SageTV Client for MAC?

[nspindel]

Originally Posted by Joseph S

OTA/QAM with EyeTV2.

Virtual D-VHS/AVCCAP/iRecord can all do firewire cable non-5c/D-VHS and also control the cable box and D-VHS hardware.

Component capture cards are available for PCI-X and PCI-e, but they're expensive.

Except for the last line, you may as well have written that in Greek

[Zeos]

Definatly put me down for a placeshifter client for osx too! ...I'd love to take this on the road with my mac laptop....

[mscottsimon]

I'd love to see an OS X client. With Java and mplayer both on OS X, it doesn't seem like a huge deal. Maybe just post an engine and let the fans write a wrapper? :-)

[bcjenkins]

I am awaiting the release of the placeshifting client for Linux, then hope to use gentoo portage for OS X and emerger the required libs, etc., to make placeshifting work..

[mayamaniac]

I tried to run the placeshifter java mini client in OSX before, and SageTV UI does work, but of course no video. Someone just needs to make mplayer for OSX work with it. Here's my original post with screenshot.

[bcjenkins]

I think it will be easier to run the LINUX version in OS X, rather than editing the jar to work with OS X native apps. of course, my method may require an MacIntel..

B

[Godspropy]

Just thought I would chime in. I recently purchased a Macbook Pro. And, you can put me down for 1 OS X client. However, VLC will play the SageTV files in OS X and XP through Parallels. SageTV + SageTV Web Interface + VLC works for me ... until we get a Placeshifter client.

[FritzsCorner]

I just installed the 15 day trial tonight on an old windows PC gathering dust in my basement. I admit SageTV is pretty nice from what I have seen so far but all my other computers are Mac's. Both PPC and Intel. If SageTV released a Mac client I would almost certainly switch from my mixture of 4 stand alone/direcTivo's.

[Deadbolt]

Originally Posted by Godspropy

Just thought I would chime in. I recently purchased a Macbook Pro. And, you can put me down for 1 OS X client. However, VLC will play the SageTV files in OS X and XP through Parallels. SageTV + SageTV Web Interface + VLC works for me ... until we get a Placeshifter client.

Or use BootCamp and run placeshifter now!

[NEOSG]

Originally Posted by Joseph S

Except Windows doesn't support recording from 6 HDTV.....

Curious how you determined that windows does not support 6 HDTV tuners?

Edit: Just asking, beacuse I am headed there and want to be aware of any issues

[Godspropy]

Originally Posted by Deadbolt

Or use BootCamp and run placeshifter now!

Been there, done that. I just don't like having to reboot. The first thing I did with my macbook was install boot camp and make sure that Windows was good to go. And, I haven't used it since (except in Parallels).

[Richard.Wilkes@]

OTA/QAM with EyeTV2.

Virtual D-VHS/AVCCAP/iRecord can all do firewire cable non-5c/D-VHS and also control the cable box and D-VHS hardware.

Component capture cards are available for PCI-X and PCI-e, but they're expensive.

Originally Posted by nspindel

Except for the last line, you may as well have written that in Greek

OTA is over the air HD broadcasts (i.e. antenna).
QAM is digital broadcasts over cable.

What I find odd is that QAM is available on most, if not all, cable systems in the US, yet Windows PVR software has consistently ignored this in favor of OTA, which is only accessible by a very tiny percentage of overall households (those within range of the broadcast towers).

That's what attracted me to the EyeTV solution -- they support QAM with their PVR software and hardware. Admittedly, their PVR software can't hold a candle to SageTV in terms of features... however, it has the important distinction of actually being able to capture HD content for me, which is otherwise impossible in my area (no OTA works, even though the towers aren't really all that far away... too many trees, I guess).

For me (and many of the folks I know), HDTV wasn't a reality until I could record it via QAM using EyeTV. Now, if we could just get the folks that write SageTV to acknowledge that QAM is even remotely interesting to them...

[blade]

Originally Posted by Richard.Wilkes@

Now, if we could just get the folks that write SageTV to acknowledge that QAM is even remotely interesting to them...

