New MyHTPC (Meedio Essentials) released next Tuesday

[Morgan111]

I see that the new MyHTPC is out next Tuesday. The TV module is not being released yet. But I may go ahead and get this and combine it with Sage for the great TV functionality. Meedio Essentials does what I wish Sage would do for Music (including WMA!), Photos, weather, DVD library details, expandability,... I know Sage Stidio will improve that... eventually...

Details and sample screenshots:
http://myhtpc.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10986

[mlbdude]

Don't forget to check out the current custom STV's that already combine weather, DVD/Video Library details, with the already existing picture library and music player (not a fan of that last one myself).

Though, I do plan on getting Meedio myself and will integrate it with Sage pretty much for its music library.

[sleight42]

Just how are folks integrating myHTPC with Sage anyway? Just curious.

[ToonGal]

@sleight42:
I think it is less integrating with SageTV as much as it is using myHTPC as a frontend for SageTV integrating the HTPC. At least that's what I use the old version for.

[mlbdude]

I plan on doing the opposite with the new version. Sage as the front end with links into certain Meedio screens. Hopefully they will support that.

I "think" the only thing they will do better than Sage is the music library. I intend to have the Music Library button in Sage jump to the Music Library in Meedio. It might even be possible for me to get Sage to detect when Meedio is done and auto return for me. We shall see.

[flashbacck]

What're the details on the PVR module?
When's it coming out... Will it support HDTV cards? etc. etc.

[Morgan111]

The current myHTPC supports a plug-in called "Got TV" that supports FusionHDTV II/I in HDTV mode, so perhaps the Meedio TV will be based on that. I had tried the old TV plug-in when I tried myHTPC before, and wasn't impressed at the time, especially compared to Sage and now Sage 2. Looks like the Got TV does support multiple tuners and a server/client configuration.

http://myhtpc.net/plugins/index.php?showthis=2482

I do like the way that Meedio has a setup page to easily checks on plug-in updates and installs them, and easily change theme settings and skins. Something like that would be nice in a future Sage release (which reminds me that I'm itching for an update sometime soon. Seems like it's been a while now).

[heffe2001]

While the DVD module & MP3 modules look pretty cool (especially the ability to import DVD's to the HD), I think I'll stick with my Sage. It does 99% of what I want out of the box (the DVD import & a better MP3 module would be my main wants).

I'm hoping with the release of Studio, someone will beef up the MP3 module. I can handle the importing of my DVD's (I have way too many to put 'em all on the PC without a spare terabyte of disk space).

Hopefully a public release of Studio will be posted soon .

[Brett]

I have to say I hate it when people post random advertisements for commerical software on the competitors site. This is just lame. I see it all the time on "another" board, and its real LAME!

Not that I support Studio or anything, I just think its unfair to use their boards free of charge.

[Morgan111]

Didn't mean to offend, but if we can compare what others have to offer, maybe that will help to stimulate ideas for those that are making custom STVs for us and for the Sage product itself. Sorry if I was lame to mention what other are offering.

[mlbdude]

If Meedio does this right, I have a way to launch Meedio from Sage then have Sage go to sleep. Sage then watches the Meedio process and when it closes Sage comes back out of sleep automatically with focus. Not girder needed. It works for myHTPC right now so it will hopefully continue to .

[andrewswright]

Originally posted by mlbdude
It works for myHTPC right now so it will hopefully continue to .

Any chance of incorporating this into your STV? I would love this, as I currently have to use a workaround in Girder to keep the right focus when switching between myHTPC and Sage. Doesn't always work right, which drives my wife crazy.

Andrew

[mlbdude]

Originally posted by andrewswright
Any chance of incorporating this into your STV? I would love this, as I currently have to use a workaround in Girder to keep the right focus when switching between myHTPC and Sage. Doesn't always work right, which drives my wife crazy.

Andrew

It will be. This will be added for every kind of player that is launched from my STV - DVD, Music, and Video Player. It is dependant on how the launching application works so it will be configurable just in case. Once I move I may have time to do a new release.

