Another BTV to Sage TV Conversion

[deipert]

I am a long time experienced BTV user. I have 5 Media MVPs around the house on 2 BTV servers using the unofficial and unsupported MVP plugin.

I appreciated the work done by some smart people to develop the MVP plugin. Lately I have noticed declining suppport for the plugin and Snapstream has indicated no plans to develop one of their own. That plugin has problems and with new releases of BTV the problem is probably only going to get worst. I think it is silly to put PCs behind my TVs and use the BTV link.

I am currently on a trial version of Sage TV and I must say that I am very impressed. I didn't realize the advantages of Sage especially with the media extender that allows me to use my MVPs. I tried really hard to find some bugs with my trial STV and did not find any. I can name a fews bugs with BTV and lots of issues with the BTV Plugin.

I am on my way to going into production with Sage TV. My wife took a look at it through the media extender and has accepted my plans for conversion. Her own complaint about Sage was that it had more than she needed.

I have read the manual a couple of times and looked through the Sage Community for lots of valuable info.

Here are a couple of things that I could use some more insight to.

1. BTV shows 14 days of upcoming scheduled recordings. STV only shows 3 days in advance in most cases. Yes, I did read how it can be changed and the history as to why the default is lower. I was just wondering if I can expect any problems with reasonablly high powered PCs with 2 G of memory? It is worth the change?

2. I don't see any need to move BTV recordings to Sage but I would like if my favorites could be copied from BTV into Sage. Can I even add favorites manually for shows that are not sheduled in the next couple of weeks?

3. I plan to use 2 servers with 2 PVR 150 cards in each PC. I seem to have much more flexiblilty with SAGE using my set up. I suppose I will purchase 2 extender licences and put them one of the PCs so I can use any 2 of my 5 MVPs at one time. With my BTV set up I found that the best way to combine shows was to files into one PC with the MVP plugin.

What are some ideas to do this with Sage? I don't want to put four PVR cards in one PC. I know I can reboot the MVP and pick a server I want but I want to avoid that.

[Brent]

Originally Posted by deipert

I am a long time experienced BTV user. I have 5 Media MVPs around the house on 2 BTV servers using the unofficial and unsupported MVP plugin.

I appreciated the work done by some smart people to develop the MVP plugin. Lately I have noticed declining suppport for the plugin and Snapstream has indicated no plans to develop one of their own. That plugin has problems and with new releases of BTV the problem is probably only going to get worst. I think it is silly to put PCs behind my TVs and use the BTV link.

deipert, I'm a former BTV user as well (there's a lot of us here) and used to use the MVP. The development for the BTV skin worked pretty good, but as you say it worked most (or some) of the time and had no live TV among other things.

I am currently on a trial version of Sage TV and I must say that I am very impressed. I didn't realize the advantages of Sage especially with the media extender that allows me to use my MVPs. I tried really hard to find some bugs with my trial STV and did not find any. I can name a fews bugs with BTV and lots of issues with the BTV Plugin.

The SageTV MVP extender is so much better it's really not even comparable to the BTV skin. I couldn't believe how good it performs. It's back in our bedroom running our tv there now.

I am on my way to going into production with Sage TV. My wife took a look at it through the media extender and has accepted my plans for conversion. Her own complaint about Sage was that it had more than she needed.

Remember that once you get the hang of it, you can customize the menus and functions almost to your hearts desire.

1. BTV shows 14 days of upcoming scheduled recordings. STV only shows 3 days in advance in most cases. Yes, I did read how it can be changed and the history as to why the default is lower. I was just wondering if I can expect any problems with reasonablly high powered PCs with 2 G of memory? It is worth the change?

I made this change on my system and had zero problems with it. Here's the steps I took. Misteregg, another BTV convert pointed this out to me by the way.

Shut down SageTV Server
Open to edit sage.properties
find "scheduling_lookahead="
change it to "scheduling_lookahead=1209600000”

Apparently that number is in milliseconds. Now you have 14 days, in milliseconds though!

