MCE user wants to switch to SAGETV.. but i need answers

[lovingHDTV]

I turn my client PC off when not using it. I have my SageServer set to power down when not recording. I then got a command line WOL program and put it in my startup folder to wake the SageServer upon startup.

This works fine for me, but I then realized that my SageServer is always recording something so it does not power down. But if it did, it would wake up when I power on my client

Good to see that someone else pays almost as much for electricity as I do

Unfortionately my equal pay (got to average out those summer months) electric bill is ~$330 per month so the computers just don't matter.

[Alfiegerner]

Originally Posted by lovingHDTV

I turn my client PC off when not using it. I have my SageServer set to power down when not recording. I then got a command line WOL program and put it in my startup folder to wake the SageServer upon startup.

This works fine for me, but I then realized that my SageServer is always recording something so it does not power down. But if it did, it would wake up when I power on my client

Good to see that someone else pays almost as much for electricity as I do

Unfortionately my equal pay (got to average out those summer months) electric bill is ~$330 per month so the computers just don't matter.

Is that US $ or Aus $? Either way, that's a hell of a drain, do you have neon edged sofas?

[lovingHDTV]

Originally Posted by Alfiegerner

Is that US $ or Aus $? Either way, that's a hell of a drain, do you have neon edged sofas?

they say "Everything is Bigger in Texas". I guess that included the electric bill

[vvulture]

Originally Posted by lovingHDTV

I turn my client PC off when not using it. I have my SageServer set to power down when not recording. I then got a command line WOL program and put it in my startup folder to wake the SageServer upon startup.

This works fine for me, but I then realized that my SageServer is always recording something so it does not power down. But if it did, it would wake up when I power on my client

Good to see that someone else pays almost as much for electricity as I do

Unfortionately my equal pay (got to average out those summer months) electric bill is ~$330 per month so the computers just don't matter.

Oh WOW !!! Just what i need !!
Any chance you could perhaps share with me how you did this ? And could you also share the software ? ( so long as it is shareware or freeware )

That would be AWESOME !! :-)

[vvulture]

Originally Posted by mohanman

As a previous media center fan, I gotta tell you, Sagetv is like 100x better. You can do anything, and share tv/recorded files with other pcs, I love it! There are a few bugs but there are workarounds. Gotta use sagemc, it is the best. Very easy to use, multiple tuners, picture looks great. Lastly I gotta mention that going from MCE to Sagetv and using dvds and music, I swear the picture quality is much better and the sound is better despite using the same decoders.. weird.

Mo!

Just what i want to hear !! SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET

[lovingHDTV]

Originally Posted by vvulture

Oh WOW !!! Just what i need !!
Any chance you could perhaps share with me how you did this ? And could you also share the software ? ( so long as it is shareware or freeware )

That would be AWESOME !! :-)

It is a freeware program I found on the web. You could google for "WOL command line" I think I use the one from here: http://www.gammadyne.com/cmdline.htm

I just put it in the startup folder of my client and configured it with my server IP address. I have my server IP address set as a static DHCP so it always gets the same IP address. This only works if you powerdown the client box, but I assume this is something that you would be doing.

There is documentation in the Sage manual on how to set it up for power down functionality.

[vvulture]

Originally Posted by lovingHDTV

It is a freeware program I found on the web. You could google for "WOL command line" I think I use the one from here: http://www.gammadyne.com/cmdline.htm

I just put it in the startup folder of my client and configured it with my server IP address. I have my server IP address set as a static DHCP so it always gets the same IP address. This only works if you powerdown the client box, but I assume this is something that you would be doing.

There is documentation in the Sage manual on how to set it up for power down functionality.

Thanks heaps Dave... you're a legend.. :-)

***UPDATE*** Tried it and works a treat.. :-) Server goes into standby when required, and is awakened when client is turned on..
only difference is that MAC address is used instead of IP address. even better

[GKusnick]

Originally Posted by vvulture

Secondly, streaming of live tv is not supported.. period.

Technically, Sage doesn't stream live TV either, in the sense of straight from the tuner to the network. Sage always streams from disk, but that can include recordings that are in the process of being recorded. So "live" TV is not truly live, but a second or two behind real time.

