Potential SageTV customer looking for input

[Davel23]

Here's my DVR history. I was a BeyondTV user for quite a while, was reasonably happy with it. The software has pretty much died, the publisher moving on to more profitable products but the latest version is very stable. When the digital changeover occurred I was able to keep using it for a while via Clear QAM on a Hauppauge 2250, but after a while Comcast (my cable provider) made it an untenable solution. Feeling that CableCard was the future I purchased a Ceton InfiniTV and upgraded all my machines to Windows 7. It's all working fairly well, I'm just not crazy about WMC. The way it presents recorded shows it's hard to tell what's been watched and what hasn't, not to mention watching shows recorded on one PC from another doesn't work all that well. Now I hear that Sage TV supports the Ceton via a third-party app.

So I guess what I'm looking for is some feedback on how Sage operates from a BeyondTV user's point of view. Some of the things I liked about BTV: Recorded shows appear as a plain list with an "N" before the name if they are unwatched, no "N" if not. Shows appear in a strict by-time/date-recorded order, and they don't move around, though there are various other sorting options available if desired. Beyond TV Link, a slave application which operates just like the base application, but pulls all its data from a master/server machine (I know Sage has something like this available separately). A comprehensive web-based configuration interface with ways to view the guide along with searching and scheduling recordings, view upcoming recordings in a calendar layout along with just about every other option available from the main app interface, but does not necessarily have to support web-based streaming of content (again, I know Sage has a separate product for that). Finally, an accurate and up-to-date guide is a must.

I welcome input from all, not just other ex-BeyondTV users. Thanks in advance!

[tchapin]

1. Recorded shows appear as a plain list with an "N" before the name if they are unwatched, no "N" if not.

In SageTV, "watched" status is indicated with a "W".

2. Shows appear in a strict by-time/date-recorded order, and they don't move around, though there are various other sorting options available if desired.

There are many flexible sorting options.

3. Beyond TV Link, a slave application which operates just like the base application, but pulls all its data from a master/server machine (I know Sage has something like this available separately).

SageTV has SageTV Placeshifter and SageTV Client. Placeshifter is a simplified interface where all of the processing is done on the server. This includes transcoding of your source video and it can even make dynamic quality adjustments based on bandwidth if you are not on your home network. Client is more of a full featured interface and is suitable for use if you want to use a full computer at a display instead of a hardware extender.

4. A comprehensive web-based configuration interface with ways to view the guide along with searching and scheduling recordings, view upcoming recordings in a calendar layout along with just about every other option available from the main app interface, but does not necessarily have to support web-based streaming of content (again, I know Sage has a separate product for that).

Not really. There is a web plugin that let's you do the scheduling kind of stuff and adjust your season passes, but you generally can't adjust your SageTV settings.

5. Finally, an accurate and up-to-date guide is a must.

If you are in the US, this is built in. My understanding is that if you are not in the US, it's a bit of a hack.

[PiX64]

3. Beyond TV Link, a slave application which operates just like the base application, but pulls all its data from a master/server machine (I know Sage has something like this available separately).
SageTV has SageTV Placeshifter and SageTV Client. Placeshifter is a simplified interface where all of the processing is done on the server. This includes transcoding of your source video and it can even make dynamic quality adjustments based on bandw

--- Don't forget about one of the many amazing gems of Sage -- The HD300!! lightweight STB that sits at the tv. No need to mess with codecs, etc.

[APillowOfClouds]

I can tell you I came from BeyondTV and I have been extremely satisfied with Sage. The only shortcoming that still does not seem addressed in v7 is that when you manually record a show it will not warn you if you are overriding a previously scheduled recording, which is a pain. Other than that I have found it very stable and easy to use. It has the BeyondMedia functionality built in as well. The web interface is a third party add on but works very very well, I've never had a single problem with it. It won't let you change the real detailed system settings but it does everything you would need to do on a day to day basis.

[PiX64]

If there is a something recording and you try and manually record something, sage will alert the user that there is a conflict, and ask you how to fix the issue....

[APillowOfClouds]

Originally Posted by PiX64

If there is a something recording and you try and manually record something, sage will alert the user that there is a conflict, and ask you how to fix the issue....

That's new to V7 then... excellent, that's about the last major thing that was annoying me.

So, OP, go ahead and switch you're good

[Spectrum]

Be aware that using any Cable Card is unsupported and limited to only recording things that are marked Copy Freely by your cable provider. If the CCI flag is set to copy once or copy never you won't be able to record that show. FWIW, right now most cable providers have most things marked copy freely, but if/when this changes (usually at the behest of the content provider) there is the possibility that cable card could end up like firewire and QAM; limited to locals only.

[reggie14]

Originally Posted by APillowOfClouds

That's new to V7 then... excellent, that's about the last major thing that was annoying me.

So, OP, go ahead and switch you're good

Sage has always warned about recording conflicts. To the best of my knowledge, I don't think Sage v7 works any different in that regard from previous versions.

