New SageTV point release.

[CollinR]

I am using the SageMC mod and I have not modified it beyond that (my initial thoughts were to focus on CQC and getting that up and running, but I see I am missing opportunities (and ones that can still apply when I do deploy CQC as well).

In regards to lighting controls - I have Insteon connected through an Elk. I intended to utilize Sage through CQC as well, but I don't even have the new version installed, let alone a stack of other parts or fixes that are waiting to be applied.

Yes whatever you do with the STV and theme will have no impact on how you integrate with CQC in the future. This is just an additional, optional interface. Me personally I would rather see a CQC interface in SageTV but thats probably not going to happen anytime soon.

If you have the ethernet module for the M1 you can send any command in your system from SageTV. That makes it nice.

Better get going then, huh.



UPDATE

HD EXTENDERS COMING SOON (x2 )

http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread...9637#post239637

Since there's been quite a few posts speculating we're not actually working on this anymore, I wanted to set things straight.

Q: Is SageTV still doing an HD Media Extender?

Yes!!! :jump: Yes!!! :jump: Yes!!!:jump:

Q: When will it be available?

The target for release is mid-November, in plenty of time for holiday purchasing and gift giving. :goodjob:

Q: Is it the same box from CES?

The box will not be the same as the one we demoed at CES; it's better.

Q: What makes it better than the one from CES? (I'm predicting this will be asked)

-HDMI output instead of DVI
-1080p upscaled output
-H.264 decoding (bitstream requirements will be announced later)
-Animations...just like the ones mentioned here: http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27516


We're very sorry for the delays on this but we hope you'll like it even better than what we demoed at CES.

Good I'm turning blue from holding my breath so long!

 

[Mike]

I have an ethernet expander for the elk so I am ready.

The delay has been on me.

Great update on HD. I will be upgrading everything when those come out. That is the one drawback.

Gonna have to go back and get HD for my FIOS HD Box now (I think there were component video input cards awhile back, I am not running Vista MCE with cablecard). Any ideas I should be looking at along that front?

 

[CollinR]

Gonna have to go back and get HD for my FIOS HD Box now (I think there were component video input cards awhile back, I am not running Vista MCE with cablecard). Any ideas I should be looking at along that front?

I would suggest CableTV for your HD needs. The HDHomeRun dual QAM tuner is totally legit and relatively cheap (~$170) content depends on carrier and location. Hopefully there will be a DirectTV compatible PCI card before too long, Sat companies seem to be much cooler about this stuff then cable comanies.

Then you have the R5000

http://www.nextcomwireless.com/r5000/home.htm

It something like your box + $500. They have a box for most services however I see no FIOS.

SageTV setup
http://www.nextcomwireless.com/r5000/sagetv.htm

 

[bfisher]

I just got home and checked, my sage.properties has (was already this... I didn't change anything):

encode_digital_tv_as_program_stream=true
mmc/encode_digital_tv_as_program_stream=true

Still can't FF/Rwd a HD show via my SD extenders. I can jump/skip forward/backward, but no normal FF. Any other ideas? Guess I can take this to the Sage forums...

 

[CollinR]

Are you talking about the smooth FF/RW like a VCR does or the skip 30 sec skip 60 sec stuff?

 

[CollinR]

Mike I was mistaken, I guess FIOS carries QAM!

Verizon FIOS in Northern VA

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Just got the HDHomerun up and running and here is what I can get through QAM. I did get another section of music channels but I didnt bother going through and mapping them out. Same thing with the local info channels.

55-100 WGN
63-1007 ION
63-1010 CW
63-1018 WDCA
63-1035 ABC News
65-1012 CBS (SD)
65-1003 NBC (SD)
65-1005 FOX (sD)
65-1008 ABC (SD)
65-1020 MPT
65-1022 WETA
65-1024 WHUT
66-101 TVGuide
66-103 WeatherChannel
66-117 WeatherScan

Music
66-408 showcase
66-409 todays country
66-410 classic country
66-411 bluegrass
66-412 R&B Hip Hop
66-413 Classic R&B
66-414 Smooth R&B
66-415 RAP
66-416 Metal
66-417 Rock
66-418 Arena rock
66-419 Classic Rock
66-420 Alternative
66-421 retro-active
66-422 Electronica
66-423 Dance
66-424 Adult Alt
66-425 Soft Rock
66-426 Hit List
66-427 Party Favs
66-428 80s
66-429 70s
66-430 Solid Gold
66-431 Singers and Standards
66-432 Big Band
66-433 Easy Listening
66-434 Smooth Jazz
66-435 Jazz
66-436 Blues
66-437 Reggae
66-438 Soundscapes
66-439 Classical Masterpieces
66-440 Opera
66-441 Ligh Classical
66-442 Show Tunes
66-443 Contemp. Christian
66-444 Gospel
66-445 Radio Disney
66-446 Sounds of the season
66-454 90s

HD
71-1004 NBC HD
71-1013 CBS HD
71-4850 NBC weather
71-4851 CBS weather
72-1006 FOX HD
72-1019 WDCA
73-1009 ABC HD
73-1021 MPT HD
73-4852 ABC weather
73-4870 MPT
74-1011 WDCW
74-1023 WETA HD
74-4053 Tube
74-4862 WETA Family
74-4863 WETA World
123-469 Bridges

 

[bfisher]

Are you talking about the smooth FF/RW like a VCR does or the skip 30 sec skip 60 sec stuff?

