SageTV acquired by Google

[srothwell]

Originally Posted by Fonceur

Why? SageTV is such a niche market and Google has billions of dollars ready to buy off companies, they aren't exactly hungry for a few more thousand dollars a month...

Wanna bet?

[tmiranda]

Originally Posted by jaminben

Here's another one......

Here comes Google, here comes GoogleTV,
and I say it's all right

Little SageTV, it's been a long cold lonely winter
Little SageTV, it feels like years since it's been here
Here comes Google, here comes the fun
and I say it's all right

Little SageTV, the smiles returning to the faces
Little SageTV, it seems like years since it's been here
Here comes Google, here comes the fun
and I say it's all right

GoogleTV, GoogleTV, GoogleTV, here it comes...
GoogleTV, GoogleTV, GoogleTV, here it comes...

Little SageTV, I feel that ice is slowly melting
Little SageTV, it seems like years since it's been clear
Here comes Google, here comes the fun,
and I say it's all right
It's all right


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6tV1...eature=related

Yes, I'm bored.

EDIT

On a roll now......

Yesterday,
All my troubles seemed so far away,
Now it looks as though GoogleTV's here to stay,
Oh, I believe in yesterday.

Suddenly,
GoogleTV's not half the man SageTV used to be,
GoogleTV's hanging over me,
Oh, yesterday came suddenly.

Why SageTV
Had to go I don't know, Jeff wouldn't say.
I said,
Nothings wrong, now I long for yesterday.

Yesterday,
Media content was such an easy thing to play,
I don't need a place to hide my HD300 away,
Oh, I believe in yesterday.

Why SageTV
Had to go I don't know, Jeff wouldn't say.
I said,
Nothings wrong, now I long for yesterday.

Yesterday,
Media content was such an easy thing to play,
I don't need a place to hide my HD300 away,
Oh, I believe in yesterday.

Mm-mm-mm-mm-mm-mm-mm.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONXp-...eature=related

EDIT 2

Hey Jeff, don't make it bad
Take your extender and make it better
Remember to let Goolge into your heart
Then you can start to make it better

Hey Jeff, don't be afraid
You were made to go out and make extenders
The minute you let GoogleTV under your skin
Then you begin to make it better

And anytime you feel the pain, hey Jeff, refrain
Don't carry the HTPC world upon your shoulders
For well you know that it's a fool who plays it with WMC
By making his HTPC a little slower
Na na na, na na, na na na na

Hey Jeff, don't let me down
You founded SageTV, now go and get GoogleTV
Remember to let Google into your heart
Then you can start to make it better

So let it out and let it in, hey Jeff, begin
You're waiting for someone to code with
And don't you know that it's just you? Hey Jeff, you'll do
The movement you need is in your fingers
Na na na, na na, na na na na, yeah

Hey Jeff, don't make it bad
Take a bad program and make it better
Remember to let GoogleTV under your skin
Then you begin to make it better
Better, better, better, better, better, oh!

Na na na, na-na na na
Na-na na na, hey Jeff
Na na na, na-na na na
Na-na na na, hey Jeff

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDdI7GhZSQA

Last one I promise

I knew I liked you. I'm a big Beatles fan myself.

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by tmiranda

I knew I liked you. I'm a big Beatles fan myself.

I THOUGHT I liked you....

[shill]

I don't see this as positive for the current community, but as far as mainstreaming the kind of convergence that SageTV makes possible, it's good for the public at large.

I imagine Google will restrict some of the freedom, slow the overall process and reduce the amount of impact/interaction the users have, and then there's the DRM issues... which will almost certainly be handled differently.

I too wish the store were open - I'd buy a couple more extenders to have on-hand for replacements and future expansion, since my guess is I'll want to keep running Sage 7 for a long time to come to avoid losing out on functionality like PlayOn, the HD-PVR support, comskip, etc.

Cheers to SageTV, since it's a monumental accomplishment for them, but, to quote Han Solo, "I've got a bad feeling about this."

[valnar]

Here is my take:

They've seen the writing on the wall. Users have been asking for Netflix support, better online support, cable card support and other DRM'ish things. Basically they've been put into a corner by the industry and it would take somebody with DEEP pockets to get them out. Google is that someone.