If memory serves, I don't think the warning is instantaneous if you're scheduling a recording that won't happen for a while. Instead, I think Sage lets you schedule the recording, then you'll get the red exclamation point icon warning you that there's a problem. That potential delay might be necessary. When there's a recording conflict like that, Sage will look through the guide data to try to find other airings to resolve the conflict. I know that used to take a little while on my older machines.

If Sage does find a different airing of the episode, it will automatically reschedule the recording without any sort of warning. At least, that's how it handles favorites. It won't try to reschedule manual recordings. So, say you only have one tuner, and you've set up Sage to automatically record "Bones." If you manually schedule a recording for "Big Bang Theory," which is on at the same time, Sage might automatically reschedule the Bones recording for the following week, when its aired on TNT. I don't think it warns you about this, which can be potentially annoying if you're antsy to watch a show.

[APillowOfClouds]

Originally Posted by reggie14

Sage has always warned about recording conflicts. To the best of my knowledge, I don't think Sage v7 works any different in that regard from previous versions.

If memory serves, I don't think the warning is instantaneous if you're scheduling a recording that won't happen for a while. Instead, I think Sage lets you schedule the recording, then you'll get the red exclamation point icon warning you that there's a problem. That potential delay might be necessary. When there's a recording conflict like that, Sage will look through the guide data to try to find other airings to resolve the conflict. I know that used to take a little while on my older machines.

If Sage does find a different airing of the episode, it will automatically reschedule the recording without any sort of warning. At least, that's how it handles favorites. It won't try to reschedule manual recordings. So, say you only have one tuner, and you've set up Sage to automatically record "Bones." If you manually schedule a recording for "Big Bang Theory," which is on at the same time, Sage might automatically reschedule the Bones recording for the following week, when its aired on TNT. I don't think it warns you about this, which can be potentially annoying if you're antsy to watch a show.

I know about the exclamation thing. The problem comes if I have show A set to record, let's say a movie that is not going to be re-shown for a while, and I decide to go to the guide and manually record show B, unaware that show A is scheduled at that time. In BeyondTV, I would instantly get a message warning me that continuing will remove the recording for show A and giving me an opportunity to cancel. In Sage, other than the exclamation, I get no warning, and within a few seconds usually the recording for A is canceled and I don't even have a good way to find out what show it was.

IF show A happens to be a favorite that will be re-shown and not a manual recording itself, or if show B happens to be something I can add as a favorite and has repeat airings I'm ok. But if it's christmas time and I really don't want to add a favorite for "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" that I will then have to go remove later, and I don't happen to know that my wife has scheduled a recording for "Elizabeth" that night, then, uh-oh, trouble.

Also if I DO want to pre-empt a recording with my new manual recording, I have two tuners, and I don't get to choose which one will be pre-empted, i.e. I don't care if I miss an episode of "How It's Made" but I DO care if I miss "Big Bang Theory" but there is no way to tell Sage other than maybe general favorite priority which one to pre-empt for my new manual recording.

It has always seemed to me that the BeyondTV way made sense and that it would be a trivial thing for Sage to add, IMHO.

[reggie14]

APillowOfClouds-

Interesting observation. I very rarely have multiple manual recordings going at the same time, so I can't say I've ever ran into that problem. It does sound like something that Sage should take care of. Have you reported it to them?

[APillowOfClouds]

Originally Posted by reggie14

APillowOfClouds-

Interesting observation. I very rarely have multiple manual recordings going at the same time, so I can't say I've ever ran into that problem. It does sound like something that Sage should take care of. Have you reported it to them?

I never thought about actually reporting it, although I've commented on it in many threads over the years. Is there a way to make an official request/report? I started trying to program a plug-in one time to replicate the BTV behavior, it should be fairly straightforward. Unfortunately time was too much of a constraint and I never got beyond learning Sage Studio.

[BobPhoenix]

Originally Posted by APillowOfClouds

... Is there a way to make an official request/report? ...

Request Official SageTV Technical Support. First link under "Sage TV products" sub forum if you don't like to click on a link in a post.

[mayamaniac]

Not only does SageTV shows you watched status, but you can see how much you watched of a show, as seen below. The teal colored line at the bottom of each show title indicates the "watched" progress. I'm using the Diamond theme, so the check mark icons indicates "watched", and you can see other icons for currently recording (red dot), commercial skip (green/blue/green box), favorites (stars), HD, and first run airings (1). On the thumbnail, you can also see how much is currently recorded from the green bar. So there's lots of info right on the screen.



There's no need to hesitate, switch if BTV is no longer meeting your needs. SageTV has it all covered and offers so much more. But if BTV is still doing everything you want, then there is no need to switch.

[Davel23]

Thanks for all the info, I think I'll at least download and install the trial but it sounds like Sage will fit the bill nicely. I know the CableCard thing is kind of a kludge, but from what I hear legislation is in the works to relax some of the restrictions, to the point where companies like Sage could add native support. All in the future unfortunately...