Suspend and resume with SageTV

[Alex0230]

After using a hard disk activity monitoring program, I was finding that even in sleep mode....Sage was doing periodic file io on my hard drive. For my particular machine, this was preventing my system from going in to hibernation if hibernation was set for anything over 5 mins. Some say that file io won't prevent your system from going in to low power states.....but in my case it seemed to be what was happening.

To work around this, I started running Sage in a ramdisk (nielm suggested it on the forums here). After doing this.....this system has been able to hibernate/standby without any problems.

Here's a description of how I attempted to do it:
http://forums.freytechnologies.com/f...0182#post30182

It's changed a bit since that description, but gives you the overall idea...I've integrated it all in to one batch file and if you're interested in this approach I can post the methods for going about doing this.

Also another thing that will supposedly prevent standby/hibernation is network drives. But with the case of my ramdisk, I have a drive mapped Y: (MP3's) for use in Sage and it doesn't affect my sleep/hibernate. To get around this....you can just spell out the share of '\\computer\share'...

[buzzerbee]

I have read that, but with sagewake running, I can't even manually put it in hibernate or stand by. I have no networked drives yet as this is a new XP install and I haven't setup the network yet

I can try the ramdisk idea, but I'm thinking that until I can manually get it to standby with sagewake running.. nothing else will work either.

[thomaszoo]

Buzzerbee,

It looks to me like you may be having a problem with IR. Your previous post said your sagewake properties are:
"-noir=23-5 --leadtime=180 --logfile=wakelog.txt" (you might also need a second dash in front of noir)
I would try running it without the time info. I had the same problem and it was due to IRs.

[buzzerbee]

update:
flashed my motherboard BIOS with the latest (from feb). set S3. installed win with updates. installed newest java and sagetv 2. standby/resume works fine without sagewake running.

but again I have the same problem with sagewake: when it's running, I can't even go into standby manually.

I have no customizations on sagewake. (eg I'm not using these right now: "-noir=23-5 --leadtime=180 --logfile=wakelog.txt" )

[mwhitlock]

Originally posted by buzzerbee
I have no customizations on sagewake. (eg I'm not using these right now: "-noir=23-5 --leadtime=180 --logfile=wakelog.txt" )

To reiterate what thomaszoo said, you need another hyphen on your noir parameter. It's --noir, not -noir.

[buzzerbee]

thanks, but those are his typos.

I'm NOT using any customizations for the past 2 re-installations of winxp.

I want to get it working first, then customize later. I REALLY want to get this working. Please please someone help me!

[jptaz]

buzzerbee,

If you don't have --noir then SageWake will think that you have Intelligent Recording on and not let the system standby / hibernate when SageTV has an Intelligent recording scheduled. From my experience IR is scheduled almost all the time, especially if you have not trained it or like me do not have it enabled. For some Reasone SageTV generates the IR schedule even if it is not enabled so SageWake thinks that SageTV is recording even if it is not.

John

[buzzerbee]

Originally posted by jptaz
buzzerbee,

If you don't have --noir then SageWake will think that you have Intelligent Recording on and not let the system standby / hibernate when SageTV has an Intelligent recording scheduled. From my experience IR is scheduled almost all the time, especially if you have not trained it or like me do not have it enabled. For some Reasone SageTV generates the IR schedule even if it is not enabled so SageWake thinks that SageTV is recording even if it is not.

John

Thanks John, that might have been the solution! I had IR disabled in sagetv2, but apparently, as you said, that's irrelevant to sagewake.

Right now, I'm doing some testing and it's generally working but the PC didn't go into standby after recording a show tonight. I think except for that, it's passed the recording/standby demands I've placed on it. At least it's progress. I'll work more on it in the next few days, but I hope that's the fix.

Also, I have sagewake in the startup folder and had a startup delay of 120000 (2 min) in sagetv on launch, but even with that, it (manual standby/sagewake ) didn't work. I have to manually start sagetv after I boot the pc to make standby/sagewake work. I don't know why, but if I have to live with that, I can.

So now I have sagewake starting on boot and I manually launch sagetv later.

Thanks again everyone, especially mwhitlock for giving us this. If I have more probs, I'll post, but let's hope this was the fix!

[68elle]

Originally posted by Scriber
I’m now seeing a bit of a problem – I’ve confirmed that sagewake is not permitting the system to enter standby nor hibernation (automatically or manually) after it wakes the PC for a recording (which it does perfectly I might add ). To fix I have to stop sagewake then delete the schedule.txt file (can’t delete the file if sagewake is running) then stop/restart sage (to create a new schedule.txt file). After this sagewake permits the system to enter standby/hibernation normally. I do have another recording scheduled but its over 5 hours away. Anyone else seeing this? Any ideas?

[68elle]

Originally posted by Scriber
I’m now seeing a bit of a problem – I’ve confirmed that sagewake is not permitting the system to enter standby nor hibernation (automatically or manually) after it wakes the PC for a recording (which it does perfectly I might add ). To fix I have to stop sagewake then delete the schedule.txt file (can’t delete the file if sagewake is running) then stop/restart sage (to create a new schedule.txt file). After this sagewake permits the system to enter standby/hibernation normally. I do have another recording scheduled but its over 5 hours away. Anyone else seeing this? Any ideas?

