SageTV acquired by Google

[reggie14]

Originally Posted by wado1971

Google paid $30M for Gizmo5 (the voip startup). I would guess sagetv, with both the hardware & software would be higher. My guess is $45M.

$45M? Really?

Gizmo5 claimed to have 6 million users, and brought in about $20 million from investors. Even if you figure many of their users weren't regular users, that still sounds like a company an order of magnitude bigger than Sage.

We've never heard anything on the size of SageTV, but I've always guessed the number of active users is around 10,000-20,000. Probably a fair number of them have smaller setups consisting of just a server, unlike many of the active users on the forum.

My guess is something in the neighborhood of $5 million, with some type of promise of employment at Google for a period of time (with a generous severance package if they terminate employment).

[joematt]

What does Google want from SageTV?

What does SageTV have that all the others don't?

It's about Studio stupid!

[gabrielcab]

Originally Posted by joematt

What does Google want from SageTV?

What does SageTV have that all the others don't?

It's about Studio stupid!

Sage had the most advanced and complete centralized media solution available in the whole known universe, thats what sage had. Unfortunetly they "sage" had to keep a low profile because there is a much powerful force that the day sage flourish would start a holy war that simply sage team couldn't win "holywood, tv copyright lobbyist".

If you can't beat them, sell it.

[dealsdyker]

Originally Posted by Warwick

My issue with this closedown is that I have the server software but because I still have the trial client I will end up with useless software in a couple of weeks.

I bought the server and spent several weeks sorting out bugs before moving onto the client. I came to the site to buy the client a couple of hours too late and now have a sage server which will be useless.

That doesn't sit well with me at all. Suggestions welcome!

Same boat for me. I'm one of those "one server (WHS), one client" folks who just recently put a TV & small computer in the upstairs bedroom. Installed the client demo to make sure the 6 year old computer could handle it (with a graphics card Sage was amazingly fine tho netflix sucked on it). Went on vacation for a week, and came back Saturday to an expired trial license and no way to purchase. I also wanted an extender for the basement I'm finishing.

I see Opus posted last night with links to current downloads, so I know they are reading this thread *and* the software is still available. I would like to know what direction to take with my inability to add a client!

• Can existing customers purchase a license or client?
• Just what does this mean:and while we don’t have anything specific to announce at this time, we encourage interested developers to email: sagetv-dev@google.com Does that mean Google's hiring developers to work on something, or does it mean they are looking for a founders list before it goes open source?
• Will there be an interim for existing happy simple customers like me to get needed licenses?

A simple FAQ of what this means for current customers would be appreciated and should have been put on the page when the site closed down. I can wait a few weeks to get a license, or make other plans like a dedicated PC for Windows Media center. But not knowing even when I'll have more information to make a competent decision is frustrating at best.

Having the site shut down, including support, saying further information is forthcoming, without indicating a timeframe (2 days? 2 weeks? next year?) is not customer centric nor is it anything close to my prior experience with the former company. I hope some indication of when more information is forthcoming will be added soon.

EDIT: I just re-read the main page. I guess they didn't say more information was forthcoming. They just shut down and said "nothing to announce" other than the obvious: Anyone needing a license is screwed and nothing further to say.

[graywolf]

Originally Posted by karhill

I just paid for SageTV, and now, before I've had a chance to download the product even, they have pulled the links on their site.

This is close to a criminal action: it's a crime to take payment and not provide the product. I'm going to dispute this credit card payment.

I'm upset that SageTV is gone, but I'm even more upset about the way they have gone about this. To pull all links to the product is piss poor business practices.

You can still download it.
V7.0 (non-beta) See this thread. http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=56137

If you want the V7.1.9 RC then see this thread http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=56033

[kingwr]

Google didn't buy SageTV for the SageTV software, Studio, the HD300, or for the user-base. Google bought SageTV to bring tuner/TV support into GoogleTV. They are not going to abandon Android as a platform, nor are they going to something different from the Android Market for add-ons/apps. The underlying TV recording/queing technology and tuner support is why they purchased SageTV.

SageTV is dead, long live GoogleTV.

PS: While I am happy for narflex for his and other's windfall from this acquisition, I find the "gloating through smileys" somewhat inappropriate. This is a big change and most likely a big let down for your former customers and supporters, Jeff. Despite what you belive right now, SageTV customers will likely see support for their products dropped, with no new updates, ever. You may go on to develop great products with Google (or spend massive amounts of time on your yacht). That fact doesn't lessen the sting to SageTV users.

[mc2wheels]

Originally Posted by joematt

What does Google want from SageTV?

What does SageTV have that all the others don't?

It's about Studio stupid!

I like the idea of customization, but the "API" is like no other I have used. It reminds me of what programming a programmable remote used to be before the Harmony line came out.

But my information could be way out of date. I never looked at studio in 7... never recovered from the first look.

[Bagal]

Originally Posted by kingwr

...I find the "gloating through smileys" somewhat inappropriate.

I didn't feel like he was gloating at all, someone asked him if he was happy about the purchase and he responded with the smileys, I don't see anything wrong with that?

[wrems]

Originally Posted by joematt

What does Google want from SageTV?

