alternatives to Sage to consider

[LaoChe]

Not to intrude in the discussion but just wanted to say thanks to everyone. This is exactly the kind of pros/cons list I was looking for. MythTV as a backend with xbmc looks like it might have some promise - at least it sound like it is worth trying out for a while.

Open source is a huge plus for me right now because I actually started on a semi-open source htpc product (I don't even remember what it was called then but it turned into a paid product - meedio or mediaportal?) I paid for one version but was never really happy with it after that. I ended up with Sage because as everyone has pointed out there really hasn't been anything as great. Now it seems like deja vu with Google stopping development on it (as great as it is, it has issues that need to be addressed). And when I think about it, even if Google does release a new version I am not sure I would buy it (or even take it for free) as I would have strong suspicions that they would be selling my viewing habits to anybody with a few cents to spare. That is also what makes me pretty skeptical of Plex - a for profit company giving away their software is going to get you in the end one way or the other.

Thanks again for the great thoughts.

[PiX64]

Originally Posted by Yalbik

That must have been a fairly old version. I recently switched from Sage front-ends to using a sage back end with xbmc front-ends exclusively.

I currently have 5 XBMC clients all configured to use a central mySQL database. All I had to do was:
1) Install the DB on my server
2) Add 2 lines to the properties file for each of the clients.

It's worked flawlessly so far. And having all my metadata queryable/updatable in an open DB format has been awesome. And being able to run XBMC on a $35 client has also been nice.

I considered Plex, but I much prefer the customizability and interface of XBMC. I also found the number of add-ons available for XBMC to be impressive.

Nah it wasn't that long ago (back in the beta PVR days so 6 months?). The concept of having to configure each client to look and act the same, install plugins and tweaks on each and every frontend separately, and then keep everything in sync by moving properties files around is less than desirable.. maybe 10 years ago i would have been cool with it, but now it just frustrates me to have to do that.

[nyplayer]

I tried XBMC but darn I found out it needed plugins to do what I wanted it to. Plex did everything I needed right out of the box. I am running Plex in my android devices my rokus. and like Pix said everything stays in sync.

[tmiranda]

Lordie I hope Google decides to open source SageTV. Nothing out there is complelling at all. If I had to give up Sage I'd go to my cable company's crappy PVR until a real viable atlernative to Sage came along.

[graywolf]

For those of you using Plex or XBMC, are you still using SageTV for your PVR?

If not, what are you using?

If so, what reasons/benefits to use Plex or XBMC as your front end?

Just curious. Don't have plans to switch from SageTV.

WAF doesn't do well with drastic changes.

Still trying to get to Sage v7 on Prod machine but haven't had time to play with it in awhile to get it to meet proper WAF Levels.

[nyplayer]

I use plex as my front end most of the time but I can boot to SageClient anytime I want..... but most of the other users in the house still use SageTV clients.

I use Plex because we also have 2 Roku's and I have a Nexus 7 and Plex works on all of these without any hassle.... and keeps my watching in sync.

I have no plans on leaving Sage until if and when my Cable provider changes from copy freely... as a matter of fact I put in to buy an extender so I can replace an old client. Most of all I like the way the Plex UI is organized.

[darcilicious]

Originally Posted by graywolf

For those of you using Plex or XBMC, are you still using SageTV for your PVR?

I am, yes.

If so, what reasons/benefits to use Plex or XBMC as your front end?

I think the answer to the Plex part of your question has been answered already in this thread

[mikejaner]

Originally Posted by graywolf

For those of you using Plex or XBMC, are you still using SageTV for your PVR?

If not, what are you using?

If so, what reasons/benefits to use Plex or XBMC as your front end?

Just curious. Don't have plans to switch from SageTV.

WAF doesn't do well with drastic changes.

Still trying to get to Sage v7 on Prod machine but haven't had time to play with it in awhile to get it to meet proper WAF Levels.

I am still going strong with SageTV. Still, to this point there is nothing as bug free or fast as SageTV. It's sad really.

I am currently playing with XBMC and PLEX. Right now I am playing with the different DVR Plugins, like MythTV, NextPVR, ArgusTV, etc.. to see if anything can replace SageTV, and utilize all the hardware possibilities for XBMC, like an Android on a stick so I don't have to build a PC.
I have yet to come to any conclusions, but it's not looking great. If you use something like NextPVR, with HDHR Prime, it works great. Once you enable the extender, it's not as featured, a little slow and glitchy. I don't think it's Sub's fault, I think the framework for XBMC is not so great at handling the DVR client interfaces yet. Some of the DVR plugins have more features like Recording schedules, etc... but I haven't tested them yet.
I really wish an XBMC plugin for SageTV could be written to fully utilize SageTV's excellent Server backend.

[DIBU]

works great for me (Germany, Cable)

http://www.lmgestion.net/@en-us/4/22...29/article.asp

[Taddeusz]

I have Plex set up right now so I can have better remote access. I know SageTV provides that through Placeshifter but it can't work natively on my iPhone or Nexus 7.

I think if my media extenders fail I will probably buy Rokus to replace them and do playback through Plex. When I get the money I'm going to buy just one Roku to test it out and see how it can work.

I at least have a fallback for my extenders.

[rwc]

Originally Posted by tmiranda

Lordie I hope Google decides to open source SageTV. Nothing out there is complelling at all. If I had to give up Sage I'd go to my cable company's crappy PVR until a real viable atlernative to Sage came along.

Not to be a pessimist, but why WOULD google open it up? (Esp. since they are using it right now for a service that's bringing them $'s?)

[Skybolt]

Originally Posted by nyplayer

...
Windows Media Center
MCE Buddy (Renaming and transcoding)
Remote Potato (Remote Scheduling)...

