Looking to Upgrade - But to What?

[mattiedread]

I was a frequent visitor to this forum when I set up my first HTPC with 2 CC DCT's (ATI Digital TV Wonder) in 2008. Well, it works, but, is in its final stages of life... I'm done with bargaining and have moved onto acceptance!... I never got the set up to work perfectly (only one of the two DMA 2200's can be configured at a time, setting both up has catastrophic results... Despite being hardwired I frequently have Network/bandwidth issues which just aren't real... ). I just read on this forum removing the wireless card may help.. next time the 2200 goes South on me I might just do that.

Anyway, I'm in the early stages of deciding how to move on with my digital life. I'm a software developer and don't want to spend what little free time I have tweaking this and that. My current set up is as follows:
Dell XPS 420, Vista 32, 4GB mem (although not all of it is available in 32 bit mode), ATI graphic card (not sure), ASUS MB w/P15 chip set and a quad core processor. I purchased the system with two ATI external Digital Wonders and had similar experiences with Cablevision (Long Island) that I see people in here are still having to this day setting the tuners up.

Ultimately what I would like appears to be this new Ceton set up, Q and 2 Echos... I think. If I could avoid setting up another HTPC I would (I'm not moving forward with my current, it works, but I'm scared to upgrade anything, soft or hardware because it takes me several hours to troubleshoot/re-set up and I simply am not willing to commit to trying to get this thing to work anymore... it has already paid for itself as far as I'm concerned).

Do I need an HTPC to 'feed' the new Ceton set up? In my mind this sounds like a TiVo with more tuners, bigger HDD and no monthly subscription; how close to correct is that?

Does anyone have any guess when the Ceton pair will be out (I see shipping in 2012, but early, late?). Given my experience as an early adopter with Vista/ATI CC tuner, I'd like to hear a few other experiences prior to jumping in. But, if I can plug co-ax directly into this set up at my main HT hub and stream to one other TV in the house, I think I'm sold (assuming HDD space is expandable without a PC). Is this the case?

If I have to go with an HTPC do we still have to purchase from OEM in order to comply with HDPC? I don't see a lot written about that on this forum as opposed to 3 years ago when it was creeping into many threads; I also have noticed that Dell, HP and Velocity don't offer configs with digital cable card tuners (at least not that I've found)... so, in the eyes of the OEM's is this technology dead? Not worth the effort (they certainly didn't support it 4 years ago).

Any insight is greatly appreciated, again, I'm in the early stages... I can get by with current set up several months... and, am even toying with the idea of upgrading via Cablevision's DVR just to put a short term fix in place, but, really isn't sufficient as the DVR would not allow to watch recorded TV in the BR... plus wife records entire series before watching it on a rainy weekend.

Also, what ever happened to tru2way? I don't really need VOD, however, Cablevision uses Switched Digital for premium HD and I believe that requires 2 way communication (I swear they are doing anything they can to force you to rent their sub standard equipment). I want simple, yet, premium HD, if possible.

Thanks,
mattiedread

[adam1991]

The new Ceton setup is (a) a completely standalone appliance system that doesn't require any other purchase or add-on by you, and (b) not yet available.

Recording space being expandable on the Q--that's an unknown. There are PLENTY of unknowns.

If you need something now, you can achieve most of the functionality--and quite possibly all of what you need--by buying an inexpensive computer off the shelf, plugging in a Ceton card, and moving on. Put in now whatever storage you think you want. Extenders are current XBox 360 models at retail $200 per.

The advantage of doing this is that you have a system which you *can* tweak in many ways, should you want to. The community is strong and has a long history of helping you make it what you want. The Ceton appliance may or may not be tweakable. For example, my primary concern is commercial skipping--easy to do on my own system, probably (if they're smart and want to stay in business and want to avoid the attention of the recording industry) undoable on the Q. Ergo, it's likely I will not have a Q for my personal needs.

A couple of months ago I helped a friend build a MC DVR; he bought an open box computer from Micro Center for $400, which included Windows and plenty of RAM. He added another 2GB hard drive to the one that the system came with. We pooled that storage inside Windows, added the Ceton card and a RC6 IR receiver and remote, and set up Media Center. Voila. No muss, no fuss. His system has on board HDMI out, and it all works great.

Setting up a Windows based DVR in this modern world is cheap and easy, even with digital cable (thanks to Ceton, primarily).

The Ceton Echo is reported to be the first piece out, so at the very least if you can limp along for now you can solve your extender problem sooner rather than later. The Q is reported to come afterward. Even if "this year" is correct, that could mean "December 31". That's a long way away.

