What if things had turned out differently for SageTV...

[graywolf]

Originally Posted by wayner

I agree - I would love a native iPad SageTV app with proper SkipFwd and SkipFwdx2. This is why I bought a Win8.1 tablet from Dell.

Regarding Sage6 - after the Google purchase didn't they let you upgrade to V7 for free? Therefore any V6 license will allow you to run V7.

Correct - here http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=56225

Besides, thought the client licenses were version agnostic

[Taddeusz]

For mobile I've turned to using Plex. It works well on both iOS and Android not to mention web playback. IMHO, better than Placeshifter as they were apparently never able to make it reliably do colorspace conversions correctly. Plex also has better video quality since Placeshifter is stuck using MPEG2.

Then there's the interface. SageTV even with v7 is quite dated. Although decidedly better than v6 I think it has more to do with the interface engine as none of the alternate SageTV interfaces I've seen feel modern to me. There are just some sort of dated nuances to them that are unique to any SageTV interface. Plex has a much more modern looking interface.

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by graywolf

Besides, thought the client licenses were version agnostic

They are, the only thing that ever needed an upgrade was the server license.

[wayner]

Originally Posted by Taddeusz

For mobile I've turned to using Plex. It works well on both iOS and Android not to mention web playback.

Except for navigation. For me the 100% must have is SkipFwd, SkipBack and SkipFwdx2, particularly when teamed with Dynamic Skip Times. I don't think Plex has this. And I don't think I am unique - I think anyone who watches sports withe Sage will feel the same way.

I am still figuring out what the best way to do this is on a Win 8.1 tablet running Sage Client.

[will]

Originally Posted by Taddeusz

Then there's the interface. SageTV even with v7 is quite dated. Although decidedly better than v6 I think it has more to do with the interface engine as none of the alternate SageTV interfaces I've seen feel modern to me. There are just some sort of dated nuances to them that are unique to any SageTV interface. Plex has a much more modern looking interface.

So I haven't used Plex, so I can't compare Sage to that but I don't feel the v7 interface is dated. Yes, it isn't like Apple TV's or Roku's UI but that is a good thing. It seems like modern interfaces sacrifice a lot of usability to get everything to work with only a five button remote. I find v7's interface very efficient, I can access and mange everything very quickly. Lots of images and graphics may look pretty but they aren't the most efficient thing for speed of access.

Personally, I think the future of the DVR UI is with the mobile phone. You can make a much slicker interface for your phone/tablet that then plays the content on your TV. Chromecast has a good model (not perfect but I like the idea of using the Netflix app to select Netflix content). 7ft interfaces always lack the crucial ability to search quickly and scroll fast through your hundreds of videos (something you can do easily on a phone/tablet). Also, if everyone used their phone then the interface and the what to watch recommendations could be customized based on the user.

[wayner]

Originally Posted by Taddeusz

Then there's the interface. SageTV even with v7 is quite dated. Although decidedly better than v6 I think it has more to do with the interface engine as none of the alternate SageTV interfaces I've seen feel modern to me. There are just some sort of dated nuances to them that are unique to any SageTV interface. Plex has a much more modern looking interface.

What do you consider to be a modern UI? The Windows Metro UI? That's what MS is using with every device.

I am perfectly happy with Diamond/Gemstone - I don't think a wall of movies looks at all dated. I have tried Plex as well and I don't think it is any better/worse than Sage with Gemstone. Some of the screens look very much the same.

It seems to me that the biggest UI trend in the last couple of years is a move to flat design. If that's modern then I prefer dated.

[Taddeusz]

I don't know quite how to explain it. There are just little things about every SageTV UI that just feels (not necessarily looks) dated. I think it has more to do with what is used to create the designs and not the designs themselves. Because every UI for SageTV feels decidedly like SageTV. I'm not saying that is necessarily a good or bad thing but just that maybe I'm bored with the individual elements that SageTV offers in the way of a user experience.

[wayner]

It sounds like you are an anti-sageite

[Clift]

Originally Posted by Taddeusz

I don't know quite how to explain it. There are just little things about every SageTV UI that just feels (not necessarily looks) dated. I think it has more to do with what is used to create the designs and not the designs themselves. Because every UI for SageTV feels decidedly like SageTV. I'm not saying that is necessarily a good or bad thing but just that maybe I'm bored with the individual elements that SageTV offers in the way of a user experience.

