My SageTV Configuration Dream

[vogelap]

SageTV Configuration Dream

Brent asked me via Twitter what I am looking for in my SageTV... Here's my first attempt at listing that out!

My Current Configuration:

* HTPC is a NAS-connected computer sitting next to the television. HTPC has a wireless mouse and keyboard
* Snapstream Beyond TV & Beyond Media make up the backbone of our HTPC
* Configuration information at http://www.drewvogel.com/htpc.htm
* NAS contains drives N:, O:, P:, and Q:
* Beyond TV recording directories:
* D:\Shows
* F:\PVR (default recording directory -- I manually move shows from here to the NAS from time to time; the NAS is fast enough that we can watch the shows from it)
* N:\BeyondTV
* O:\BeyondTV
* P:\BeyondTV
* Q:\BeyondTV
* Ripped DVDs are in (ie: D:\DVD Library\Eden_Log\VIDEO_TS\):
* D:\DVD Library
* F:\DVD Library
* N:\DVD Library
* O:\DVD Library
* P:\DVD Library
* Music is in (ie: N:\MP3\Gypsy Kings\02 - Campana.mp3, but this folder is generally a mess -- doesn't have songs sorted by album; I know I need to work on this section!):
* N:\MP3

My SageTV Wishlist:

I am open to suggestions of additional/different components instead of the following, but the following represents the baseline installation:

* UI must be controllable entirely with Logitech Harmony 890 Advanced Remote
* SageMC
* BMT/Phoenix (BMT's website needs to be on port 8500)
* Today (available from SageTV's main menu)
* Netflix (available from SageTV's main menu)
* Sage Movie Wall (available from SageTV's main menu)
* Webserver (port 8080)
* Automatic commercial skip (I've registered ShowAnalyzer); ideally, commercial skip is generated as the show is being recorded (but post-recording (as it is in Beyond TV) is quite acceptable)
* View recorded shows BY SERIES (default), BY FOLDER, and a list of ALL recordings
* FanArt
* Playing DVDs from Ripped DVD folders and playing a physical DVD inserted into the HTPC should be the same from the user's point of view
* Must prompt to resume playback when resuming any recording or DVD (physical or ripped)
* Must be able to import existing Beyond TV recordings & metadata. I don't mind if there are several manual steps for this since I intend to do it only once
* It would be really nice to have have the abilty to import Beyond TV's recording job settings (ie: my list of shows to record) instead of manually entering them all
* I also own a SageTV Placeshifter license. I'd like to do any necessary configuration to utilize that

[Fuzzy]

Looks like that is pretty much all doable. You didn't mention the hardware you're looking to run this on, but everything looks like you expect from Sage what it is capable of doing. As for bringing your recording job settings (called Favorites here), it is doable through the web interface.. sort of. You can import settings from .XML files. A sample favorite is listed below. I'm not sure what sort of export you can do from BTV, as I've never used it, but if you can convert to this format, you should be able to bring them in.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?>
<!DOCTYPE sageShowInfo PUBLIC "-//NIELM//DTD SAGESHOWINFO XML 1.3//EN" "http://sageplugins.sourceforge.net/nielm_modules/sagexmlinfo/sageshowinfo_1_3.dtd">
<sageShowInfo version="1.3">
    <channelList/>
    <favoriteList>
        <favorite favoriteId="125941">
            <title>The Daily Show With Jon Stewart</title>
            <firstRun/>
            <quality>Default</quality>
            <keepAtMost>3</keepAtMost>
            <autoDelete/>
        </favorite>
        <favorite favoriteId="125943">
            <title>The Colbert Report</title>
            <firstRun/>
            <quality>Default</quality>
            <keepAtMost>3</keepAtMost>
            <autoDelete/>
        </favorite>
        <favorite favoriteId="125942">
            <keyword>Chargers</keyword>
            <firstRun/>
            <reRun/>
            <stopPadding>1800</stopPadding>
            <autoDelete/>
        </favorite>
        <favorite favoriteId="1719525">
            <title>The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien</title>
            <firstRun/>
            <reRun/>
            <quality>Default</quality>
            <keepAtMost>5</keepAtMost>
            <autoDelete/>
        </favorite>
        <favorite favoriteId="125944">
            <title>Desperate Housewives</title>
            <firstRun/>
            <autoDelete/>
        </favorite>
        <favorite favoriteId="125945">
            <title>Eureka</title>
            <firstRun/>
            <quality>Default</quality>
            <autoDelete/>
        </favorite>
    </favoriteList>
    <showList/>
</sageShowInfo>

The dtd file gives a list of all options available for the favorites.

