SageTV acquired by Google

[heffneil]

Originally Posted by stanger89

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.

Do you want ads on your tv? In the above list I don't see anything that didn't get hammered with ads. I paid for my license and I won't tolerate ads popping up for things that are relevant for my show.

The future is still pretty unknown. Wish I could order another license for my tuner machine but doesn't looks possible. What a shame.

[darcilicious]

Originally Posted by mistergq

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.

Excellent! Similar pricing for the iPad 2 version as well Just about to hit the purchase button

[Fountainhead]

Well I just read through most of this thread. I for one can't see this as anything but the end of SageTV as we know it. Not a chance in the world Google will keep this product in its present form, nor will they create a better product in a similar vein. What they most likely will do is take the underlying technology and apply it towards whatever streaming/media service they're wanting to pursue, and I'm guessing that won't include recording TV onto your own server, or streaming your ripped DVD's to your TV.

Think cloud service. Think...nothing at all like what SageTV is today. Why would they want you to be able to stream your own stuff from your own server? What would that get them?

If my current setup continues to work, fine. I got what I paid for. If Sage becomes useless because I can't get reliable TV listings, or I can't reinstall my software because it needs to be authorized by some no longer existing Sage server, then I'll be more than a little miffed.

[SteveD]

Originally Posted by Fountainhead

Well I just read through most of this thread. I for one can't see this as anything but the end of SageTV as we know it. Not a chance in the world Google will keep this product in its present form, nor will they create a better product in a similar vein. What they most likely will do is take the underlying technology and apply it towards whatever streaming/media service they're wanting to pursue, and I'm guessing that won't include recording TV onto your own server, or streaming your ripped DVD's to your TV.

Think cloud service. Think...nothing at all like what SageTV is today. Why would they want you to be able to stream your own stuff from your own server? What would that get them?

If my current setup continues to work, fine. I got what I paid for. If Sage becomes useless because I can't get reliable TV listings, or I can't reinstall my software because it needs to be authorized by some no longer existing Sage server, then I'll be more than a little miffed.

If you are concerned about license validation, find a computer in your house that hasn't had a sagetv product installed, disconnect it from the internet, load the software, If it activates, you know there is no validation server necessary.

[GKusnick]

Originally Posted by Fountainhead

Think cloud service. Think...nothing at all like what SageTV is today. Why would they want you to be able to stream your own stuff from your own server? What would that get them?

Why would they need to buy SageTV in order to do something that's nothing at all like what SageTV does? What do you think the underlying technology is good for, if not for recording TV onto your own server?

[PLUCKYHD]

Originally Posted by GKusnick

Why would they need to buy SageTV in order to do something that's nothing at all like what SageTV does? What do you think the underlying technology is good for, if not for recording TV onto your own server?

Recording yes, letting us record to our computers highly unlikely. It would more than likely be a box with built in hard drive. Google thinks mass consumers an mass consumers is not recording to your pc.

[Fountainhead]

Originally Posted by GKusnick

Why would they need to buy SageTV in order to do something that's nothing at all like what SageTV does? What do you think the underlying technology is good for, if not for recording TV onto your own server?

I'm sure they're interested in some sort of PVR service. I just don't think that service will resemble the way that we currently use Sage. I imagine what we know as Sage will be integrated into televisions or google set top boxes for interfacing with cloud-based google services...not your own PC's or media collections.

I'm just speculating obviously. But I just can't imagine google continuing with SageTV as we know it.

[valnar]

I'm thinking the "Windows" code meant nothing to Google. The Linux code probably more. As Pluckyhd said, it will have to be some mass market (ie. foolproof) product if Google is interested in it. Maybe a direct competitor to Tivo?

But it does seem silly, on the surface, that Google would be willing to buy such a small product that they could easily develop an alternative to in house. Something is afoot.

[panteragstk]

One thing I don't think anyone has mentioned is the fact that google may just leave things the way they are and just use sage as another google company (youtube, picasa, etc.) Just because google bought sage doesn't mean anything bad, it could mean the sage we know and love is here to stay, but now they have more staying power because of google's deep deep pockets.

Of course I could be totally wrong, but one thing I do know (we all do) is that without something like this happening sage would die a slow and painful death. The user base would dwindle to nothing as streaming and cloud based services become dominant. Why keep an archive of TV when hulu and netflix have a much larger archive? I'm not saying I'd want it that way (especially from a quality standpoint), but we all know that is where things are going and that is what sage is lacking the most.

