SageTV acquired by Google

[sleonard]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

After the year, they will be liquidated as-is, no warranty included. This is not uncommon practice. Google/sage will not sell them directly, they will go off to some 3rd party liquidation warehouse to be sold out, probably for much less than the original list price.

That's what I think. Google likely thinks the liability of selling the remaining stock at retail is more costly than simply trashing them. I'm hoping that we can get Jeff to allow someone here or even a group of us to be that 3rd party liquidation wharehouse. I know I would pony up the $$$ towards buying up all the remaining stock with an eye to reselling them to Sage users.

Of course, in a year things may have changed a lot and sagoogle might be offering the equivalent of the Sagoogle HD400 making the existing stock worthless.

S

[gsr]

Originally Posted by valnar

Of course, but they have a more vested interest in their Sage setup. People with 2-4 tuners could....if a gun was pointed to our heads....find an alternate product to do most of what we want. I know of nothing extensible that could handle 8 tuners in a client/server model outside of Sage.

I know I'm responding to a somewhat older message, but...

BeyondTV supports a large number of tuners (certainly more than 8) and can be used as both a server and a client on each PC it's installed on (a client only version of the software can be purchased at a reduced cost. BeyondTV obviously doesn't have a dedicated extender like Sage has and pretty much just does TV - it won't play your DVD / Bluray movie collection for you.

If one installs Tuner Salad (and there's another product that offers the same capability), 12 identical tuners can be used with Windows Media Center. If more tuners are needed, one can mix and match up to 12 tuners of each type (so 12 CableCard tuners and 12 OTA tuners could be used for a total of 24 tuners). WMC can handle playback of DVD and Bluray media (some 3rd party pieces are needed to make it work well). Unfortunately, the XBOX 360 extender option isn't exactly ideal for doing so - this is best done on the primary WMC box. If Microsoft were to ever release the so called SoftSled extender software so one could use additional PC's as extenders, this would solve one of the big weak points of using WMC for everything.

So there ARE options, but each option (including SageTV) has a different set of good and bad points.

[wayner]

Do people really need that many tuners unless they are doing some sort of specialized media monitoring? I have six tuners - three of which are OTA, and I rarely use more than one OTA tuner, but I am not big on most network programming. In total I don't think I ever use more than three tuners. With all of the other options, such as Hulu, Netflix and Torrents, do you really need more than about 4 tuners at the absolute most?

[toricred]

I have a family of 5 and 10 tuners. It's not at all unusual for 8 or more tuners to be used during prime time.

[wayner]

For recording or watching LiveTV? I forgot that people still watch Live TV - certainly my children don't understand that concept.

[toricred]

Mostly just recording, but one of the kids watches live on occassion.

[david1234]

Originally Posted by wayner

For recording or watching LiveTV? I forgot that people still watch Live TV - certainly my children don't understand that concept.

I just changed my settings not to remove padding on back to back favorites. I got tired of watching something, deleting it, then watching the show before it only to find I'd already deleted the last 3 or 4 minutes of the show!

So, now I can actually have 2 tuners recording the same channel at the same time.

[gsr]

Originally Posted by wayner

Do people really need that many tuners unless they are doing some sort of specialized media monitoring? I have six tuners - three of which are OTA, and I rarely use more than one OTA tuner, but I am not big on most network programming. In total I don't think I ever use more than three tuners. With all of the other options, such as Hulu, Netflix and Torrents, do you really need more than about 4 tuners at the absolute most?

It doesn't happen often, but I do need 8 tuners every once in a while (for recording, I don't watch much other than sports live). Not because there are actually 8 things on at the same time, but because of overlap due to setting things up to start a few minutes early and end a few minutes late. During the busy TV season, I'll usually end up with a handful of nights over the course of the season where this happens. I have absolutely no interest in obtaining TV programming from Hulu, Netflix, Torrents, etc. unless I was unable to record the episode for some reason (not enough tuners, no signal due to weather, etc.).

[mkanet]

Wow, all this time, I didnt know/care what that feature was for. Thanks!

Originally Posted by david1234

I just changed my settings not to remove padding on back to back favorites. I got tired of watching something, deleting it, then watching the show before it only to find I'd already deleted the last 3 or 4 minutes of the show!

So, now I can actually have 2 tuners recording the same channel at the same time.

[david1234]

In all honesty, I changed the setting last night, because Big Bang Theory kept losing it's last couple minutes... and I happened to remember that I'd read about that setting in the forum not too long ago. I haven't actually had it get used yet!

http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?p=481627

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by gsr

BeyondTV supports a large number of tuners (certainly more than 8) and can be used as both a server and a client on each PC it's installed on (a client only version of the software can be purchased at a reduced cost. BeyondTV obviously doesn't have a dedicated extender like Sage has and pretty much just does TV - it won't play your DVD / Bluray movie collection for you.

But BTV is basically as dead as SageTV is so it doesn't seem like a viable alternative.