If you can send me an example of the exported recording jobs from btv, i can look at making a quick util to do the conversions.

[vogelap]

Thanks, Fuzzy. Please check your PMs.

[vogelap]

My hardware is mentioned here: http://www.drewvogel.com/htpc.htm

Beyond TV runs on it fine, so I hope SageTV will as well.

Thanks for your help, and let me know of any questions!

[Brent]

Here's a few beginning tips:

1. When you have time to devote (Plan on 14 or so days to do it right - it's not that difficult but there's a lot there) download and install SageTV on your BTV server rig. When you're ready to test, shut down BTV (leaving everything there as is) and run SageTV. Of course you can shut SageTV back down when done testing/playing each time and start BTV back up so it remains working for the moment
2. When you installed SageTV, you now have the PDF manual on your computer Start>All Programs>SageTV. You can also download this really lengthy, but useful manual here
3. I add this because I was there once: Don't be afraid. At first SageTV seems very complicated and different. This alone kept me from switching for over a year until I really gave it a chance. Just give it some time & you'll be happy in the end. Setup is more complicated than BTV alone - but it's much more powerful and you can make it work much like BTV - and then get into the good stuff.
4. Install the SageTV Web Interface (my article on it here) which you can find here
5. Read this on "converting/importing your recorded TV shows into SageTV including metadata etc.
6. Understand that some keys by default work differently in SageTV. The one that gets most ex-BTV users is the exit function. Escape in BTV = Alt>Left in SageTV. You can re-map any key however you want in SageTV so it's not a problem, but does trip up someone like yourself who's used BTV for so long. Here's a cheatsheet of SageTV Keyboard Shortcuts that will come in handy.
7. Get yourself relatively familiar with SageTV before installing a bunch of add-ins. I personally do not like the default UI (the user interface you see when you initially install SageTV). If you're like me, don't worry its easy to change that - I'll get to that shortly.
8. Now that you're a little more familiar with things here's a few essential add-ins imo:
   1. SageTV Web Interface (mentioned in step above)
   2. Commercial Skipping - My how to is located here. I use comskip although I have both paid Show Analizer and Comskip versions (yes I'm insane) and they both work great with SageTV.
   3. SageMC - this is a replacement UI that gives you additional functionality. I love it and recommend it, but it's optional
   4. A full list of "customizations" can be found here. Like I said above, take it slow & resist the temptation to install eveything all at once. Do backups before installing especially when you're new at this just to be safe.
9. You might be interested in my "Ultimate Guide to SageTV." that continues as a work in progress.
10. Ask lots of questions on the forums. Don't be shy - lots of very helpful (mostly) people around here.

You can program your harmony remote to work with SageTV just fine. Or you could even have SageTV learn the IR codes you're already using for that remote with BTV - it's up to you.
Oh, and here's a post on movies/DVDs in SageMC
All of your other requirements are possible except I don't think there is a way to auto-import Beyond TV's recording job settings. If there is I don't remember it. I think I manually entered all of them.

Question: Are you only serving a single TV?
Question2: If my wife and I ever visit Cincinnati will you cook for us? I follow your blog and get hungry at times when I'm reading the culinary posts

[vogelap]

Thanks for your message, Brent. I appreciate your encouragement and guidance! Plus, this will become a useful guide for others making the switch...

To answer your first question, I am currently serving only one television (well, sometimes I watch recorded shows via Beyond TV Link from my computer upstairs, but it's pretty rare). I can envision a future where I am serving a television in the downstairs rec. room, the computer room, and maybe my bedroom, but we're just on one TV right now.

