SageTV "Sleep" Mode

[dkardatzke]

We've had a number of questions arise related to the "Sleep" mode in SageTV. Since SageTV, in conjunction with the hardware encoding based cards we support, uses minimal PC resources when recording, we designed it to run 24/7. The best way to leave SageTV running while you are not watching anything is to use the "Sleep" mode.

Putting SageTV to "Sleep" allows it to continue recording and not miss any of your upcoming favorites. When SageTV is in "Sleep" mode it will reside in the system taskbar and can be awoken by right-clicking on the icon in the system tray and selecting "Restore".

The action of putting SageTV to sleep can also be linked to the "Power" command on the remote control. This will allow you to also restore SageTV when you are ready to begin watching again.

If you only want to use SageTV to record your favorites and manual recordings but nothing else, you need to disable "Intelligent Recording" in Detailed Setup, under the "General" tab. Please keep in mind that you should never be concerned with SageTV taking up hard drive space because you can specify how much to use in Detailed Setup as well. Obviously our recommendation is to leave Intelligent Recording enabled so SageTV can find and record other shows of interest based on your past viewing habits.

If you have any questions related to the Sleep mode or Intelligent Recording, let us know.

Dan

[Narflex]

I'd also like to add "Sleep" mode releases the overlay surface and associated video rendering resources. This will allow you to run other media applications like WinDVD or ZoomPlayer while SageTV is still recording.

[freat]

How can I bring SageTV out of sleep mode without going down to the task tray to open it?

My goal, is to create a shortcut to whatever function this would be, thus allowing me to launch a sleeping Sage from inside Media Center. :)

[dkardatzke]

Hit the Power button that you linked on the remote or keyboard. This will bring SageTV out of sleep mode. You can specify/link the power command in Detailed Setup > Commands.

I don't know your remote control setup so if you need more detail just let me know.

Dan

[freat]

Hmm. I have the Hauppauge PVR-350 remote config that came with SageTV. I can use the power button on my remote to minimize Sage, but not to restore it back. Same thing goes for the keyboard shortcut that was assigned to it "Z".

I tried re-assigning the Power command by selecting "Link Remote Control Button to Sage Command." I get the window saying "Point the remote at the receiver..." but it never goes away. Sage doesn't appear to read the input from the remote.

The IR receiver is the PVR-350's packaged IR receiver that plugs into the Hauppauge card. The remote works fine with the pre-defined keys. I tried re-mapping another button (play-pause) and got the same behavior.

I'm using the Beta 1.2.3.

[edmc]

freat> How can I bring SageTV out of sleep mode without going down to the task tray to open it?

Dan> Hit the Power button that you linked on the remote or keyboard.

For those of us burned by "toggle/cycle" style RC codes, is there also a "discrete" method? What I mean is there one SendMessage to take SageTV out of Sleep and a different SendMessage to put SageTV back into Sleep mode? Haven't fully reviewed the Girder .GML, so I don't know all the controls it allows yet...

[Narflex]

The same SendMessage code puts SageTV to sleep as will wake it up. There is also another secondary code that will wake SageTV up (this secondary code just emulates double-clicking on the taskbar icon).

[edmc]

> The same SendMessage code puts SageTV to sleep as will wake it up.

Guess this is "ok" - but truly discrete codes (in addition) would sure be nice...

[freat]

I'm still having problems. Please see my above post for details.

Thanks

[ruel]

How about another way to bring SageTV out of sleep mode but a command line parameter switch?

For the Creative software that is already packaged with the Creative VB DVCR card, there is a /M parameter for background standby mode (Creative calls it standby mode while SageTV says sleep mode) using the following command line:
"C:\Program Files\Creative\VideoBlaster Digital VCR\bt1.exe" /M
SageTV has something similar with the -S parameter:
"C:\Program Files\Frey Technologies\SageTV\SageTV.exe" -S

For the Creative software, if you run the command line WITHOUT a parameter, the PVR is activated or waken up from standby mode. I use that command line without the parameter to set up a button in a frontend program like the myHTPC frontend. For SageTV, you get an error message that SageTV is already loaded and that you have to click the icon in the system tray.

[Narflex]

edmc, there are discrete codes for awake and sleep also, forgot to mention that.

freat & ruel,

I just wrote an EXE to do this and then came back and saw this. I'll add the command line switch to SageTV's exe. For the next release, the -awake cmd line switch will do that. For now here's an EXE to use to do that attached.

To configure the Hauppauge remote to wakeup SageTV, just put this EXE in your Windows directory. Then open the irremote.ini file in your Windows directory using notepad.

