Plex as a front end for Sage

[PiX64]

Just wanted to give you all a quick update on the Plex Agent:

Thanks to the help and continued help of LeihiBri!! We have gotten a working Agent.

***** I also want to thank Slugger for allowing us to use some of the python code which is found in the Boxee client. Thanks Slugger! You truly are the Jedi Python Master :-D

***************************
Now before you get to excited there is still much work to be done and we won't be releasing anything as of yet. I will detail below what the current agent does, and what our next steps are most likely going to be:

current agent
-----------------
1) Is a Movie Agent
2) Scans your sage recording directory
3) takes the filepath e:\recordings\name and calls sagex api in for a match
4) if a match is found we successfully return a MATCH status to Plex Media Scanner (PMS)
5) Inside of update we have it updating the following metadata fields:
- Title
- Duration
- Tagline
- Year

Because of the way the plex system is setup, there are only a few metadata items in the Movie Object that we can use...This is a huge caveat for me and i think for Brian as well..

While the agent is usable, it won't allow us to put season and episode info, and other great stuff from sage into plex.

So the path forward is this
--------------------------
1) Create a custom Scanner!
- This scanner will allow us to scan our sage recordings
- Create a plex media object of type TVshow
- Call our currently working Custom "SageTV BMT Agent"
- Update all the good stuff that we all care about (Watched status....etc.)
2) Update Agent to write all important metadata about our recordings to Plex
3) Create a custom properties file which will allow for easy modifications of sagetv url, port, etc.
4) Detail out instructions on how to set this up and use it
5) Fix a few bugs that have come up along the way
6) Clean up the code and comment properly
6) Enjoy plex using Sage as a source

Here is a pic of a few things working.
**Excuse the Dr. Phil :-) wifey likes his show..me not so much

[tmiranda]

Originally Posted by mistergq

tmiranda:
I have to disagree.

Fair enough It's all opinion anyway.

[emveepee]

Programs can last a long time after their prime, BeyondTV and Windows XP come to mind, since they still certainly have their fanboys too, and if it ain't broke don't fix it.

I personally prefer to think about the future not the past, and mine doesn't include Windows Media Center so Plex is a really good consideration for a front-end and back end whole house/cloud meta engine and media streamer regardless of what backend I use for capturing.

Slightly off topic I don't like the ideas being discussed for unconventional SageTV licenses, or unofficial access to Microsoft EPG data, which I expect many people are considering. Google could shut this forum down and the community would never be the same. Also Schedules Direct is great and it costs less than I pay my own cable company for monthly data, so I'd recommend subscribing even if you use mc2xml. Segueing back on topic, consider what would happen if Schedules Direct goes dark because if it loses too many people (prices are already going up) and Microsoft (or SOPA) then shuts down mc2xml, all SageTV might become is a glorified VCR and feeding the ongoing products like Plex would be impossible.

Martin

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by emveepee

Programs can last a long time after their prime, BeyondTV and Windows XP come to mind, since they still certainly have their fanboys too, and if it ain't broke don't fix it.

I personally prefer to think about the future not the past, and mine doesn't include Windows Media Center so Plex is a really good consideration for a front-end and back end whole house/cloud meta engine and media streamer regardless of what backend I use for capturing.

Slightly off topic I don't like the ideas being discussed for unconventional SageTV licenses, or unofficial access to Microsoft EPG data, which I expect many people are considering. Google could shut this forum down and the community would never be the same. Also Schedules Direct is great and it costs less than I pay my own cable company for monthly data, so I'd recommend subscribing even if you use mc2xml. Segueing back on topic, consider what would happen if Schedules Direct goes dark because if it loses too many people (prices are already going up) and Microsoft (or SOPA) then shuts down mc2xml, all SageTV might become is a glorified VCR and feeding the ongoing products like Plex would be impossible.

Martin

There will always be sources of EPG data, even if it comes down to scraping publicly available listing sites. I worry not about that. As for 'unconventional licenses'... you quote the continued use of windows xp. How many new installs of windows xp do you suppose are newly purchased licenses? Microsoft's official end of sale date for xp was Oct 22, 2010. It's even worse a legal situation for xp, as xp is not only non-transferrable among parties, it is technically non-transferable between machines. If there is no news from google/sage regarding potential future sales, the inevitable will happen, and as sage doesn't have any phone home requirements, it would only take a few keys leaking out and anyone could run a very extensive system. It sucks, and, just like ms and xp, if they continued to offer it for sale, it would still be purchased. The fact that it is NOT for sale, means google has deemed it of no value, and as such, what guilt will people have in 'unconventional licenses'?