2. I don't see any need to move BTV recordings to Sage but I would like if my favorites could be copied from BTV into Sage. Can I even add favorites manually for shows that are not sheduled in the next couple of weeks?

I'm not sure of the answer for this as I just manually added the favorites that were showing at the time. If you change your mind about importing the BTV recorded shows, there is a way to import BTV shows into recorded shows now:

3. I plan to use 2 servers with 2 PVR 150 cards in each PC. I seem to have much more flexiblilty with SAGE using my set up. I suppose I will purchase 2 extender licenses and put them one of the PCs so I can use any 2 of my 5 MVPs at one time. With my BTV set up I found that the best way to combine shows was to files into one PC with the MVP plugin.

What are some ideas to do this with Sage? I don't want to put four PVR cards in one PC. I know I can reboot the MVP and pick a server I want but I want to avoid that.

Not sure on this one, but I think you can have more than one server in Sage. I'll let one of the SageTV experts handle this one.

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by deipert

1. BTV shows 14 days of upcoming scheduled recordings. STV only shows 3 days in advance in most cases. Yes, I did read how it can be changed and the history as to why the default is lower. I was just wondering if I can expect any problems with reasonablly high powered PCs with 2 G of memory? It is worth the change?

All I know for sure is that SageTV officially doesn't recommend changing it. As for if it's worth it, IMO, it's not. It doesn't gain you anything, it just shows you the plan farther out. For example if you have a conflict, Sage searches to the end of the guide data to resolve it, regardless of your scheduling lookahead.

2. I don't see any need to move BTV recordings to Sage but I would like if my favorites could be copied from BTV into Sage. Can I even add favorites manually for shows that are not sheduled in the next couple of weeks?

I assume you mean shows which have no airings in the guide data. You can, but (AFAIK) they're not quite the same as a normal favorite. You can make Keyword Favorites, but I don't know if you can limit them to certain fields (title) and I also don't know if they're as smart regarding first runs reruns/ duplicates.

3. I plan to use 2 servers with 2 PVR 150 cards in each PC. I seem to have much more flexiblilty with SAGE using my set up. I suppose I will purchase 2 extender licences and put them one of the PCs so I can use any 2 of my 5 MVPs at one time. With my BTV set up I found that the best way to combine shows was to files into one PC with the MVP plugin.

What are some ideas to do this with Sage? I don't want to put four PVR cards in one PC. I know I can reboot the MVP and pick a server I want but I want to avoid that.

Well the first question is, what are you trying to achieve by having two servers.

Now, as for the "best" way to setup two machines, that would be to have SageTV installed on both of them. Then you pick one and setup Sage as you normally would, all the clients/extenders will connect to this, and all the scheduling will be done here. Then you setup the other as an encoding server, and configure the first to use it's tuners. You'll have one system with 4 tuners spread across two PCs.

[Opus4]

I like to extend my own schedule out to 5 days "just because", but to me a 14 day schedule lookahead just creates more work for the scheduler w/o much real benefit.

Originally Posted by stanger89

You can make Keyword Favorites, but I don't know if you can limit them to certain fields (title) and I also don't know if they're as smart regarding first runs reruns/ duplicates.

Keyword Favorites can be limited to just the title or else check all fields (p. 66 for the v6.3 PDF manual), and they do follow all the same types of limits for channel, first run, etc.

...that would be to have SageTV installed on both of them. Then you pick one and setup Sage as you normally would, all the clients/extenders will connect to this, and all the scheduling will be done here. Then you setup the other as an encoding server, and configure the first to use it's tuners.

Just a BTW: Appendix G covers network encoders, if you decide to go that route.

- Andy

[deipert]

quote

Well the first question is, what are you trying to achieve by having two servers.

Now, as for the "best" way to setup two machines, that would be to have SageTV installed on both of them. Then you pick one and setup Sage as you normally would, all the clients/extenders will connect to this, and all the scheduling will be done here. Then you setup the other as an encoding server, and configure the first to use it's tuners. You'll have one system with 4 tuners spread across two PCs.