[xlr8shun]

Originally posted by mlbdude
I plan on doing the opposite with the new version. Sage as the front end with links into certain Meedio screens. Hopefully they will support that.

it'll support that

Originally posted by flashbacck
What're the details on the PVR module?
When's it coming out... Will it support HDTV cards? etc. etc.

no details have been given out about meediotv, other then it's scheduled to be released in aug.

-

as far as what im doing now, i'm using meedio essentials for everything but tv, then haveing a button that wakes sage, then when i sleep sage, meedio is behind sage, waiting to be controled.

now all i need is studio, so i can make sage look like meedio, and get rid of the video library, move the setup menu, etc.. reorginize a few things.. then i'll be good to go.

[meekell]

It will be. This will be added for every kind of player that is launched from my STV - DVD, Music, and Video Player. It is dependant on how the launching application works so it will be configurable just in case. Once I move I may have time to do a new release.

mlbdude, I would love to have this feature! Has there been any progress? I just downloaded the meedio theme designer and started playing around with the idea of a mlbdude2 style meedio skin to compliment the marriage of meedio and sagetv.
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[mlbdude]

Work on this has stalled. I actually have not purchased Meedio yet. Not sure I am going too. The only use I would have for it would be the Music Library features. All other items I like better in Sage. Not sure if another music player will justify the purchase yet. I am watching it though .

[john f]

"All other items I like better in Sage"

Really??????

I use both and Meedio is much better IMHO at things other than Live TV which they do not have ( yet )


My biggest problem with Sage???????? It's unstable..... When I go away for a few days I never know if it will record my shows or not. When I awake the UI from sleep I never know if it will work, or if the " program has stopped responding "

Meedio opens every time and works perfectly.

Read this board ( as I have done for months now ) and you will see all kinds of problems and bugs. Yet the last update to 2.0 was 2 months ago???


I want to like Sage........the feature set is best in the business. But I use my HTPC for all of my TV and media needs, and wish Sage was as reliable as my Series 2 Tivo is/was.


John

[mlbdude]

Fortunately I am part of the majority here and never have any issues with Sage. I have had only one instance since 2.0 came out where it died and it was a D3D error from my graphics card.

For me the Video Library works better and is simpler to use in Sage. Plus the play-list support is not something I can do without.

The only thing I can find in Meedio that I like better is the Music Library. I think until some better plug-ins come out for Meedio I just don't see a reason to use it.

My experience with it is limited though. If anyone can find some things in it that I may have missed let me know.

[jominor]

Originally posted by john f
"


I want to like Sage........the feature set is best in the business. But I use my HTPC for all of my TV and media needs, and wish Sage was as reliable as my Series 2 Tivo is/was.


John

Nothing is 100%, but my Sage2 setup is pretty much problem free. If a problem occurs, it is on the order of a minor glitch every couple of weeks, and that statement makes it sound worst than it is.

I pretty much don't give Sage a thought because works so well.

[meekell]

My sage setup is problem free, yet the lack of updates and bug fixes has me looking to fill the gaps. The lack of VBR support for mp3s has become a huge annoyance. Not only does meedio support VBR, they offer a group of plugins, called Gotcha Covered, which extend the music library even further by allowing me to rip cds, burn cds, listen to internet radio (who cares?), find album art and tag mp3s all from a clean menu on my htpc.

The picture library is a huge part of my htpc, and sage's picture viewer has its faults. For instance, I can't tell you how many times a picture needs to be rotated correctly but slips past me when I'm sending it to my htpc. In sage I have to lay my head on my shoulder to view the picture correctly - in meedio I just hit the corresponding rotate button (my days of sore necks are gone)!

An advantage for Meedio's dvd and video players is the ability to rew/ffwd how we'd expect them to - much like a set-top dvd player.

Just like john f, I too want to like sage. In fact, I want to love sage. I devoted a great amount of time towards my sage box, but I need to know that frey is going to take care of its customer's needs. There's only been one update since sagetv 2 went gold, and the update wasn't even relevant to me. Studio would alleviate some of my aches and pains, but we deserve a solid core update too.
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