Chapter 5: Configuring SageTV

SageTV Setup
Initial SageTV setup consists of using the Configuration Wizard to configure SageTV, which includes setting various options and configuring TV recording and playback. Part of the Configuration Wizard consists of the Source Setup, used to configure the encoding devices. Once SageTV is configured, options may later be adjusted for all the source capture devices, certain channels may be enabled or disabled through the Channel Setup and Channel Manager menus, Parental Controls may be changed, and various options may be configured in Detailed Setup. All of these setup options are reached through the Setup submenu on the Main Menu.

In addition to the options that you can from within SageTV, there are some additional advanced settings that can be changed by editing the Sage.properties or SageClient.properties file. Some of these advanced settings are explained in Appendix A: SageTV Properties Settings.

Configuration Wizard
The main '''Configuration Wizard''' menu provides options to complete the entire configuration wizard, or just certain parts of it:

'''Complete the Entire Configuration Wizard''' – Configure all of SageTV’s essential options. The first time SageTV is started, this process will automatically begin. Configuration starts with Step 1 of the Configuration Wizard: General and User Interface Options and continues through all configuration steps.

'''Set the General and User Interface Options''' – Configure only the settings within this section of the configuration wizard. Go to Step 1 for this section: Configuration Wizard: General and User Interface Options.

'''Set the Media Center Options''' – Configure only the settings relating to importing media files. Go to Step 1 for this section: Configuration Wizard: Media Center Options.

Configure TV Recording – Configure only the settings regarding TV recording, including the video recording directories and capture device configuration using the Source Setup. Go to Step 1 for this section: Configuration Wizard: Configure TV Recording.

'''Configure Video Playback''' – Configure only the settings regarding playing TV recordings. Go to Step 1 for this section: Configuration Wizard: Configure Video Playback.

'''Return to the Main Menu''' – Return to the Main Menu.

'''Tip: All of the current properties settings are saved whenever this menu is exited.'''

Configuration Wizard: General and User Interface Options
This portion of the Configuration Wizard handles configuring the basic options and proceeds through the following steps:

Step G1: Choose Your Country
Select your country from the list shown.

Step G2: Choose Your Language
Select your language from those in the list.

Step G3: Choose Whether to Enable the SageTV Server (server only)
This option is only available in SageTV, not SageTVClient; enabling it allows SageTV to act as a server so that it can talk to any SageTV Clients that may be installed on other computers on your network. If you plan to use SageTVClient on another computer on your network, you must enable SageTV to act as a server. The options are:

''' Yes – Enable the server so that I can use SageTV Client '''

''' No – Disable the server. I do not plan to use SageTV Client '''

Step G4: Choose Whether to Enable the Media Extender and Placeshifter Server (server only)
This option is only available in SageTV, not SageTVClient, when the SageTV Server option is already enabled (above); enabling it allows SageTV to act as a server for Media Extenders and Placeshifter Clients. If you plan to use a Media Extender or a Placeshifter Client, you must enable this server option. The options are:

''' Yes – Enable use of an extender or Placeshifter client '''

''' No – Disable use of an extender or a Placeshifter client '''

Step G5: Manage the Placeshifter Users
Available when the Media Extender and Placeshifter Server is enabled, you may configure the Placeshifter users from this screen. Note: At least 1 Placeshifter user will need to be created in order to be able to use the Placeshifter client from a remote location.

The options are:

 Configure Placeshifter users – See the Manage Placeshifter Users dialog in the Detailed Setup: Server Settings menu. 

 Continue – Continue the Configuration Wizard process. 

Step G6: Configure the Placeshifter Internet Connection (server or media extender only)
In order to use a Placeshifter Client from a remote location, your local network’s router/firewall needs to be configured to allow access to your SageTV server from remote locations. It must be configured to forward all communication that comes from the internet and arrives at a specific port on your router so that the data received is sent to your local SageTV server. This configuration can be done manually on the router, or SageTV can be configured to automatically handle keeping access to the SageTV server open if your router has UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) capability.