I'm a noob to the forums but I've been using sage for about 4 months now. I have this problem as well, SageWake works great, computer goes into standby on its own or manually, wakes up, records, then will not go back to sleep, if I either delete the sched file or force sage to update it, everything works again, is there a way to have sage automatically refresh the sched file everytime it records something? (sorry about the double post)

[humptybump]

mwhitlock,

I just wanted to say "THANKS" !!!

I recently built my first HTPC and installed SageTV. It wasn't very long before I know I wanted the machine to sleep whenever possible. Your SageWake is working great! It was exactly what I was hoping to find.

I, like othera, was having a bit of a problem getting my machine to kick into "stand by" mode on its own. I traced it to my Analog Devices SoundMAX "plug-n-play" program - smax4pnp.exe - for some reason, it was preventing my computer from sleeping. I disabled the program.

Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks for your great work !

BTW: I'm preferencial to C/C++ over Java as well, but don't tell my boss :-)

[JohanDC]

mwhitlock - Thanks for the great Sage add-on that you wrote!!!

I just wanted to say that although I really like what you did, I do have a minor issue when using it. When the WakeSage wakes up my PC the screens stays black, as soon as I move my mouse or press a key the display comes back. When I resume from standby by pressing a key or moving my mouse (so not by a timer event) the display is right back. I was wondering whether you have an idea what might be causing this. I know this is not a big issue, but I would really like to remove my keyboard/mouse from my system as I use a remote (on my PVR250) to control Sage.

TIA for your help!

[mwhitlock]

When Windows awakes by a timer event, it is considered an "unattended" wake, and Windows does not power up the monitor since there is no user present. When you wake up your system by keyboard, mouse, or power button, Windows knows that you're there and turns on the monitor for you.

SageWage takes the idea a little futher. If it powers your system on to record something, and you don't touch the keyboard or mouse, SageWake will put your system back to sleep immediately after the recording is finished. If you move your mouse or press a key during the recording, that effectively cancels the "unattendedness" and then SageWake won't put your computer back to sleep immediately at the end of the recording. (It will still relinquish control back to Windows power management so your system can sleep again later on its own if its idle timer is satisfied.)

As far as waking your monitor up with the remote control, I believe some users have gotten this to work by using Girder's mouse commands to tell the mouse to move to one corner of the screen and then an opposite corner so Windows thinks the mouse has moved and turns the monitor back on. I don't use a remote with my system, so I can't verify this, but good luck!

[JohanDC]

Thanks for the great info and quick response!

To be perfectly honest, I haven't tried Girder yet simply because the built-in support for my remote works pretty well. I was wondering whether it would be hard (or hopefully easy) to implement an additional parameter to your app that would make windows think that there is in fact someone at the console? If you could implement this modification fairly easy I would love to have it as it would save a lot of time learning Girder, if not, no prob, then I'll have a look at Girder first thing tomorrow.

btw, have you considered selling your app to Frey Technologies since it seems to offer such a great added value to the product that I start to wonder why they didn't developed something like that in the first place, if not, then I would say make it a least something like donationware so that the people that use and like it can support you.

[mwhitlock]

It wasn't really that difficult to write in the long run, and I use it myself so it was something I was going to write anyway. I don't really care to get anything in return for it. I'm just happy the rest of the Sage community can benefit from it.

[manwillb]

I just discovered this thread and I've been experimenting with my PCs.

I have the server running on 1 PC, and a client on another PC. PC 1 wakes up correctly to record, then goes back to standby. The question I have is, if PC 1 is in standby, how do I get the client on PC 2 to wake up PC 1 to that I can watch live TV or previously recorded shows? I found a freeware program to send a wake-up to PC 1, and it works, so I know it can be done. Can this be done automatically via the client, or will I need to run this manually before?

Thanks.

[mwhitlock]

Maybe you can script it with Girder. I've heard of people having success in doing exactly what you want to do. I don't know much about it, though.

[Gaurav]

Hey mwhitlock - thanks for the great utility. Wonder why the folks at Frey didn't think of it.

I'm having a bit of trouble though....

I'm on win2k and i've created the schedule.txt and placed SageAwake.exe in the same folder.

Placed the following shortcut in startup -
D:\PVR\SCHEDULE\SageWake.exe --noir --terminate="SageApp" --restart="C:\Program Files\Frey Technologies\SageTV\SageTV.exe"

The problem is that although the pc wakes up from hibernation at the right time - two mins before schedule - it doesn't restart Sage. The pc doesn't even go back to sleep, just displays the desktop endlessly.

Hope it's just a stupid mistake i'm making...

[mwhitlock]

SageWake will only put your computer back to sleep after recording is finished if you have not moved your mouse or pressed any keys on your keyboard. If you do that, then it will be up to your Windows Power Management settings to put your computer back to sleep with the idle timer starting at the time recording finished.

As for SageTV not restarting correctly, are you positive of this? I don't actually use this feature of SageWake, so perhaps someone else could verify? It's supposed to shut down SageTV just before your system goes to sleep and start it back up when your system wakes up.

[Gaurav]

Originally posted by mwhitlock
I don't actually use this feature of SageWake

I'm guessing this feature is the only way to achieve a scheduled recording (after the pc has gone to sleep). Does that mean you don't schedule recordings ? Or have i got it all wrong ?

Positive about Sage not restarting - don't see the window or the tray icon.

Also the pc didn't go back to sleep even though i didn't touch the mouse or keyboard for an hour. (Standby is set at 5min, Hibernate at 10mins)