In the [Default] section, add the following entry:
GRNPOWER={run(WakeupSage.exe)}

Save and quit notepad. Restart the Hauppauge IR service through the Start Menu->Programs->Hauppauge->Restart IR

Then you should be good to go!

[ruel]

Originally posted by Narflex
I just wrote an EXE to do this and then came back and saw this. I'll add the command line switch to SageTV's exe. For the next release, the -awake cmd line switch will do that. For now here's an EXE to use to do that attached.

Whoo Hoo! Thanks so much!

[freat]

Yeah thanks! I can now put that exe as a link to SageTV from MediaCenter.

[Narflex]

I try to please. :) It's in my best interest.

[salsbst]

I'm trying to put SageTV to sleep via girder. I can't figure it out. Is there a way to do this via a command line parameter? Is there a way to do this via a SendMessage plugin message? Is there no way to put it to sleep without clicking the Sleep button in the GUI?

TIA,
Stuart

[JasonJoel]

I use the 'z' keyboard key to do this. I just mapped a remote button to send the 'z'.

There is also a sendmessage for it, but I couldn't ever get that to work in Girder (apparently I suck at Girder), so I've been doing everything via keyoard emulation.

Jason


Originally posted by salsbst
I'm trying to put SageTV to sleep via girder. I can't figure it out. Is there a way to do this via a command line parameter? Is there a way to do this via a SendMessage plugin message? Is there no way to put it to sleep without clicking the Sleep button in the GUI?

TIA,
Stuart

[salsbst]

Joe,

I just found a "Power" command in the Girder export file that puts it to sleep. I must've looked it over searching for "Sleep".

Thanks,
Stuart

[Sambo]

Originally posted by Narflex
edmc, there are discrete codes for awake and sleep also, forgot to mention that.

freat & ruel,

I just wrote an EXE to do this and then came back and saw this. I'll add the command line switch to SageTV's exe. For the next release, the -awake cmd line switch will do that. For now here's an EXE to use to do that attached.

To configure the Hauppauge remote to wakeup SageTV, just put this EXE in your Windows directory. Then open the irremote.ini file in your Windows directory using notepad.

In the [Default] section, add the following entry:
GRNPOWER={run(WakeupSage.exe)}

Save and quit notepad. Restart the Hauppauge IR service through the Start Menu->Programs->Hauppauge->Restart IR

Then you should be good to go!
Narflex,
I did the above and am able to put Sage to sleep as before, but the only way to wakeup via remote is to either click the mouse somewhere on the screen (don't have mouse connected all the time) or hit the Windows Start key on the keyboard first. Any ideas how to get around this? The only other thing running in the background is DTVCon.

Thanks in advance.

[Ducky]

Hmmmm. Have you tried some of the IRREMOTE.INI files floating about in the hardware support forums? Those should work.

[Sambo]

I have tried and get the same results.

[salsbst]

Sambo, the wakeupsage executable didn't work when I tried it either. Try executing the command:

"c:\program files\frey technologies\sagetv\sagetv.exe" -awake

[Mr_X]

I noticed that in 1.4.7 clicking the "X" (close) in the top right-hand side of the sage window (when not in full screen) shuts the program down. I understand that this was a requested feature, but is there setting I can change to make it so that it works like it did previously, i.e. only sleep when I "close" that window?

[jmeeks]

Are you sure that the program went to sleep before? It always closed that way for me.

You can go to the home page and select sleep. I've always wanted a separate menu button to put SageTV directly to sleep from wherever I am, but thats never happened.

[justme]

I've had SageTV since around 1.2.8 and the X always closed SageTV on my system.

Anyway the properties file setting(sleep_on_close=true) works great for me. I click the X and Sage just goes to sleep.:)

[Sambo]

salsbst,
I tried that command also with no success. It seems I have to either click somewhere on the screen with the mouse or hit the Windows Start key before I can get SageTV to awaken using the power button on the remote.

[Funky D]

I have a problem with the "sleep" mode, that maybe someone has an answer to (didn't see it anywhere else).

I use another media player to view my recorded shows. The problem is that putting Sage into sleep mode doesn't convince it to clear out the cache (tons of recordings, from every time you switched channels).

Bleh. I only wanna see my recorded shows, and dump all that extra stuff. Killing Sage does this, but I just want them to go away on sleep. Is this possible? Is there a way to ALWAYS move recorded shows to a seperate directory?

D

[salsbst]

Sambo, it sounds like some other application is grabbing the foreground. Is that a possibility? Have you tried shutting down all non-essential applications (including system tray apps) to see if that solves it?