'''IMPORTANT NOTES: '''

 

-         After entering this Configuration Wizard screen, SageTV will take a short time to check the current port forwarding configuration settings and options. You may exit the screen by using the Continue button while this is happening, but the Configure Placeshifter Connection button will not function until the check has been completed.

-         If UPnP configuration fails, but your router does have UPnP capabilities, make sure that UPnP is enabled on the router or check to see if there is a firmware update for the router.

-         Refer to your router’s documentation regarding how to manually configure port forwarding or how to enable UPnP.

-         If you manually configure port forwarding, you may need to also assign a static IP address for your SageTV server. If using UPnP, SageTV will monitor the local server’s IP address and update the UPnP settings accordingly.

The available options are:

''' Configure Placeshifter Connection''' – After the initial configuration check has been completed, you may select this option to configure port forwarding on your router.

Choose a port forwarding configuration method, then check external connections by selecting the '''Test Placeshifter Connection option. '''

o   Automatic UPnP Configuration – Allow SageTV to use default values when using UPnP port forwarding. If a custom external port was previously set, it will be reset if this option is chosen. SageTV will report whether UPnP configuration was successful. 

o   '''Advanced UPnP Configuration with Port Selection''' – If you have a need to use a different external port than the default 31099, this setting allows you to use a specific port with UPnP port forwarding. SageTV will report whether UPnP configuration was successful. 

o   Manual Configuration – If your router does not have UPnP capability, or if you prefer not to use UPnP, then this option will allow you to specify the external port to use, then information about what port to forward will be displayed. 

''' Copy Locator ID to System Clipboard''' – Select this option to see the Locator ID for the server and to copy it to the system clipboard. This ID can be used by the place shifting client to find the server so that you do not need to know your actual IP address. Notes: When using a Media Extender, this button will only allow viewing the Locator ID. The Locator ID is also displayed on the System Information display. 

 Test Placeshifter Connection – Once port forwarding has been configured, either manually or via UPnP, use this option to test the connection. The remote Locator ID server will be asked to attempt contacting your SageTV server. When the test is complete, the results will be shown. 

 Continue – Select this button to continue with the next step of the Configuration Wizard, or to return to Detailed Setup if that is how you arrived at this screen. 

Step G7: Select the SageTV Startup Option
Choose whether SageTV should automatically be loaded at Windows startup, and how to run it if it should be loaded. Note: if using service mode, this option only affects the SageTV User Interface. The service uses its own options regarding running at Windows startup.

 No – Don’t Load SageTV – SageTV will not start when Windows does.

''' Yes – Load SageTV in Full Screen mode''' – When Windows starts, SageTV will also start and will run in full screen mode. 

'''Yes – Load SageTV into the System Tray''' – When Windows starts, SageTV will be started in sleep, or standby, mode. It will not open a window on the Windows Desktop, but will only be visible as an icon in the system tray. 

Step G8: Adjust Display Aspect Ratio
SageTV uses the '''Display Aspect Ratio''' to determine how best to display any graphics or video content. You may choose from a few pre-set choices, or use the Left and Right arrows to adjust the circle until it appears round. To adjust using larger increments, use the Skip Forward and Skip Bkwd commands. Once the circle appears round, Select the Done button to continue.

Step G9: Adjust User Interface Overscan, Part 1
When viewing SageTV on a TV, the user interface may not fit the screen dimensions correctly. Use this 2-part overscan adjustment to resize the interface so that it is entirely visible on the TV. Note: This configuration step is skipped when using SageTV on a desktop computer.

Part 1 consists of positioning the upper left corner of the display such that the blinking red & yellow corner marker is visible on the screen. Use the Left, Right, Up, and Down arrows to position the corner. To adjust using larger increments, use the Skip Forward, Skip Bkwd, Page Up, and Page Down commands. Once the corner is positioned, Select the “Done – Top Left” button to continue with part 2.

Step G10: Adjust User Interface Overscan, Part 2
This step continues the process of resizing the interface so that it is entirely visible on the TV.

