Chapter 7: Frequently Asked Questions

Many questions that SageTV users ask are answered in the following sections. Additional answers can be found in our discussion forum at forums.sagetv.com/forums and the forum’s FAQ topic at http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1601. If you need answers to a technical support issue, submit a support request at www.sagetv.com/request.html and we will reply within 72 hours.

General
'''Is it normal for two SageTV processes to be running on my PC? '''

Yes, when viewing the list of running processes on your PC, two of each SageTV process will be listed, so you will see two SageTV.exe, two SageTVService.exe, and/or two SageTVClient.exe processes depending on how SageTV is running on your PC.

Setup & Installation
'''SageTV is having problems controlling my cable box. '''

For SageTV to control your cable box you must use a third party IR transmitter like the

Actisys IR-200L available through SageTV’s website. You can setup & configure the IR200L through the Source Setup. There you need to teach the IR-200L the commands to change channels on your cable box.

'''I have the IR-200L configured properly but it’s missing some of my channel changes. '''

The IR-200L needs to be positioned so that your cable box can receive the Infrared commands that are sent by the transmitter. Look to see where the Infrared receiver is on your cable box and position the IR-200L so that it’s sending the commands to that Infrared receiver within the cable box. You may have to try a few different positions to get the best results. You may also need to adjust the delay times between IR codes sent to your box.

'''SageTV is having problems controlling my satellite receiver. '''

For SageTV to control your satellite receiver you must either use the Actisys IR-200L as explained above for cable box control, a USB-UIRT, or a serial cable. If you are using a serial cable to control your satellite receiver, make sure you’ve selected this option during the Source Setup.

'''SageTV is not recognizing my remote control through my IRMan or USB-UIRT receiver. '''

Check to make sure you have the correct COM or USB port selected in Setup > Detailed Setup > Commands > Remote Control Configuration.

Watching Live TV
'''I’m not getting any video through SageTV. '''

First check all your video connections to and from the PC. Also check to make sure you have the correct connection/source selected in SageTV in the Source Setup. Then launch the application that came with your TV tuner/capture card and see if you get any video there. If not, follow the troubleshooting instructions from the manufacturer. If you see video through the manufacturer’s application, try using a different video decoder within SageTV. You can access the MPEG2 Video Decoder Filter settings at Setup > Detailed Setup > Video. If the problem persists then check the discussion forum (forums.sagetv.com/forums) for other discussions related to your setup or create a new post.

'''I’m not getting any audio through SageTV. '''

First check all your audio connections to and from the PC. Then launch the application that came with your TV tuner/Capture card and see if you hear any audio there. If not follow the troubleshooting instructions from the manufacturer. If you hear audio through the manufacturer’s application, try using a different MPEG2 Audio Decoder Filter within SageTV. You can access the Audio Decoder settings at Setup > Detailed Setup > Audio. If the problem persists then check the discussion forum (forums.sagetv.com/forums) for other discussions related to your setup or create a new post.

'''The audio and video are out of sync during playback. '''

Try changing channels or putting SageTV to sleep and restoring it. If that doesn’t work, shut down SageTV and reboot your computer. If you are still having problems on a regular basis, you can modify the Audio Playback Delay in Setup > Detailed Setup > Audio.

'''I’m getting audio and video but the video is of poor quality, stuttering, hesitating, etc. '''

Try another Video Renderer or MPEG2 Video Decoder Filter from Setup > Detailed Setup > Video. You must put SageTV to sleep or restart for these settings changes to take effect.

'''I’m trying to select a program to view from the Live TV guide but it won’t play. '''

Check to make sure you are selecting a program within the current time slot. Programs on Live TV are only available for viewing within their original time slots. If SageTV recorded a program it would appear under Sage Recordings.

Recording Programs
'''Can SageTV record while my PC is not on? '''

For SageTV to record programs your PC must be on and the SageTV application must be running. You can put SageTV to sleep instead of shutting down the application, then SageTV will appear in your Taskbar/System Tray. SageTV will then be able to perform all recordings and you will be free to use your PC for other operations. See Sleeping SageTV.

'''Can I watch a program while it is being recorded? '''

Yes, you can watch a program as it is being recorded. To view the program either select Program Guide from the Main Menu and select the specific program in the listings, or go to SageTV Recordings and select the currently recording show.

'''Can I watch a different program while one is being recorded? '''

Yes, you can watch one program while it is recording another as long as it’s a previously recorded program. If you are using multiple tuners, you can also watch different “Live” programs at the same time.

'''What if I want to record two programs on at the same time? '''

SageTV supports the use of multiple tuners to record more than one channel at a time. Install the additional tuner cards according to the manufacturer’s instructions, then launch SageTV and go through the Source Setup to configure the additional tuners. You will then be able to schedule as many recordings at the same time as the number of tuners installed and configured for SageTV to use.

'''What if I set up conflicting recordings? '''

SageTV has extensive Conflict Resolution that will prompt you of any Favorites or Manual Recordings that are scheduled to be recorded at the same time. You will then be able to tell SageTV the priority of these recordings. When shows are aired at multiple times, SageTV will automatically record another airing to fit both programs in, when possible. For information about conflict notifications, see: Recording Conflicts.

'''Some of my programs especially sporting events are being cut off at end, how can I fix this? '''

SageTV records programs based on their allocated time span by the networks. Some events can go past their allocated time on occasion. To alleviate this you must “pad” the beginning or end of a program when you specify it to be recorded. To add padding, go to the Recording Schedule, select a show, then choose Record Options to adjust its start or stop time. (Select Record if Record Options isn’t visible.) View the Favorite Details of a Favorite to always add padding for those recordings.

