Frustrated install

[Dalgar]

Well I just spent all of sunday trying to get this bloody software running.
I paid for it and for the amount of money this should be a cake walk. I am a software QA professional and this would never have left my shop.

Here are some of the issues I am having.
1) Had to get another tuner card since I could not get the Hauppauge 1800 to work with dual tuner. (may be my lack of knowledge with the hw)
2) After getting it to work with the 1800 and 1600 I noticed that when two channels are recording trying to change channels "nothing" happens. With TiVo the system asks if you want to cancel the recording on the tuner that is attempting to change. Is there a setting I am missing? This alone will cause grief with the wife.
3) Playing a DvD. I put in a DvD and it fired off MS Media Center. I killed the processes for that offensive application, but SageTV does not play the DvD. I've been looking all over the forum for information. Can't find anything. Any ideas?
4) Are there any online manuals? If so I have not found them.

So far I am about two days away from requesting my money back. This should not be this hard.

[Brent]

Welcome to the community. Sorry to hear you're having troubles here. Comments like this make me scratch my head though if you're wanting help from many, many users who have SageTV set up successfully.

I am a software QA professional and this would never have left my shop.

SageTV is certainly not plug-n-play like a Tivo, but much more powerful, flexible and "rewarding". Plus you don't pay a subscription fee

To get user-to-user help, it's always a good idea to tell us exactly what version of SageTV you have installed, what OS you are using, what basic computer specs you have etc.

For some online, official help:
SageTV Support Page
SageTV Users Manual (it's long but very detailed)
Official SageTV Support Requests

Hope that helps. If you're still having trouble though let us (users just like you - not SageTV employees ) know along with detail of the issue.

[Dalgar]

Doh! My appologies for not posting the needed info.
I am not at the system right now, but

SageTV (Latest download version 6.x)
OS: Vista (but about ready to blow it out for XP)
Intel DuoCore 2.3ghz
4 GB Ram
2TB drive storage raid 0 + 1
nVidia GeForce 8100Gt
Hauppauge 1800 and 1600
USB-IRT
DVD R/W Lightscribe

Ultimately I would like to turn this into the server and setup a second box simply as the client.
It's a micro atx mobo with
1gb ram
nvida video (can't remember model)
80gb HD

I have bought the client license as well for this client box.

But, until I can get everything working on the main system I am loath to tackle the client.

After reading the reviews on SageTV and comparing the different products out there I settled on SageTV for my PVR needs. As to Plug n' Play. I understand it is not a preconfigured TiVo box. I was set for some tweaking, but getting things to work should not take this long.

Maybe I am spoiled since I work hard in the software industry to help create easy to use software.

But I am willing to keep plugging along. My wife is already upset I have spent so much on hardware. But I keep telling her she won't have to delete those saved sappy shows to get more sappy shows saved.

Besides, I want to view my entire DvD collection online instead of looking through all the cases.

Thanks for any help.

[Brent]

Hang in there. We should be able to get this working...

Originally Posted by Dalgar

1) Had to get another tuner card since I could not get the Hauppauge 1800 to work with dual tuner. (may be my lack of knowledge with the hw)
2) After getting it to work with the 1800 and 1600 I noticed....

I'm not clear here whether you have successfully gotten the 1800 to work or are having trouble with the 1600. Is this working for you now or still having trouble on one of the two tuners?

2) After getting it to work with the 1800 and 1600 I noticed that when two channels are recording trying to change channels "nothing" happens. With TiVo the system asks if you want to cancel the recording on the tuner that is attempting to change. Is there a setting I am missing? This alone will cause grief with the wife.

If you have two tuners recording at the same time and are wanting to switch to watch a third channel, it should ask you if you want to stop recording and switch to another channel or stay on the currently recording channel. Is it not doing this for you?

[Dalgar]

I'm not clear here whether you have successfully gotten the 1800 to work or are having trouble with the 1600. Is this working for you now or still having trouble on one of the two tuners?

