SageTV acquired by Google

[joematt]

Originally Posted by moamoa

It's totally shoddy by the SageTV team. No excuses.

They should have arranged for the shop and other services to have remained fully operational until adequate alternates were in place. They should have negotiated this as part of the sale/transfer, if supporting of their customers was even on their list, or a real concern to them.

To leave customers unable to purchase extenders and so on is simply as slap in the face to they loyal customers.

Shame on you.

The company SageTV, LLC no longer exists. They cannot enter into any new contracts including selling you anything. The Google owns all of SageTV LLC's assets probably including Jeff so don't blame SageTV blame Google.

<speculation>I don't think SageTV had a choice but to sell to Google or go bankrupt.</speculation>

It is telling that Jeff did get what he got: forums still going and a promise to support existing users (Google has a contract to do) by support I don't mean anything new like firmware or software updates. It could have been just the announcement and nothing else.

[dbender]

Originally Posted by Fountainhead

Support is such a vague term. Tech support for software issues? Hardware warranty support? Software updates to address bugs? Could be all. Could be none.

I'm wondering about the last sentence in Jeff's post: "...while we don't have anything specific to announce at this time, we encourage interested developers to email sagetv-dev@google.com."

Could they be planning to turn over the source code to open source development? Possibly a SourceForge project?

Duane

[tvmaster2]

Originally Posted by OneOfMany

WOW! Stay away for a week and your house is sold when you come back.

I don't WANT an appliance. I dont WANT a cloud. I AM IN CONTROL OF MY DESTINY, and I am not ready to give it all up.

Damn, I am now having a crappy day..

Grant

Agreed - the cloud is lame. But I guess the tweener-tweeter-crowd are what drives commerce, and they want to watch Jackass on their smartphone.

[jreichen]

Originally Posted by dbender

I'm wondering about the last sentence in Jeff's post: "...while we don't have anything specific to announce at this time, we encourage interested developers to email sagetv-dev@google.com."

Could they be planning to turn over the source code to open source development? Possibly a SourceForge project?

Duane

That would be great, but I'm pretty sure it would be hosted on Google Code

[moothekow]

Originally Posted by tvmaster2

Agreed - the cloud is lame. But I guess the tweener-tweeter-crowd are what drives commerce, and they want to watch Jackass on their smartphone.

The hilarious part about 'the cloud' is you get companies like Google that want to push it extremely hard. On the other hand - it seems like ever internet access provider out there is doing their damnedest to restrict/limit access. Verizon just announced their absurdly overpriced data plans ($30 for 2GB?! ... awesome, thanks to their new blazing fast 4G network I can blow through it in half an hour!). Even non-wireless providers are working to limit how much people can use the net (see: AT&T and their new limits).

[chmilar]

On the pessimistic side, does anyone remember what happened when Google acquired Gizmo5?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gizmo5

After acquisition on November 12, 2009, Gizmo5 had a similar frontpage to the one we see now for SageTV, stating that it was now part of Google, not accepting new signups, and allowed you to signup for notification when Gizmo5 resumed accepting new clients.

Gizmo5 final shutdown was on April 3, 2011. They never did accept new clients (but did continue to run for existing clients until April 3).

http://www.google.com/gizmo5/

[panteragstk]

Originally Posted by joematt

<speculation>I don't think SageTV had a choice but to sell to Google or go bankrupt.</speculation>

I think this may have been exactly what happened. I think we'd be worse off if sage went bankrupt. It may not have happened as fast, but to avoid it sage was sold to google.

Like I said above, we don't know, and won't until there is more "official" information.

[gabrielcab]

Originally Posted by chmilar

On the pessimistic side, does anyone remember what happened when Google acquired Gizmo5?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gizmo5

After acquisition on November 12, 2009, Gizmo5 had a similar frontpage to the one we see now for SageTV, stating that it was now part of Google, not accepting new signups, and allowed you to signup for notification when Gizmo5 resumed accepting new clients.

Gizmo5 final shutdown was on April 3, 2011. They never did accept new clients (but did continue to run for existing clients until April 3).

http://www.google.com/gizmo5/

Is that legal? can a big company buy a small company that has a big potential and kill it before it can get in their feet? isn't that a kind monopoly?

[tvmaster2]

Originally Posted by moothekow

The hilarious part about 'the cloud' is you get companies like Google that want to push it extremely hard. On the other hand - it seems like ever internet access provider out there is doing their damnedest to restrict/limit access. Verizon just announced their absurdly overpriced data plans ($30 for 2GB?! ... awesome, thanks to their new blazing fast 4G network I can blow through it in half an hour!). Even non-wireless providers are working to limit how much people can use the net (see: AT&T and their new limits).

yes - isn't that interesting? Ask some Toronotians how happy they are with Rogers Cable overage-fees for internet.
Netflix - Hulu - google + cable co. fees = massive profits and lousy video quality.
We 'quality' seekers ARE in the minority.

[joematt]

Originally Posted by gabrielcab

Is that legal? can a big company buy a small growing company that has a big potential and stop it before it can get in their feet? isn't that a kind monopoly?

No sir that's good old American "Tea Bagger" Capitalism. What you a liberal? Those Randroids going to get you if you don't watch out!

Believe me the Gizmo5 owners cried all the way to the bank.

[tvmaster2]

Originally Posted by gabrielcab

Is that legal? can a big company buy a small growing company that has a big potential and stop it before it can get in their feet? isn't that a kind monopoly?

yes, and that's why they have lobbyists in Washington. Study the purchase of the former television airwaves a couple of years ago (Google again) and then go read 1984

[dealsdyker]

Don't be evil.

[tmiranda]

Originally Posted by joematt

<speculation>I don't think SageTV had a choice but to sell to Google or go bankrupt.</speculation>

It's extremely unlikely that this is the case.

[SHS]

Originally Posted by tmiranda

It's extremely unlikely that this is the case.

I aggree with tmiranda

[rdefino]

I feel Sagetv is over. Why would Google keep it alive?

I work for a Software company and over the years they have bought many many other software companies and never kept there product alive. They just incorporated it into our software and did away with what they didn't use.

I think they will just incorporate the technology into google tv.

My 2 cents. It sucks though!

[Evil_Attorney]

Brent just twittered:

Just received some answers regarding the Google Purchase of SageTV. Will have a full report on www.GeekTonic.com later today. Stay tuned

[lfilomeno]

Originally Posted by Evil_Attorney

Brent just twittered:

It seems like we will get some info finally!

[SHS]

Originally Posted by chmilar

On the pessimistic side, does anyone remember what happened when Google acquired Gizmo5?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gizmo5

After acquisition on November 12, 2009, Gizmo5 had a similar frontpage to the one we see now for SageTV, stating that it was now part of Google, not accepting new signups, and allowed you to signup for notification when Gizmo5 resumed accepting new clients.

Gizmo5 final shutdown was on April 3, 2011. They never did accept new clients (but did continue to run for existing clients until April 3).

http://www.google.com/gizmo5/

And you piont s what? after all Gizmo5 = Google Voice

[aedgington]

The other thing is I can't help but wonder if Google didn't just buy r&d and Sage (the interface/product) is dead.

If that's the case, then all the developers that put so much time and effort into Studio and really enhanced Sage's interface and brought it so far out of the niche application it was just got hung out to dry.

[Sparhawk6]

Originally Posted by SHS

And you piont s what? after all Gizmo5 = Google Voice

Uh, no, that was GrandCentral.