Sage system setup "for Dummies" (or noobs)

[VCRUser]

I ended up going with PlaceShifter because I couldn't get the client to play reliably. But I will often use Placeshifter more for setting up recordings, browsing available stuff to watch, browsing the EPG, and so forth, and connect directly to the server's recording directory and play via VLC.

[BonBon]

I cant seem to understand something, if I have a Sage server running in one room, like a see some people have with 1 or 2 satellite boxes, and they have no monitor nearby, how are they telling Sage what channel they want to record, or watch etc? Also some of them have ubb-uirt blaster hooked up to their satellite boxes, how are they changing channels etc without being in the same room as the STB's?

[GKusnick]

Originally Posted by BonBon

I cant seem to understand something, if I have a Sage server running in one room, like a see some people have with 1 or 2 satellite boxes, and they have no monitor nearby, how are they telling Sage what channel they want to record, or watch etc?

The full SageTV UI is available from any client or extender. You don't have to be sitting at the server to do that stuff. (In fact the server's UI is just another client that happens to be running on the same machine.)

Originally Posted by BonBon

Also some of them have ubb-uirt blaster hooked up to their satellite boxes, how are they changing channels etc without being in the same room as the STB's?

That's the point of having an IR blaster: so the server can control the STBs directly from software. The clients don't change change channels; they just tell the server what program to record, and the server figures out which channel it's on and sends the appropriate commands to the STB.

[Skirge01]

I put this diagram together for my own use, but it may help you understand the data flow in a server/client setup. One thing to note is that the listed SageTV client is a full-blown PC, not an HD Theater (HD100/200/300). I'm pretty certain the HD Theater would then handle the channel changing, negating the need for the USB-UIRT, but everything else would stay the same. Basically, the SageTV client tells the server what you want done via the ethernet connection and the server carries out all those commands for you. Therefore, your server can be as far away from the TV and client as your ethernet connection allows. This is why many people simply use an HD Theater, instead of a full PC.

[vividweb]

Originally Posted by Skirge01

I'm pretty certain the HD Theater would then handle the channel changing, negating the need for the USB-UIRT, but everything else would stay the same.

USB-UIRT would be required on the server end to change the channels on the satellite boxes.

The channel change is sent to the server via client, the server then outputs the IR signal via the USB-UIRT to the satellite (cable) box.

[Skirge01]

Originally Posted by vividweb

USB-UIRT would be required on the server end to change the channels on the satellite boxes.

The channel change is sent to the server via client, the server then outputs the IR signal via the USB-UIRT to the satellite (cable) box.

Not in my case, since I'm using serial channel changing. The USB-UIRT is not doing my channel changing, just passing along IR code to the server to send out via COM port.

[GKusnick]

Whether it's serial or IR, the division of labor is still the same. The client requests a particular program, and the server figures out how to tune it and changes the channel. The HD extenders are no different from any other client in that respect.