'''How do I record a Pay-Per-View event? '''

You can browse Pay-Per-View events by utilizing the guide within your cable box or satellite receiver. Once you find what event you are going to order, submit your order and then add that channel to SageTV in the Channel Setup. Now you can specify it for recording at the airing time from the Program Guide. Once the event is over remove the channel from the Channel Setup screen again.

The SageTV EPG service
Prior to SageTV version 9, a free EPG service which was included in SageTV as a part of the License key. This service was discontinued in mid 2017. Version 9 now includes integrated support for Schedules Direct EPG, which is a subscription service. Check the wiki page on GitHub for general information, installation and use.

The Program Guide is not getting updated programming information.  

First go to the System Information screen to see when SageTV last updated the Program Guide data. You can access this through Setup > System Information. If it says the last attempt failed, check your internet connection or the Autodial if Needed for Internet option located within Setup > Detailed Setup > General.

A portion of my Program Guide says “No Data”.  

This means that the station has not provided programming data for that period or you’ve gone past the amount of data available for approximately the next 14 days. Also, if you have just finished configuring SageTV, it may not have had time to download all the guide data.

Some of my channels are not appearing in the Program Guide. 

Go to Setup > Setup Video Sources > choose the configured tuner for the channel in question > Channel Setup and see if you have that channel selected for viewing. If the channel does not appear in the lineup there is a discrepancy that needs to be resolved by contacting your EPG provider (such as Schedules Direct).

Some of my ATSC, QAM, or other digital tuner channels have no or limited EPG data.  

The channels may not be mapped to the correct station names. See the information about Remapping Stations for EPG data using ATSC or QAM Digital Tuners, in chapter 5’s section for Channel Setup.

I’m behind a firewall and I’m having problems accessing the (now discontinued) SageTV EPG service. What ports do I need to have open on the firewall to allow SageTV toccommunicate to the server?  

SageTV uses port 7760 in TCP/IP mode.

Configuration & Customization
MycPC clock is out of sync with my programs. '''

You can have your PC system clock sync up with the SageTVcguide server, which is set to the Atomic clock on a daily basis. This option iscavailable in Setup > Detailed Setup > General.

Firewall Settings
What ports do I need to open in my firewall for SageTV? '''

These are the ports that should be opened:

o   7760 (TCP) – This port must be opened for SageTV to be able to connect to the EPG server so that it can download program listings for the Program Guide.

o   42024 and 7818 (TCP) – These ports must be opened on both the SageTV and SageTVClient systems in order for the server to be able to communicate with the client.

o   8270 (UDP) – This port is used for automatic server discovery when SageTV Client starts. This port is not required to be open, since you can simply enter the IP address or name of the server computer to connect to when the client starts. (See Configure SageTV Client to Connect to the Server.) Also, you can configure SageTV to automatically connect to the same server every time it starts. See Detailed Setup: General Settings to set that option.

o   8000 (TCP) – This port is only used on a Linux installation of SageTV in order to contact SageTV for license activation.

'''What ports do I need to open in my firewall for SageTV network encoders? '''

These are the ports that should be opened when using network encoders:

o   8271 (UDP) – Should be opened on the SageTV server; used by the server to find network encoders.

o   6969 (TCP) – Should be opened on any SageTV network encoders; used by the network encoder to talk to the SageTV server.

'''What ports do I need to open in my firewall for the Media Extender? '''

The following ports are used by any Media Extender:

o   31100 (UDP) – For discovering the SageTV server after booting.

o   31099 (TCP) – For SageTV usage after fully booted and SageTV is loaded.

In addition, the following ports are also used by a Hauppauge MediaMVP Media Extender:

o   16867 (UDP) – For booting the MVP Media Extender. o 16869 (UDP) – For booting the MVP Media Extender.

o   16881 (UDP)

'''What ports do I need to open in my firewall for the Placeshifter Client? '''

The following port is used by a Placeshifter Client:

o   31099 (TCP) – For SageTV usage. This port should be opened on your firewall/router and forwarded to the computer that is running the SageTV server.

o   31100 (UDP) – For SageTV Placeshifter usage. The Placeshifter uses this port to auto-discover SageTV servers on the local network. o 8018 (TCP) – For SageTV Placeshifter usage. When using a Locator ID to locate your SageTV server, your server uses this port to register its Locator ID and the Placeshifter client uses this port to contact the Locator server to find your server. Note: If an IP address is used instead of a Locator ID, this port does not need to be used.

o   7818 (TCP) – For SageTV Placeshifter usage. When the Placeshifter is set to not transcode the video over a local network connection, this port is used to stream the media.

'''Can the Media Extender or Placeshifter Client port be customized? '''

If the default port is changed, then a Media Extender will not be able to connect to the server, however a Placeshifter client will still be able to connect. The default port '''31099 '''can be configured in sage.properties on the SageTV server computer via this property:  o extender_and_placeshifter_server_port

However, if your goal is to change the external port number on your router/firewall, a better solution is to use UPnP port forwarding configuration (see the Configure Placeshifter Internet Connection configuration wizard in the Detailed Setup: Server Settings menu) and choose a custom external port number. This will keep the internal port as 31099, allowing Media Extenders to still be able to connect to the server.

When using a Placeshifter Client with a custom external port number, the Locator ID will be able to automatically connect using that port. If you have your Placeshifter client connect directly to your IP address by adding a new Placeshifter server in the '''SageTV Placeshifter Servers Manager (see Placeshifter Client Connections), specify the address of the server followed by “:port”, such as: o :31099'''