Some people are leaving, but I'm coming back! :)

[silkshadow]

Hello again!

I left SageTV at v5 because nothing was fixed/added/updated in v6 that I wanted, yet Frey wanted to charge me. At v6, SageTV was moving backwards. While the rest of the field was getting great music support, metadata, fanart, advanced media views and so forth, SageTV was adding things that were not universally relevant and refusing to catch up with the field. I went all MedioOS and didn't look back. Went MCE for a while when my Meedios setup got wiped due to a system crash. Then went set top DVR.

I have some time now and want back into HTPCs. I was trying Plex but it's backend sucks, the forum is dead and support non-existent. Then I saw that my v5 licenses now works with v7!

Installed Sage 7 and it is such a far better product than v6 and, really, everything else out there. I would've paid the upgrade fee for this. Metadata (finally!!), configurable/filterable views, JRMC plugin, modern UI, wow!

Its really unfortunate that Google bought and killed Sage when it finally got comparable with the rest of the options out there, but that is the way of proprietary software. Now that its already happened, that is not an issue. Like when Yahoo killed Meedio, SageTV may become a better program than it was with less nannying from corp heads. After its death, the community came out with so many plugins that the app was still cutting edge and relevant. I mean, from the Yahoo ashes of Meedio sprang forth things like the TVDB. There is hope!

Anyway, I just wanted to post that there is a reverse to the user bleeding. At least today SageTV is +1.

Edit: BTW, its nice to see this community is the same as it was!

[ChaOConnor]

Welcome back! Still a great product, and an even better community.

[silkshadow]

Thanks, its really nice to be back! I've always loved the idea of this program, it just took a while for the execution to catch up to the idea. I see over the time I've been on other programs, Frey never actually caught up with the market, it was the community here that did. Frey should really kick a third of the Google money to the key community devs, I don't think they would be rolling in Google money if it wasn't for them.

That bodes well for SageTV now though. Meedio was the same way, the core never really improved all that much, but once they sold out, the community went into high gear and transformed it to a world class program. High hopes here.

[Evil_Attorney]

If you think v7 is an improvement, check out the Phoenix or Gemstone interfaces. I have been using Phoenix for a while and absolutely love it.

[eqwalker]

You speak of the plugins and interfaces that are now available out there, where would someone go to learn how to install these? I currently am on V7 running on WHS V1 with 3 HD300 extenders. I would like to get my weather working again if possible along with the few other things that have broke (youtube) and would like to explore the enhancements that others have put out there but I don't know where to begin to install these on my setup using WHS with the HD300's. (Not meaning to hijack this thread).

[Dargason]

I think youtube and weather have been fixed in the default STV. Are you sure it's up to date?

To install a plugin, just navigate to setup->detailed setup->plugins and then browse through the list until you find what you want, select it, then install it. It's really much simpler than it used to be.

Configuration of the plugin varies from plugin to plugin, but you should find the details on these boards or the website associated with the plugin (if there is one).

[eqwalker]

Originally Posted by Dargason

I think youtube and weather have been fixed in the default STV. Are you sure it's up to date?

To install a plugin, just navigate to setup->detailed setup->plugins and then browse through the list until you find what you want, select it, then install it. It's really much simpler than it used to be.

Configuration of the plugin varies from plugin to plugin, but you should find the details on these boards or the website associated with the plugin (if there is one).

Are you talking about the update option on the HD300? I last updated to a beta version some time ago because it would stop playing my .flac music in between songs (which the beta corrected it). I have not updated it since.
I'll take a look at some of the plugins. Thanks.

[silkshadow]

Right on Evil_Attorney, I am very happy with this Sage of today.

Plugins are really easy, Eqwalker. Just go to the plugin manager, click all plugins and go through the list. Install plugins that you want and are compatible (it will say if its incompatible). The plugin manager will do everything. I highly recommend trying out Gemstone. It has its own weather.

For the default STV go into settings->advanced and click the update (or check update) button about 2/3 down the page. It will install an update for the default STV. Click it again as there might be several updates and you have to install the older ones to install the newer ones. Keep going till it says there are no updates. One of those updates will ask to install a google weather plugin which fixes the dead weather on the default STV.

[TwistedMelon]

Hmm.. I've always thought that Sage, since version 4, has always been ahead of anyone else playing in this space (PVR). Yes, they fell behind in media playback UI, but only to software that was concentrating 100% on that, forgoing PVR.

Anyway, I suppose all that's behind us, because the current landscape is now pretty bare.

You've got a couple of XBMC-related media playback projects, the original being by far the most popular. And you've got Windows Media Center for PVR. I really don't see anyone else out there with any kind of traction or terribly compelling offer.

If I didn't have anything at all today, do you know what I'd pick? I'd still choose Sage by picking up some used hardware and software licenses. The software, with plugins, is better today than when Google acquired them honestly.

We've already chatted in other threads, but welcome back.

[silkshadow]

Thanks TwistedMelon! When I got back into it a couple months ago, I tried MediaPortal and MeediOS, both with PVR modules. Both have complex setup and Meedios has changed a lot since I was last on it, but very slick both of them. But they are not very stable or easy to use for other people and missing the full client-server functionality. Went to Plex, thinking I would use my old Sage v5 license as a cable TV backend recorder but Plex is simply not ready and support is non-existent. Today there is no question that Sage with all the great plugins is the best option, head and shoulders above the rest.