Happy Anniversary Everyone

[nycjoe]

Originally Posted by rwc

What do you think a typical day is like for a SageTv/Google developer? If you think that Sage was mothballed, what do you think they might be working on? If you think Sage isn't mothballed, do you think they are just working on porting Sage to android? Or adding new features?
Thanks,

That's an interesting question.. I would speculate that they probably focus on a couple of things --
- Working on the google TV UI. The interface probably wasn't sagetv's strongest side, but it's certainly better than the interface in google TV (plus there aren't that many developers out there that have worked on successful 10 foot UI's and sagetv has lots of experience with that sort of thing).
- Trasncoding/streaming - sagetv is great at handling different types of video formats/standards and figuring out ways for the clients to handle those would spare lots of resources on the backend. For example, youtube probably spends tons of resources on transcoding the various formats people upload their videos in to browser compatible formats. Developing googletv to be able to handle mpeg2, mpeg4, h264, etc. would be a huge savings there.

And no, I don't think DVR functionality is relevant to googletv in any way. For google to produce DVR's makes even less sense than for them to develop something like the Nexus Q (haha). <-- I would be SO happy to be proven wrong here BTW

[reggie14]

Originally Posted by rwc

I was wondering, since we haven't heard from Narflex for a while, google is pretty mum on their plans for Sagetv (was it just the nexus q after all?), and that it's been over a year since sage was purchased--and assuming that the developers of Sage are still employed by google...

It's only been a year. Google bought Grand Central in July of 2007, but didn't put out Google Voice until March of 2009. I don't think it should be a big surprise that Google hasn't said anything about Sage.

But, I'm quite sure the Nexus Q isn't what Jeff has been working on. Jeff said he was working on SageTV, so I have to think he was/is either working on a DVR, or something that closely resembles a DVR.

Originally Posted by rwc

If you think Sage isn't mothballed, do you think they are just working on porting Sage to android? Or adding new features?

If I had to guess I'd probably say some sort of port to GoogleTV (so, yes, basically Android). Probably not a full port- just a port of the DVR functionality. But, I'd say that's my guess only due to a lack of imagination on my part. I can't think of anything that seems more likely.

Honestly, though, I don't think we'll see anything come out of Google. Google probably bought them as a bit of a hedge, either in case the FCC decides to push AllVid or Google decides to try out the CableCard game with GoogleTV. Instead, I think Google will try to throw its weight behind the streaming model, and I just don't see the SageTV DVR technology being very useful (although, you can imagine the Sage team being very useful for programming the GoogleTV and/or Nexus Q boxes).

[phelme]

Originally Posted by nycjoe

And no, I don't think DVR functionality is relevant to googletv in any way. For google to produce DVR's makes even less sense than for them to develop something like the Nexus Q (haha). <-- I would be SO happy to be proven wrong here BTW

Well, DVR/STB integration is part of the next API release for GoogleTV. They covered it in developer sessions at I/O. They're adding the ability to develop media controller services so you can bring channel listings and content from a device into GoogleTV itself as well as control the box.

[freewheeling]

Last I heard Narflex was hinting great things but that was six months ago. Have people mostly given up on SageTV?

[mechling-burgh]

I've been using it since version 2.0 and will keep using until it stops working and can't be fixed. I have found nothing that even comes close to SageTV even after all these years.

[rwc]

For me personally, I haven't given up on using sage--I'm still running sage and considering expanding it in my house because it really fits a need and works well with my family.

Since narflexes' post, we've had:

1. Google TV Dropped by logitech
2. Google TV 2.0 shipped
3. a "mystery" device that was being tested by google...
4. The "mystery" device turned out to be google glasses.
5. another "mystery" device registered w/ the FCC for testing
6. a google TV settop box (that seemed similar but different "enough" to the extended) shipped
7. Google fiber seems like they will be distributing some sort of video/cable tv
8. The mystery device from #5 turns out to be the nexus Q

Every step of the way when I thought 'OK--this will be the next version of "Sage" or at least the new 'Sage-Like' item' it hasn't happened.