Part 2 consists of positioning the lower right corner of the display such that the blinking red & yellow corner marker is visible on the screen. Use the Left, Right, Up, and Down arrows to position the corner. To adjust using larger increments, use the Skip Forward, Skip Bkwd, Page Up, and Page Down commands. Once the corner is positioned, Select the “Done – Bottom Right” button to continue the configuration wizard.

Step G11: Display Videos on Menus?
SageTV is capable of displaying a video preview window or background on some menus. Choose when you wish to have videos displayed on the menus:

 Never show videos on menus – Tells SageTV that video playback should never be displayed on any menus. 

 If a video is playing, show it on menus – This will activate videos on menus only if a video currently happens to be playing. 

 Always show videos on menus – Video preview/background display will always be active. If there is currently no media playing, SageTV will initiate live TV playback.

Step G12: Choose Style for Videos on Menus
If you chose to allow videos to be displayed on menus in the step above, then you will be asked how such videos should be displayed:

 Display videos as the background – Videos will be shown as the full sized background behind any active menu where such video is allowed to be displayed. 

''' Display videos in the preview window''' – Videos will be shown in the preview window area for any menu where there is room for such a preview window.

Step G13: Select Remote Control
Choose the remote control you plan to use with SageTV, if any:

 No Remote or External Setup – If you do not plan to use a remote with SageTV, or if you plan to use a remote with a setup that is completely outside SageTV, then select this option. An externally configured remote might be one where the remote’s receiver is used directly with Girder: It is configured to control SageTV, but SageTV itself does not control it in any way. 

 Hauppauge 34 Button Remote – If you are using the older 34 button style Hauppauge remote with the Hauppauge IR receiver and software, select this option to have SageTV configure itself to respond properly to that remote. See: SageTV Preconfigured 34 button Hauppauge Remote Control Commands. Note: Adding support for the Hauppauge remote must have been selected during SageTV and SageTVClient Installation.

 Hauppauge 45 Button Remote – If you are using the newer 45 button style Hauppauge remote with the Hauppauge IR receiver and software, select this option to have SageTV configure itself to respond properly to that remote. See: SageTV Preconfigured 45 button Hauppauge Remote Control Commands. Note: Adding support for the Hauppauge remote must have been selected during SageTV and SageTVClient Installation.

 StreamZap Remote – If you are using the StreamZap remote and its software, select this option. See: SageTV Preconfigured Streamzap Remote Control Commands. Note: SageTV does not directly control the StreamZap remote; this option simply lets SageTV know that remote is in use. 

MCE Remote – If you are using an MCE style remote, select this option to configure SageTV to directly recognize all the buttons for this type of remote. 

 USB-UIRT Receiver + Any Remote – If you are using a USB-UIRT receiver directly through SageTV, select this option. SageTV will configure itself to control the USBUIRT and receive commands via that device. In the next step, you will be asked to configure your remote by associating its buttons with your preferred SageTV commands. 

''' Evation’s IRMan Receiver + Any Remote '''– If you are using an IRMan receiver directly through SageTV, select this option. You will then be asked which serial port (COM port) is being used by the IRMan. SageTV will configure itself to control the IRMan and receive commands via that device. In the next step, you will be asked to configure your remote by associating its buttons with your preferred SageTV commands. 

Step G14: Assign Remote Control Commands
If an IR receiver, such as the USB-UIRT or IRMan, was chosen to be controlled by SageTV in the previous step, you will be presented with a list of commands so that you can configure the buttons on your remote to control SageTV. For each button on your remote, decide which SageTV command to associate it with, then select that command from the list and teach the remote’s button to SageTV. For more details, see: Link Infrared/Keystroke to SageTV Command. The process is the same as the one described there.

Step G15: Enable Intelligent Recording?
Choose whether to use SageTV’s Intelligent Recording feature. See SageTV Quick Start Guide: Intelligent Recordings for details of how this works. For a completely new SageTV installation, you may want to wait a few weeks before enabling Intelligent Recording in order to build a viewing history that SageTV can refer to when deciding what shows to record for you. Or, you can enable it now and simply choose whether to watch any of the shows that get recorded.

