex than it might be with Sage but once it is working it should work very reliably. Also, using SD should ease the pain a lot. I recently threw together some very basic instructions for Colossus/HD-PVR setup with Schedules Direct -->here<--. The guide that gtfreymann linked above is excellent for most things however I think the options that they recommend for SD configuration don't quite suit the Colossus.

Good luck and don't be afraid to ask for help if you get stuck.

mm

 

[IlikeIceCream]

mm,

Thanks. I saw where you worked quite a bit on the Colossus issue. I was very impressed with your timely fixes. Definitely not something I'm used to seeing with open-source software. I don't mind putting in the hard work to get everything set up, as long as the end result is reliable, and as long as you don't get bought out by Google.

My Colossus issues with Sage aren't BSODs, they are recordings of solid blue screens with audio only. The forums there seem to point to the same issue you tracked down with incorrectly flagged audio formats, and problems dealing with switching audio formats. A tuning delay of 10 seconds fixed quite a few occurrences, but not all.

If I can get MP working reliably, I will be ecstatic. My wife is so fed up with Sage she has made the demand we all fear most: a Comcast DVR!!

 

[mm1352000]

Hi again

...as long as you don't get bought out by Google.

OT: I'm certainly interested to see what happens there. There must be a really good reason for Google to close down sales immediately after buying...

My Colossus issues with Sage aren't BSODs, they are recordings of solid blue screens with audio only. The forums there seem to point to the same issue you tracked down with incorrectly flagged audio formats, and problems dealing with switching audio formats. A tuning delay of 10 seconds fixed quite a few occurrences, but not all.

Ahhh, I see. It sounds like Sage doesn't/didn't handle on-the-fly video/audio stream changes, hence the need for a delay that gives the STB long enough to change channel and for the stream to trickle through the Colossus and start getting processed by Sage. MP on the other hand does handle on-the-fly changes so we don't need to resort to those meausres. So far as I'm aware there are no ongoing issues with the Colossus and audio format switching as long as you explicitly set the audio source on all your channels.

My wife is so fed up with Sage she has made the demand we all fear most: a Comcast DVR!!

From everything I've heard Comcast DVRs are awful. I hope you decide to give MP a shot and that we meet and exceed your wife's requirements.

mm