With the main
obstacles for adoption of CableCARD tuners in Home Theater PCs gone it just makes sense that even those who don't use Windows Media Center would want to get in on the fun. If only it was that simple, with CableLabs holding the keys to the kingdom, not just anyone can build software that will work with a CableCARD tuner and expect it to work. Good news for Sage TV fans, as the genius who came up with our favorite Media Center plugin (
DVRMSToolBox) has now come up with a nifty work around. SageMCTuner is still in beta, but the idea is to put Media Center to work for Sage. So in other words, Media Center is still doing all the recordings etc, but Sage is calling all the shots and reaping all the benefits. If you want the full details you'll have to click through and try it yourself, go ahead, we'll be waiting for your return to hear how it worked out -- we bet it goes pretty well.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
John @ Oct 20th 2009 11:11PM
This will be of value only if you have the relaxed DRM update AND your service provider doesn't set all the CCI flags so you can't transfer the recordings.
Seems rather cumbersome, why not just use Media Center/
John
Chris M @ Oct 20th 2009 11:56PM
Yea, not exactly what I would consider progress.
SHSPVR @ Oct 21st 2009 2:58PM
There are min reason why not to use Media Center
No PC Client, Placeshifter (PC Internet Steaming), Linux, Mac, Not very Customize able nor as Configure able
Brent @ Oct 21st 2009 12:11AM
Great news for SageTV users. I would add a single CableCard tuner or perhaps even the multi-tuner CETON when it's available to my setup. Along with the Hauppauge HD-PVR and SiliconDust HDHR it would give me all content however I want it. Plus it allows me to avoid giving up the many advantages that SageTV has over Windows Media Center in the HTPC realm.
Jim Mallory @ Oct 21st 2009 5:59AM
Kludgey, Kludgey, Kludgey. That's what you want in something that is supposed to be an appliance (ala Tivo), more background services, the whole SageTV application running, most of the Media Center (everything other than eshell.exe) application running, and some homegrown code to duct tape the entire mess together. I suppose this doesn't work with Live TV, does it? And I would also assume that Media Center only handles the Cablecard recordings and SageTV handles everything else (analog cable, ClearQAM, ATSC)? I can only imagine the software dependencies that is going to come with this.
And we wonder why HTPCs haven't had greater penetration that they do.
Here is one case where the HD-PVR would probably be a better bet and just let SageTV do the whole thing.
andy vt @ Oct 21st 2009 10:02AM
With other tuner types (QAM, NTSC) it does work with Live TV. As long as the WTV is unencrypted I don't see why DCT content would be any different.
The MC tuner service (ehrecvr.exe) is just another piece of the underlying platform (like the audio, dhcp or dns services); are you advocating that the only non-"kludgey" solutions are those built in-house from the metal up?
Software development is all about leveraging other people's work; why is this any different?
Peter F @ Oct 21st 2009 8:17AM
eh. The IRBlaster+cable box would probably work much better. I know I wouldn't want to guess when shows would and would not have DRM. My carrier sets the flags differently every week.
Bigpunk @ Oct 21st 2009 9:11AM
I wonder if he could use the SageMCTuner to makes softshed work? Looks like he is half way there. Example you have the SageMCTuner installed on a computer without any tuner and it tells the computer with the tuner to recored the show. This is the only missing peace to have softshed.
rantanamo @ Oct 22nd 2009 4:57PM
SHSPVR, sounds like you haven't used Media Center in a long time.
SHSPVR @ Oct 23rd 2009 12:01PM
Wrong I have Windows 7 and even tested the beta with out SageTV for months on end and yes I still perf SageTV
Let see you try setup 2 CableQAM, 2 ATSC and 2 SVideo input beside it dosen't support HD-PVR any way to bad Windows lost my vote with MCE other the Windows 7 it self rocks.
Ian @ Oct 23rd 2009 5:27PM
You can do two QAM, two ATSC and two SVID/NTSC tuners on Win7 MC. Let's see sage rock four cable card tuners without a big hack and make it work with HBO and other encrypted content.
HD-PVR can be made to work with 3rd party hacks, but so waht. Hacks suck and so does the analog hole.
In the end using the analog hole or being limited to in the clear content is lame. Sorry. I have no use for hacky IR blasting solutions that hose my video fidelity via re-compression. I didn't invest in a 65" panel to watch 480i renditions of 1080i content.
Seriously SAGE is decent, but this tool is pointless and SAGE falls over if you want enything other than in the clear content unless you're willing to put up with IR blasting and another encode stage.
I didn't get FIOS tv just to hose the image with a re-compression stage . Since this "solution" will fail for protected content it is a big NO-OP in my case.
Ben @ Oct 23rd 2009 5:28PM
Ian, Media Center on Windows 7 supports 4 tuner of each type not 2.
SHSPVR @ Oct 23rd 2009 6:37PM
Yes Ian I know about that 3rdparty heck and that hack dosen't suck that wrong that wasn't the point it just show how well MS is not supporting other way like H.264 encoding after all this device is Hardware H.264 encoder and there nothing wrong with analog hole it ever bit as good ATSC and QAM.
Ho and Ben is rigth on number input that is max of 4 you see but with SageTV it has no tuner limit we can setup all the way up to 18 tuner all in one system like max out with 8 HVR-1950 USB Tuner, 4 HVR-2250 or HVR-1800 PCIe Dual Tuner and 2 HVR-1600 PCI tuner and being it a dual input I can also use 1 analog video input from each 1600 and 1800 all at same time all with use of GIGABYTE GA-MA770-UD3.
Tukom @ Oct 24th 2009 11:03AM
While SageTV is a good alternative to HTPC, I am still strugling to see it's benefits over a traditional HTPC such as Mac Mini. Maybe someone could explain me why SageTV is better than HTPC approach: http://mymediaexperience.com/sagetv-an-alternative-htpc-media-center/
SHSPVR @ Oct 24th 2009 12:51PM
Take the time to read this to get a better under standing about what is traditional HTPC
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_theater_PC
The general goal of an HTPC is usually to combine all components of a home theater setup into a single machine like Bluray, DVD, Audio other Video and so on.