Yeah, a smoother (not perfectly smooth) FF/RW. Doesn't appear possible... More focused on fixing an unpredictable stuttering issue with HD transcoding to MVP.

 

[CollinR]

I am unsure about the fluid FF/RW, I use the skip 30 skip 60 exclusively. Really it wasn't until you mentioned it that I tried it, on v6.19 my >> button on the MVP did a 30 second skip, now it does appear to fluidly FF with 6.2. Dunno which is actually desired operation, I know I like the skip as I have it tuned to do most commercials and the huddles.

Obviously the Sage boards are a better resource then this thread but it's also a pretty big board in itself. Really it is IMHO the most confusing and complicated board I have ever used. It's not really Opus4's fault there is just a lot of stuff going on.

What are the server specs?

The server will transcode all HD (even though it's MPEG2-PS) to send it to the MVP. This can result in a pretty big load from SageTranscoder.exe process. Firstly if you do not have an HD client on the network quit recording HD content, not much gain in it. You can modify the host server to better fit this use, luckly from my CCTV DVR experience I have gotten pretty decent at stripping XP down to just whats needed. This can make a massive difference if you have an OEM XP install or you have used the machine as a desktop. Otherwise it's a waiting game until the HD extender comes around, it appears to have native hardware support for just about everything you might want.


EDIT:

http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11060

Smooth FF/RW is an add-on, so now I am really confused. I don't think you have modified your system and I don't recall adding this to mine yet both of use seem to already have the capability.

 

[Ranger Digital]

I am not that familiar with sage but it appears to be a popular solution. do i have this summary right?

sage sits on a pc. each tv does not need a pc right?
that pc is attached to what? matrix switch? all tv's directly? the sat box?
no need to buy/rent a dvr.
windows based.
i imagine since its windows there are consistant issues wtih things working. reboots, updates, high maintenance?

I am considering another solution than directvs dvr. the upfront cost appear to be about the same, over a $100 for the sage plus the computer. directv dvr is 299 less the 100 bucks on new installs. dtv is VERY easy. why should i go with another solution like sage? if there is already this discussion somewhere, will one point me to it? thanks!

 

[CollinR]

I am not that familiar with sage but it appears to be a popular solution. do i have this summary right?

sage sits on a pc. each tv does not need a pc right?
that pc is attached to what? matrix switch? all tv's directly? the sat box?
no need to buy/rent a dvr.
windows based.
i imagine since its windows there are consistant issues wtih things working. reboots, updates, high maintenance?

I am considering another solution than directvs dvr. the upfront cost appear to be about the same, over a $100 for the sage plus the computer. directv dvr is 299 less the 100 bucks on new installs. dtv is VERY easy. why should i go with another solution like sage? if there is already this discussion somewhere, will one point me to it? thanks!

SageTV has a true client server relationship, the interface you see is totally seperate from the recording engine. SageTV has a client for just about every occasion EXCEPT a hardware HD client. Those were mentioned above and are coming soon.

1. SageTV server runs as a service in Windows (or should it's an option not to). The server should not really do anything else, when I say "headless" I mean no keyboard/mouse/monitor connected. It is basically an ethernet appliance at this point.

2. The SageTV server is connected to a LAN, can be dedicated to media or just a general network.

3. Depends on the provider, often you will need a cable or sat box.

4. Windows or Linux for the server. Windows, Linux, Mac and about anything that supports Java as a client.

5. Depends on the quality of the design and construction. If you aren't very skilled in building custom PCs for specific applications, yup it'll seem unreliable. If you buy a prebuilt server it will depend on them. Very few do this right by my standards, most use cheap hardware (not server grade parts) or hardware that isn't optimized for the purpose (gaming video cards). I have 2 systems that are long timers, one is a SageTV box thats been running 24/7 for 2 years and the other is a CCTV DVR that has been going 24/7 for 6 years.


DirectTV's DVR will be massively cheaper unless you really do the wrong things. DirectTV's DVR will be easier, it can't do half what SageTV can.

Expect to have at least $1500 in the server, I cannot see how this could be done for much less unless you only have 1-2 tuners or something.

 

[Ranger Digital]

collin, thanks for your insightful and great reply! i think for now in my own home, i will stick to dtv's hddvr. once i get to a point there i have a better handle on HA, i will attempt the sagetv. i really need to focus on less things righ now until i can master some. well not sure about master but atleast be way more comfortable. lol

thanks again!

 

[upstatemike]

The problem I see with all of these solutions is that to get HD you have to give up some measure of functionality over existing hardware. Examples:

I combine cable and satellite channels because each has some channels that the other does not offer. Using a Sony HD300 satellite box the I can flip up and down the channel list without regards as to whether a given channel is coming from the cable or sat dish... they are all blended together. I don't think the new DirecTV boxes handle cable channels as neatly.

