HD media extender coverage on other sites

[nebulink]

I think they should fully support the Uirt device. Provide the transmitters so it will support 3 STB's right out of the box and allow for zone configuration when setting up the video source. This would make installation much simpler.

Bottom line is sage needs to provide a complete kit for installation and not expect people to have to go into config files to change settings that should be controlled by the gui.

Right now you pretty much have to be a techy and be willing to troll the forums to determine what is needed to get started from software to licensing and configuration. At least this is my opinion.

[Taddeusz]

Yea, I was a bit dumbfounded when I learned that zoning on the USB-UIRT had to be done through tweaking and was not available in the GUI configuration.

[matt91]

Originally Posted by Brent

The Dallas News has a decent write-up on the SageTV HD100 extender. The reviewer praised the extender, but was kind of hard on the difficulty of getting SageTV set up.

Huh...I don't think this mentioned actually recording TV at all!

Seems like the actual purpose of SageTV would have merited at least a line in there someplace.

[Brent]

Matt,
You're right! I totally missed that obvious fact. And it makes the extender sound like an AppleTV type of device when it really is a DVR that can do "appleTV" type stuff and a whole lot more. I wonder if he even tried it with TV tuners....

[CyRex]

Originally Posted by Brent

I wonder if he even tried it with TV tuners....

I would guess not... He even says in the Cons, "you have to provide your own videos."

[Taddeusz]

I was going to make a reply to their article but I don't see a feedback link anywhere on the page. I guess they don't care how people feel about their articles.

[Brent]

Yet another SageTV HD100 HD Extender review is up - this time at PCMag.
Cliffnotes version:

• reviewer liked the overall functionality
• reviewer didn't like setting up and "tweaking" SageTV
• pointed out lack of "DVD tray"
• Dumbest comment of the review imo: " On the other hand, a $399 Xbox 360 does a lot of what the HD Media Extender does and is a stellar gaming system to boot (albeit twice as expensive)." Yeah the xbox 360 makes a great, loud ugly media extender that doesn't allow you to view your movies stored on your server
• Comment that outs the reviewer as a HTPC head-in-the-sand person: "A Windows Media Center PC would be more expensive still, although then you could record video and store it in the living room, instead of on a remote PC somewhere else in the house." True, but you could say the same thing about a SageTV PC which could do even more than the WMC PC....
• Final quote: "But if you're on the adventurous side and don't mind navigating numerous menus or doing a little tweaking, the SageTV HD Media Extender lets you access all kinds of media residing on your PC—including beautiful high-definition video—inexpensively, and right from the living room sofa."

It was better than some of the other reviews I've seen, but still doesn't reflect an great understanding of SageTV. This won't be corrected unless we're dealing with someone who already has used SageTV before they decide to do a review. Food for thought for the SageTV folks that it makes some sense to make it a goal to make SageTV easier to set up with the standard install.

Read the PC Mag review here

[Opus4]

I was pointed to a review at CrunchGear.

Don't tell me this was already posted and I'm the one who missed it this time.

- Andy

[mickp]

Originally Posted by Opus4

Don't tell me this was already posted and I'm the one who missed it this time.

Okay

Edit: Actually I think I may only have seen it on Brent's blog (http://brentevans.blogspot.com/).

[Brent]

PCWorld did a review on the HD100 a few days ago also.

It wasn't too bad (in comparison to the others), but the reviewer seemed really caught up in the fact that the HD100 didn't do WIFI - seriously.....

An other con that was focused on was difficult setup. I think this stems from non SageTV users have more difficulty getting the SageTV software installed on their server PC. It also stems from a total misunderstanding of the device they are reviewing - the reviewer lumped it in the same category with the AppleTV, Netgear EVA800 and Dlink DSM520.

Just to prove my point that many of these reviewers are totally clueless, here's a quote that made me go WTF:

I had to laugh at the included 1.5-meter ethernet cord; if only my TV were that close to my PC

Lets just say it's difficult to get a good idea of the device being reviewed when the reviewer doesn't even understand what he's dealing with.

[Apap]

I read the PCWorld article and registered on their site just so I could vote to not recommend that article. It was painfully obvoius that the reviewer was not familiar with the whole server/client HTPC concept.

The biggest problem was the lack of built in wireless which any experienced user would know is problematic at best for HD streaming. There are wireless solutions that do work (Wireless bridges etc) but I think that Sage was smart to stay away from wireless for now and leave it up to the end user to find their best connection solution.That saves them a world of tech support hassles.

Apap

[cncb]

There is a version of the silly online review in the latest PC World print version. They acted like it was hard to set up and just can't seem to get over it not having wireless. They again mentioned something about needing a long ethernet cable! It only got a "Fair" score of 69 - one of the lowest scores I think I have ever seen them give.

[waynedunham]

Originally Posted by cncb

There is a version of the silly online review in the latest PC World print version. They acted like it was hard to set up and just can't seem to get over it not having wireless. They again mentioned something about needing a long ethernet cable! It only got a "Fair" score of 69 - one of the lowest scores I think I have ever seen them give.

yeah, I just love those reviews where the reviewer doesn't even have a clue what the product is for.
They wonder why it doesn't have wireless? Well maybe because you can't get "real" HD reliably over wireless. You'd be better off trying to herd cats.

Soccer Mom magazine review: "Well the Caterpillar D-8 Bulldozer gives a horrible ride, there's no place to put the car seat for the kids, and it gets horrible gas mileage back and forth to day care." "Just what was Caterpillar thinking when they shipped this product, and what's with that big flat "bumper" on the front that you can raise/lower?"

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by waynedunham

Soccer Mom magazine review: "Well the Caterpillar D-8 Bulldozer gives a horrible ride, there's no place to put the car seat for the kids, and it gets horrible gas mileage back and forth to day care." "Just what was Caterpillar thinking when they shipped this product, and what's with that big flat "bumper" on the front that you can raise/lower?"

Yeah, what do they know... that 'bumper' means you can always find a parking space in the day care parking lot & no one ever cuts you off on the road, there are attachments for car seats, and gas mileage isn't too bad a consideration with day care being less than a mile down the road. Overall, it gets the job done.

- Andy

[Brent]

But really poor gas mileage I hear.

Too funny waynedunham

[waynedunham]

Originally Posted by Brent

But really poor gas mileage I hear.

Too funny waynedunham

Thanks.