Converting from MCE - what can I expect?

[mickp]

Hmmm. I'm kinda out of action at the moment (still, damned tv aerial guy) due to a lightening strike taking out my masthead amp . Could someone running sagemc confirm or disprove the behavior of sagemc that I indicated above? Looks to me like it was allowing me to steal tuners without a problem.

Mick.

[Vaughn]

Ok, this thread is a little scarry. I am trying to convert 6 MCE boxes to SageTV. I don't have these issues, but to hear MCE handles something better after a year of hearing how Sage is WORLDS better than MCE is scarry.

What I have not heard is any features that I can expect to GAIN by switching from MCE to Sage. Stablity and the such aside... I would like to hear about tagging and IMDB and storing thumnails, etc Does Sage actually provide features that MCE does not in these areas?

Vaughn

[nebulink]

There a three things I dislike about sage compared to MCE.

1. Unable to push LiveTV button to go directly to whatever is on at the time.

2. When selecting a channel whithin the channel guide it does not go directly to the channel. You get presented another menu of options and then you need to select Watch now. This comes down to two button pushes vs. one. This is not as intuitive for the kids and wife. I would rather push the info or option but to get this additional menu.

3. Unable to take control of a tuner if it is in use by another client. This kinda stinks especially if no one is at the client and you have to go to every tv and turn off the extenders so you can take control of the tuner again.

I am thinking about creating or modifing the SageMC stv to correct problem 3. Sage would have to correct problem 2. Problem 1 is unknown at this point on if there is a work around.

[gplasky]

For number two instead of selecting it press the play button. it will just play the channel highlighted.

Gerry

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by nebulink

1. Unable to push LiveTV button to go directly to whatever is on at the time.

Use the Live TV option on the Main Menu or just use the Live TV command. I'm not sure what is missing here.

2. When selecting a channel whithin the channel guide it does not go directly to the channel. You get presented another menu of options and then you need to select Watch now. This comes down to two button pushes vs. one. This is not as intuitive for the kids and wife. I would rather push the info or option but to get this additional menu.

Like Gerry & others have said before: just use the Play command to start playing something.

There are multiple things someone could want to do with something when just selecting it, so a list of options is shown. That pop-up dialog shows icons next to some items & those are shortcut commands (among others) than can be used on the airing w/o having to select it first.

- Andy

[nebulink]

Originally Posted by gplasky

For number two instead of selecting it press the play button. it will just play the channel highlighted.

Gerry

Thanks for the suggestion but that's not intuitive at all. Not to mention that button is no where near the arrow keys.

I have been hoping to make the big move to Sage but I am afraid Sage is not quite as polished as MCE. These littel anoyances will be hard to get the wife to accept.

[nebulink]

The three things I really like about Sage over MCE.

1. The ability to control more than 2 STB's

2. The ability to add more than 5 extenders.

3. An extender at a great price that plays any format without re-encoding to .WMV. <--I just hate doing this.

[gplasky]

Sometimes you have to be willing to try something different. So tell the wife you arrow up or down and then press the play button. Maybe it will make sense to her. After all, didn't you press the record button when you wanted to record something in the guide in MCE?

Gerry

[nebulink]

Originally Posted by gplasky

Sometimes you have to be willing to try something different. So tell the wife you arrow up or down and then press the play button. Maybe it will make sense to her. After all, didn't you press the record button when you wanted to record something in the guide in MCE?

Gerry

When wanting to record somthing in the guide within MCE I could select a future show and it would automatically give me recording options with out having to hit the record button.

Also, alot of my recordings I setup were through the add scheduled recording option. This allowed me to search by title, keyword or guide and setup recordings from there.

Like you say, it is different and IMHO not as intuitive. I have 4 children all under the age of 10 and anything that makes it easier the better in my situation.