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SageTV 2.0 Review
Page: 3/3
(1703 total words in this text)
(88334 Reads) 
YES VIRGINIA THERE IS A SANTA CLAUSE…
As you've probably noticed in the previous screen shots, SageTV looks very appealing and professional. It looks like a consumer electronic kiosk screen and NOT a computer/windows program.
Looking good is nice, but having a killer feature is better! SageTV supports "special" functionality that allows SageTV's menu's to display through the PVR350's S-Video out. If you read my review of the PVR350, you got the sense how frustrated I was with this beautifully sharp s-video out picture that I was unable to fully utilize in a PVR setting because I couldn't see the menus/controls on the TV screen to manipulate the PVR program.
SageTV can display it's menu's/OSD through the PVR350's out. This means that I can easily control my PVR (ergo SageTV ) using a remote from my couch and not bother with the keyboard and mouse. Speaking of remotes, SageTV 2.0 supports the Hauppauge IR remote that is included with the PVR350/PVR250. I called the remote pedestrian in the PVR-350 review, but it's actually quite useful/functional when controlling SageTV.
If you want to upgrade your remote, SageTV does support the Streamzap remote, as well as regular IR remotes using USB-UIRT or Irman. You can use 3rd party software like girder to assign remote control buttons to onscreen functionality/program launch/etc and tweak the heck out of your remote control command center.
There's one other feature in the detailed setup screen which I felt was an important inclusion: overscan settings. I can adjust SageTV's display to fill the entire TV screen, no black bar wasted space syndrome for me! Again, this was adjustable using SageTV menus and remote control, no digging around some display setting in control panel.
GENERAL USAGE:
For the most part general navigation using the Hauppauge PVR 350's remote is very straightforward and intuitive. Occasionally I would get momentarily confused when I wanted to do something and tried using a shortcut or method of navigation ingrained into my consciousness from constant TiVo use. That's not necessarily a knock; just an observation that it is a subtly different UI approaches and tries to do more than copycat TiVo.
TiVo sets the stage and benchmark for what an easy to use, simple, and beautiful interface to your DVR should be. I find SageTV to be very close to this usability ideal, and that's quite the compliment. All the menu's are sharp, cleanly designed, and easy to navigate. I can manage every aspect of SageTV configuration and programming from my couch without a keyboard and mouse. I may not have understood all the settings in the deepest part of the detailed setup menus, but I didn't have to grab the keyboard to experiment (remember I eschewed reading the manual at the beginning of the article)
OTHER FEATURES:
SageTV comes integrated with some cool built in non-PVR functionality like a music jukebox and media player. The Media Player lets you play other media clips (i.e. other than what you recorded from within SageTV like DivX clips) and DVDs. Note: I did NOT play any DVDs via SageTV as that's one mode of functionality not extended through the PVR350's TV out. If you go for the PVR250 and another card with TVout you can make better use of the Media Player functionality to play DVD's.
There are other customizations, plugins, and hidden features available to extend SageTV's functionality. For example, there's a hidden MAME frontend (unsupported: look at this thread for more info), which is fun for a little Galaga between "Family Guy" marathons.
Side Note: Everyone (well most people) in the SageTV community are patiently waiting for the release of Sage Studio which will allow users to create custom skins and theme their SageTV to their hearts content. If I understand correctly it should also make it easier to add new external program links into SageTV's menu.
SUMMARY:
I don't give out 10's very easily or slap "BYOPVR approved" badges on many products, but SageTV really hit it on the screws with their Version 2.0. I have to consider them the commercial market leader at this point and time. SageTV was simple to install, looks dead sexy on screen, and greatly enhances the usability of the PVR-350 encoder cards.
Score 9.5 out of 10
PROS:
·Super easy installation
·Beautiful UI
·For the most part very simple to use
·Excellent PVR350 and Hauppauge remote support
CONS
·I couldn't enable 3D acceleration on my M10k(although that could be a driver issue)
·No web/online scheduling (coming soon?)
Have a question or comment about the SageTV 2.0 Review? Visit our forum to discuss it with other byopvr'ers
GENERIC REVIEW BOILERPLATE:
We would certainly love to evaluate any HTPC / PVR related products provided by manufacturers, but BYOPVR is not in the business of “selling” favorable reviews for free hardware (unless it was an ipod mini – we’d sell out for a couple of those). Read this article on how hardware payola works on “other” review sites.
If you would like your company’s product reviewed on Build Your Own PVR, send an email to reviews AT byopvr.com for more information.
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