Just in case- Alternatives to SageTV

[sflamm]

curious, can anyone give a quick run down on where the xbmc efforts stand? I looked a long long time ago... and it wasnt even close to on par with SageTV.

now that SageTV development is kaput it seems prudent to keep an eye on alternatives (still hoping Google will take up the reigns on SageTV though).

thoughts? experiences?

* merged *

[panteragstk]

Plex is a really good spin off (?) off xbmc that has a client server model similar to what we enjoy with sage. I've used it and it works well, but you aren't getting live tv or a guide with it. AFAIK xbmc pvr development is still alpha. They are both great for stored media, but online services are lacking (at least with plex) and as I said no pvr functionality.

[ChePazzo]

So I just installed MythTV as a KVM guest and used the tutorial to set up my hdhr-cc and have successfully recorded encrypted shows onto an nfs share that is also one of my SageTV import directories. The setup could not have been easier.

So ... while not an ideal all-in-one solution, I plan to dedicate 2 of the tuners to MythTV for recording encrypted stuff and my other 3 (3rd from hdhr-cc and 2 from hdhr-orig) to SageTV for all other recordings and use SageTV extenders as my front-end.

I will also say that setting up the channels on MythTV was significantly simpler than with SageTV after I purchased the $25/yr subscription from SchedulesDirect.org, so if Google shuts down the free channelguide for Sage, I will most likely move all 5 tuners to MythTV and use MythTV as my DVR and SageTV as my media server (because so far nothing compares to SageTV).

Aforementioned tutorial:
http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/Configuri...DHomeRun_Prime

(I tried SageDCT, but my only Windows box is a netbook and I never actually got it to work. I will continue tinkering with that as the all-in-one SageTV solution, but the idea of shelling out >$100 for Windows7 + a PC beefy enough to handle *just* the OS is a hard sell for me)

[mguebert]

Originally Posted by ChePazzo

So I just installed MythTV as a KVM guest and used the tutorial to set up my hdhr-cc and have successfully recorded encrypted shows onto an nfs share that is also one of my SageTV import directories. The setup could not have been easier.

So ... while not an ideal all-in-one solution, I plan to dedicate 2 of the tuners to MythTV for recording encrypted stuff and my other 3 (3rd from hdhr-cc and 2 from hdhr-orig) to SageTV for all other recordings and use SageTV extenders as my front-end.

I will also say that setting up the channels on MythTV was significantly simpler than with SageTV after I purchased the $25/yr subscription from SchedulesDirect.org, so if Google shuts down the free channelguide for Sage, I will most likely move all 5 tuners to MythTV and use MythTV as my DVR and SageTV as my media server (because so far nothing compares to SageTV).

Aforementioned tutorial:
http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/Configuri...DHomeRun_Prime

(I tried SageDCT, but my only Windows box is a netbook and I never actually got it to work. I will continue tinkering with that as the all-in-one SageTV solution, but the idea of shelling out >$100 for Windows7 + a PC beefy enough to handle *just* the OS is a hard sell for me)

Are you sure about the encrypted part, all of the non Win MC solutions out there are for copy freely content only, at least that I know of anyway. I read through the tutorial link and it does indicate that is the case. Just wondering?

[tmiranda]

Originally Posted by mguebert

Are you sure about the encrypted part, all of the non Win MC solutions out there are for copy freely content only, at least that I know of anyway. I read through the tutorial link and it does indicate that is the case. Just wondering?

Here is a quote from that guide:

A Lock message of LAMc indicates the channel is encrypted and untuneable. There are multiple possibilities. Either the channel might not be copy-freely, and thus is uncapturable in MythTV, or your CableCard may not have been properly activated.

[drewg]

Originally Posted by ChePazzo

So I just installed MythTV as a KVM guest and used the tutorial to set up my hdhr-cc and have successfully recorded encrypted shows onto an nfs share that is also one of my SageTV import directories. The setup could not have been easier.

How do you handle file naming & deletion?

I originally came from MythTV to SageTV for the extenders back when the HD100 came out. I always thought that MythTV did a better job with recording than Sage did. When I first got the HD100, I was initially feeding SageTV MythTV recordings via mythrename.pl. But this was before metadata fetching via BMT was possible, and I hated having the schedule & delete recordings via a separate interface. I finally converted everything to SageTV after a month or so.

I suppose somebody could write an SageTV extension to tell MythTV to delete a recording..

Drew

[ChePazzo]

Originally Posted by mguebert

Are you sure about the encrypted part, all of the non Win MC solutions out there are for copy freely content only, at least that I know of anyway. I read through the tutorial link and it does indicate that is the case. Just wondering?

Encrypted, but copy freely. Without the cablecard, I can't see anything. Cablecard allows me to watch the encrypted channels as long as they are copy freely (which for Comcast, is mostly everything except premium -- HBO, etc).

[ChePazzo]

Originally Posted by drewg

How do you handle file naming & deletion?

I originally came from MythTV to SageTV for the extenders back when the HD100 came out. I always thought that MythTV did a better job with recording than Sage did. When I first got the HD100, I was initially feeding SageTV MythTV recordings via mythrename.pl. But this was before metadata fetching via BMT was possible, and I hated having the schedule & delete recordings via a separate interface. I finally converted everything to SageTV after a month or so.