But until Ceton releases these things, they're all vaporware. Buyer beware.

[mattiedread]

Thanks for the response.... Agreed, at this point 'buyer beware'.

My HTPC works, what is really failing is the DMA 2200 (hardwired), it is going through one of its phases of constantly having to be reconnected, can't find the PC etc. Total pain. Any suggestions? Perhaps I should go with an Xbox just to see if that clears things up?

On one of these threads someone mentioned removing the wireless card from the DMA 2200... has anyone done this and if so, has it resolved these problems?

[adam1991]

Certainly if you have access to an XBox to try, that's a simple test. Otherwise, I've never used the DMA2200.

[mattiedread]

I do not have access to an Xbox, it would be a $200 test.

[mattiedread]

I swapped out the DMA2200, setting up the other one, same problems:
1. First didn't find the extender (happened 10 with the other extender in the last 24 hours)
2. Couldn't configure (also happened at least 10 times with the other extender).
3. On the third try, after pinging the extender from the PC it set up and started up.

I fear the problem will occur again (actually, the extenders were originally swapped for this identical behavior, and swapping seemed to work). However, I'm not convinced the problem is with the extenders but some hardware or software problem which I'm just not going to track down.

So, my question is this: My HTPC and tuners capture just fine, but, are reaching the end of their useful lives. Soon all will be replaced with something or another. Where should I start? I'm thinking X-box to eliminate the DMA2200s as the source of the problem and because no matter which direction I go (New HTPC or Ceton) the xbox can always act as an extender... and it might fix the conflict currently occurring between my two Linksys extenders, that is, they both can not be configured simultaneously. Any thoughts?

[erkotz]

I'm actually wondering if the root cause of all this is a bad switch (or possibly a router with a crappy integrated switch) - OP, have you tried another switch?

[mattiedread]

Over the course of 4 years I've gone through 2 switches and 3 routers, currently using two of the DLink 1 GB routers (one as a switch, the other as a wireless router). I've replaced just about all hardware (I now have CAT5 and 6E running through my walls), the extenders... just about the only hardware which could explain it which has not been swapped out is the NIC... however, Dell swapped out my entire machine early on in the troubleshooting... long story, had asked them not to as I felt their diag was myopic but our corporate sales rep got involved in a conversation on this matter at work and insisted I take a new machine because I had wasted so much time trying to get everything to work. Anyway, the 'new' machine (July 08) is the machine where all network hardware has been swapped. The old machine probably had a bad video card (as did the new, machines exhibitted the same problems, I bought the same card from Newegg after reading a board which had multiple complaints on this ATI card in the XPS's). That fixed a host of things, to the point where I could get a signal out via HDMI from the video card and get one hardwired DMA 2200 working. I guess my long winded point is... I never truly figured it out, but, after that much wasted time having a basement TV for the kids, one in the living room and channels 1-99 on straight co-ax in the BR has been 'good enough' (but, I don't watch TV in the BR because of inane commercials).

Can I easily swap the NIC on an HDCP box without killing all previous recordings (I swapped video cards about 3 years ago, same issues, however a new 'CP' chain was established). I just don't know what the correct next move is... wait for Ceton, build a 7 HTPC... praying that I can use the ATI's for initial stage (but, not gonna try before Superbowl, it is working right now...)

Also, I have 4 computers on this network and when the issues arise with the extenders I can ping any device from any machine, that has been tested and rested over the years with various hardware configurations (switches, routers, cables).

I too often ponder some hardware issue, however, I haven't ruled out software and have removed many programs... but, the reason I think this might be feasible is that it does present as a software problem, and, the OEM's stopped supporting the DCT's and I was always suspicious of incompatible .dlls or something along those lines (I'm not a windows developer).

But, thanks for the advice, I like the way you think, switch is a very logical point of failure as I've described above.

[erkotz]

Provided not too much other hardware has changed recently, you should be able to swap the NIC without killing your recordings.

[mattiedread]

Actually, I have a .txt file which I kept notes on various problems and there is an all caps line in there which states "Do not replace NIC!!!" I knew there was a reason I wasn't replacing a $30 part, I don't remember what it is (I think NICs are part of the HDCP check with the P15 chip set, but, that has since changed). I'm not certain, I want off Vista but don't want to kill that machine... and I don't want to take a chance of killing my current fragile set up.

Hey, does anyone know if MC is inherent to the OS in 7? That is, can you re-install MC without reloading the OS?

[WarrenH]

MC is part of Win7 except the basic version and can be removed and reinstalled through the control panel program installation.