Will upgrade to v7 help/hurt with hd-pvr issues...

[t4uecker]

hi there -

i have a standard (no themes/customizations) install of sagetv v6.x, with one hd-pvr, and three of the older hd100 extenders. it works mostly okay, but every few days i run into a problem where the system just freezes up and i have to restart it. most of the time, it seems that the hd-pvr is trying to record something (the blue glow light is on) and sagetv indicates "rec" in the top right, but nothing is actually being recorded and everything is just frozen. in such cases, when i try to play anything (even pre-recorded shows), i get the dreaded rotating circle of death.

it's a very significant annoyance and we've missed a few recordings because the system had been frozen but we (of course) didn't realize it because we weren't using it.

my wife recently asked if there was a newer version that might fix this issue and i noticed that v7 is out now (and it seems has been for a few months). i'm wondering if there's any feedback on whether it helps/hurts with stability...especially with the hd-pvr. (by the way, i'm running it on a quad core windows 7 pc).

note: we're fairly content with the features/functionality of v6 (it's not great, but it does the job), so the main reason to upgrade would be if it helps with the problems we're currently experiencing.

also, on a related note, does there seem to be any consensus on whether the upcoming hd-homerun with cablecard support is likely to be more stable with sagetv than the hd-pvr? i don't mind shelling out a few more $$ to eliminate headaches.

thanks!
tu

[gambitpvr]

I never used v6 myself (I jumped from BeyondTV to Sage v7) but, my Sage v7 setup with HD-PVR was rock solid for months. I've had a few hiccups with my Colossus card recordings when I added the Colossus card to the mix but the HD-PVR recordings are still solid.

With just an HD-PVR, you should be fine. Personally, I say go ahead and jump to the newest v7 beta as well. It has a few minor fixes and tweaks. I normally don't run beta software but the v7.1.5 & v7.1.7 builds have been rock solid for my HD-PVR and have even improved the stability of my Colossus card.

From what little I remember seeing of the Sage v6 interface, moving to v7 will be quite a bit of a change but, I think it looks much nicer.

[heffneil]

I would say help but back up just to be sure

I went from 6 to 7 and things are a lot better for my two HD-PVR's. They run better lock up almost never. I think you would be much better off upgrading.

[t4uecker]

is there a simple way that i can try the v7 "21-day trial" and switch back easily to my current install if it doesn't work out? if i'm reading some of the other posts correctly, is this the right sequence -- i'd really like a way to do this so it preserves my recordings info and also all of my channel lineup / tuner info:

1. stop sagetv server
2. rename my v6 directory (in case i need to revert, etc)
3. install the v7 trial
4. copy the wiz.bin file from the v6 directory to the v7 directory (to preserve recordings info)
5. copy the sage.properties file from the v6 directory to the v7 directory...will this preserve my tuner/channel setup so i don't have to go through that whole rigamarole again?
6. start sagetv v7 server

thanks!

[michelkenny]

Originally Posted by t4uecker

is there a simple way that i can try the v7 "21-day trial" and switch back easily to my current install if it doesn't work out? if i'm reading some of the other posts correctly, is this the right sequence -- i'd really like a way to do this so it preserves my recordings info and also all of my channel lineup / tuner info:

1. stop sagetv server
2. rename my v6 directory (in case i need to revert, etc)
3. install the v7 trial
4. copy the wiz.bin file from the v6 directory to the v7 directory (to preserve recordings info)
5. copy the sage.properties file from the v6 directory to the v7 directory...will this preserve my tuner/channel setup so i don't have to go through that whole rigamarole again?
6. start sagetv v7 server

thanks!

Besides the manual edits you've done to the registry, all Sage configuration files are stored in the program folder. There is more than just wiz.bin and sage.properties (i.e. extenders, plugins, etc). Here is what I do and I've never had a problem rolling back:

1) Stop all SageTV apps / services.
2) Make a copy of your C:\Program Files\SageTV folder (but leave it there).
3) Run the SageTV v7 setup, this will upgrade your install.

If you need to roll back:

1) Stop all SageTV apps / services.
2) Uninstall SageTV.
3) Delete your program folder completely (C:\Program Files\SageTV).
4) Reinstall the same v6 version that you had before you tried v7
5) Copy the backup you made back into C:\Program Files\SageTV, overwriting anything it asks.

All recording info, settings, etc should be restored. Anything that happened when you were on v7 will be lost however.

[Tiki]

Originally Posted by michelkenny

All recording info, settings, etc should be restored. Anything that happened when you were on v7 will be lost however.

This is a key point to keep in mind. If you have to roll back, you will need to go back to your old Wiz.bin file. Wiz.bin keeps track of what you've recorded and watched. So, when you roll back to the older version you will lose anything that happened while you were testing v7.

I recommend you do your testing at a time when you have a lot of free time to experiment (maybe on the weekend) and preferably on a day when you don't have a whole lot of new shows that need to be recorded, just in case.

Don't try an upgrade an hour before the season finales of your favorite shows (or worse, your spouse's shows) - best not to put extra pressure on yourself trying to figure things out when you have a short deadline!