Since I do not get clear QAM from Charter I need to use the set-top box. The s-video input uses the analog tuner apparently. So that means the analog tuner is used and I needed another tuner card to get a second tuner working. I hate charter but that is the only cable company I can use.

I have both cards working. It took me a while to figure out that I had to set one of the tuner cards to use the channel lineup already defined for the first card. It would be nice to be able to indicate which channels a tuner card will use. This would help.

If you have two tuners recording at the same time and are wanting to switch to watch a third channel, it should ask you if you want to stop recording and switch to another channel or stay on the currently recording channel. Is it not doing this for you?

That is correct. When recording two channels at the same time sageTV does not ask if I want to cancel a recording.

Also, because of the way charter is, all channels from 100+ are extended. This means that any channel being recorded on these channels is dedicated to the STB I really need to have that ability to cancel recordings when changing.

If I can get this functionality working I can install another tuner card to give us the ability to view any basic channel when recording two shows.

But that is not the issue right now. I need to have SageTV give me the option to cancel a show when changing channels.

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by Dalgar

I have both cards working. It took me a while to figure out that I had to set one of the tuner cards to use the channel lineup already defined for the first card. It would be nice to be able to indicate which channels a tuner card will use. This would help.

The v6.4.3 beta has a way to do separately configurable channel lineups from the same original lineup.

That is correct. When recording two channels at the same time sageTV does not ask if I want to cancel a recording.

Also, because of the way charter is, all channels from 100+ are extended. This means that any channel being recorded on these channels is dedicated to the STB I really need to have that ability to cancel recordings when changing.

If I can get this functionality working I can install another tuner card to give us the ability to view any basic channel when recording two shows.

But that is not the issue right now. I need to have SageTV give me the option to cancel a show when changing channels.

If SageTV is handling the recorfings and controls the channel changes, then if you try to change the channel or add a new recording while scheduled recordings are active on all tuners, it will display a dialog in the default interface unless there is a live TV or Intelligent Recording it can bump. Live TV and IR shows are not considered recoprdings scheduled by the user, have very low priority, and can be stopped for new recordings.

So -- how may STBs do you have, how are they connected to SageTV, how do you have it configured to change the channel on the STBs, and what type of recordings are you trying to test this with?

If you maually change the channel on the STB instead of having SageTV do it, there is no way for SageTV to know what is happening.

- Andy

[Dalgar]

how may STBs do you have, how are they connected to SageTV

One STB. Scientific Atlanta.
I have the STB connected to the sVideo of the Hauppauge 1800.
I have the analog cable connected to the Hauppauge 1600.

how do you have it configured to change the channel on the STBs

I use the USB-IRT blaster for the STB box. Using the Hauppauge remote works fine except for some buttons which I will not worry about at this time.

what type of recordings are you trying to test this with

So far I have only manually started recordings. I use the remote to change the channel and then hit the record button. A nice window pops up with choices and I select a choice.

So then the recording starts.

I switch to a channel that the other tuner can use and repeat the process.

It's at this point that I decide to change the channel. As I have stated, nothing happens. I enter the channel and the channel is not changed. No indication of anything "wrong". I have to go into recordings menu and cancel the recording that is happening.

BTW what is IR recording?

[gplasky]

Originally Posted by Dalgar

One STB. Scientific Atlanta.
I have the STB connected to the sVideo of the Hauppauge 1800.
I have the analog cable connected to the Hauppauge 1600.


I use the USB-IRT blaster for the STB box.

Did you teach the USB-UIRT your STB remote?

Originally Posted by Dalgar

BTW what is IR recording?

Intelligent Recording. Has nothing to do with infra red. Sage will watch what you watch and then begin recording programs it thinks you like on its own based on what you watch. Refer to the manual or search the forum for more info.

Gerru

[Dalgar]

Yes I taught the usb-irt to use the STB remote. All the channels change.

The issues I have with the remote have to do with Hauppauge and some of the buttons firing off Windows Media Center or not working at all. I haven't done any reading or research on that yet as it is low on my priority list. Ultimately I will hope to use my Logitech remote and a wireless keyboard and mouse.