So I haven't "given up" on using sage, but I am disillusioned that we will see a "new" sage (or something that we can say "That's why google bought sage") in the near future.

[rochurch]

Originally Posted by mechling-burgh

.....and will keep using until it stops working and can't be fixed. I have found nothing that even comes close to SageTV even after all these years.

Me too - but some news, even veiled hints would be nice.

[IVB]

Originally Posted by freewheeling

Last I heard Narflex was hinting great things but that was six months ago. Have people mostly given up on SageTV?

I'm greatly giving up on DVR since my termination of DirecTV, with the exception of OTA programming. HuluPlus and AmazonInstantVideo are proving to be winners.

Plus it has the added bonus of forcing the wife to think about whether she wants to spend $2/episode for Real Housewives. I pointed that if we calculated the cost of unique DirecTV programming not available OTA, we were really paying $10/episode of Real Housewives.

If more stuff was available via HuluPlus, i'd be a strictly-roku household. Well, assuming I can get Plex to send DVDS & BR to my TVs.

[Skybolt]

Originally Posted by freewheeling

Last I heard Narflex was hinting great things but that was six months ago. Have people mostly given up on SageTV?

Not totally, but I am looking into alternitaves since there will be no future developement and possibly no EPG after years end. And as you have stated no input from anywhere about the state SageTv is in except what we already know, which is basicly nothing.

In some respects I feel the product is already dead, or died the day it was sold, and Jeff is just being nice by getting Google to extend this forum and EPG service for as long as they did. Until the rest of us have accepted the truth. It's not looking like any of our current equipment will be supported by anything Google puts out.

It just sucks that such a great product gets left for dead and we all must scramble to find something else (7MC IMO) that can only do half the job at best, that Sage is able to do. Espcially if development were to have continued.

ok, ramble over.

[Skybolt]

Originally Posted by IVB

... If more stuff was available via HuluPlus, i'd be a strictly-roku household. Well, assuming I can get Plex to send DVDS & BR to my TVs.

Not sure if you know this but, Plex is in the Roku channel store. But I haven't had much luck in getting Plex to play ripped DVD's in video_ts format though, only cnverted to MKV or MP4 ...

[nyplayer]

I am not giving up my Cable Card(HD Homerun Prime) works great with it. I have moved on from the Sage EPG (been a while now) and use a plugin... so I see no point in giving up since I am only interested on the PVR part and there is none better. I will keep using it until... the end of freely recorded TV Content... is no longer.

[IVB]

Originally Posted by Skybolt

Not sure if you know this but, Plex is in the Roku channel store. But I haven't had much luck in getting Plex to play ripped DVD's in video_ts format though, only cnverted to MKV or MP4 ...

yep. My machine wasn't up to running all the various stuff, just got a quadcore 3.4GHz/16GB/W7 yesterday from newegg, haven't had time to build it yet. Once it does i'll look into Plex more.

How's the PQ if you convert to mkv or mp4? Noticeable difference?

[Skybolt]

Originally Posted by IVB

... How's the PQ if you convert to mkv or mp4? Noticeable difference?

I viewing on a new sharp 70" LCD 240hz, and I am not that thrilled wihtthe converted stuff. On my bewroom 46", it looks fine not much differance at all, if any. I still haven't perfected the MKV conversion process yet though.

I think no matter what you do to a a 50 gig movie to get to a 6 gig movie your going to see a differance. it just depends how much your willing to give up. JMO.

[Skybolt]

Originally Posted by nyplayer

I am not giving up my Cable Card(HD Homerun Prime) works great with it. I have moved on from the Sage EPG (been a while now) and use a plugin... so I see no point in giving up since I am only interested on the PVR part and there is none better. I will keep using it until... the end of freely recorded TV Content... is no longer.

I wouldn't give up my Prime either, except it doesn't work well with Sage for me - copy flags and all. I still use the HDHR with sage. I really like how the Prime is working with 7MC - from a PVR stand point it's real nice. It just doesn't bring it all together like Sage does.

Which plug-in are you using for the EPG?

