

The most liked alternative is Kodi, which is both free and Open Source. There are more than 10 alternatives to SageTV for a variety of platforms, including Windows, Linux, Mac, Fire TV and Android. All the TV recordings are indexed by Plex as a separate "recorded tv" section and transcoded to watch via our Roku's. SageTV is described as 'PVR (personal video recorder) application for your PC' and is an app in the Video & Movies category. Which is why our house started moving away from it about a year ago and I only use it to record shows on local channels and the occasional BluRay/DVD rental when I just want to rip/watch/delete right then vs our usual rip/watch later/delete standard. Cablecard and the transition of cable TV to digital formats really put a damper on them though due to DRM and broadcast flags. Even their integrated online stuff, which consisted of Youtube, some podcasts, and a few other things seemed to break more often than it worked.ĭon't get me wrong, as a PVR they have always been the leader in my mind (much better than WMC, Snapstream, and others). If you had a HTPC, you could drop out of Sage and use those services and then switch back, but that was never a clean process from my experience. As more and more online options started showing up (Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, etc.), there was no way to integrate them into the environment on the extenders. The music part always felt "kludgy" to me. There were two areas that were lacking, IMO. All the extras were there also if you wanted them (menus with navigation, director's commentaries, etc.). No need to mess with MakeMKV, Handbrake, etc.
Kodi sagetv full#
Just rip the disk to a folder structure, run an import scan and the movies are available in full quality. For example, DVD and Blu-Ray folder structure playback. There were some things I really liked about it over Plex/Emby/etc. In fact, for those that like "folder" views, that is what my my imported video screens were set to (movies, tv shows, kids shows, etc.). but, for me, that time has passed and I got tired of feeling like I was always fixing something. Kodi will still win if you want to tweak, use lots of add-ons, etc. I have a large music collection and spend a lot of time listening at home, and this blows Kodi completely out of the water. Custom mixes based on single songs or moods, playlist management, etc.

It's far easier to handle a household of various accumulated devices (e.g., Roku, Chromecast, Fire stick).Īnd Plex's handling of music is WAY better.
Kodi sagetv how to#
The app is great and it was far easier to get my wife to understand how to use it. I just switched to Plex and it definitely feels like a paid product. Plus, Kodi's handling of music is pretty awful. unfortunately, XBMC/Kodi has also always felt like a work-in-progress, and I have had a steady rise in stability issues. I delayed going to Plex because, as noted by OP, the skins were limited and Kodi looks amazing (I liked the Transparency skin).
Kodi sagetv android#
The newer ones look a lot better and are probably a fine option now, but I still really like the Android TV "Home" experience a lot more.I have gone from Mediaportal to WMC to XBMC (and Kodi) and I most recently jumped to Plex. With the Shield + a Logitech Harmony Hub, a single dead-simple remote controls entire setup (Shield, TV, external amp, plus a BluRay player that I never use anymore). I was never able to build a HTPC that worked with all the video sources I wanted (Plex, Netflix, Youtube) and was possible to control without ever having to touch a keyboard/mouse (or resort to a janky air mouse/remote thing). pc, mac, smart tv, media player, ip streamer, htpc, xbmc, kodi.

Kodi sagetv software#
It has a good 10-foot interface via Android TV (as opposed to regular Android), is kept updated, is a Google Cast target, has official apps for all the major streaming platforms, can run Plex and Kodi (for local content), and it's also possible to sideload APKs. sagetv and sagerecorder pvr software for your pc. and can absolutely recommend the Nvidia Shield. I've gone through many incarnations of HTPC's, plus tried with SageTV, Roku, Chromecasts, and several others.
