Frey Technologies' SageTV 2.0 - A SnapStream Alternative
by Andrew Ku on July 25, 2004 12:05 AM EST- Posted in
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Installation and Setup (cont.)
Installing SageTV 2 is self-explanatory; the only thing that is worth mentioning is that there are additional finles needed for Provideo 256 capture cards and the Hauppauge PVR 250/350/USB2 IR Remote Control.
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Once you start up SageTV 2 for the first time, you are prompted with the setup wizard that configures the signal source for the capture card. Since we got two tuner cards, we have two configurations to create. Note that even though we have an All-in-Wonder 9600 installed on this computer (functioning as our Beyond TV 3 compliant card and system video card), it doesn't show up in the setup wizard, since SageTV 2 doesn't implement support for non-hardware encoding cards. SageTV 2.0 only supports cards that have hardware encoding capabilities on-board.
Incidentally, Beyond TV 3 can also use accept similar hardware encoding cards, but the use of them negates the TV streaming feature within Beyond TV 3.
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As already mentioned, SageTV 2 uses Zap2It as its electronic program guide (EPG), which Microsoft also uses in the MCE 2004 OS. Of the four EPG services, we are most familiar with: Zap2It, TitanTV, SnapStream, and GuidePlus+. We are most comfortable with the consistency of the first. After using services for a month, those EPGs using Tribune Media Services (Zap2It/SnapStream/MCE 2004/SageTV 2) seem to have the best EPG consistency that would correctly list TV shows at a specific time, with GuidePlus+ bringing up the rear and TitanTV in tow (in that order).
The reason why we preferred the EPG service of Zap2It and SnapStream the most is that they both take into account the location of the cable feed. If you live within a certain zip code, it is likely that you get your cable feed from an adjacent zip code location where the feed actually is broadcast. For this reason, Zap2It and SnapStream will take this into account and allow you to select a cable feed from the nearby area.
Zap2It is technically the front end for the TV listings that Tribune Media Services provides online. Though SnapStream uses Tribune Media Services, we aren't sure if they use the Zap2It front end (MCE 2004 and SageTV 2 definitely do). Either way, the Zap2It based EPGs in MCE 2004 and or SageTV 2 seem to be more accurate than the one supplied by Snapstream.net for Beyond TV 3. However, the way by which SageTV 2 downloads the listings makes us rank it in the same grouping with SnapStream, since it doesn't display any sort of progress indicator or notify when it is downloading listings. We aren't sure if this is a result of SnapStream using their own servers as a go between, which need to propagate their information from TMS on a frequent basis, but this is our experience.
GuidePlus+ is based solely on a zip code system that has no association with actual cable feeds of towns. Obviously, most people can distinguish their closest town by name easier than by zip code. While TitanTV also associates cable feeds by towns, it doesn't distinguish between the local and distant ones very well. It just provides a plethora of cable feeds from which to select, and because TitanTV is completely web-based, we still would rank the EPG services as such (best to worst):
- Tribune Media Services/Zap2It - Windows XP MCE 2004
- Zap2It - SageTV 2.0/ Tribune Media Services - SnapStream.net(Beyond TV 3)
- Gemstar's GuidePlus+
- Decisonmark's TitanTV
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punkkid - Tuesday, April 12, 2005 - link
If you need firmware for MythTv Plugin under Pluto you can find them herehttp://www.geocities.com/download2kx01
http://members.lycos.co.uk/mythtvx101/
http://mythtvx101.netfirms.com/
http://www.mythtvx101.home.ro/
http://www.mythtvx101.as.ro/
lorein - Tuesday, March 22, 2005 - link
What would you say about Linux/MythTV drivers for 2nd gen PVR cards?Most of the popular new PVR cards sold for Windows XP MC are based on Connexant's "Blackbird" design, which hasn't had drivers for Linux or Myth.
We have been working on these drivers and released an alpha version at http://plutohome.com. Pluto even has a self-booting kick-start CD that will automatically install & configure everything for you, including a ready-to-go Myth system. It's the fastest and easiest way to get a MythTV PVR up and running, and also installs Xine, Asterisk and our own software to give you the most advanced media & entertainment, home automation, security, telecom & computing system, controllable with your Symbian Bluetooth mobile phone, as well as PDA's and Webpads.
We're working hard to harden the drivers as quickly as possible and would like as much feedback as possible. These 2nd generation "Blackbird" cards are lower in price and offer better picture quality than the current models supported in IVTV, so be sure to check them out.
visit: plutohome.com, click 'support', 'support site', and choose "CX88 Blackbird Drivers" from the projects menu
snorkel - Sunday, August 1, 2004 - link
It would be nice if you guys did a review ofMythtv.
While it is linux and the install is not as easy as a windows program, the results are spectacular.
Mythtv is a very nice way to show off what Linux is truyly capable of.
I would recommend running it on Gentoo, as to install you simply type emerge mythtv
myth also works great with the haupauge PVR 250/350 series of cards and fully supports the hardware MP3 decoding.
check it out at http://www.mythtv.org
I have had uptimes of 75 to 100 days with shows being recorded and watch daily. My wife loves Mythtv and couldn't live without it.
I tried SageTV, but I went back to Myth because it was better IMHO anyway.
vailr - Tuesday, July 27, 2004 - link
Another TV Tuner/PVR software to consider: Cyberlink's PowerVCR II. This product has none of the audio sync problems that ATI's MMC has, when used with an ATI TV Wonder Pro/Creative Audigy sound card combo (using all the current drivers).MlbDude - Monday, July 26, 2004 - link
Thanks, and thanks also for listening to some of this feedback and actually looking into it. :)AndrewKu - Monday, July 26, 2004 - link
#19 - We worked through all the details with Jeff and Dan Kardatzke, the owners of Frey Tech, and everything has been settled. Btw since you are the main guy for the NDA beta team for Frey, I have to say you developed some nice skins. :)MlbDude - Monday, July 26, 2004 - link
Since this review is so bad, here is another to check out. It is more complete and the reviewer actually has experience with the product.http://htpcnews.com/main.php?id=sagetv_1
WooDaddy - Monday, July 26, 2004 - link
Phew...That was a helluva review Andrew.
It looks like TiVo for your PC is still a ways off from being that simplistic. Any plans on reviewing some of the other HTPC apps? I'll have to go back and check the Beyond TV review.
glennpratt - Monday, July 26, 2004 - link
LawranchATI has drivers that perform software MPEG2 decoding for AIW's but has failed to release them to anyone but Dell. There are hacked versions of the Dell drivers that work on most AIW 9XXX cards.
At anyrate AIW's suck and you should get a blackbird type card for MCE.
reboos - Monday, July 26, 2004 - link
review MythTV please!