Sage and Inputs?

[drifting]

Simple question, can you get EPG switch inputs? ie I want to watch Beeb1 of Aerial, and switch to composite for Sky. Is that possible? I have spent the last few hours looking throught the posts & faq's without confirming it?

Can someone also confirm if it's possible to sort the program listings from XMLTV, they are all over the place (I prefer 1 to beeb 1 etc)

Beeb 1 refers to BBC1, as you can probably gather, I am in the UK.



Regards Drifting

[dkardatzke]

I can answer the first....you can setup multiple inputs for one tuner card reflecting two lineups. You'll need to add another source through the Setup Wizard. How this relates to XMLTV, I don't know. Someone else will have to respond.

[drifting]

Thanks.

I will give it a try.

Sorry if this is an FAQ but...Seeing as SageTV has no support for the EPG (Apart from XMLTV, which confuses the heck out of me) would it not be better to foster a relationship with Digiguide.co.uk ? I consider their charges quite resonable, and would even be willing to pay a little more to get it going with SageTV.

Obviously by the lack of other replies, my request to get the program viewing order in my personal favorite order is a no go? Shame really the wife would be happy if they appeared the same way Sky Sat does.

Regards Paul.

Just of to Buy SageTV, so likely to be a pain in the **** till I can sort this out. Have to say, the program is great

[justme]

The whole EPG service issue is very complicated, especially in the *US. Sage does provide free intergrated EPG service for major US markets. They already cover my area. I believe Dan said they will cover all US cable/satellite markets by November 1st. As far as the rate that Frey expands their own EPG service...

I'm glad they are going at a reasonable/carefull pace. I used to use Digiguide here in the US, but they died because they chose to support the entire US market immediately. They had a great service but they burnt thru their cash before they could even break even. They lost alot of money and had to sacrifice the US market to keep the UK division from going broke as well. I don't want the same thing to happen to Frey and SageTV.

As for partnerships... Digiguide would make a good UK provider based on my experience with it's US service. Maybe after Frey has conquered the US it will reach across the ocean.

*There are just so many different channel lineup combinations here in North America. It's all the local channels that make it a mess for anyone wanting to provide EPG service.

[drifting]

*There are just so many different channel lineup combinations here in North America. It's all the local channels that make it a mess for anyone wanting to provide EPG service. [/B][/QUOTE]

Well all the more reason to get it right in the UK, as we have far less channels, not that I have a vested interest of course

To be honest when I visit the States, there would be only two channels on my EPG, HBO and TNT

Regards Paul.

[justme]

So you have no vested interest huh?

Digiguide and Frey might be able to work out a mutually beneficial relationship. You point out the obvious benefit that Frey would get a reliable partner for UK guide data. The relationship could go both ways though...

When Digiguide left the US market they expressed their desire to someday return to it. They just want to do it more thoughtfully this time. I don't know the details of Frey's contract with Zap2it, but maybe Frey could help facilitate the return of Digiguide to the US market. I don't realy know anything about business, but maybe the could cross license each other's software. Digiguide could handle the UK SageTV franchise, and Frey could handle the US Digiguide franchise.

It would seem like a marriage made in heaven. Since they both have great software and each already has a good EPG contract for it's home country. The only questions would be whether the two companies would want to do this. They both seem very intent on controlling their own future. Also there is the question of whether Frey would want to run a purely EPG software service in addition to their current software solutions. Still there would be an additional benefit to Frey. Several people(including me) have expressed a desire to control their Sage setup from the web and Digiguide does have the experience at running a US WWW based EPG service. I'm sure most of the code and business model could be reused in setting up an interface for SageTV customers to access their home PVR setup.

I know all of this is a lot more ambitious than your original(good) idea. Still of all the companies I've dealt with Frey and Digiguide have been the only two who really seem concerned with their cutomers needs. So maybe someday it could happen.

Best of luck,
Michael

[eruji]

dkardatzke said:

you can setup multiple inputs for one tuner card reflecting two lineups.

I know i can setup 2 sources, but how do i switch between them. Is there a button that can cycle through the choices? so i dont have to go through setup?

I currently have my cable directly to a pvr 250, i would like to add my vcr to the svideo in, and be able to easily switch between them.

[justme]

I have my digital cable box set up just like you are talking about. I use the PVR250's built in tuner(coax input) for all my analog channels. Once assigned a channel you can switch to your VCR by just changing sageTV to that channel number. Read this thread for more details. It is about another user who had the same kind of issue. He just wanted to use the composite input instead of SVHS.

Hope this helps.

[eruji]

excellent, thanks! im going to try it out tonight.

[StylinLP]

I didn't quite follow either thread. Probably because I don't have the product to play with yet. Thats this weekend.

But my question is. So it is possible to hook up a Satelitte Box s-video out to the Haupauge 350 AND hook up another sateliite box OR VCR to the composite input of the Haupage 350?

I thought one would rather use a HOLO3D card for external video machines like VCR's and LaserDisk players. If one has a powerfull computer im not sure why thou. So SageTV and Haupauge 350 card acts as a descaler too? Or must we use DScaler program.

[Narflex]

You can't record from both the composite and s-video inputs simultaneoulsy on one card. But you can hook them up like you say, and record from one of those sources at a time (i.e. satellite or VCR).