End quote (How do you add quotes to replys with this forum?)

Thanks for the valuable insight into a BTV to Sage Conversion.

My reason for having two servers previously with BTV was that my main production TV server was too important to play around with new releases of buggy BTV software and with the even more troublesome MediaMVP plugin.
I could use the second PC for an occassional third or even fourth instance of a program on at once. The other reason was that I have two Comcast CATV boxes controlled by the USBUirt devices. BTV has recently allowed two USBUirts from what I understand. I did read where this is also possible with SAGE.

Fortuantely I have 2 BTV servers so I can play with a trial version of SAGE.

The way I see it,

1. I could run two separate SAGE PCs and use the import video to get at the other's TV files but without details and I would have to go to the source PC for maintenance later after I was finished watching the imported video.

2. I can have more confidence in SAGE and add more tuner cards or move over existing tuners to one PC.

3. Use the encoding server technique where a main server maintains the database and simply controls tuner cards on another client PC. Do I understand this correctly? I could leave my second Comcast CATV box where it is at with the USBUirt? If I wanted to test a new release or something then I could disconnect the client and go back to two separate SAGE PCs temporarily? How is the encoding server technique on network traffic on a gigabit network having a couple of media extenders runner and traffic with recordings going from a client PC to the server?

I think I should first get some SAGE licenses and convert my production PC over to Sage with a couple of media extenders and try this for a couple of weeks and then try the encoding stuff.

I am continued to be very impressed with SAGE. I shoud have come over sooner.

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by deipert

How do you add quotes to replys with this forum?

If you select the "Quote" button under the post you wish to quote, it will automatically add the [quote] tags. (If you are coming from the BTV forum: this forum uses the same vBulletin forum software.)

If you use the multi-quote button on multiple posts (next to the Quote button), you can tag those multiple posts to be quoted in a single reply.

- Andy

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by deipert

Thanks for the valuable insight into a BTV to Sage Conversion.

Yup, like Andy said, or surround the text with [quote] and [/quote] tags.

My reason for having two servers previously with BTV was that my main production TV server was too important to play around with new releases of buggy BTV software and with the even more troublesome MediaMVP plugin.
I could use the second PC for an occassional third or even fourth instance of a program on at once. The other reason was that I have two Comcast CATV boxes controlled by the USBUirt devices. BTV has recently allowed two USBUirts from what I understand. I did read where this is also possible with SAGE.

Fortuantely I have 2 BTV servers so I can play with a trial version of SAGE.

The way I see it,

1. I could run two separate SAGE PCs and use the import video to get at the other's TV files but without details and I would have to go to the source PC for maintenance later after I was finished watching the imported video.

That would be a pain in the but IMO

2. I can have more confidence in SAGE and add more tuner cards or move over existing tuners to one PC.

Yup.

3. Use the encoding server technique where a main server maintains the database and simply controls tuner cards on another client PC. Do I understand this correctly?

Yup, pretty much.

I could leave my second Comcast CATV box where it is at with the USBUirt?

Yup.

If I wanted to test a new release or something then I could disconnect the client and go back to two separate SAGE PCs temporarily?

Yes, but you'd have to undo the properties file changes that make the slave an encoding server. It would be kind of a pain. From experience, I wouldn't bother with a test machine, I'd just back up the SageTV directory before upgrading, upgrade, and if there's a problem, just go back and replace the SageTV directory.

How is the encoding server technique on network traffic on a gigabit network having a couple of media extenders runner and traffic with recordings going from a client PC to the server?

I believe that Server, Encoding Server/Network encoder, and client all write directly to the recording directory if they can access it. I know client only streams through the server if it can't read directly. And honestly, on a Gig-E network, bandwidth isn't a problem.

Originally Posted by Opus4

If you use the multi-quote button on multiple posts (next to the Quote button), you can tag those multiple posts to be quoted in a single reply.

- Andy

Rock on! I was missing that from AVS Forum, there the button has text, I didn't see the one here that's just an Icon