Speculation threads are annoying, but they do provide a great look at everyone's opinions. I'm not going to cry (literally, think of the wasted time, my setup isn't even finished yet) until Jeff comes in and says sage is done and he is now a google employee and will start developing the next googletv.

EDIT: to Ben. You have way, way too much free time. I now know why ortus is so awesome (ui, not taking anything from away from phipps). I'm just glad I got it before this happened.

[phelme]

Originally Posted by darcilicious

Excellent! Similar pricing for the iPad 2 version as well Just about to hit the purchase button

get a room already you iPad people.

[darcilicious]

get a room already you iPad people.

(sorry about that! all done now )

[kmp14]

Positive spin here, let's hope he is right:

http://www.zatznotfunny.com/2011-06/...tware-company/

[mickdaly]

Originally Posted by Fountainhead

If my current setup continues to work, fine. I got what I paid for. If Sage becomes useless because I can't get reliable TV listings, or I can't reinstall my software because it needs to be authorized by some no longer existing Sage server, then I'll be more than a little miffed.

You can say that again, except that MIFFED is not the word we will be using!

[mistergq]

Originally Posted by kmp14

Positive spin here, let's hope he is right:

http://www.zatznotfunny.com/2011-06/...tware-company/

If you read the articles/blogs reporting it, it appears this has more to do with the inadequacies of googletv not having a DVR solution. I am hoping that is true.

[JetreL]

Hey gang,

I know it’s easy to push the panic button when big announcements happen but truly we will not know what will happen with SageTV until it’s released or we wait a few weeks/months to see if any development happens. I guess what I am saying is time will tell and all this conjecture is really not helping anything. SageTV still works. We just received a new beta in the last week so let’s sit back to wait and see what happens. And then start to panic when things don’t happen or an announcement comes out about EOL. Before the v7 beta it was months between updates and sage still worked. So we are not missing anything yet.

I personally am on the fence about SageTV and Google. Google support is generally very sparse but I hope this is an exception and they continue to work on this product with the resources it deserves. Congratulations to the Jeff and the Sage Team. You have a great product and I can’t think of anyone that (I don’t know but appreciate their work immensely) would like for them to succeed.

Time will tell…

* merged *

[toricred]

It's also possible Google bought Sage to get access to the genius that is Jeff Kardatzke.

[matterw]

While this is totally speculation, I am curious why Google would want Sage.

Objectively, here's what I came up with:
1) Use SageTV front-end to offer Google TV
2) Want experts to head up Google's Google TV Project
3) Capture the current SageTV user base as Google TV Customers
4) Re-brand SageTV as Google TV

To be honest, none of this pop or stand out more than another.

What are you thought? Why?

* merged *

[bastafidli]

Originally Posted by brainbone

Though Google stopped the use of SIP with GrandCentral, and that was a game changer for some -- and the workarounds still aren't exactly stable.

+1, The same with Gizmo 5. The story is that the client portion of the software is usually in jeopardy. The server portion usuallyfits in Google's strategy and survive. I have high hope in Sage hardware since Google doesn't have anything like that and needs it. Front end for Google backend.

[robk]

Originally Posted by JetreL

We just received a new beta in the last week so let’s sit back to wait and see what happens.

Any possibility 7.19RC has a Google Bomb? Perfect way to contact almost every user - either by message or disable a few plugins? Yes, I'm paranoid.

Rob

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by matterw

While this is totally speculation, I am curious why Google would want Sage.

Objectively, here's what I came up with:
1) Use SageTV front-end to offer Google TV
2) Want experts to head up Google's Google TV Project
3) Capture the current SageTV user base as Google TV Customers
4) Re-brand SageTV as Google TV

To be honest, none of this pop or stand out more than another.

What are you thought? Why?

* merged *

The best situation I can think of would be:
Google makes a GoogleTV front-end that runs on the the HD300 boxes (which are MORE than capable).
GoogleTV obtains a SageTV client capability
Google completes sage's desires for an off-the shelf sagetv recording server that could then be used to serve up to GoggleTV enabled TV's, while at the same time, the extender can bring GoogleTV to any non-Googlized TV.