What does SageTV have that all the others don't?

SageTV has Jeff.

His vision, expertise and his obviously tried and true experience. Google has developers that could, in time, recreate the wheel. If, and I think they are, keeping Jeff on as a lead they could be leveraging Jeff's dream/vision that he couldn't achieve without some much deeper pockets. Who's more qualified in the industry right now? Google's break-in to the tv side hasn't been an overwhelming success even though they have money and developers on their side. Do you think they're going to keep beating that drum or capitalize on the beginning of something bigger with Jeff's vista view?

Full Speed Ahead. Right?

[wayner]

But will Google use Jeff (and the other Sage folks) and their ideas?

Those of you that are former MCE users - do you remember Webguide? Webguide was a great addon for MCE that gave you a web interface plus Placeshifter capabilities.

MS hired the developer of WebGuide, Doug Berrett, and killed it. I don't think Doug has been heard from since he demoed a version of WebGuide on Live Mesh in March of 2009.

I know Google is not MS but these are the kind of things that worry me.

[phareous]

Its very frustrating that its been days now and no further info from sage or google... at least they could say what they are planning to do with regards to the store, download links, support, finishing the beta, etc. Silence isn't exactly the best PR move here

[pieroxy]

Originally Posted by phareous

Its very frustrating that its been days now and no further info from sage or google... at least they could say what they are planning to do with regards to the store, download links, support, finishing the beta, etc. Silence isn't exactly the best PR move here

From what other buyouts like this one have shown us, is that it may very well stay as it is for a while. And by a while, I mean months.

[kingwr]

Originally Posted by wrems

SageTV has Jeff.

Precisely. I don't have any special insight into SageTV or Google as to the motivation for such a merger. What I do have is experience with small, innovative software companies being bought by larger development companies with more rigid product structure and thicker bureaucracy.

Google didn’t pay $45 or $60 million for SageTV, and I doubt it was even $5 million. But I imagine there was some cash along with leadership roles on the GoogleTV team for Jeff, possibly Mike, and a few others from software development and/or marketing at SageTV. What I am certain of is that Google did not sign any contract or negotiate away their right to determine the direction of their products. Jeff may drive the technology vision (along with other talented folks already at GoogleTV), but he won’t have the final word as to fate of the SageTV software or hardware assets when it comes to support, licensing, ongoing development, etc. I have seen it time and time again where the leadership of these small technology companies are promised things during a merger, given certain assurances, only to see little of it come to fruition due to changes in market forces or direction coming down from on-high. I think the best we may see is a discount for former SageTV customers in the next version of GoogleTV hardware (which could literally be years away).

[jreichen]

Originally Posted by wado1971

So is this the reason mac software development stopped at v6. ?

I doubt it. That was at least a year ago.

Originally Posted by wado1971

During the cablecard/true2way discussion, SageTV/Jeff sent a letter out to some gov office (FCC?) and pushed for fair rights for sagetv in the cablecard arena. I remember also seeing a follow-up about some type of committee which was organized which SageTV and Google were both listed on --- does anyone remember this enough to clarify my memory? – could this have been the start of the relationship between Sage & Google?

It was a letter to the FCC. http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=47441

The new alliance is called AllVid.

[Fountainhead]

Originally Posted by phareous

Its very frustrating that its been days now and no further info from sage or google... at least they could say what they are planning to do with regards to the store, download links, support, finishing the beta, etc. Silence isn't exactly the best PR move here

I think it's pretty clear they don't intend to do anything with the store, links, beta, etc. SageTV as a company no longer exists. Why would they open the store or develop products? It's gone. What Google does with their purchase is unknown and I doubt they'll discuss it. But it won't be SageTV. I don't anticipate hearing explanations of any kind.

[valnar]

I know nobody wants to hear this, but if they closed these forums that would at least give us a definitive answer. Of course, give the choice between killing the forums or EPG flow, I'd say get rid of the forums. I need my Sage to work.

That being said, while things are still working, is there a plugin for v7 that I could download which will give at least the framework for XMLTV data? I don't want to replace what works now, but I'd like to get all the code in place in case I need it.

[aflat]

Android is java, sage is java. It would make sense for them to roll Sage into the Android platform, and make money off the market apps/ads/profile data like they do now for phones, but do it instead for set top boxes for cable companies/tivo/boxee whatever. Their userbase could increase a ton. Think about how many phones you have compared to how many TV's you have.

Purely a guess, but I can see the server going open source, and being added to the Android license.

[wayner]

Originally Posted by aflat

about how many phones you have compared to how many TV's you have.

We have about 8 TVs in our house (six with extenders) vs 2 cell phones (plus 2 tablets - iPads) so certainly more TVs than phones for us.

[wayner]

Originally Posted by valnar

I know nobody wants to hear this, but if they closed these forums that would at least give us a definitive answer. Of course, give the choice between killing the forums or EPG flow, I'd say get rid of the forums.

It would be nice if they would offer the forum database to the Sage Community and we could have it hosted somewhere else.

[tvmaster2]

Originally Posted by joematt

From the email:




SageTV as a company no longer exists. Google is not going to want to support new users.

it's the "old" users we are concerned about