With the demise of analog recording and the proliferation of copy protected digital cableTV, it was either sell now for millions or suffer a slow and painful, possibly expensive death.

Despite what it does to us, the Sage community, they took the only option available to them.

[mistergq]

Now that I am back from my swim from jumping off a bridge, I wanted to say I am not sure that this is a bad thing. Where it is a bad thing is I can't buy an HD300 which I have been putting off due to the fact I always thought Sage would be there for the near future.

Having said that, GoogleTV was awful. As PC Magazine put it, Google needed to go back to the drawing board. I hope they bring Jeff and other developers in and let them take over GoogleTV. STV has been leading the need for competition in the cable card market. With google's resources, they may be able to get integrated solution.

I am fine with switching from STV to GTV if GTV maintains the PVR/DVR software which is the first and primary reason I use the software. I don't see this as a 100% cloud base solution like some are suggestion. No question, Netflix is part of the future (which STV can't do on its own). But you will not be successful if you solely rely on Netflix. There is a great resource of OTA and Cable that needs to be integrated into any solution. Something that apple is ignoring because they want more money from Itune.

So I am hoping, and praying, that they will be bring STV back as GTV, bigger and better. Use their business resources they have with Hauppauge and SilconDust to create solutions that will make GTV an awesome product. And if they make an integrated product with the Android phone, I will switch from the Iphone to an Android...but I am not giving up my Ipad!

[PiX64]

Originally Posted by mistergq

Now that I am back from my swim from jumping off a bridge, I wanted to say I am not sure that this is a bad thing. Where it is a bad thing is I can't buy an HD300 which I have been putting off due to the fact I always thought Sage would be there for the near future.

Having said that, GoogleTV was awful. As PC Magazine put it, Google needed to go back to the drawing board. I hope they bring Jeff and other developers in and let them take over GoogleTV. STV has been leading the need for competition in the cable card market. With google's resources, they may be able to get integrated solution.

I am fine with switching from STV to GTV if GTV maintains the PVR/DVR software which is the first and primary reason I use the software. I don't see this as a 100% cloud base solution like some are suggestion. No question, Netflix is part of the future (which STV can't do on its own). But you will not be successful if you solely rely on Netflix. There is a great resource of OTA and Cable that needs to be integrated into any solution. Something that apple is ignoring because they want more money from Itune.

So I am hoping, and praying, that they will be bring STV back as GTV, bigger and better. Use their business resources they have with Hauppauge and SilconDust to create solutions that will make GTV an awesome product. And if they make an integrated product with the Android phone, I will switch from the Iphone to an Android...but I am not giving up my Ipad!

Nof even for a really really awesome G-Pad?

[stanger89]

Catching up on all the thread merging.

Originally Posted by SomeWhatLost

for those who believe the gloom & doom 'masses' are over reacting, I just have one simple request...
provide just one example of where Company X gets acquired by Company Y, and the customers of Company X don't get screwed...

I can think of two things that are directly applicable that fall into this category IIRC:

1) Youtube
2) Picasa

Originally Posted by madpoet

All the "wait and see" posts are perfectly valid. Here's the problem though... they took everything, including support, down. We bought products with certain warranties and expectations of service and right now we have zero method of getting that. That is the short term issue thaat I think should be immediately addressed.

The email from Jeff stated support would continue.

Originally Posted by srothwell

As I mentioned earlier, we are going to soon be receiving an email starting with "in an effort to serve you better..." and the ending will be a monthly fee.

Maybe I'm out of touch, but what does Google have that requires a monthly fee? Gmail? No. Youtube? No. Google Maps/Earth? No. From my perspective, Google doesn't seem to have a "monthly fee" type business model.

[Dargason]

I'm with stranger89. The monthly fee concept for consumers is not part of the google business model. Google is first and foremost an advertising company, which means they make more money by having a larger audience. Monthly fees would significantly hurt that. I suspect they get a lot of their other revenue by licensing their services/software to businesses. (I wonder how much they get for every copy of Android out there?)

I am somewhat concerned about advertising. I expect that in the end Sage will be integrated into GoogleTV and there will be some sort of targeted advertising. But in most of the google consumer services that I use (gmail, google voice, google maps, google navigator, calendar, etc.) these ads are unobtrusive and sometimes even helpful. They DON'T force me to listen to an add for every voicemail I receive, for example, but they could. I would guess that in the end GoogleTV/Sage will be the same. (BTW, does GoogleTV have a bunch of ads associated with it? I've never even seen it.)