As for Intelligent Recording I have that turned off since I never liked it with TiVo I am sure I will not like it here.

[gplasky]

You should disable all the Windows Media Center services and also the ehtray.exe to stop firing off Windows Media Center.

gerry

[Dalgar]

I've done that. Still no joy on the DvD. Do I need to install another DvD Player software?

[PGPfan]

You need a decoder that will decode the store bought DVD's. Something like Purevideo, etc. The included Sage decoders are only for recorded TV and don't support encrypted DVD's.

-PGPfan

[toricred]

On the lack of prompt before changing channels, have you actually told the tuner to record or are you just watching LiveTV. If it is not a scheduled recording (either by hitting the record button or a favorite), then it doesn't know that you're not channel surfing and therefore won't prompt before changing channels.

[m1abrams]

About the "nothing" happening when you try to change the channel. Are you saying that it changes channels and you do not get a confirmation, or are you saying that it does nothing at all, no channel change, etc?

If it is that nothing happens, are you sure sagetv is getting the request to change channel from the remote? Have you tried changing channels with the keyboard?

[m1abrams]

Oh and one of your issues with DVD playback is that you have autorun turned on and set to Media Center. Turn autorun off.

[kevine]

Originally Posted by m1abrams

About the "nothing" happening when you try to change the channel. Are you saying that it changes channels and you do not get a confirmation, or are you saying that it does nothing at all, no channel change, etc?

If it is that nothing happens, are you sure sagetv is getting the request to change channel from the remote? Have you tried changing channels with the keyboard?

I'd be willing to be that since all 4 tuners are not installed properly, that it is trying to tune to a channel that does not exist. Make sure you get all the channels in tuner setup and delete the tuners that are not working.

[Dalgar]

Hey thanks for all the replies. Couldn't get to forum last night. Anyway.
When I say recording I do mean recording. I select a channel and press RECORD on the remote.

When I say "nothing happens" I mean the channel does not change. No message box... nothing.

So. I will look into deleting the two ATSC tuners not in use since they are not used.
I will make sure I do not have AutoPlay turned on for DVDs.
I will make sure I have something like PowerDVD installed. I think the unLead software that came with my hauppauge 1600 can play dvd's so I may use that.

Anyway I will get back to you after I try those things tonight when I get home from work.

[m1abrams]

Originally Posted by kevine

I'd be willing to be that since all 4 tuners are not installed properly, that it is trying to tune to a channel that does not exist. Make sure you get all the channels in tuner setup and delete the tuners that are not working.

Yep this is also a good point. If you try to tune to a channel that does not exist in the lineup it will do nothing.

[Dalgar]

Originally Posted by m1abrams

Yep this is also a good point. If you try to tune to a channel that does not exist in the lineup it will do nothing.

That is one thing I was aware of. I ensured all the channels I attempted to change to exist in the channel line-up.

Believe me, I spent the entire day reading through the forums and searching before I posted my issues. From experience I figured there was probably an answer if I searched hard enough. Unfortunately there was not so I posted.

Anyway, again thanks for all the info and I will try everything that was posted.

I still believe though for a commercial product at 80.00 a pop this should be a lot smoother to deal with.

I've already slammed BeyondTV as they weren't even answering a simple question as to why their install gets stuck in a reboot loop. That was enough to turn me off of their product.

[m1abrams]

You may need to understand that with a HTPC their really is a lot that can go wrong. If you want the type of experience you describe then SageTV would have to be very restrictive on the hardware configuration and also on the software configuration allowed. SageTV and BeyondTV both handle a great deal of configurations.

That said, any HTPC software of this nature is not really a turnkey solution. SageTV is getting closer if you use the media extender. You still would need to build the server end, however the server end is usually the easier part to get going.

I would never recommend to anyone to build a HTPC unless they look at it as a hobby, because you will need to spend that level of time to get things working just right. Now do not get me wrong I can make my SageTV box run fine for months without issue, however I am always tweaking it to make it better.