SageTV on PC versus SageTV on MediaMVP: what's the diff?

[thumperstrauss]

I connected a Haup PRV-150 capture card to my PC and a Haup MediaMVP to my television. My analog TV cable goes into the PRV-150. And everything is wireless sent to the MediaMVP via my TrendNet router. It took tweaking but it all seems to work without stuttering.

QUESTIONS
But I am unclear on the connection between the SageTV software I've been running on my PC for the last week and the SageTV software running on the MediaMVP.

1. I seem to need SageTV Service Control to on and set to Enable and Start in order to watch. Is that correct?

2. In the SageTV (PC) software, I need to goto Detailed Setup - Advanced and ensure that Media Extender and Placeshifter Server is set to Enabled. Is that correct?

3. Is it normal that I cannot watch the same Live TV show on my PC as it is being shown on my TV?

4. What is the exact connection between the SageTV software running on my PC and the one on my MediaMVP? Why does the MediaMVP version have TRIAL overlayed on the screen?

- TS

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by thumperstrauss

But I am unclear on the connection between the SageTV software I've been running on my PC for the last week and the SageTV software running on the MediaMVP.

1. I seem to need SageTV Service Control to on and set to Enable and Start in order to watch. Is that correct?

On the server, either the service or the SageTV UI need to be running, since the server handles recording and sending data to the MVP.

2. In the SageTV (PC) software, I need to goto Detailed Setup - Advanced and ensure that Media Extender and Placeshifter Server is set to Enabled. Is that correct?

Yes, or else your MVP can't connect to the SageTV server.

3. Is it normal that I cannot watch the same Live TV show on my PC as it is being shown on my TV?

SageTV should be able to play the same show at either location -- with 1 tuner, you can record one show & watch it on multiple clients. With multiple tuners, you can watch/record multiple shows.

4. What is the exact connection between the SageTV software running on my PC and the one on my MediaMVP? Why does the MediaMVP version have TRIAL overlayed on the screen?

SageTV really runs on your server & just sends data to the MVP for the MVP to display.

The MVP will display 'Trial' on the TV screen until you register an extender license on your server. How to register a license is covered in Appendix M of the SageTV PDF manual in your SageTV directory, starting on p. 255 for v6.

- Andy

[thumperstrauss]

Thanks for the clarification. I didn't realize that I needed *two* licences to run SageTV.

I'm confused by something else. When I turned on the MediaMVP, it asked me to set up the wiresless network settings. Then I pressed GO and it launched SageTV.

Is there a way to load *another* software on the MediaMVP? What is "MediaMVP version 3.2"? I just installed but I don't see how to *run* it on my PC or the MediaMVP device,

[sainswor99]

I'll take a stab at it:

The MediaMVP is a device developed by Hauppauge that gets information from software installed on a server; AFAIK, there is no actual user interface that sits on the device itself. It has to be connected to a media server of sorts.

If you have a MediaMVP you can use the software developed by Hauppauge (the MediaMVP 3.2 package released by them) to drive the device. The interface is very simple, but does give you access to Music, Videos, and Photos.

SageTV provides a version of their software as a replacement for the MediaMVP software. The interface is much richer (but it's not free).

I do not think you can drive a MediaMVP with both SageTV and the original software loaded on the same machine; the device will default to the Hauppauge software (unless of course, that's what you want to do). If you physically unpower the device (pull the cord) and reboot, it should seek the Huappauge MediaMVP server and use that application as the client interface.

HTH,
Stu

[thumperstrauss]

Thanks for the clarification and context, sainswor99. Much appreciated. In fact, I installed the MediaMVP 3.2 package and, as you said, it became the default interface sent to the MediaMVP and displayed on my tv.

I find that the MediaMVP is able to play divx and mpeg without any stuttering. While the SageTV server software suffered occasional stuttering both in playback of Live TV and of divx files.

Has anyone developed a way to switch between the MediaMVP 3.2 software and the SageTV software installed on the same PC?

That would be useful as I decide whether to try SageTV again to create a true PRV for my tv or give up and simply use MediaMVP as a device to send divx movies to my tv.

[Humanzee]

Originally Posted by thumperstrauss

Thanks for the clarification. I didn't realize that I needed *two* licences to run SageTV.

If you want to, you can hook your pc straight up to your TV and use only the core software and license. But this would likely require that they be in the same room, and that you have a video card capable of driving your TV. If you don't like that idea the MVP lets you run a smaller device at your TV location. They are two different devices that do different things which is why you need two different licenses. Likewise, you could have multiple machines running sage tv client and one running the server software with your tuners in it. This also requires a license at each location. However, if you get the media extender (MVP) license you also get the placeshifter license, so, theoretically you could use it for the MVP and any PC with an internet connection at streaming quality.

Using a computer to drive the display has its advantages though. Namely, advanced video de-interlacing, DVD support, HD capability, and all the other faculties of a full computer. This becomes more important when you get into HDTV. But you'd have to buy a full pc for each location. The MVP is comparatively cheap, small, and quiet by comparison but it is SD. I don't think there is yet a plug-n-play HD media extender that works with SageTV.

If I already had an MVP I'd think that the $30 for the extender license would be a bargain. But I don't like to be limited by its capabilities, so, when its my time to push more than one TV, Ill go with a client PC.

[sainswor99]

Originally Posted by thumperstrauss

Thanks for the clarification and context, sainswor99. Much appreciated. In fact, I installed the MediaMVP 3.2 package and, as you said, it became the default interface sent to the MediaMVP and displayed on my tv.

I find that the MediaMVP is able to play divx and mpeg without any stuttering. While the SageTV server software suffered occasional stuttering both in playback of Live TV and of divx files.

Has anyone developed a way to switch between the MediaMVP 3.2 software and the SageTV software installed on the same PC?

That would be useful as I decide whether to try SageTV again to create a true PRV for my tv or give up and simply use MediaMVP as a device to send divx movies to my tv.

Not sure why the stuttering issues occur, but in the future, to switch back, you can simply uninstall the Hauppauge software and physically reboot the unit.