Newbie of all Newbie question...

[Mr_X]

So...

Is what I just downloaded: "SageTV Media Center v6" the same as SageTV with the SageMC 16x9 STV? (i.e. are the two integrated now?)

'cause if they aren't, that's a pretty confusing naming system to a newbie like me.

Sorry for the dumb question, but I couldn't find the answer from my searching.

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by Mr_X

Is what I just downloaded: "SageTV Media Center v6" the same as SageTV with the SageMC 16x9 STV? (i.e. are the two integrated now?)

No, the SageMC STV is a user created customization. Any STV from the customizations forum is user created.

The SageTV PDF manual (installed with SageTV or downloadable separately) covers the interface that comes in the SageTV installer.

- Andy

[Mr_X]

Great! Thanks for clearing that up so quickly!

-Andy.

[Brent]

Mr X,
You the same one from the SS forums by chance???

[sic0048]

It is very confusing I agree. SageTV Media Center vs Sage MC STV, SageTV vs STV, etc.

I know there is no going back now, but it seems like the names of all these things were created by a rogue band of monkeys (no offense to the actual Sage Gods who came up the names). It would have been better to use different names and initials to name everything IMHO.

[Mr_X]

That would be me. Yes.

[Brent]

Welcome Mr.X,

Getting things figured out and set up take a bit of time in SageTV (they did for me at least) so feel free to ask away on setup questions. Having come from the BeyondTV and BeyondMedia world, I could help somewhere there.

I'm in the process of making a bunch more how-to's on getting things setup in SageTV and then some more power-user focused tutorials so let me know if you need anything.

Here's some comparisons of what app equals the snapstream app:
BeyondTV = SageTV (Windows, Mac or Linux)
BeyondTV Link = SageTV Client (Windows, Mac or Linux)
BeyondTV built-in Webadmin = Nielm's WebServer add-on

Then once you're used to SageTV, you can try SageMC (also known as SageMC 16x9) which is a replacement gui and much more. Some like the SageTV default interface best and many others like SageMC even better. Here's a walkthrough & how-to on SageMC if you're interested. If you're like me, SageMC will be the thing that sells you on everything.

[Mr_X]

Thanks very much!

I do have some questions so I'll start a new thread just to be polite.

To be honest, I still love BTV, the only reason I'm evaluating Sage is because of the MediaMVP support.

My problem right now is that Sage is too much like MythTV - the UI is a mess. It's made for people who want every option available to them at all times, and I much prefer the BTV (which reminds me of Mac software in it's elegant simplicity) simple, clean screens.

It would be great if someone would make a high WAF UI with the options all hidden.

-Andy.

[Brent]

Originally Posted by Mr_X

It would be great if someone would make a high WAF UI with the options all hidden.
-Andy.

Andy,
The high WAF UI has been done already. Check out my added comments in the post above.

[Brent]

Originally Posted by Mr_X

To be honest, I still love BTV, the only reason I'm evaluating Sage is because of the MediaMVP support.

I love BTV as well and still have it installed believe it or not, but it's not the best for me anymore. And I think I would have been considered one of Snapstream's biggest fans (you may know me as cfaslave on the ss forums).

Since you brought up the MediaMVP, I gotta add this. I was involved in the testing of the MediaMVP add-on for BeyondTV and eventually was so frustrated with it (not to mention that my wife told me she would NEVER use it again) that I had stashed it away in the basement. Several weeks after testing SageTV and getting me and the family used to it (SageMC was required for this to happen by the way,) I thought I'd pull that dusty old MVP out of the basement and give it another try.

So I plugged it back in and ran it on a trial with SageTV. My wife looked at it and started navigating through the same SageMC menus she had gotten used to on our other TV's and said "wow, this is pretty nice." That was one of those moments when I knew I had done the right thing on switching. We now use the Media MVP in our bedroom driving the bedroom TV full-time and both love it. It even handles most HD recorded shows, movies and music with no problem for us - which I never thought possible. So if you use the MediaMVP, you're going to like SageTV. Just take the time to get used to the intricacies of getting SageTV set up, then add SageMC - you will be happy you did it.

And speaking of extenders, the SageTV HD extender is a very nice evolution of the SD extender. It handles everything I throw at it and requires no transcoding on the server (that's how the mvp handles hd) which is a very nice addition.

[Mr_X]

Originally Posted by Brent

Andy,
The high WAF UI has been done already.

Are you referring to the SageMC "STV"? IMHO it's less clean than the default. I tried it and it broke my MediaMVP connection. I went back to the standard UI but I can't for the life of me get my MediaMVP to connect to Sage anymore.

As I say, like MythTV, it seems Sage requires you to really know what's going on and spend a lot of time configuring, tweaking, and learning about the system. I don't really have the time to keep screwing with this to get it working, but what choice do I have if I want to use the MediaMVP? I assume WinMCE doesn't support the MediaMVP as an extender...

I'll keep at it for now anyway as I really want the MVP to work like it did the first time I tried it with Sage.

Thanks for your help!

-Andy.

[EDIT]
Correction, the UI didn't break my MediaMVP, my switch coincidently going flaky did it. I've had more problems with flaky switches (and hubs in past years). I think I'm gonna have to get a real one instead of these cheapo D-Links...

[sic0048]

Nice write up Brent. I'm still a newbee myself and trying to grasp everything too. Thanks for taking the time to go slow for the newbees!

[Brent]

Originally Posted by Mr_X

Are you referring to the SageMC "STV"? IMHO it's less clean than the default.

Really? Well, to each his own I guess. I know there are still some fans of the default interface, but I'm a SageMC fan myself...

As I say, like MythTV, it seems Sage requires you to really know what's going on and spend a lot of time configuring, tweaking, and learning about the system. I don't really have the time to keep screwing with this to get it working, but what choice do I have if I want to use the MediaMVP? I assume WinMCE doesn't support the MediaMVP as an extender...

It takes a little more time than setting up BTV, but I wouldn't put it in the MythTV category. The main thing I've learned is to take each step slow, make backups each time you add any add-on etc. I'll admit I'm biased, but I wouldn't switch to XP MCE as it won't ever be improved or supported for new stuff. As far as I know it doesn't offer any MVP support either.

Hopefully you have the MVP working again? As long as you have SageTV going, it shouldn't be any more involved than pluggin it in, and that's it.

Originally Posted by sic0048

Nice write up Brent. I'm still a newbee myself and trying to grasp everything too. Thanks for taking the time to go slow for the newbees!

Not a problem. I'm still learning myself. The important thing for me has been to share as I learn and make sure people trying SageTV out realize all it has to offer.

[Mr_X]

Thanks for your advice, Brent!

I did get the MediaMVP working once I replaced a flaky switch and dodgy CAT5 cable. Impressive actually how easily the MediaMVP connects and just works. Simplest thing ever (as long as your network is in order!)

It's also amazing how much faster the MVP is with what I would have so assume is some native Linux software that Sage has written for the Hauppauge. Hauppauge needs to get some of Sage's programmers working for them!

Anyway, all is good now, just need to see if anyone's made a simplified UI. I can't imagine how much trouble the wife'll get into with all the options sitting there like that.

I need a BTV skin for the Sage!

-A