[sandor]

Originally Posted by david1234

In all honesty, I changed the setting last night, because Big Bang Theory kept losing it's last couple minutes... and I happened to remember that I'd read about that setting in the forum not too long ago. I haven't actually had it get used yet!

http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?p=481627

it is really annoying how some stations are pushing their shows a minute or two past the hour/half hour....

[EasyME]

I honestly believe that google acquired/purchased SageTV for the placeshifting abilities as it has a need of it for their android technology.

Think of the possibilities the placeshifter technology has as an android component that is assimilated into its "honey comb" bee hive; lets face it folks... android really needs a better foundation for streaming media content and google isn't blind to that fact.

don't get your hopes down on that the product will be doomed, I do believe that when google saw this product it knew that it was/is great and could continue to grow to an even greater component under android/chrome OS.

I look forward to seeing how Narflex Inc.. plays a part in this... (but 1st get a good vacation) if you think SageTV was delivering code fast and furious before, wait t'll you hit the droid community and its demand for more media and flexible ways of acquiring and viewing it (I give you 6 months of rest t'll your little fingers start itching to push keys - lol).

Thanks you guys (community included) for all the years of entertainment you gave me and my family, such great product,plugins and support.

[Fonceur]

Originally Posted by EasyME

android really needs a better foundation for streaming media content

Then again, Google bought a streaming company at the start of 2010 and that didn't improve the streaming on Android devices in any shape or form... They've had unofficial HTTP Live streaming since 2.3, but it keeps changing/breaking at each OS update...

[SHS]

I think EasyME is off by a mile oh make that 11 miles
Google own way more the video/streaming company then all think it all started with YouTube
Marratech
GrandCentral
Omnisio
On2
Episodic
Quiksee
Widevine Tecnologies
Next New Networks
Green Parrot Pictures
SageTV
Here the list
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...ions_by_Google

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by EasyME

I honestly believe that google acquired/purchased SageTV for the placeshifting abilities as it has a need of it for their android technology.

Think of the possibilities the placeshifter technology has as an android component that is assimilated into its "honey comb" bee hive; lets face it folks... android really needs a better foundation for streaming media content and google isn't blind to that fact.

I'm with SHS, I just don't buy that, at least not that it's "just" that. If Google wanted to improve android streaming in general, it would be way easier to hire some talented developers than to purchase an entire company.

Placeshifter just isn't that special from a streaming perspective, it uses largely off the shelf and open source components (ie ffmpeg).

don't get your hopes down on that the product will be doomed, I do believe that when google saw this product it knew that it was/is great and could continue to grow to an even greater component under android/chrome OS.

I hope this is right, that Google has grand plans for SageTV largely "as is" that being a system that manages all things media, on all TVs and devices you own, giving you access to all your media anywhere, any time.

[teq]

Well, honestly, I would have much preferred if a company like Logitech had bought SageTV instead of Google. At least Logitech knows how to develop and sell hardware. I bought a Squeezebox when they were still made by Slimdevices, and I think they have prospered nicely since they were acquired by Logitech (just look at all the different Squeezebox models released since then).

Google and SageTV on the other hand - I don't think it will be good for current SageTV users.

Just my 5 cents.

teq

[wayner]

I agree - what is best for the users of SageTV is not what is best from Google's perspective, especially if they want to cut deals with the large media companies. Facilitating stuff like recording HDTV with no DRM, placeshifting, commercial skipping and integrating ripped DVDs/BRs is not something that really makes sense for a company like Google unless they really are willing to alienate the big media companies.

[Fuzzy]

I think Sage's most unique aspect that google doesn't already own from somewhere else is actually the studio language. Even just the cross platform, fully scalable presentation system is enough to make it worth the purchase. It's nothing that any of the other scalable presentation frameworks can't do (Windows Presentation Foundation in .Net 4 is VERY good), but it is already implemented in a way that can easily be (and already has been) spread to different platforms.

[heatvent]

I saw the comments on just hiring talented programmers. I think the idea of acquiring an existing company/technology/know how is its quicker and sometimes cheaper to but something out there alread. Developing takes time and may or may not yield what you want. Companies buy other companies as a short cut to either expand market share or enter a new market/niche. I don't think Google is expanding market share or buying SageTV to hire Jeff. If that were the case, they would still be selling SageTV and its related products. I think Google plans on using the technology in the product (streaming, placeshifting, DVR) and bought SageTV to have full control over it (the could of just contracted with SageTV if they wanted). We also don't know Jeff's side of the story. There are also many reasons that go into selling a company. Maybe SageTV was just scaping by, maybe Jeff is tired of trying to grow a company and keep it moving and just wants to go to work and spend more time with friends and family, maybe Google misvalued his technology and made him an offer he couldn't refuse, maybe Jeff always wanted to work at a big company like Google. There are certainly parts of the story that have not been told so all we can do is look at the signs....SageTV, outside if minimal support, has ceased operations. I would also venture to guess that liquidating extenders in any way would not be very profitable and probably conflicts with the reasons Google bought SageTV.