A little more info

[reggie14]

Originally Posted by Roadrunner777

Now, I will say my final words: Ask yourself why Google would buy SageTV. Pretty clearly, they are buying the intellectual property (patents) and maybe talent (people). There really is no other practical explanation. Google has the datacenters, dark fiber, and now the skills and patents do something revolutionary. It would not surprise me greatly if Google bought Tivo before the end of the year, and I may buy stock in Tivo based on that very theory.

It doesn't look like Sage has any patents. So, Google seems to mostly buying Jeff and the SageTV source code.

[davephan]

It would be very helpful to still sell client licenses, perhaps to existing customers. People with HD extenders would like to buy client licenses as insurance if their extenders break. The client licenses would be a way to extend the life of the system, even if the SageTV software becomes stagnated after several years. If the Google/SageTV solution is superior, then many users would move to it. But the SageTV users need a way to have confidence that their systems will function until a better replacement is available. The SageTV users have become addicted to SageTV can't simply go back to TV without it or switch to a crude DVR solution.


Dave

[topperdude]

Originally Posted by sleonard

They do have to keep the extenders for one year so that they can do warranty replacements. After that the plans are probably to trash them but maybe we can get them to auction the lot of them as discontinued hardware instead of products. Some of us could combine finances and purchase the lot and them resell them amongst our community at cost.

S

+1

Originally Posted by davephan

It would be very helpful to still sell client licenses, perhaps to existing customers. People with HD extenders would like to buy client licenses as insurance if their extenders break. The client licenses would be a way to extend the life of the system, even if the SageTV software becomes stagnated after several years. If the Google/SageTV solution is superior, then many users would move to it. But the SageTV users need a way to have confidence that their systems will function until a better replacement is available. The SageTV users have become addicted to SageTV can't simply go back to TV without it or switch to a crude DVR solution.

Dave

+1

[thomaszoo]

Originally Posted by davephan

It would be very helpful to still sell client licenses, perhaps to existing customers. People with HD extenders would like to buy client licenses as insurance if their extenders break. The client licenses would be a way to extend the life of the system, even if the SageTV software becomes stagnated after several years. If the Google/SageTV solution is superior, then many users would move to it. But the SageTV users need a way to have confidence that their systems will function until a better replacement is available. The SageTV users have become addicted to SageTV can't simply go back to TV without it or switch to a crude DVR solution.

+1

Wayne

[lfilomeno]

Originally Posted by davephan

It would be very helpful to still sell client licenses, perhaps to existing customers. People with HD extenders would like to buy client licenses as insurance if their extenders break. The client licenses would be a way to extend the life of the system, even if the SageTV software becomes stagnated after several years. If the Google/SageTV solution is superior, then many users would move to it. But the SageTV users need a way to have confidence that their systems will function until a better replacement is available. The SageTV users have become addicted to SageTV can't simply go back to TV without it or switch to a crude DVR solution.


Dave

AMEN to that brother! +2

[blewis]

Correct me if I am wrong, but when I purchased SageTV, I was under the impression that SageTV would provide lifetime guide data?

[Fonceur]

Originally Posted by blewis

Correct me if I am wrong, but when I purchased SageTV, I was under the impression that SageTV would provide lifetime guide data?

While Replay-TV, TiVo and a few others sold lifetime subscriptions for a few hundreds dollars, there was never anything like that for SageTV... Not charging for the data isn't the same as promising free lifetime data...

[Tiki]

Originally Posted by Fonceur

While Replay-TV, TiVo and a few others sold lifetime subscriptions for a few hundreds dollars, there was never anything like that for SageTV... Not charging for the data isn't the same as promising free lifetime data...

I recall seeing something in the FAQs when I purchased (many years ago - version 2 or 3) to the effect of guide data is currently free for customers in North America and we have no plans to charge for it, but this could change at some point in the future.

I think there was a similar statement made at the time about upgrades being free. They later changed that by charging upgrade fees for versions 6 and 7.

[gplasky]

Originally Posted by blewis

Correct me if I am wrong, but when I purchased SageTV, I was under the impression that SageTV would provide lifetime guide data?

If it did it was Sage's life time and that time is over.

Gerry

[Bandit]

Originally Posted by gplasky

If it did it was Sage's life time and that time is over.

Gerry

HAHA, that made me giggle!

[robogeek]

Originally Posted by blewis

Correct me if I am wrong, but when I purchased SageTV, I was under the impression that SageTV would provide lifetime guide data?

We all read the End User Licensing Agreement (EULA) before we installed SageTV, right? Me neither

Section 9 of the EULA:

Originally Posted by SageTV EULA

9. Optional Equipment / EPG Service. SageTV may provide Licensee with a capture card or other hardware enabling Licensee to use the Product (the "Optional Equipment"). If Licensee received Optional Equipment, Licensee agrees to pay SageTV for the Optional Equipment. Licensee will be responsible for all shipping, handling and taxes related to the sale of the Optional Equipment. Title to the Optional Equipment will pass from SageTV to Licensee upon payment in full from Licensee to SageTV of all amounts related to the Optional Equipment. LICENSEE ACKNOWLEDGES AND AGREES THAT THE OPTIONAL EQUIPMENT IS PROVIDED TO LICENSEE BY SAGETV AS A CONVENIENCE, "AS IS" AND SUBJECT ONLY TO ANY WARRANTY OFFERED BY THE ORIGINAL MANUFACTURER OF THE OPTIONAL EQUIPMENT. Currently, SageTV provides electronic programming guide service (the "EPG Service") to End Users in the United States of America and Canada at no charge. End User acknowledges that SageTV reserves the right to discontinue provision of the EPG Services and to separately charge End Users for provision of the EPG Service.

That clearly states the free EPG service could be discontinued at any time which would mean that it is not a guaranteed service payed for as part of the cost of the purchased software. The fact that they're giving us a year of free EPG service beyond the acquisition date is a very nice gesture, considering Google or SageTV LLC would have been well within their rights to completely shut it off without notice, warning, or explanation on the day the acquisition was finalized.

[valnar]

Originally Posted by Narflex

Sorry for the gaps in communication; but as you may guess, I can't just tell you anything you want to know due to NDAs with Google.

Jeff, please don't let the FUD continue. Can you at least tell us when we might know something definitive? Or if there is NO chance (zero, zip, nada) of opening the Sage store again to sell anything, let us know that too. At least it would stop half of these damn emails I get constantly when threads are updated.

[Skirge01]

Most NDA's cover just about everything. So, even a timeline would likely be forbidden. Given what Jeff HAS said already, if he COULD say something--anything--to stem the FUD, I'm quite certain he would. Now, leave poor Jeff alone to bask in his newly found riches. While I'm sure this is great for him and he's excited (as we've seen), I'm sure there's still quite a bit of uncertainty on a much more personal level for him. For all we know, he's in the middle of moving.