Just in case- Alternatives to SageTV

[heffe2001]

Originally Posted by sub

Sorry - I'm not trying to spam the Sage forums with "you should be using NextPVR" posts, but here is a video that shows NextPVR in use on a Sigma based PopcornHour A-100 extender, captured with a Hauppauge Colossus.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhZINoWUIc4

Looks pretty nice, might be a decent alternative. I'm guessing no Ceton or SiliconDust Prime support currently though?

[jaminben]

Originally Posted by PLUCKYHD

You know it is funny you say that me and my wife where just saying the other day how our daughter will never know what a tube tv is/was.

Heh, we said the samething.... the same can be said for records (vinyl), tapes and eight-tracks.... oh wait I'm too young to remember eight-tracks

[davephan]

Originally Posted by unclepoo

I use the MediaMVP daily, The sound is fine, the picture is fine.
No, It's not HD, but then I don't have an HDTV anyway.

If you compare the MVP to the HD-200 or HD-300 with the audio running through a decent stereo, and you still have your hearing, then you would realize that the MVP audio is horrible! I am not young, and my hearing has declined some and I can hear a big difference between the two. The MVP video is very poor quality too. I suspect most people that have replaced the MVP with the HD extenders would feel the same way. If there wasn't a big difference, then people would keep the SD and MVP audio and save the money on the upgrade.

Once people are used to the higher audio and video quality, then a MVP is a non-starter as a replacement for the HD extenders.

Dave

[valnar]

Unless three of my TV's are weird, or both of my previous MVP's were defective, I'd say there is a marked difference between them an the HDx00 Sigma extenders. Even before I got my MVP I saw a big decrease in quality from a lowly PIII client with a Matrox card I was using as a Sage client via s-video.

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by unclepoo

again, i may be in the minority, but I am positive not everyone has HDTV, I don't plan on getting one until a broken TV causes me to.
and I am fine with SD mpeg2.
I had assumed this was a general discussion on alternatives to SageTV and Wasn't restricted only to HD users.

But you don't even have to get into "HD" to realize that the MVP is crap compared to the HDxxx. I used one for a while on my secondary TV for a while. It's an acceptable alternative to a full PC (which was the only other option at the time) if you're doing nothing but playing SD MPEG-2 recordings, which are natively supported.

But notice I said "acceptable", the UI performance is significantly inferior, and the second you toss anything non-MPEG-2 into the mix, say Youtube, ripped DVDs (say "divx" ones), the fact that the MVP only supports 480i MPEG-2 becomes a very large problem.

And then of course there's the issue that it's become increasingly difficult to avoid HD anymore, the standard broadcast format (OTA) is HD (NTSC is gone - effectively), one of the easiest way to get cable results in HD (QAM) sometimes you can't even get analog/SD without a box anymore.

I don't know if you're in the minority being SD only (probably are), but you are very much in the minority if you don't do anything but 480i TV recordings.

[unclepoo]

I just wanted a clarification on the original post about Mythtv, and extenders
by all that was thrown at me, I guess this is pointless.

I have neither and HDTV, or a card that records in HD

I have a PVR 350 and record from a minibox (previous to this i recorded classic cable straight from the card.

Yes I do record in mpeg2, and I don't rip dvd's or watch divx
I also use the media mvp with the sagetv and stream mp3's to another room

I have no problem with the sound, video, or the UI performance on the mediamvp

I never said here or anywhere, that HD doesn't blow SD out of the water

I never claimed here or anywhere that an HD extender doesn't make mine look like crap by comparison.

Just for the record however I wasn't doing a comparison. with the exception of the possible end of SageTV, I am happy with what I have.

as far as what is acceptable goes, I guess I had improperly thought that these decisions were personal, It has never occured to me to go to the forums and see what others thought about using an SD extender and a non HDTV.

Having read all of the messages, it is obvious I am in need of an Intervention
let me know when your raise the money.

[IVB]

Originally Posted by unclepoo

Having read all of the messages, it is obvious I am in need of an Intervention
let me know when your raise the money.

OMG Man, you're even worse off than we thought!

I have a 42" 480p in the MBR (got it years ago when 720p was silly expensive), trying to figure out how to kill it so I can upgrade. It's not worth anything now. Perhaps I should just drop it off at your house instead...

[jpwegas]

Originally Posted by PLUCKYHD

You know it is funny you say that me and my wife where just saying the other day how our daughter will never know what a tube tv is/was.

That's funny, tonight at dinner I mentioned something about eating corn on the cob like you use a typewriter and then realized that my kids didn't really know what I was talking about.

--John

[SWKerr]

Originally Posted by PLUCKYHD

You know it is funny you say that me and my wife where just saying the other day how our daughter will never know what a tube tv is/was.

I still have trouble believing my Grandmother learned to drive in a Model T.

We just got rid of the last tube TV so my kids know what a tube TV is but they look at me crazy when I tell them about the Black and White set we when I was a kid. We also used to have to get up to change the channel. My first remote control had a cord that plugged into the TV and it was the greatest invention ever.

I keep hearing these idiots saying we have not made any major advancements in the last 25 years and wonder where these people live. I sat on the couch last week and worked a full day accessing everything I needed from my laptop and cell phone. I watched Turner and Hooch last night with the kids and thought my god this movie is old because Tom Hanks was talking on a phone with a cord but really it was not that long ago that was common. (Although Grandma held on to that Rotary phone forever and about died when she could no longer get rotary service).

The world is changing fast and I wonder if when I 80 I'll even recognize the world from my youth.