 No – Only record the shows I specifically ask for – SageTV will only schedule recordings for shows that are Manual Recordings or Favorites. 

''' Yes – Allow SageTV to schedule additional recordings''' – During times when SageTV is not scheduled to record a Manual Recording or a Favorite, SageTV will be free to schedule recordings for shows that it thinks you may wish to watch.  

Step G16: Weather Report Configuration
Choose your location and units to be used when displaying your local weather conditions and 5day forecast. (See the Weather menu.)

'''Configure the weather report location '''– You will be asked to enter your zip code or city name, then SageTV will present a list of matching locations, if any are found.

Choose the entry that is closest to your location. 

''' Configure the weather report units – Choose whether the weather units should be displayed using English (degrees Fahrenheit, miles per hour, etc.) or Metric (degrees Celsius, kilometers per hour, etc.) units.'''

 Continue – If using the Configuration Wizard, continue to the next configuration step. If you arrived at this screen from the Weather menu, return to viewing your local weather conditions. 

Step G17: Set Parental Controls
Depending on whether Parental Controls are already enabled, some of the following options will be available:

 Disable Parental Controls – If parental controls are enabled, this option allows you to disable them. 

''' Modify Parental Restrictions settings – If parental controls are enabled, this option allows you to modify them, by proceeding to the next Configuration Wizard step. '''

 Enable Parental Controls – If parental controls are disabled, this option allows you to enable them. 

 Clear the Parental Lock Code – If parental controls are disabled, this option allows you to clear the current Parental Lock Code. If you wish to change the current code, you could disable parental controls, clear the lock code, then enable the parental controls again – at which point you will be asked to enter a new lock code. 

''' Continue Wizard, keeping the current settings''' – Select this option if you want to continue using the current Parental Controls settings. If you are completing the entire Configuration Wizard, you will proceed to step 1 of Configuration Wizard: Media Center Options. Otherwise, you will return to the home menu of the Configuration Wizard.

Note that you will be asked to enter the Parental Lock Code where appropriate. For more details, see: Parental Controls.

Step G18: Set Parental Restrictions
If you chose to modify the parental restrictions in the previous step, the Configuration Wizard will continue with this menu, where you can do the following:

'''Modify Parental Restrictions''' – A table of possible restrictions will be shown. Select those options that should be restricted. For more details, see Parental Control Restrictions.

 Return to Parental Controls – Returns to the previous step, where you can set the overall Parental Controls options. 

 Continue Wizard – Select this option to continue the rest of the wizard. If you are completing the entire Configuration Wizard, you will proceed to step 1 of Configuration Wizard: Media Center Options. Otherwise, you will return to the home menu of the Configuration Wizard.

Configuration Wizard: Media Center Options
This portion of the Configuration Wizard handles configuring the options pertaining to the imported media libraries and consists of the following steps:

Step MC1: Configure the Media Center Import Directories
This menu is where you will configure SageTV’s Media Center Import Directories, the locations where SageTV will search for media files that it will make available for playback or viewing in the Video Browser, the Photo Browser, or the Music Browser.

SageTV can import and play several different music file formats and codec types. See Chapter 4’s list of Supported Media Types.

'''Existing Media Center Import Directories '''

The middle portion of the screen contains a scrollable list of the existing Media Center Import Directories and their current allowable imported media types. From this list, select:

''' Left side: Name of a Media Center Import Directory''' – Select a directory name from the list to see an option to remove that directory from those that SageTV will scan for media to import. Note: No media files will be deleted from the computer’s hard drive.  

''' Right side: Media Type Selections''' – Choose a button under a media type to enable or disable the importation of media files of that type from the associated media center import directory. You will be asked to confirm your choice if you are disabling a media type. '''Note: If all media types are disabled for an import directory, that directory will be removed from the list. '''

'''Add New Directory '''

Select this button to add a new Media Center Import Directory. Browse to the directory to be added and choose Select Current. For accessing network drives while using the SageTV service, see: Accessing Network Drives with the SageTV Service.