Maybe you already knew this, but I thought I'd mention it because some new users are surprised by that second or two of delay, plus the fact that "live" recordings appear as files on disk and show up in the Recordings list.

[kricker]

Use this type of setup and you shouldn't even need the WOL.

[tipstir]

Originally Posted by vvulture

Thats all fair enough, but i am trying to avoid leaving the server on all the time because of my electricity bill. It is adding an extra $120 per bill and the WAF is dropping.

I figure it cost me $30 per each PC/HTPC, Video, Downloader, Printer/File, Caller ID servers to leave on all 24/7. I've started to shut down systems that don't need to be on all the time. Try getting LCD monitors and turn off Printers you don't need to be on. Change all your lighting to those funny looking blubs they do save energy. In your refg if you got an empty space fill a very large blow with cold water and place that in your freezer. That will help reduce energy.

BTw MCE is worst SAGETV seems to be work and play nicely.

[vvulture]

Originally Posted by GKusnick

Technically, Sage doesn't stream live TV either, in the sense of straight from the tuner to the network. Sage always streams from disk, but that can include recordings that are in the process of being recorded. So "live" TV is not truly live, but a second or two behind real time.

Maybe you already knew this, but I thought I'd mention it because some new users are surprised by that second or two of delay, plus the fact that "live" recordings appear as files on disk and show up in the Recordings list.

Thats ok... its good enough.
Try to accomplish that with MCE.. :-)

[mlbdude]

Originally Posted by vvulture

Thats ok... its good enough.
Try to accomplish that with MCE.. :-)

http://www.asciiexpress.com/webguide/default.aspx

Anyone use that?

[derelicte1]

Originally Posted by vvulture

Thats ok... its good enough.
Try to accomplish that with MCE.. :-)

try to accomplish what? mce works the same way expect live tv doesn't show up as a recording.

also, more than 2 tuners in mce is very stable and easy to configure. you must have done something incorrectly. I have 6 tuners in my mce box (4 sd, 2 hd) for over a year now and have never had a problem.

sage does handle server/client configuration much better than mce, though. this will be especially true if the hd extender ever comes available.

[vvulture]

Originally Posted by derelicte1

try to accomplish what? mce works the same way expect live tv doesn't show up as a recording.

also, more than 2 tuners in mce is very stable and easy to configure. you must have done something incorrectly. I have 6 tuners in my mce box (4 sd, 2 hd) for over a year now and have never had a problem.

sage does handle server/client configuration much better than mce, though. this will be especially true if the hd extender ever comes available.

Which version of MCE are you using ??
MCE does not work the same way as SageTv... you cannot stream "live" tv in MCE.. You have to wait until the show has finished recording before you can watch it on another MCE rig. At least with Sage, you can watch it on ANY client or extender whilst it is being recorded.

Also, recording to a network location again requires tweaking. It works, but if there is a problem with your network you run into problems and end up having to reset the recording path settings.. too unreliable and a pain in the rear end.

Finally, setting up extra tuners in MCE is easy, but only when you know what you are doing, which requires a higher than average level of computer knowledge. If you got 6 tuners running, congratulations as you are one of the very few that managed to do so without a problem.
I too got up to 4 tuners working once, and working well.. but then all of a sudden they started playing up.. A re-format didn't help and i got sick of wasting hours and hours trying to get them to work again.
However, they all work fine in Sage, without tweaking or fart-arsing around.

cheers

[pat_smith1969]

You can stream "semi-live" tv from MCE to any "extender". You cannot watch live tv from another PC until it is done recording, due to the fact that the MCE machine has exclusive control of the temp file it uses. If you get a linksys, or an xbox of any kind you will be able to watch live tv from the MCE.

To the person wo was thinking of moving to MCE...
I have been using it on 4 different PCs for two years now. It is great-UNTIL- you try to record some random program and it tells you the "Content provider has decided to not allow recording of this program" then your wife looks at you and asks "are we illegally recording cable tv?", which prompts a whole explanation of DRM and how it works (DRM sux). This has happened to me 6 times in the last two years, which is not too often granted but really gets me P.O'ed when it does. With VISTA it is even worse.

BWT... As of two days ago I am now a SAGE owner.