[emveepee]

Originally Posted by gplasky

This is done with the MediaMVP just like it was done on SageTV and GB-PVR. An alternate flash is done to the device.

I started working in extenders via MythTV and mvpmc and it is quite different then NPVR/GB-PVR and the MVP. The MythTV client is a full client, with NPVR/GB-PVR it is a dumb client with the host PC doing most of the work. I tried to interest MythTV and MediaPortal in the dumb client extender approach but their development really focuses on clients. I even had my extender working with BTV skins.

But the MediaMVP only supports mpeg2 so it will not handle any h.264 or .ts stream.

mvpmc also doesn't support AC3 which make is useless for SD QAM, but it definitely supports both mpeg ps and ts from NPVR without remuxing.

Also for clarification on another post about the poor audio quality of the MVP, with mvpmc bit-perfect audio is possible, I tested it with DTS and AC3 files when I added native FLAC support.

Martin

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by davephan

I agree. Don't even think about using the Media MVP. The picture and sound quality is lousy compared to the HD extenders. If it isn't possible to have some form of HD extender equal to the SageTV HD-200 or HD-300, then a the client will have to be on a PC. This is unfortunate, since the PC will cost more, draw more power, is larger in size, and will make noise unless you put extra money into it to make is silent or near silent.

You can easily build a brand new client PC for the same or less than the current cost of an HD-300. Heck, if you check craigslist and such, you could probably get a used PC that is MORE than powerful enough to be a sage client, with it's windows install included for <$100, then spend $25 on a newer video card, and $50 for a USB-UIRT, and have a very decent client.

[rickgillyon]

I have 6 MVPs in the house, and on the TVs they are on, playing through TV speakers, they look and sound just fine, whether playing mpg or other file types transcoded by the server. As good as any SDTV.

You lot are just TV snobs!

[unclepoo]

Thank you Rick,
if my gaining all of the HDTV equipment will cause me to treat others as rudely as I have been treated, I pray I never get it.

[valnar]

Originally Posted by emveepee

mvpmc also doesn't support AC3 which make is useless for SD QAM

Also for clarification on another post about the poor audio quality of the MVP, with mvpmc bit-perfect audio is possible, I tested it with DTS and AC3 files when I added native FLAC support.

Wait, what?

[emveepee]

Originally Posted by valnar

Wait, what?

In the second case I was talking AC3 in an audio file (.flac, .wav, .ac3), not in a video. mvpmc can output AC3 from an mpeg file including digital pass through, but it can't do any AC3 a/v sync.

Martin.

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

You can easily build a brand new client PC for the same or less than the current cost of an HD-300. Heck, if you check craigslist and such, you could probably get a used PC that is MORE than powerful enough to be a sage client, with it's windows install included for <$100, then spend $25 on a newer video card, and $50 for a USB-UIRT, and have a very decent client.

I hope you're talking the current ebay cost (~$300), and don't forget about a Windows license.

[valnar]

Originally Posted by emveepee

In the second case I was talking AC3 in an audio file (.flac, .wav, .ac3), not in a video. mvpmc can output AC3 from an mpeg file including digital pass through, but it can't do any AC3 a/v sync.

Martin.

I must be missing something. What does the highlighted section mean? Can it play recorded TV shows, MKV files, etc with AC3 or not? If not, then NPVR is not a viable alternative.

[ivseenbetter]

I don't understand what the problem is. There are tons of people that have been using older versions of Sage for years now. I personally am new to Sage but even with the stoppage for development I bought it because it has what I need already...there is no mandatory need for further development.

v7 gives a great interface...with Diamond really making it flexible

No need for EPG because Netflix and Hulu are my DVR...thanks to Playon

BMT rounds it all out by inputing a vast majority of the metadata required to make it look like a final product

If development stops right now all of those things are still in place. I see no reason to look for alternatives. People are worried about their extenders dieing...how often does that happen? If they were shoddy units we wouldn't have bought them to begin with. Seriously, barring a freak accident you don't have to worry about your extender going anywhere.

Sure, the system can't grow to more tv's but I'm betting there are ways around that too. Heck, I wanted another extender until I realized I could use the HDMI-out on the server to make it work as a client as well...now I found I am plus one on Sage outputs. I'm sure in the future it will be possible to buy another HD300 at a reasonable price once all of the panic dies down.

[lfilomeno]

Originally Posted by ivseenbetter

I don't understand what the problem is. There are tons of people that have been using older versions of Sage for years now. I personally am new to Sage but even with the stoppage for development I bought it because it has what I need already...there is no mandatory need for further development.

v7 gives a great interface...with Diamond really making it flexible

No need for EPG because Netflix and Hulu are my DVR...thanks to Playon

BMT rounds it all out by inputing a vast majority of the metadata required to make it look like a final product

If development stops right now all of those things are still in place. I see no reason to look for alternatives. People are worried about their extenders dieing...how often does that happen? If they were shoddy units we wouldn't have bought them to begin with. Seriously, barring a freak accident you don't have to worry about your extender going anywhere.

Sure, the system can't grow to more tv's but I'm betting there are ways around that too. Heck, I wanted another extender until I realized I could use the HDMI-out on the server to make it work as a client as well...now I found I am plus one on Sage outputs. I'm sure in the future it will be possible to buy another HD300 at a reasonable price once all of the panic dies down.

Can you share how can you make an HDMI port as a client?

[jptheripper]

Originally Posted by lfilomeno

Can you share how can you make an HDMI port as a client?

my guess is he has a headless server, but realized he could run in client mode (-client) right on the server to get an additional interface.