[mistergq]

Originally Posted by PiX64

Nof even for a really really awesome G-Pad?

doubt it, i really love my ipad since I got the kingston bluetooth keyboard.

[Rob]

I hope Jeff made out like a bandit, but I'm feeling like I just lost my best friend.

Fuzzy summed it up well for me. Most likely I'll keep the current setup and use it for a while. It is the community here that I will miss. I don't post a lot, but I do read alot and I don't see it surviving. I hope I'm wrong.

I know in some way Sage is already dying. I'd like a fix for the R5000 timeline problem, but that will never happen now. The other big thing I was waiting on was TV series support for SMM. Plucky already said he is relooking at WMC, so that also will probably never happen. Again, I hope I am wrong.

I do wish I could get a couple of HD300's to replace my 100's and a couple of more for backups. Maybe the store will open back up when the dust settles.

[darcilicious]

Originally Posted by mistergq

doubt it, i really love my ipad since I got the kingston bluetooth keyboard.

Which one is that exactly? I'm seriously in need!

[fidget]

Originally Posted by darcilicious

Which one is that exactly? I'm seriously in need!

I got this one for my wife's iPad.

http://www.zagg.com/accessories/logi...-keyboard-case

[ikurtram]

I don't know if I should be scared or excited about this aquisition.

[rparker]

I hope this will not end up being the death of sagetv.

But I am the only one that does not see google keeping it per say. since they have their on TV platform Already

* merged *

[darcilicious]

Originally Posted by fidget

I got this one for my wife's iPad.

http://www.zagg.com/accessories/logi...-keyboard-case

Thanks for the pointer!

[RedR]

Talk about a major wow post!!

Just wanted to say congrats to the folks at SageTV!!!!!

I've been with yall since 2004, and stuck with it because of the commitment from the folks at SageTV, and of course the lasting community. I remember early on, folks like stanger89, evilpenguin, nielm, and a few others really making SageTV stand out far and above the rest. Thanks to all of you, company men or community, its been an awesome ride with great support and kick ass community mods!! As is my wife, myself and even my lil one who when it came to watching TV, basically grew up only knowing the power of SageTV as her good ol "TV". Only the last few years she has learned what she knows as routine, none of her friends have anything alike.

SageTV started out at my house sharing a box recording analog SDTV on an old Sempron 2500+ with one PVR-250. At one point I had 5 tuners set up for SageTV along with a slew of long tweaked mods added. from 2004 to 2011, SageTV has always been 100% solid as a rock in my house. I've treated its setup, updates, mods all like a production environment and its returned the favor with 100% stability and reliability, so thank you all, it has and still is an awesome product in my home.

I look forward to see what this new future brings, to us all... at the very least it should be, interesting

Enjoy,
RedR

[tonysathre]

I'm not really sure what to think about this. What is going to happen to GoogleTV? Will they scrap that and rename SageTV to GoogleTV? Maybe now we can get native Netflix support.

[mistergq]

Originally Posted by darcilicious

Which one is that exactly? I'm seriously in need!

this is the one I got for the 1st generation ipad.
http://www.amazon.com/Kensington-Key...8525288&sr=8-3

Makes a life a lot easier when I am typing a long email.

[heffneil]

Originally Posted by fidget

Wow, who peed in your Cheerios this morning? While don't believe this is a good thing for the users, i do respect Jeff and company's decision. I have been using SageTV since version 1.4 and the only reason that I am not happy is because of Google's inability to produce a commercial product (e.g., one that they sell directly rather than give to an OEM form them to try and market). I am sure that Google has made some level of promises to Sage WRT keeping the product alive, but I don't expect them to try to keep them.

I don't know who tracker1001 is but who the hell is he to not allow Jeff and SageTV to take this opportunity. It would hardly call it gutless or cowardly. If anything it takes a lot of courage to sell your business when customers are depending on you. A few years ago I did something similar and I was given the impression the new owners cared about the customers as much as I do. I can only hope the philosophies of the old sage will be found in the new. Let's stop judging sagetv and just hope everything works out for us as committed end users.