The problem is, google has no real system for, or desire to sell licenses for anything. They are an advertising company, not a software company. As such, they have no interest in sage's software value. THIS is the reason it will no longer be for sale, not because they don't feel they could make a profit on it - I'd wager Jeff could have continued to make some level of profit for many years to come - but because it is not what google does.

[gplasky]

You do have downgrade rights when you purchase a Windows 7 license. (Downgrade to XP or Vista.)

Downgrade Rights for Windows 7 Desktop Software
Downgrade rights for Windows 7 are an end-user right, documented in the Software License Terms that customers accept upon first running Windows software.
Note that Windows 7 end user downgrade rights will be available through the sales lifecycle of Windows 7 which is up to two years after the launch date of a new version.
Get more information about Windows lifecycle and Windows product availability policies.
Customers must:
• Purchase a PC preinstalled with Windows 7.
• Accept the Windows 7 Software License Terms.
• Perform the downgrade or authorize a third party to install on their behalf.
• See additional details and FAQ.
The Downgrade Process
Follow these steps to downgrade to a previous version of Windows:
1. Obtain genuine Windows media and a corresponding product key for the eligible version of Windows for downgrade (see next section for eligible Windows versions).
o The media should come from a prior legally licensed version from the OEM or Retail channels.
o Additionally an end user, who is licensed separately through Microsoft Volume Licensing (VL) programs, may provide their VL media and key to their system builder to use to facilitate the downgrade on only their systems.
2. Insert eligible downgrade version of Windows media in the CD drive and follow the installation instructions.
3. Type the product key.
o If the software was previously activated, you will not be able to activate it online. In this case, the appropriate local Activation Support phone number will be displayed. Call the number and explain the circumstances.When it is determined that the end user has an eligible Windows license, the customer service representative will provide a single-use activation code to activate the software. Please note that Microsoft does not provide a full product key in this scenario.
4. Activate the software.
5. See also the Downgrade Rights Guide for Windows 7. .pdf 1.4 MB

OEM Versions of Windows 7 Eligible for Downgrade
Only certain OEM versions of Windows 7 include downgrade rights:
• Windows 7 Professional and Windows 7 Ultimate include downgrade rights to Windows Vista Business and Windows Vista Ultimate.
• Windows 7 Professional and Windows 7 Ultimate include downgrade rights to Windows XP Professional, Windows XP Tablet PC Edition, or Windows XP x64 Edition.
• Other OEM Windows 7 versions (for instance, Windows 7 Home Basic and Windows 7 Home Premium) do not include downgrade rights.

Gerry

[PiX64]

Originally Posted by PiX64

Just wanted to give you all a quick update on the Plex Agent:

Thanks to the help and continued help of LeihiBri!! We have gotten a working Agent.

***** I also want to thank Slugger for allowing us to use some of the python code which is found in the Boxee client. Thanks Slugger! You truly are the Jedi Python Master :-D

***************************
Now before you get to excited there is still much work to be done and we won't be releasing anything as of yet. I will detail below what the current agent does, and what our next steps are most likely going to be:

current agent
-----------------
1) Is a Movie Agent
2) Scans your sage recording directory
3) takes the filepath e:\recordings\name and calls sagex api in for a match
4) if a match is found we successfully return a MATCH status to Plex Media Scanner (PMS)
5) Inside of update we have it updating the following metadata fields:
- Title
- Duration
- Tagline
- Year

Because of the way the plex system is setup, there are only a few metadata items in the Movie Object that we can use...This is a huge caveat for me and i think for Brian as well..

While the agent is usable, it won't allow us to put season and episode info, and other great stuff from sage into plex.

So the path forward is this
--------------------------
1) Create a custom Scanner!
- This scanner will allow us to scan our sage recordings
- Create a plex media object of type TVshow
- Call our currently working Custom "SageTV BMT Agent"
- Update all the good stuff that we all care about (Watched status....etc.)
2) Update Agent to write all important metadata about our recordings to Plex
3) Create a custom properties file which will allow for easy modifications of sagetv url, port, etc.
4) Detail out instructions on how to set this up and use it
5) Fix a few bugs that have come up along the way
6) Clean up the code and comment properly
6) Enjoy plex using Sage as a source

Here is a pic of a few things working.
**Excuse the Dr. Phil :-) wifey likes his show..me not so much

I forgot to mention that I tested playing "liveTV" or "Growing files" and everything seemed to work fine. The stream took a little longer to open, but i didn't see any issues. Now that being said im not sure if it will play the entire file through, or just the part of the file it knows about... Ill report back on that later

[chiledog]

Pix64, Great work. I am looking forward to this. I currently have Plex setup to read my PVR directories, but it only imports shows if there is a Season / Episode. It does import the non-episode shows (ie, News, sports, specials).