I suppose somebody could write an SageTV extension to tell MythTV to delete a recording..

Drew

I'm still working on that part. I'm still tinkering with the setup, but it is infinitely better than relying on the crappy Comcast DVR to record the non-broadcast stuff. Right now, I have to manage all of the Prime's recordings via MythTV (scheduling and recording), so I have to delete things from two places.

Mythbuntu came with mythlink.pl to create symlinks to the original mpegs. I just have to make sure that my dir paths are the same between the two boxes (don't want a symlink pointing to a non-existant path). (mythlink has replaced mythrename since apparently the rename did more harm than good.)

[ChePazzo]

Just found this on the Google TV G+ page:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/...dsbFE6MQ#gid=0

seems like an opportunity to tell them what we want out of the Sage acquisition!

[flavius]

^Right.

[medwynd]

Originally Posted by sflamm

curious, can anyone give a quick run down on where the xbmc efforts stand? I looked a long long time ago... and it wasnt even close to on par with SageTV.

now that SageTV development is kaput it seems prudent to keep an eye on alternatives (still hoping Google will take up the reigns on SageTV though).

thoughts? experiences?

* merged *

XBMC just released Version 11.0

[PiX64]

Originally Posted by medwynd

XBMC just released Version 11.0

PVR/DVR is still a seperate branch of XBMC until version 12.0 (at least that is what is on their road map)

I personally won't move to an xbmc solution until there is a relatively straight forward way to keep all of my "stuff" - database backend, video library, etc in sync across all instance of xbmc.

The last i played with the pre-release eden it was a PITA to install xbmc on mutliple machine, setup mysql server, connect xbmc on every machine to that db, and then sync the ui settings across all isntances. It was truly cumbersome and 100% NOT what i would like to be doing.

hopefully they will close the gap on some of these things because xbmc is truly an amazing product when used in standalone fashion.

[SHS]

Originally Posted by PiX64

PVR/DVR is still a seperate branch of XBMC until version 12.0 (at least that is what is on their road map)

I personally won't move to an xbmc solution until there is a relatively straight forward way to keep all of my "stuff" - database backend, video library, etc in sync across all instance of xbmc.

The last i played with the pre-release eden it was a PITA to install xbmc on mutliple machine, setup mysql server, connect xbmc on every machine to that db, and then sync the ui settings across all isntances. It was truly cumbersome and 100% NOT what i would like to be doing.

hopefully they will close the gap on some of these things because xbmc is truly an amazing product when used in standalone fashion.

Still a waste of time I been hearing that same old carp for min years still no ture integration and SageTV is an industry-leading software with ture software integration still the best client but it start to show it age there are something that really need fixing.
Maybe I just get Hopper hehehe then next week I be bitch it suck just as bad

[tonysathre]

I just bought a Roku 2 XS and love it. I setup Plex on my server which took 5 minutes, installed the Roku Plex client, and everything is running perfectly. This works perfect for me because I don't need a PVR. The only thing I wish the Plex client had was a way to view movie trailers and movie backdrops. It is still in beta so hopefully those features can\will be added at some point.

Overall IMO it's a great alternative.

Tony

[PiX64]

Originally Posted by tonysathre

I just bought a Roku 2 XS and love it. I setup Plex on my server which took 5 minutes, installed the Roku Plex client, and everything is running perfectly. This works perfect for me because I don't need a PVR. The only thing I wish the Plex client had was a way to view movie trailers and movie backdrops. It is still in beta so hopefully those features can\will be added at some point.

Overall IMO it's a great alternative.

Tony

You using the plex sage app me and Brian created?

[willplaice]

ok, so after trying all the options out there for a replacement, and not finding anything, i'm trying combinations..

Mediaportal looks to be doing a good job of TV and recording (nice features for cam support and recording multiple channels from the same transponder)

and there's a XMBC branch XBMC-PVR, that makes a good front end.


think this might be it, extender can be a jailbroken appletv (just waiting for someone to break the new one for 1080p support)

XMBC can be controlled by android iphone CQC, etc - and all this is free.


I have this running in parallel with sage now, and will let you know how i get on.

Will

[wayner]

@willplaice - Did you try Plex?

According to Engadget, Plex is now officially supported by Roku.

[tonysathre]

Originally Posted by PiX64

You using the plex sage app me and Brian created?

No I have not tried it. So far Plex with the Roku 2 is doing everything I need it to.

[willplaice]

didn't think there was any pvr support on Plex -

have actually moved over to xmbc...

you need to be running the pvr branch, and pick a backend, (Mediaportal for now, for me).

client setup is just - point the addon at the server backend, and wait for the epg data to sync....

all looking very good so far....


Will

[wayner]

You're right Plex doesn't have PVR capabilities. But it looks like a pretty good front end for Sage that has clients for extender-like devices (such as Roku and a jailbroken ATV2), tablets, smartphones and PCs. And some of our helpful developers have written a plugin that allows Roku to get metadata from Sage for all of your Recorded TV files.

The plan would be to continue to run Sage as the back-end server. The backend PVR functionality in Sage is likely to continue to be as good as it gets for PVR capability until we see the next generation of TV broadcasting but that is likely to be quite a while as we have not yet fully finished the transition to HDTV. The front end is more likely to fall behind as more streaming services become available for watching TV and Sage never really supported some of the more poular online content sites like Netflix.