After selecting a new directory, you will be asked to specify which media types are to be imported from the directory:

 Import Videos – Select this option to toggle between allowing Video files to be imported from the selected directory or not. The option is enabled when this button is checked. 

 Import Music – Select this option to toggle between allowing Music files to be imported from the selected directory or not. The option is enabled when this button is checked. 

 Import Pictures – Select this option to toggle between allowing Picture files to be imported from the selected directory or not. The option is enabled when this button is checked. 

 Done – Add the path – Accept the import directory and the selected media types that may be imported from that location. The directory will be added to the list of Media Center Import Directories. 

 Cancel – Do not add this path – Cancel the process of adding the new directory. The selected directory will not be added to the list of Media Center Import Directories. 

'''Continue '''

Select this button to tell the wizard to continue: If you are completing the entire Configuration Wizard, you will proceed to step 1 of Configuration Wizard: Configure TV Recording.

Otherwise, you will return to the home menu of the Configuration Wizard.

Configuration Wizard: Configure TV Recording
This portion of the Configuration Wizard handles configuring TV recording and proceeds through the following steps:

Step R1: Set Analog Video Format
Select your video format: choose either NTSC or PAL.

Step R2: Video Recording Directories
This menu is where you will configure SageTV’s Video Recording Directories, where SageTV stores the recordings that it creates. SageTV supports the use of multiple folders on multiple drives as well as using mapped drives or UNC paths across a network, and will automatically handle determining which Video Recording Directory to use when making a recording; see: Where to Store the Next Recording.

'''Existing Video Recording Directories '''

The middle portion of the screen contains a scrollable list of the existing Video Recording Directories and their current diskspace usage rules. From this list, select:

''' Left side: Name of a Video Directory – Select a directory name from the list to see options to: '''

o   Change the directory path – To change the path, browse to the directory to be used and choose Select Current. It is recommended that you not specify more than one directory for each drive or partition being used to store SageTV recordings. For accessing network drives while using the SageTV service, see: Accessing Network Drives with the SageTV Service.

o   Remove this directory – If you choose to remove the directory, SageTV will ask for confirmation before removing the directory from SageTV’s list of Video Recording Directories. New recordings will no longer be stored in that directory. Note: The existing recordings that are already in that directory will remain and those recordings will still be listed in the SageTV Recordings menu. SageTV will not delete the directory or any files on your hard drive.

o   Cancel – Close the pop-up menu without changing anything. 

 Right side: Diskspace Usage Rule – Select the current diskspace usage rule for a directory in order to modify its settings. From the resulting pop-up menu, you may: 

o   Set the Diskspace Rule – The current setting is displayed in a button next to this option. Choose the current setting’s button to change how the '''Diskspace Size''' setting (below) will be used:

Use Only – SageTV will use only the amount of space specified for this directory.

Leave Free – SageTV will leave the specified amount of disk space free. '''Use All – All available disk space will be used; the Diskspace Size''' setting is ignored for this directory.

Note: When using the Use Only or the Leave Free settings, be sure the specified amount of disk space actually exists. For example: don’t tell SageTV to use 20GB of space or to leave 20GB free, if the drive only has 15GB available for SageTV to use when you create the new video directory.

o   Set the Diskspace Size – Use the Plus and Minus signs to set the diskspace usage for this video directory. See the Diskspace Rule (above) to determine how this value will be used. 

o   Accept this Rule – Save the changes and close the pop-up menu. 

o   Cancel – Close the pop-up menu without changing anything. 

'''Add New Directory '''

Select this button to add a new Video Recording Directory. Browse to the directory to be added and choose Select Current. It is recommended that you not specify more than one video directory for each drive or partition being used to store SageTV recordings, otherwise SageTV could report that more space is available than there actually is when you view the System Information display. For accessing network drives while using the SageTV service, see: Accessing Network Drives with the SageTV Service.

After selecting a new directory, you will be asked to define the Diskspace Usage Rule for the new directory. See directly above for a description of the options.

