Mac Mini + Firewire + Sage = ok?

[Charcster]

So there's a lot of good info on here, but I'm still a bit confused.

I have a mac mini connected to a motorola 6200 STB via firewire. I get HD cable and digital cable through the box (about 600-700 channels?), and I can change channels on the box over firewire. Using firewire sdk I can watch the digital cable (in HD when available) on my HDTV using it as a monitor for the computer.

If I get SageTV, will I need anything but the software to make it work with this setup?

If I don't want to stream to any other TVs, will I be able to record and play back HD on my main TV?

Does SageTV even work through a firewire connection (ie. without a tuner)?

Will placeshifter work with this setup?

Thanks for any help you can give. I'm brand new to all of this and trying to figure it out.

Charcster

[ke6guj]

I'd start with this thread, http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/show...t=mac+firewire .

Sounds like you need just the Mac Sage MediaCenter program and the firewire software stuff to make it work.

Yes, Sage will work with just a firewired STB.

[Charcster]

That thread seems to be a bit too technical for me. I'm lost as soon as the terminal window needs to be opened.

So is there a simple way to do this without third party add-ons, without having to open the terminal window and map the address of my STB, and does it work with placeshifter?

This is just basic background info on SageTV that I haven't been able to find anywhere in these threads. I get lost easily when it dissolves into techno-speak. Hit me with some layman's terms if you don't mind.

Thanks-

Charcster

[Charcster]

As an update, I downloaded the SageTV client and installed it to see if it would work "right out of the box." No dice. It says it cannot find any video capture devices.

So, is there a way to use this software without buying a tuner, and without opening the terminal window?

Charcster

[ke6guj]

Originally Posted by Charcster

As an update, I downloaded the SageTV client and installed it to see if it would work "right out of the box."

You have to install the SageTV Media Center software, http://download.sage.tv/SageTVMac_V6_2_10.dmg , not the SageTV client on your main box. That will be the software that interacts with the tuners. I'm assuming that you actually installed SageTV Media Center, since if you only installed the client, I think it would be just sitting there looking for a Sage server.

No dice. It says it cannot find any video capture devices.

If you haven't done the work to install the firewire device so that Sage can use it, then you don't have any working video capture devices.

So, is there a way to use this software without buying a tuner, and without opening the terminal window?

Charcster

You cna use the software without a tuner, to just play back any imported videos you may have, but you won't be able to record anything.

I don't have a Mac and I'm not trying to set up firewire via the Mac, so I don't ahve first hand knowledge on the setup of firewire for the Mac. As a starting point, I'd suggest this post in the above mentioned thread, and trying it step by step. If you ahve problems, post in that thread for help.


edit: Firewire support for the Mac is very new, so there isn't a lot of people doing it. SO, you may have to work at it a bit. If that isn't acceptable, then buy a tuner and hook up your STB via s-video/composite cables or just record the analog channels.

And once you get a tuner of some sort, or the firewire working, you can definitely use it to run a placeshifter client. However, transcoding video to stream over the internet takes CPU horsepower, so if you have a slow Mac, you may not be happy with the quality of hte placeshifting.

[Diginerd]

Try My post about this. Just follow closely. i tried to make it as clear as possible for those non-techie..

http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/show...5&postcount=35

Hint, post 35

[Charcster]

Originally Posted by Diginerd

Try My post about this. Just follow closely. i tried to make it as clear as possible for those non-techie..

http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/show...5&postcount=35

Hint, post 35

thanks Diginerd - great directions. I did all of that, and still no signal.

When I first go into Terminal and type the first thing in, it gives me a list of stats - it does see the box and it's at ID 0.

It immediately tells me it's listening for commands from SageTV, etc.

I then opened Sage, and set up the device. It sees the source, says it's functioning. Then it says it is not being used for live TV. Says it's a Digital Tuner. Says it's Cable. Sees the appropriate channel lineup. Says tuner control is N/A.

When I go to watch live TV, there is no signal. I know you can watch live TV through firewire with this box, because I've done it using FirewireSDK.

Any more ideas on getting this to work?

Thanks-

Charcster

[mohanman]

I am having the same issues, except mine doesn't have an ID number. At first when I run everything including the open terminal and sagetv, it does change the channel appropriately, but there is no picture, and then it states no signal.
Man, really hoping to get this going, sounds like a good answer to many problems!
Mo

[Rick]

Originally Posted by Charcster

thanks Diginerd - great directions. I did all of that, and still no signal.

When I first go into Terminal and type the first thing in, it gives me a list of stats - it does see the box and it's at ID 0.

It immediately tells me it's listening for commands from SageTV, etc.

I then opened Sage, and set up the device. It sees the source, says it's functioning. Then it says it is not being used for live TV. Says it's a Digital Tuner. Says it's Cable. Sees the appropriate channel lineup. Says tuner control is N/A.

When I go to watch live TV, there is no signal. I know you can watch live TV through firewire with this box, because I've done it using FirewireSDK.

Any more ideas on getting this to work?

Thanks-

Charcster

I am experiencing the exact same thing... I have seen this same outcome using both the SA8300HD and the SA4250HD.
I know that they're working because I can record all channels off of both of them using iRecord (which uses FirewireSDK).