There's a very good reason why windows PVR software has ignored it. If you do a little research you'll see the HD card manufacturers aren't providing the necessary driver support for QAM in windows. QAM only works with the manufacturer's software. The manufacturers blame Microsoft's driver specifications. So there's not much Sage can do about it.

QAM is possible in Linux. I'd love to see the linux version of Sage supporting it because I can't get any OTA HD.

[corykim]

Originally Posted by Godspropy

Just thought I would chime in. I recently purchased a Macbook Pro. And, you can put me down for 1 OS X client. However, VLC will play the SageTV files in OS X and XP through Parallels. SageTV + SageTV Web Interface + VLC works for me ... until we get a Placeshifter client.

Uhh, you can run VLC as a native MacOS X application.

[Richard.Wilkes@]

Originally Posted by blade

There's a very good reason why windows PVR software has ignored it. If you do a little research you'll see the HD card manufacturers aren't providing the necessary driver support for QAM in windows. QAM only works with the manufacturer's software. The manufacturers blame Microsoft's driver specifications. So there's not much Sage can do about it.

QAM is possible in Linux. I'd love to see the linux version of Sage supporting it because I can't get any OTA HD.

I have done the research, because this is an important issue for me. You're right, the problem right now is that the standard driver spec from Microsoft is blamed for lack of Windows support except in manufacturer's software. However, the fact that the manufacturer's themselves have done it on Windows, the Linux folks have done it, and the Mac folks have done it, seems to lead me to the conclusion that the Windows folks could do it, if they had any interest.

I can't help but feel that this issue would be resolved practically overnight by eager developers if either one of the two following events occured:

1. Microsoft released a version of MCE that had the feature (even without official driver support)

- or -

2. The developers that develop these products lived in an area where OTA was an impossibility

Basically, there is just a lack of motivation, for whatever reason. Part of the problem lies with the user base -- we generally haven't made a fuss of it. Either that's because those who need QAM support don't think bringing it up will make difference (hint: it will, if enough of us ask for it) or the folks that use PVR software happen to generally also be the folks that have OTA available to them.

Anyway, as I mentioned in the previous post, I find SageTV to be far and away the best solution, with this one exception. For the time being, I use a Mac to record my HDTV shows, and SageTV for everything else. Not optimal, but livable until Microsoft finally makes MCE available with HD QAM support.

[blade]

Originally Posted by Richard.Wilkes@

I have done the research, because this is an important issue for me. You're right, the problem right now is that the standard driver spec from Microsoft is blamed for lack of Windows support except in manufacturer's software. However, the fact that the manufacturer's themselves have done it on Windows, the Linux folks have done it, and the Mac folks have done it, seems to lead me to the conclusion that the Windows folks could do it, if they had any interest.

Manufacturers have access to what they need to make QAM work because they're writing the drivers, which means they have the SDKs and source code needed. The current drivers may support QAM, but if it's buried in the driver and third parties have no way to access it then I don't see how you think companies like Sage can add support.

Getting the necessary tools and information is easier with linux because it's open source.

I don't know much about MACs, but if they can do QAM in software other than the manufacturer's then I assume developers have been given what they need to implement it.

[White94Cobra]

Count me in for an OSX version. Just got my first Apple. Installed bootcamp and setup XP but rarely boot to it. OSX is growing on me.

[fidget]

Originally Posted by White94Cobra

Count me in for an OSX version. Just got my first Apple. Installed bootcamp and setup XP but rarely boot to it. OSX is growing on me.

Have you thought about using Parallels and running the Sage client from there? I was considering that option for when I replace my current Mac.

[bcjenkins]

Originally Posted by fidget

Have you thought about using Parallels and running the Sage client from there? I was considering that option for when I replace my current Mac.

The video subsytem in Parallels is not up to the task. It does not emulate DirectX. You can access the gui for everything, just not play video/TV. At least it was this way for me on my MBP.

B

[bionicDan]

Seems to be a bunch of interest

I'd definitely buy at least 2 licenses, 1 for each of my macs.

yeah, Mac owners are a smallish minority, but we're a decent, growing lot, and a vocal one who would spread word about SageTV on mac...