'''Continue '''

Select this button to continue with the next step of the Configuration Wizard, or to return to Detailed Setup if that is how you arrived at this location.

Step R3: Source Setup Wizard Introduction
Before configuring your capture devices, you will be shown a screen with basic instructions regarding how to proceed in the next step.

Step R4: Source Wizard Summary
This step is really a multiple-part step consisting of the entire Source Wizard Summary, where you will be able to edit any of your existing sources or add any new sources. (See the Source Wizard Summary for full details.)

When you have completed configuring all of your capture devices (sources), choose '''Finish Source Setup'''. If you are completing the entire Configuration Wizard, you will proceed to step 1 of Configuration Wizard: Configure Video Playback. Otherwise, you will return to the home menu of the Configuration Wizard.

Configuration Wizard: Configure Video Playback
This portion of the Configuration Wizard handles configuring video playback settings. There is only a single step for this portion of the Configuration Wizard. The options for this screen are:

'''Video Playback Setting'''

If the current setting is not Custom, use the < and > buttons to change the current playback configuration setting between these choices: Basic, Medium, Standard, and Advanced. As the option is changed, a synopsis of the current setting will be shown in the information display area at the top of the screen. If the video playback configuration has been changed in Detailed Setup to a setting that does not match one of the four listed above, the setting will be listed here as Custom.

'''Test Video Playback: '''

After choosing a '''video playback setting''', select this option to test it. During the resulting full screen playback test, you will be asked whether playback is working properly on your system.

'''Reset Video Playback Settings'''

If a custom playback setting has been set in Detailed Setup, this option will be available and may be used to reset the playback settings to Medium.

'''Continue with the current Video Playback settings'''

When you are done configuring video playback, select this option to continue. If a test of the current video playback settings has either failed or not been run, you will be asked to confirm that you wish to continue anyway.

If you are completing the entire Configuration Wizard, you will now proceed to the Main Menu.

Otherwise, you will return to the home menu of the Configuration Wizard.

Source Wizard Summary
The '''Source Wizard Summary''' displays a list of the current recording sources and allows the addition of new sources. SageTV supports multiple recording sources, so all configured sources will be listed here.

Select the '''Add New Source''' button if you have another source to be configured. You will then proceed through the Source Setup to set up the new source.

When you have finished setup, select the Finish Source Setup button to return to the Main Menu, or to continue the Configuration Wizard if that is currently active.

If you wish to see the details of one of the existing sources, select the desired source to go to Source Details, where you can view and change its configuration details.

 

Source Setup
The '''Source Setup Wizard''' is used to configure a new recording source for SageTV. Using the SageTV interface while going through the setup steps is the same as for the general SageTV menus. See Using the SageTV Menu Interface for more information.

SageTV is capable of using more than one recording source. Simply follow the step by step instructions provided below to configure one source at a time, until all sources have been configured.

Multiple sources can be configured to use the same or different Programming Guide Data providers, starting in step 7, below -- not all capture devices have to use the same channel lineup. For example: you could have your local cable connected to one capture device and have a satellite service such as DirecTV connected to another device. Then, in the Program Guide, you may see multiple entries with the same channel number, representing the fact that those multiple sources use the same channel number for different networks. Alternatively, if the same network is available on both sources, but on different channel numbers, that network may be listed only once using only one of those channel numbers. For example: CNN may be on both sources: as channel 6 on one and channel 25 on the other. The Program Guide will display CNN as channel 6 or 25, but not both; however, CNN will actually still be available from both sources on the proper channels. SageTV will internally track which channel belongs to each source. If all sources use the same channel lineup, all channels are listed only once.

Note: Be sure to have the SageTV computer connected to the internet before using the Source Setup Wizard. SageTV uses that connection to download information for the available TV services and to download the programming guide data, in order to have TV listings. If you are using a firewall, SageTV needs to be able to get through the firewall to download the EPG data via port 7760. That port may need to be opened in the firewall to allow SageTV through. See Firewall Settings for more port information.