BTW what clients are you using.

I tried the following:

GoogleTV (Revue): Plays H.264 files great. Can not play Sage recorded MPG files (Revue does not support MPEG2. Sony's GoogleTV BluRay player may. I believe it support MPEG2 since it is a DVD player.). Plex client is still in it's early stages but is pretty responsive.

Samsung client: Plays H.264. Can not play Sage recorded MPG files. Note: the Blu-Ray player can play the files via USB. There is some kind of bug in the Plex client. Reported it to the developer, but he has not responded. Note: the Samsung client is very slow to navigate. Hopefully this is something the developer can speed up.

Win 7 PC: Plays everything I throw at it. Very fast GUI.

Thanks again,
chiledog

[PiX64]

Originally Posted by chiledog

Pix64, Great work. I am looking forward to this. I currently have Plex setup to read my PVR directories, but it only imports shows if there is a Season / Episode. It does import the non-episode shows (ie, News, sports, specials).

BTW what clients are you using.

I tried the following:

GoogleTV (Revue): Plays H.264 files great. Can not play Sage recorded MPG files (Revue does not support MPEG2. Sony's GoogleTV BluRay player may. I believe it support MPEG2 since it is a DVD player.). Plex client is still in it's early stages but is pretty responsive.

Samsung client: Plays H.264. Can not play Sage recorded MPG files. Note: the Blu-Ray player can play the files via USB. There is some kind of bug in the Plex client. Reported it to the developer, but he has not responded. Note: the Samsung client is very slow to navigate. Hopefully this is something the developer can speed up.

Win 7 PC: Plays everything I throw at it. Very fast GUI.

Thanks again,
chiledog

So far all of my testing is being done with a PC Client, and a Roku 2 XS...No issues other than some Bluray Issues on the Roku 2 which I believe i just need to dig into the roku plex forum to find the solution...To be fair though i have been testing the Roku 2 XS connected to my airport extreme router...not wired so i may have solved my issue already and just don't know it :-)

[panteragstk]

Originally Posted by PiX64

I forgot to mention that I tested playing "liveTV" or "Growing files" and everything seemed to work fine. The stream took a little longer to open, but i didn't see any issues. Now that being said im not sure if it will play the entire file through, or just the part of the file it knows about... Ill report back on that later

Thanks for your efforts so far. This is a pretty neat way of adding another front end for sage. I think this would work great as a mobile client as well.

[PiX64]

Originally Posted by panteragstk

Thanks for your efforts so far. This is a pretty neat way of adding another front end for sage. I think this would work great as a mobile client as well.

Agreed -- Even if you can't do live tv OOTB 100% (which i am not convinced of yet) its still a solid solution for deploying more CHEAP front ends throughout the house. I was just talking to a buddy and what i told him was if i were going to deploy an entire ecosystem of Plex to slowly replace my sage front ends (WHICH IM NOT!) but if i was i would do this

Kids Room - Roku 2 LT 49.99
Master BEd - Roku 2 XS 99.99
Basement (workout area) - Roku 2 LT 49.99
Rec Room - Small form factor nettop PC running plex front end
Loft & office - Roku 2 LT x 2

[jbrandon]

I've been in the need of two more HD200/300 for a while now and am not willing to pay the prices on eBay. I have a Samsung D series TV and installed the Plex client on it and it does work. Not nearly as robust as the HD200/300 but with no boxes available for reasonable prices - it works well enough I purchased two additional Samsung blu-ray players and have installed the Plex client on them. Fills the gap for now...

The Samsung app is not in a finished condition, it will only allow movies and tv shows, no music or pictures at this point but these devices are in bedrooms so that need is not a big deal.

I've installed the Plex client on a pc but really prefer SageTV interface but if and when Plex can fill the hole left by SageTV. I was a BeyondTV user for years and support for it went away so I move to SageTV and have learned to love it. I will move on one of these days.

[panteragstk]

Originally Posted by PiX64

Agreed -- Even if you can't do live tv OOTB 100% (which i am not convinced of yet)

This implies that live TV is totally doable.