My ReplayTV DVRs automatically skip commercials and allow me watch shows from another unit across my home network and have lifetime guide subscriptions. They cost less than $400 and and have zero learning curve.

I can run component video for long distances cheaply without a problem while HDMI is super expensive and super limited on distance. (Yet a lot of new equipment only supports the full feature set if you use HDMI connections).

In many ways the latest video gear seems to be taking a giant step backwards in features rather than moving forward!

 

[CollinR]

collin, thanks for your insightful and great reply! i think for now in my own home, i will stick to dtv's hddvr. once i get to a point there i have a better handle on HA, i will attempt the sagetv. i really need to focus on less things righ now until i can master some. well not sure about master but atleast be way more comfortable. lol

thanks again!

No prob.

The problem I see with all of these solutions is that to get HD you have to give up some measure of functionality over existing hardware. Examples:

I combine cable and satellite channels because each has some channels that the other does not offer. Using a Sony HD300 satellite box the I can flip up and down the channel list without regards as to whether a given channel is coming from the cable or sat dish... they are all blended together. I don't think the new DirecTV boxes handle cable channels as neatly.

My ReplayTV DVRs automatically skip commercials and allow me watch shows from another unit across my home network and have lifetime guide subscriptions. They cost less than $400 and and have zero learning curve.

I can run component video for long distances cheaply without a problem while HDMI is super expensive and super limited on distance. (Yet a lot of new equipment only supports the full feature set if you use HDMI connections).

In many ways the latest video gear seems to be taking a giant step backwards in features rather than moving forward!

I look at it totally differently, to go back to the evil empires would me I must give up a whole bunch of functionality.

SageTV does that, and you can have DishNet+DirectTV+FTA+Cable+CCTV+DVD changer+internet hopefully soon free market VOD...

SageTV has a very low learning curve as well, however since it is completely configurable I call it more difficult. In the same train an Elk M1 is more complicated that a Vista10SE. Obviously it can to way more stuff, thus takes more effort to configure. This isn't for everyone, I don't try and portray that it is. I am mearly thrilled with my experience and wish to share that.

With SageTV you can run ethernet distances for the cost of the Cat5, if you have 10 bedrooms thats only 10 Cat5 drops. Compared to component distribution it is much cheaper. Also component complies with none of the modern standards, it won't be long before it's basically dead. Really it's already dead most HD TVs from the last while have RGBHV which is a much more common interface anyway. Only consumer TVs really ever had YPbPr to begin with and now thats a decling trend. I don't have any problems with it but thats reality in the digital age. You really shouldn't need an HDMI cable longer then 12', even thats a stretch the HD extender will be about the same size as a cable/sat STB and so most will have it right next to the TV. Otherwise all the other HD and HDCP issues will apply to all decoding devices not just SageTV. I personally like HDMI, I like having a single cable interconnect that basically does all.

I just simply disagree with the movement of technology, I however DO NOT like the way it has been implemented in many cases. There should be a set standard just like NTSC that is more prepared for the future. Having HDMI not really universal yet really sucks, I don't blame you for the way you feel.

 

[bfisher]

To add to Collin's post...

- Sage is slightly more complicated than Tivo. It has 10x the features though so it will have more configuration required.
- Huge benefit (to me) over DirecTV PVR (or Tivo, etc) is that you are consolidating all your recordings onto 1 device. (Satellite, cable, OTA, HD, SD, DVDs, etc.) You then have extenders that allow you to watch anything on any TV at any time. (my wife can watch 1 thing while I watch something else while kids watch something else). Can't do that with 1 PVR. I can start a show in 1 room, and finish it in another - while wife does something different. Only way to match that is multiple PVRs multiplexed to every TV.
- Tuners. Add as many as you want. I have 2 OTA (over the air) HD tuners, and 2 DirecTV tuners... so I can record 4 things at once. I've tested recording 2 HD shows, recording 2 satellite channels, watching an HD show and kids watching a DVD all at the same time.
- Support for HD. Not quite there today, but it's around the corner (Thanksgiving)... distribute HD as easily as SD... 1 Cat5 wire to each TV.

 

[upstatemike]

Maybe the problem is in my not understanding the information on the Sage web site. I would love to put all by Sat boxes and cable gear in the basement and just have an extender at each TV. It just isn't clear to me from the web site as to how this would work...

How do you hook up 2 or 3 DirecTV recievers to the Sage PC? (If one of the cards in their bundles can do this it was not obvious to me). Do you need a separate serial cable from the PC to each SAT receiver to control it? (A drawing would be helpful here). Does it matter what brand of SAT receiver I have? (I like the Sony units I have)

Does Sage support true automatic commercial skip? (The reason I chose RePlay over TiVo was for this feature and I do not want to give it up!)

Can I blend the cable and Satellite channels together rather than have to pick a source (Grandma doesn't do well with input selection)

Don't I still need a local DVD player at each location to handle the "one time" video rental stuff?

I really like the concept of Sage but I need to find the detailed information that will convince me it would truly make things easier.