I would add "Media Browse"r and "Recorded TV HD" to that mix as well, also "MCE Tool box" to skin and theme.

This is the best alternative (IMO), for recording and playback of live Tv. It works awesome. My setup is for use with CC and every station is CopyOnce, so I was "Forced" to switch from sage if I wanted to stick with CC.

I have been using it for close to a year now, like Sage you need to use some plug-ins to get things working the way you want, but after that it's certianly as good as Sage from a DVR/PVR poit of view.

To be honest, I have gotten use to MCE and actually like it, even though there are limitations with playback via extenders.

I would stick with Sage for as long as you can, there is nothing out there which can do what Sage can provide.


For those using Plex, that is only for playback of ripped content?, I don't get why that is great ???

[Taddeusz]

Originally Posted by Skybolt

For those using Plex, that is only for playback of ripped content?, I don't get why that is great ???

No, it's for everything. There Plex scanners available that interface with SageTV and allow access to metadata so you don't see the raw filenames that SageTV produces for recordings.

[panteragstk]

Originally Posted by stanger89

Wild curiosity, and not to derail the thread, but what do you like better about Plex than XBMC? Granted I haven't played with either a lot (much less so Plex), but XBMC, at least as a media solution is growing on me. The ACE MQ skin is a nice, restrained skin.

Everyone pretty much answered for me, but it has mostly every feature of XBMC and then some. Almost all skins are supported, lots of internet video plugins that XBMC doesn't have.

The main thing is that it sort of functions like SageTV in the fact that it has a central server install, then you have your clients (pc, roku, smart TV, phone, tablet) that can all access the same data all the time. Streaming from the server works great. Things I don't like are the fact that Plex doesn't have as many meta data options that XBMC does (I like using MyMovies over everything else).

All in all really fantastic software, especially since they are starting to put out PVR builds now as well. That would make it the closest thing to a SageTV replacement, but it won't ever be as good.

[trk2]

Do any of the extenders that are available for Plex or XBMC support HD audio? I looked into this several years ago and other then Dune players or a soon-to-be-released Boxee version (which then had HD audio dropout issues) the extender situation was rather bleak.

Is there an HD300 type extender out there for Plex or XBMC that supports HD audio and is still as format friendly?

[PiX64]

Originally Posted by Skybolt

For those using Plex, that is only for playback of ripped content?, I don't get why that is great ???

http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=57842

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by panteragstk

Everyone pretty much answered for me, but it has mostly every feature of XBMC and then some. Almost all skins are supported, lots of internet video plugins that XBMC doesn't have.

The main thing is that it sort of functions like SageTV in the fact that it has a central server install, then you have your clients (pc, roku, smart TV, phone, tablet) that can all access the same data all the time. Streaming from the server works great. Things I don't like are the fact that Plex doesn't have as many meta data options that XBMC does (I like using MyMovies over everything else).

All in all really fantastic software, especially since they are starting to put out PVR builds now as well. That would make it the closest thing to a SageTV replacement, but it won't ever be as good.

I probably wouldn't care much for XBMC other than I really like OpenELEC. Just drop some binaries on a flash drive and go, doesn't get much better than that. If only they'd bring in native resolution switching.

[stuckless]

It would be cool if there was a wiki type matrix for all of these solutions so that you could easily see the gaps.

When I first Joined sagetv... i came form Xbmc and I LOVED it... The thing I disliked about sagetv was the UI and the lack metadata for imported content.... so seeing those 2 gaps, I helped fill them

Someday, I'll be gone from sagetv, and I'll have to pick another solution to spend some time on. Plex looks good, but being closed source, I'm not sure I'd go with it. I could extend it using Python plugins, I guess... Xbmc looks good but I really want a full featured server with thin clients... and Mythtv looks good but it lacks any sort of "thin" client. (I did start a mythclient project many years ago)

I've even tossed around the idea of creating an open source, SageTV clone, and that is 100% API compatible with SageTV (ie, can use existing SageTV7 plugins).... but the Placeshifter "technology" would be impossible for me to solve, since I'm not a "video" developer

[jerryt]

Originally Posted by stuckless

I've even tossed around the idea of creating an open source, SageTV clone, and that is 100% API compatible with SageTV (ie, can use existing SageTV7 plugins).... (

Please Sir

[clayfree]

This weekend I unplugged my last two HD100 boxes for the last time About 2 years ago I started using XBMC quite a bit for the streaming capabilities. With Sage I was using PlayOn and the experience was lacking. I've watched as the family has grown more dependent on the XBMC(ATV2's). I still kept the Sage up and running for live TV and recordings but scaled it back to a server and client 2 boxes. With the limited future of the ATV2's I decided I needed to finally make a move so that's what I've done over the past week.

My new setup is the same server hardware(htpc Win7) running NextPVR. NextPvr was really simple to set up and configure the epg data(I also tried MediaPortal and it worked well also). I've heard great things about many other backends but tried the Windows options first before moving to linux. I have 3-Clients that are Pivos Xios DS with the Linux XBMC builds. They run the NextPVR addon. Live and recorded TV is quick and smooth and the xbmc interface is plenty quick. In the newer Linux builds user data is stored on a micro sd card so a client can be cloned easily. NextPVR does not have the same full feature set as SageTV but I am so happy to be down to one system. The clients meet my $100 requirement and they all function with my existing Harmony remotes. I have not set up XBMC with Mysql yet but that will probably happen soon ( I've gone back and forth on the pros & cons of a server). I finally have one system that is a networked DVR, great media center with metadata support, multiple streaming options, wide range of skins and affordable clients. I also feel like this software will have unlimited hardware in the future. Very soon we should see support for dual core and even quad core boxes and they just seen to get smaller and cheaper.