[nyplayer]

This plugin.
http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=57265

[IVB]

Originally Posted by Skybolt

I viewing on a new sharp 70" LCD 240hz, and I am not that thrilled wihtthe converted stuff. On my bewroom 46", it looks fine not much differance at all, if any. I still haven't perfected the MKV conversion process yet though.

I think no matter what you do to a a 50 gig movie to get to a 6 gig movie your going to see a differance. it just depends how much your willing to give up. JMO.

thx.

for me, i'm basically abstracting out a reliance on SageTV. If I have to stick with 2 devices, the roku for streaming HP/AIV/NF, and the HD200 for DVD/BR/OTA/home movies, I can easily take the next step and put in a generic extender for DVD/BR/home movies then just determine what to do about OTA. (or just say screw it and go AT&T uverse for TV, generic extender for all else)

2 devices is much worse than the 1 device we're all used to, but I don't like Sage's integration for streaming and the wife is willing to learn it given the $$ savings. The kids took all of 4 minutes to learn this, they're 8 & 10 and are the queens of switching between remotes.

In the end, I think someone else said it best where the 12-18 month transition period was basically a gigantic change management exercise, allowing people to go through the 7 stages of grief at their own pace and transition to the next thing.

[panteragstk]

Originally Posted by Skybolt

I viewing on a new sharp 70" LCD 240hz, and I am not that thrilled wihtthe converted stuff. On my bewroom 46", it looks fine not much differance at all, if any. I still haven't perfected the MKV conversion process yet though.

I think no matter what you do to a a 50 gig movie to get to a 6 gig movie your going to see a differance. it just depends how much your willing to give up. JMO.

"Converting" dvd's to mkv so plex can stream them shouldn't diminish quality in any way. Now, if you are re-encoding them to another format (mpeg 2 to h.264) then you may notice a loss of quality, but dvd's aren't all that high of quality to begin with.

Now, if that isn't what you were talking about then never mind.

[thomaszoo]

Originally Posted by freewheeling

Last I heard Narflex was hinting great things but that was six months ago. Have people mostly given up on SageTV?

I know that these things take time. The glimmer of hope is that they extended the EPG until the end of the year. So far as I know they didn't have to do that. It leads me to believe there is some reason...

Wayne

[Skybolt]

Originally Posted by panteragstk

"Converting" dvd's to mkv so plex can stream them shouldn't diminish quality in any way. Now, if you are re-encoding them to another format (mpeg 2 to h.264) then you may notice a loss of quality, but dvd's aren't all that high of quality to begin with.

Now, if that isn't what you were talking about then never mind.

Nope, that was exactly what I was talking about. And yes h.264, I have tried Handbrake and DVDFab. HandBrake seems to do a better job and much faster as well. But in the end I can see some of the compression, pixel loss, from straight DVD to converted DVD(MKV). But the DVD's as you pointed out are not the real issue it's the BD. Sorry I still refer to BD as DVD at times, when things are ripped I tend to loose track, since I have only recently started ripping BD.

I didn't know there was anyother format better then h.264 when using the MKV wrapper? Also isn't .vob format basicly meg2?

[Skybolt]

Originally Posted by IVB

thx.

for me, i'm basically abstracting out a reliance on SageTV. If I have to stick with 2 devices, the roku for streaming HP/AIV/NF, and the HD200 for DVD/BR/OTA/home movies, I can easily take the next step and put in a generic extender for DVD/BR/home movies then just determine what to do about OTA. (or just say screw it and go AT&T uverse for TV, generic extender for all else)

2 devices is much worse than the 1 device we're all used to, but I don't like Sage's integration for streaming and the wife is willing to learn it given the $$ savings. The kids took all of 4 minutes to learn this, they're 8 & 10 and are the queens of switching between remotes.

In the end, I think someone else said it best where the 12-18 month transition period was basically a gigantic change management exercise, allowing people to go through the 7 stages of grief at their own pace and transition to the next thing.

Yeah, kids pick things up quick don't they. I have 12 & 16 and they always ask me why I am showing htem how to use stuff. The wife on the other hand is a differant story ...

I could not agree more with the grieving period though, sad