ExtremeTech PVR Article

SprDtyF350 · #1 10-11-2005, 06:45 AM

Doesn't seem right to say MCE2K5 is best..

http://www.extremetech.com/article2/...1869552,00.asp

mlbdude · #2 10-11-2005, 08:06 AM

Seems like a good article. I pretty much agree that Sage's big shortcoming is its UI. They have all the technology, just need to package it up better

.

lovingHDTV · #3 10-11-2005, 08:30 AM

I would have to agree with everything they said about Sage. I believe they hit the nail on the head.

Setup is painful, interface is inconsistant and very plain. Underlying technology is great. Hopefully sometime soon they will fix the looks. Unfortionately, most/many customers judge the program by how it looks.

Kanati · #4 10-11-2005, 08:38 AM

Good article. I'd have to agree with MCE2005 being the best thus far. And they didn't even touch on sage's other shortcomings like the intensive training you have to go through to get IR to work right... or the fact that you can't accurately rate shows in order to do that training... Though of the four mentioned I think sage is the only one WITH IR type functionality... So I guess it's somewhat of a moot point in comparison.

dagar · #5 10-11-2005, 08:58 AM

Well, it's not as bad as the CNet PVR 'review' or the Tomshardware 'how to build an HTPC'. They are right on most of the issues with Sage; basically UI related. The v3b setup wizard should help most people.

mlbdude · #6 10-11-2005, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kanati

Good article. I'd have to agree with MCE2005 being the best thus far. And they didn't even touch on sage's other shortcomings like the intensive training you have to go through to get IR to work right... or the fact that you can't accurately rate shows in order to do that training... Though of the four mentioned I think sage is the only one WITH IR type functionality... So I guess it's somewhat of a moot point in comparison.

IR just worked for me without any kind of training. It takes its time but the more you record the smarter it gets. Since it does not prohibit any kind of normal recording schedule you can just enable it and let it be. If it records junk then just ignore it and it will get deleted.

Kanati · #7 10-11-2005, 11:51 AM

It's just a difference of opinion on how it should work... We'll have to agree to disagree on that one.

Fluffdaddy · #8 10-11-2005, 11:55 AM

IR works for me really well. But I stopped using it because I'm sometimes away from home 3 or four days at a time, and more then once IR ate up 800 gigs of Space finding great sci-fi for me, But to much of anything is to much

Waiting for Online Scheduling to come available for SageTV 3.0. Then I may start up with IR again...................If you can delete things remotely

dagar · #9 10-11-2005, 12:34 PM

lol, IR would just record everything I haven't seen yet on the military, food, and history channels :P

jptaz · #10 10-11-2005, 03:57 PM

I think it was all in all a good review...

Of course they agree with me on the over all product and why I chose and continue to support SageTV in there clsoing notes:

Quote:

If we had to pick one, we would recommend SageTV for the complete package, if you don't mind a bit of a clumsy interface.

John

stanger89 · #11 10-11-2005, 04:06 PM

Not trying to start a fight

Quote:

a bit of a clumsy interface.

I, and SageTV too probably, would still like details on this. What exactly does it mean? I agree that Sage is not as pretty as some of the others (no fancy animations), but what specifically could be better? Where should stuff be?

Perhaps it should be it's own thread.

Crashless · #12 10-11-2005, 04:43 PM

As an STV developer, I'm not sure I agree with the knock on the UI, but whatever, they didn't even mention there were other options available to SageTV users.

It's been a while since my BTV trial, but do the BTV skins allow as wide range of options as the SageTV system does? Not just skinning, but actual changes?

blade · #13 10-11-2005, 05:05 PM

The Sage UI isn't really pretty or uber user friendly (a.k.a. idiot proof), but as far as functionality goes it's pretty good.

dvd_maniac · #14 10-11-2005, 05:17 PM

I happen to HATE MCE with a passion. I do not like that I can not customize the menus like I can SageTV, records in that stupid DRM format, limited tuners, crashes more often, etc...
I also think people knock Sage's UI simply because it does not look like MCE. If M$ made it look that way the whole world should comply to it?
I do not hate M$ as a company but I for one am glad that SageTV is using their time to enhance functionality rather then waste it on pretty blue screens.

Keep up the good work SageTV................

mlbdude · #15 10-11-2005, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dvd_maniac

I happen to HATE MCE with a passion. I do not like that I can not customize the menus like I can SageTV, records in that stupid DRM format, limited tuners, crashes more often, etc...
I also think people knock Sage's UI simply because it does not look like MCE. If M$ made it look that way the whole world should comply to it?
I do not hate M$ as a company but I for one am glad that SageTV is using their time to enhance functionality rather then waste it on pretty blue screens.

Keep up the good work SageTV................

That is all fine and good, but if MCE takes the market like everything else the great "features" mean crap if Frey goes under.

Fluffdaddy · #16 10-11-2005, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stanger89

Not trying to start a fight

I agree that Sage is not as pretty as some of the others (no fancy animations), but what specifically could be better?

Ohhhh Fancy animations like the Tivo Beep and the Tivo-man ? No Thanks

stanger89 · #17 10-11-2005, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fluffdaddy

Ohhhh Fancy animations like the Tivo Beep and the Tivo-man ? No Thanks

I hate navigation sounds with a passion, but I can undetstand how animations and sounds can give a UI "flash". But there's got to be something deeper or I would think there would be less complaints, I'm curious what that deeper thing(s) is(are).

flashbacck · #18 10-11-2005, 07:05 PM

I don't like how the default STV has odd menu namings. Why isn't it just:

TV
Video
Music
DVD
Settings

That's the most intuitive way to do it. And I disagree that if MCE looked like Sage, the whole world would accept it.

jominor · #19 10-11-2005, 07:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mlbdude

IR just worked for me without any kind of training. It takes its time but the more you record the smarter it gets. Since it does not prohibit any kind of normal recording schedule you can just enable it and let it be. If it records junk then just ignore it and it will get deleted.

I think that IR is Sage's best feature. IMO, it should go out and mine for shows. I don't care if it misses, because those shows get deleted. It is the hits I'm interested in.

Also, IMO, the setup of BTV(what I remember in the 3.2 days) is an excellent standard, but I do think that Sage could use some minor interface tweaking. For example, italicizing watched shows, frankly sucks. It is just too hard to read. How about a (W) or color change or something.

I thought the Java jre was a foolish complaint especially considering BTV requires the .Net runtime and Sage comes with and automatically installs Java. What's the beef?

Finally, saying that Sage doesn't work out of the box and that the forums support this is just....stupid. It worked for me and probably most of us or else we wouldn't be here. Most of us don't post "All's well" posts.

flashbacck · #20 10-11-2005, 07:50 PM

Quote:

I thought the Java jre was a foolish complaint especially considering BTV requires the .Net runtime and Sage comes with and automatically installs Java. What's the beef?

I don't like that Sage requires Java JRE either. Java updates have an annoying habit of breaking things that used to work. It's another factor that users have to take into account during troubleshooting, and it shouldn't be.

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