Well I agree. The SageTV UI is too complex for a normal average user. Behind every "OK" there's a context menu. My biggest pet peeve is that if I'm on the guide and I hit OK, chances are I want to watch that channel. The expanded menu should be relegated to another button click, like the option button or something like that. I don't expect everyone (or anyone) to agree with me, but fewer clicks are not a bad thing provided that the options to do more are still present.

[stanger89]

FWIW, if you want to watch something, hit Play, that starts it without asking any questions.

[tmiranda]

One of the strengths of Sage is the fact that there are many UI's available and new UI's can be created relatively easily. UI design is so subjective there is no way one UI will please everybody.

[eqwalker]

Speaking of UI's for sage, is that the same as plugins? I've had Sage v7 running on my WHS server for several years now with 3 HD300 extenders and 4 HDHomerun network tuners. I don't use any PC's with it, just my extenders. I have never installed any plugins or "skins". Is this a fairly easy thing to do? I'm so afraid of screwing something up since everything works so well as is but I wonder if there are other UI menus out there that I would enjoy instead of the default one.

[will]

Originally Posted by eqwalker

Speaking of UI's for sage, is that the same as plugins? I've had Sage v7 running on my WHS server for several years now with 3 HD300 extenders and 4 HDHomerun network tuners. I don't use any PC's with it, just my extenders. I have never installed any plugins or "skins". Is this a fairly easy thing to do? I'm so afraid of screwing something up since everything works so well as is but I wonder if there are other UI menus out there that I would enjoy instead of the default one.

For a long time I was a purity holdout (basically no plugins, just pure Sage for fear of lack of stability).

I've since changed and I've explored all of the different UIs in the plugin repository and I keep going back to stock. I'm not sure if I just prefer stock but I get the impression the replacement UIs take some work to customize them and make them fit your taste. If you do want to play around, make sure to make a backup of your SageTV install before testing out any plugins, that way you can just delete your current install folders and copy the backup to undo any plugin installs you don't want to keep.

However, with stock I run the following plugins (which really enhance SageTV for me and my family):

• Batch Metadata Tools (BMT)
• Jetty Web Server
• SageTCP (so I can control Sage via my iPhone)
• SageTV Mobile Web Interface (so I can control sage via my browser or mobile browser)
• Comskip Playback
• Complementary Metadata Tools (CMT) - Allows you to do IMDB look-ups on shows and modify metadata from within Sage
• Javas Heap Monitor
• Movie Trailers (gives you an option to search the selected TV Show/Movie for trailers on YouTube - really helpful for when you are trying to pick a movie to watch)
• Recording Schedule Shortcut
• Restart Sage from Setup Menu
• Upcoming Movies 2

With the plugins I use, I have very few complaints with Sage and my system runs really stable.

[panteragstk]

Speaking of the Sage UI. I've been using the Ortus UI from my main menu for years. I may actually be the ONLY person using it. Anyone interested in playing with something new? I may consider putting it out there and creating a brief how-to.

Any takers?

[will]

Originally Posted by panteragstk

Speaking of the Sage UI. I've been using the Ortus UI from my main menu for years. I may actually be the ONLY person using it. Anyone interested in playing with something new? I may consider putting it out there and creating a brief how-to.

Any takers?

I never heard of Ortus but it looks pretty nice. Is it a full UI replacement or a skin?

[graywolf]

Originally Posted by will

I never heard of Ortus but it looks pretty nice. Is it a full UI replacement or a skin?

If I recall, it was going to be a full UI replacement, like Phoenix.

[panteragstk]

Originally Posted by will

I never heard of Ortus but it looks pretty nice. Is it a full UI replacement or a skin?

Originally Posted by graywolf

If I recall, it was going to be a full UI replacement, like Phoenix.

The only way I'm willing to support it is as a main menu replacement. I'll grab some screen shots so you guys can check it out. The movie and tv views "work", but you're on your own getting them figured out. I don't even think I have the files for the web interface anymore. It's been a long time.

I use Gemstone for most everything. TV Explorer for TV and SMM (SageMyMovies) for movies. Works very well.

[graywolf]

Here is the thread about Ortus

Ortus Screenshot & Information Thread

[panteragstk]

Here is a screen cap of my main menu. I'll capture a video if I can get it to work properly.

[gasinger]

FWIW https://code.google.com/p/ortus/ seems to be some of the Ortus development code.