[PiX64]

Originally Posted by panteragstk

This implies that live TV is totally doable.

nice!

[PiX64]

Originally Posted by jbrandon

I've been in the need of two more HD200/300 for a while now and am not willing to pay the prices on eBay. I have a Samsung D series TV and installed the Plex client on it and it does work. Not nearly as robust as the HD200/300 but with no boxes available for reasonable prices - it works well enough I purchased two additional Samsung blu-ray players and have installed the Plex client on them. Fills the gap for now...

The Samsung app is not in a finished condition, it will only allow movies and tv shows, no music or pictures at this point but these devices are in bedrooms so that need is not a big deal.

I've installed the Plex client on a pc but really prefer SageTV interface but if and when Plex can fill the hole left by SageTV. I was a BeyondTV user for years and support for it went away so I move to SageTV and have learned to love it. I will move on one of these days.

Yeah - IMO SageTV and the HDx00's are kind of the Cadillac in the space. All of the other options I have found come close, but are just not quite as AWESOME. That being said, I am happy with Plex, what it does, and the flexibility of mutliple clients. Most importantly the fact that there are options for the clients. The Roku plex client is far from perfect. No music, No Pictures, but for me, I use subsonic for music...and there is a subsonic channel :-)...Im pretty sure there is also a spotify app and RDIO app from Roku.

While i agree that its nice to have everything in one place, its just not there yet. Even Sage has its shortcomings for streaming content, and even audio (unless you use phoenix which is head and shoulders above the default STV)

[darcilicious]

Originally Posted by PiX64

what our next steps are most likely going to be:

So the path forward is this
--------------------------
1) Create a custom Scanner!
- This scanner will allow us to scan our sage recordings
- Create a plex media object of type TVshow
- Call our currently working Custom "SageTV BMT Agent"
- Update all the good stuff that we all care about (Watched status....etc.)
2) Update Agent to write all important metadata about our recordings to Plex
3) Create a custom properties file which will allow for easy modifications of sagetv url, port, etc.
4) Detail out instructions on how to set this up and use it
5) Fix a few bugs that have come up along the way
6) Clean up the code and comment properly
6) Enjoy plex using Sage as a source

Here is a pic of a few things working.

This is looking awesome Since Boxee has dropped support for their software client, I'm in the process of moving all my PCs over to Plex. Overall, I'm really liking Plex and I really love their iOS app.

I have my first Roku (2 XS) arriving on Thursday and if you'd like someone to help test and/or write documentation, count me in

[PiX64]

Originally Posted by darcilicious

This is looking awesome Since Boxee has dropped support for their software client, I'm in the process of moving all my PCs over to Plex. Overall, I'm really liking Plex and I really love their iOS app.

I have my first Roku (2 XS) arriving on Thursday and if you'd like someone to help test and/or write documentation, count me in

Funny you should mention that because as I was doing some dev last night i was thinking who would be great at doing a write up on how to set this up....Darcilious comes to mind :-)

i believe you already have my email but if not pm me and ill send you and email to get you up to speed as soon as I can.

PS. this scanner/agent will work with plex period...regardless of client being used.

[wayner]

Slugger has written a SJQ script that will rename your TV show files to be Plex compliant by adding S01E01 to the filenames. Check it out in the SJQ thread.

[PiX64]

Originally Posted by wayner

Slugger has written a SJQ script that will rename your TV show files to be Plex compliant by adding S01E01 to the filenames. Check it out in the SJQ thread.

While that is cool, one would have to install SJQ and use it (i don't think its free right..) from what i understand there is a steep learning curve for it, and it seems a bit of a waste to use that just to accomplish what is simply done with a plex custom scanner/agent. Now if you use sJQ anyways, then it makes total sense. simply renaming the files though won't get you all of the goodness we are providing in the scanner/agent. reuse of BMT fanart, and all availalbe properties that have a 1 to 1 map into plex.

To each his own though..Its awesome in my opinion that we have more than 1 way to skin this cat..

[wayner]

Very true but SJQ should be on every Sage user's server as it greatly increases the power of your system if your are willing to do a little bit of work to get up to speed.

[PiX64]

Originally Posted by wayner

Very true but SJQ should be on every Sage user's server as it greatly increases the power of your system if your are willing to do a little bit of work to get up to speed.

I know it is a powerful tool/addon, but I have never had the need to use it. Also with the Sage Server side Dev coming to and end (meaning no new releases etc) sage to me becomes more and more of just a TV backend.

but again to each his own.