New to SageTV and hoping someone will help with some questions.

[900spg]

I'm totally new to SageTV and am looking to build a new htpc and have a bunch of questions I was hoping others might be able to answer. I've been using BeyondTV for many years and finally think it is time to upgrade from PIII 600 that my old setup is running on. Right now I'm looking at my options between SageTV, MythTV and WMC. I do have some specific requirements and at the moment they have led me to Sage TV. So here is the list of my questions, thanks in advance to anyone that can answer any of them.

1. It appears that SageTV was purchased by Google. Is it still being developed and our licenses still being sold? Just concerned about the remaining availability of the software and potential user base for support?

2. We currently record from a Standard definition Direct TV stb using a PVR-250. I would like to be able to record from our HD Direct TV stb and understand the limitations of the encrypted signal. That lead me to the Hauppauge HD PVR external recorded that uses the component connections to take advantage of the analog "loop hole". After more research I found the Hauppauge Colossus and am curious if it is supported by SageTV and is capable of recording content in HD from a DirectTV stb using the component to hdmi cable? The internal Colossus is much more appealing to me than the external HD PVR.

3. If it is possible to use the Hauppauge Colossus with SageTV and Direct TV using component what is the best OS to use? I'm a long time Windows user and admin, but was recently thinking about going with Linux for the new htpc, at least when I was leaning towards MythTV. Would sticking with windows make my life easier? Is Windows Home Server the way to go, the price seems to good to pass up?

4. Can I still use the old PVR-250 as second encoder hooked to an additional standard definition directtv box?

Would the following hardware look appropriate for what I'm wanting to do? We typically schedule all of tv to record and then watch at our leisure. I don't do much "live tv" viewing. Still have not looked at storage drives for this setup, so open to suggestions.

Antec Black Aluminum / Steel Fusion Remote Black Micro ATX Media Center / HTPC Case

Antec EarthWatts Green EA-430D Green 430W Continuous power ATX12V v2.3 / EPS 12V 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power ...

picked this mb due to needing the pci slot for the pvr-250
ASRock Z68 PRO3-M LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard

Intel Core i5-2400 Sandy Bridge 3.1GHz (3.4GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52400

G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL7D-4GBXM

ASUS ENGT440/DI/1GD5 GeForce GT 440 (Fermi) 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card

OS and applications drive
Corsair Force CSSD-F80GB2-BRKT-A 2.5" 80GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

Hauppauge Colossus - Record your high definition video gameplay and TV programs using H.2601414 PCI-Express x1 Interface


LG Black Super Multi SATA WH12LS30 LightScribe Support - OEM

The machine will be for watching recorded tv in hd, blue-rays, and listening to music for the most part. I don't want overkill, but I want something that will last for a long time. The current machine has been in use for 8+ years. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

[darcilicious]

Currently you cannot purchase any licenses from SageTV / Google. There's been no official word if it will ever be possible again. If you don't already have the licenses you need you're pretty much out of luck until/unless something changes.

[jchiso]

SageTV Medica Center licenses, Cliet licenses and HD-300 extenders are not currently being sold, so you should hold off on any decisions you make ...

[900spg]

Thanks for the info. It looks like I'll have to continue the search for what way to go. Will be interesting to see if the software is made available again.

[davephan]

It's been about two months since the SageTV store closed and no licenses have been available since then. Almost no news is being released. Most of the comments made was about beer, which was more of an insult to the users than no comments at all.

If you want to build a PVR computer, it is still possible with alternatives to SageTV, but it will be a step down. Make sure that the hardware is compatible with the alternatives. You can still try SageTV for 21 days. If you use imaging, you might be able to try it over and over, but re-installing will be a pain, especially with the server, unless the computer can be rolled back to "day 1" instead of before the installation. The image will at least capture the OS, patches, drivers, and accessory software. There are ways to automate installs, which might not work with all software packages, and could be very complicated. One method might be to 'record' the installation process with a program like "Macro Express". The macro would need to be tweaked, but may work to automate the installation process. It would certainly be much better if Google would simply sell the licenses instead of hiding in a 'cone of silence'.

You could try using the alternatives. I don't think anyone has been impressed with the alternatives when comparing them to SageTV. Although, over time, the alternatives may be better as SageTV is frozen in time. If you try to use Linux, be prepared for a painful and slow build. Make sure to use imaging during the build process whichever PVR software you use. Clonezilla is free, but the commercial software like Ghost or Acronis is better for Windows. Linux commercial imaging software is generally very expensive, costing many hundreds. Clonezilla works with Windows or Linux.

Don't spend too much money on the hardware. You could always use the computer for something else though. It should be possible to get some sort of a PVR working with the computer. The imaging software is really a must with any system, so you should be using that already with any computer. The Macro Express software is very handy for other things, doesn't cost much and is very useful for other tasks. I've been using Macro Express for over a decade. Be sure to post your results what you think of the SageTV alternatives or the SageTV trial. People are still here to help while this forum is still working. I'm sorry you missed the boat on the licensing. SageTV is far more than just a software package for many people. It's more like part of the family.


Dave

[gtfreymann]

If you can't wait for Sage+Google to figure out when/if the store is to reopen, you can try alternatives.

Mythbuntu can make it fairly easy if you're new to Unix.

Right now I'm about to switch over to Media Portal. I have a very basic setup consisting of two external (SD) satellite receivers connected to two PVR-150 cards, controlled by a MCE IR Transceiver. Just about anything on the planet will work with my old tv hardware.

If you're looking at Media Portal, be sure to download the MP 1.2.0Beta and ensure you pull down plugins that are compatible.

This guide was a great help to me:

http://office.homefrontus.com/mediaportal/index.html

and the author is going to make some updates to make it even smoother for us newbies.

[PiX64]

what are you planning to do for client/extenders on mediaportal?

from the research i did a while back there were no solid alternatives to extenders..

now if your talking mythTV, they have some other options...

[panteragstk]

Originally Posted by PiX64

what are you planning to do for client/extenders on mediaportal?

from the research i did a while back there were no solid alternatives to extenders..

now if your talking mythTV, they have some other options...

Mediaportal can use client pc's. It isn't the same as what we are used to, but there are still clients.

[gtfreymann]

Originally Posted by PiX64

what are you planning to do for client/extenders on mediaportal?

from the research i did a while back there were no solid alternatives to extenders..

now if your talking mythTV, they have some other options...

Even with SageTV I only had one HD300. I was going to buy another but then Google closed the store.

I'm used to using PC's as clients. That doesn't bother me. I have become fond of the Zotac MAG ION. Mount them on the back of the TV and place the keyboard/mouse IR and remote IR out front.