Have a couple questions before buying Linux license.

[endo]

Hi all,

I'm currently running Mythbuntu, (a prepackaged MythTV on (x)Ubuntu 7.10). It works well, but I'm bit annoyed with the user interface...it has different players for recorded TV vs. movie files, and generally lacks UI polish.

I've tried SageTV on a windows box (trial version, no tuner)....it looks like an excellent product. UI is very clean. I'm just curious if I can make my setup work with it, under Linux.

I have an over-the-air setup with a pcHDTV-5500 tuner. This setup works with no problem in Mythbuntu. Do I have anything to worry about with it with SageTV?

I'd like to run SageTV on Ubuntu 7.10. This would be a clean install of 7.10. Any issues with this?

I have MythTV set up to use an AC3/DTS passthrough for 5.1 sound...will Sage do the same?

Can I watch DVDs under Linux? I would install the appropriate DVD playback plugins in Ubuntu. This currently works with MythTV, I definitely don't want to lose this capability.

I currently get my TV program information from SchedulesDirect... does this work with Sage, or is something else provided?

Will the SageTV setup play back AVI/XVID files (assuming Ubuntu has the correct codecs installed, which it would).

Is the user interface the same thing I've seen on the windows version?

Can the SageTV UI be resized to only fill a portion of the screen? My HDTV is old and has an overly-large overscan area.

Does SageTV support automatic transcoding from HDTV down to smaller AVI files?

Thanks for any help, any my apologies for the plethora of questions.

[bcjenkins]

Originally Posted by endo

I have an over-the-air setup with a pcHDTV-5500 tuner. This setup works with no problem in Mythbuntu. Do I have anything to worry about with it with SageTV?

I would assume so, but I don't know about this card in particular.

Originally Posted by endo

I'd like to run SageTV on Ubuntu 7.10. This would be a clean install of 7.10. Any issues with this?

Many people are running on Ubuntu. SageTV offers a debian installer too.

Originally Posted by endo

I have MythTV set up to use an AC3/DTS passthrough for 5.1 sound...will Sage do the same?

I use the server as a server all client UI is handled by MVPs or SageTV's HD Extender. AC3 is passthrough on the MVP, DTS is passthrough only on the HD Extender.

Originally Posted by endo

Can I watch DVDs under Linux? I would install the appropriate DVD playback plugins in Ubuntu. This currently works with MythTV, I definitely don't want to lose this capability.

I watch them on the extenders. I don't run a client.

Originally Posted by endo

I currently get my TV program information from SchedulesDirect... does this work with Sage, or is something else provided?

SageTV uses Zap2It and it is included in the purchase.

Originally Posted by endo

Will the SageTV setup play back AVI/XVID files (assuming Ubuntu has the correct codecs installed, which it would).

Yes. It uses FFMPEG, source avail upon request if you want to update, etc.

Originally Posted by endo

Is the user interface the same thing I've seen on the windows version?

Yes

Originally Posted by endo

Can the SageTV UI be resized to only fill a portion of the screen? My HDTV is old and has an overly-large overscan area.

Check in the detailed setup for the overscan settings. The first time you start up SageTV it should ask you to do it.

Originally Posted by endo

Does SageTV support automatic transcoding from HDTV down to smaller AVI files?

It supports transcoding. There is an add-on which helps with the automatic part.

B

[chip33az]

Hi.

I run SageTV running under Ubuntu at my mom's house and it works great. Pentium 4 - 1.8GHz with 3 MVPs.

At my apartment, I have a MythDora server set up on a very, very weak machine, but it works. It is a Via Epia M-10000. I plan to upgrade in the summer time.

I don't know most of your answers, but I do know you can't watch a physical DVD under the Linux version. You should be able to rip a DVD and watch it under Linux, but the Linux client is a Placeshifter and it won't watch a DVD, no matter what codecs you have installed.

[Zervun]

Originally Posted by chip33az

Hi.

I run SageTV running under Ubuntu at my mom's house and it works great. Pentium 4 - 1.8GHz with 3 MVPs.

At my apartment, I have a MythDora server set up on a very, very weak machine, but it works. It is a Via Epia M-10000. I plan to upgrade in the summer time.

I don't know most of your answers, but I do know you can't watch a physical DVD under the Linux version. You should be able to rip a DVD and watch it under Linux, but the Linux client is a Placeshifter and it won't watch a DVD, no matter what codecs you have installed.

Does this include the HD extenders as well? We were going to put in our "server" a blueray and dvd player to play remotely on our HD extender.

[chip33az]

Sorry, but I don't know about the HD extenders. I haven't purchased any.

I know the SD extender doesn't offer a Play DVD option, and the SageTV server under Linux won't play DVDs unless you copy them first to the local drive, and they can't be encrypted DVDs.

This solution didn't work for me at my apartment as I only have 1 computer running as a server/client. I had to switch back to MythTV since I wanted to us Linux on the device.

Sorry I couldn't be more helpful.