Thanks for your tips... I am somewhat through your initial steps and am currently/fully in the "fearful" phase you mentioned. Beyond TV, limited though it is, WORKS. I've got SageTV installed on my BTV box and run it from time to time, play with it, get frustrated, and slink back to BTV! ;-)

I've currently got SageMC installed, the Today plugin, the Netflix plugin, the Movie Wall... They're all basically INSTALLED but not CONFIGURED at this moment. I am considering completely uninstalling SageTV and reinstalling it from scratch... If I do that, I will write a step-by-step, keypress-by-keypress guide to what I do for myself and for others. I think that would be useful in both my learning and for the greater good.

I think that if I am able to get my BTV Jobs.xml file converted to SageTV's favorites, I will import my BTV recording collection and then make the switch and learn by doing...

Answer to your second question: ABSOLUTELY! I'd be thrilled to cook for you two if you make it to Cincinnati. It will be a meal you'll remember for a long time! Of course, if I cook for you, you can be assured I will ask you to tweak my SageTV!

Oh... Another random question... Is there somewhere in SageTV to a> view when the last guide update was completed, and b> force a guide update?

[Brent]

Originally Posted by vogelap

Is there somewhere in SageTV to a> view when the last guide update was completed, and b> force a guide update?

There are 3 different ways:

1. If you are using the "default STV" user interface go to Setup>Help>System Information. scroll down through the list of info on the screen. It will show you "last EPG update" and "next EPG update".
2. If you're using SageMC go to "My Menu">Settings>And scroll down through the list of info on the right hand side of the screen. It will show you "last EPG update" and "next EPG update"
3. On the front page of the web interface add-in down that first page is a section called "Program Guide" that has that same info. Bonus here is you can force an update if you want to.

[vogelap]

Does anyone see any potential traps, incompatibilities, or other problems in the featureset above?

Is there a recommended ORDER in which I do things? I think install SageTV from scratch, do the import of the shows, then the import of the Favorites (any word on that, Fuzzy?), and then begin bolting on things like SageMC, Sage Movie Wall, etc...

Does that sound like the right way?

[PLUCKYHD]

Originally Posted by vogelap

Does anyone see any potential traps, incompatibilities, or other problems in the featureset above?

Is there a recommended ORDER in which I do things? I think install SageTV from scratch, do the import of the shows, then the import of the Favorites (any word on that, Fuzzy?), and then begin bolting on things like SageMC, Sage Movie Wall, etc...

Does that sound like the right way?

Sagetv first
SageMV second
BMT third

the rest the order doesn't really matter as long as you don't import the same import twice.

[vogelap]

Originally Posted by PLUCKYHD

Sagetv first
SageMV second
BMT third

the rest the order doesn't really matter as long as you don't import the same import twice.

Puts on <newbie> hat. By "don't import the same import twice", do you mean that I shouldn't import Sage Movie Wall twice, or is there some other meaning?

[PLUCKYHD]

Originally Posted by vogelap

Puts on <newbie> hat. By "don't import the same import twice", do you mean that I shouldn't import Sage Movie Wall twice, or is there some other meaning?

Exactly what I mean.

Don't every import the same import twice over an existing even an update. If you want/need to update to a new version you must start with a sagemc.xml that does not have that import already imported on it.

The way I recomend doing it is this

Install Sage
Import the latest Sagemc
Import BMT

See what number xml file you are on (probably 46-1.xml) find that xml and rename it to something like "Master.xml" that way you always have a blank import to go back to with BMT already on it.

[vogelap]

Originally Posted by PLUCKYHD

Exactly what I mean.

Don't every import the same import twice over an existing even an update. If you want/need to update to a new version you must start with a sagemc.xml that does not have that import already imported on it.

The way I recomend doing it is this

Install Sage
Import the latest Sagemc
Import BMT

See what number xml file you are on (probably 46-1.xml) find that xml and rename it to something like "Master.xml" that way you always have a blank import to go back to with BMT already on it.

Thank you for an excellent tip! I will put that into use.

Once I get my web server running (it crashed this weekend, darnit), I will probably completely remove SageTV from my PVR box and re-install from scratch, following the advice and direction from this thread.

[PLUCKYHD]

Originally Posted by vogelap

Thank you for an excellent tip! I will put that into use.

Once I get my web server running (it crashed this weekend, darnit), I will probably completely remove SageTV from my PVR box and re-install from scratch, following the advice and direction from this thread.

No problem remember make sure you aren't using the XML when you rename it