MVP Client vs Placeshifter?

[Flybye]

Hi all, I was about to purchase SageTV when I started reading the MVP Client and Placeshifter and I started getting a bit confused.

Both seem to do the same thing as far as being able to watch your content (live or recorded) remotely, but do both work on a computer with a web browser? MVP only mentions it can be seen from any other TV but doesn't mention from a computer. Also, does Placeshifter give you access to the full functions of SageTV or does it only give you a scaled down screen that allows you to watch recorded and live programs?

Thank you

[GKusnick]

The MVP is a hardware client with composite and S-Video outputs to connect to a TV. I suppose if you have an S-Video capture card in PC other than your Sage server, you could plug an MVP into that, but why would you?

Placeshifter is a software client that runs on a PC. It's a standalone app that does not need or use a web browser. To connect it to a TV, you'd need to use the TV Out function of the computer it's running on.

So these are not really interchangeable; they're meant to solve two different problems (watching on a TV without a PC v. watching directly on the PC).

All clients of any flavor (hardware or software) offer full access to all SageTV functions.

[Flybye]

Thank you so much Greg. I didn'realize the client is just a hardware client. I'm also very happy to see that Placeshifter will give you full access to the server.

I only plan on viewing it from other PCs around the house connected to large monitors and also a Mac. Are there any plans for making a Mac Placeshifter?

[GKusnick]

For non-portable clients, you might want to look at SageTV Client as well. That's a software client optimized for LAN use (whereas Placeshifter is optimized for remote use over the Internet, although it will work locally on a LAN). This FAQ summarizes the differences.

There are Mac versions of Placeshifter and SageTV Client for SageTV version 6. I'm not a Mac guy myself and don't know what the plans are for V7 Mac clients.

[Flybye]

Thanks again, Greg. I'm just going to go with Placeshifter then for the other PCs since they are laptops which do occasionally leave the house.

[scsever]

I'm in the same situation, just ready to order and not sure which to choose. I followed the link for comparison but still not sure. Some recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
This is what I have available to work with:
1x Linux PC (thinking client/server)
2x Hauppauge MVP (not from Sage)
Android Phone soon adding 1 Android tablet
Also have spare thin clients, laptops and PCs (I separation difficult).
I would like to end up with permanent access from 3-4 TVs, with one being the server. It would be nice to have mobile access for one device (just on the LAN from my deck or shop). Since I only have a 512M DSL remote access isn't really a consideration at this time, although the rumor keeps coming that we will see 1-2M soon. Does everything that connects as a client need a license regardless of which options I choose; MVP, Media Extender, Placeshifter...?

Thanks,

[GKusnick]

There are two kinds of client license:

SageTV Client requires a license on the PC where the client software is installed. This kind of license is per installation; each such installation requires a separate client license, regardless of how many are in use at any given time.

MVP extenders, HD100 extenders, and Placeshifter clients require a license on the server. This kind of license is per connection; you need only as many licenses as the number of clients simultaneously in use. When a client disconnects, it releases the license for use by another client.

HD200 and HD300 extenders have licenses built in and don't require a separate client license.

For driving TVs, your best bet is a hardware extender. If you already have MVPs, you can use those (but you'll need licenses for them), but they obviously won't do HD and will therefore put CPU load on the server for transcoding. For HD extenders, HD300 is the way to go, although you might be able to find used HD200s for fairly cheap.

You can use the server to drive a TV, and I have done so in the past, but since the HD300 came out my preference is to use extenders on all TVs and run the server headless.

For PC clients that never leave home, I recommend SageTV Client, since it allows you to optimize playback quality and places minimal load on the server. However you may have some issues getting it to perform well over a wireless LAN, particularly on HD content.

Both software clients have free trial periods so you can experiment before making a decision. You can also hook up your existing MVPs and try them out for 15 days before you need to license them.

[scsever]

Greg,

This is exactly the information I was looking for and will help make my decision. Knowing that some of these are per connection on the server really clears up some confusion I had regarding how much of what type needed to be purchased.

Thanks,