Step 1: Select Device
Choose which capture device to configure for the new recording source. Continue to step 2A.

Step 2A: Select Device Input
Choose the input type used by the selected device. (What capture device input is connected?) The choices presented here can change, depending on the capabilities of the device used as the source.

Component – Continue to step 3A.

Composite – Continue to step 3A.

S-Video – Continue to step 3A.

Digital TV Tuner – Continue to step 3B. TV Tuner – Continue to step 3B.

Select an input to see a preview of the video from that input. Select it again to continue to the next step. Note: The video preview is not shown for digital tuners.

'''Notes: '''

A)    If the capture device is a software encoder, you will proceed to step 2B before continuing to step 3.

B)    The FM Radio input is not supported at this time.

C)    When configuring a DVB tuner, you will choose your region or provider before continuing to step 3.

Step 2B: Select Audio Input
If the capture device is a software based encoder, then the audio input will need to be selected.

After selecting one of the choices, it will be highlighted and a video preview will be displayed. Once the correct audio input has been selected, select it again to proceed to the section of step 3 decided by your choice in step 2A. 

'''Step 3A: Select the Component, Composite, or S-Video Tuning Option '''

Choose the tuning option for composite or s-video input types:

Use External Receiver – Continue to step 5.

'''Don’t Configure Tuning''' – Continue to step 7.

Step 3B: Select the TV Tuner Tuning Option
Choose the tuning option for a TV Tuner input type (options may vary depending on TV tuner type):

Use Tuner for Cable TV – Continue to step 7.

'''Use Tuner with Antenna''' – Continue to step 7.

'''Use External Receiver''' – Continue to step 4.

'''Don’t Configure Tuning''' – Continue to step 4.

Step 4: Choose the RF Channel
When using a TV Tuner on the capture device to connect to an external receiver, the capture device must know what channel to tune to in order to receive the external receiver’s output. Enter the channel number here, then press Return.

If you are using an external receiver, continue to step 5.

If you previously chose not to configure tuning, continue to step 7.

Step 5: Select the Tuning Plugin
When using an external receiver, SageTV needs a way to change the channels on that device. This is accomplished via either a serial connection directly to that device or by using an infrared emitter to send IR signals to it, just like its remote control would do.

Choose the tuning plugin:

 DirecTV Serial Control – Choose the COM port the receiver is connected to, then continue to step 7.

USB-UIRT – Continue to step 6.

ACTiSYS IR200L – Choose the COM port it is connected to, then continue to step 6.

Other – Other tuning plugins may be listed, depending on what is installed, such as the Hauppauge IR Blaster that comes with some new tuner cards. Select the appropriate plugin for your device and continue with the on-screen instructions.

Step 6: Select the Cable Box or Satellite Receiver
If your receiver is listed here, select it and continue to step 7.

If the receiver is not listed here, you will need to teach SageTV the infrared codes so that it can control the device. Choose Add New Device and then continue to step 6A.

Step 6A: Name the New Receiver Device
Name the new device that your IR tuning plugin will control. Simply type the name you wish to use and press Return. Continue to step 6B. Note: Do not use any spaces in the name that is entered here.

Step 6B: Teach SageTV the IR Codes from the Receiver’s Remote Control
In order for SageTV to be able to control a new receiver device, it needs to be taught the codes from the receiver’s IR remote control. Follow the instructions shown on the screen to teach SageTV the numbers 0 – 9 from the receiver’s remote. When done, continue to step 7.

SageTV displays a notification once a code has been successfully learned. If the IR code is not learned properly, SageTV will ask to try to relearn the code.

Note: For best results, make sure the remote is using fresh batteries and hold it just a few inches away from IR transceiver. Push and hold the button down until SageTV acknowledges that the code has been learned.

Note: Due to some problems with the Actisys IR-200L driver, you may notice a crash in SageTV when setting up a new device. This is outside of our control and we are limited by the third party nature of this driver. Please be patient and try again after restarting SageTV.

Step 7: Choose Whether to use Programming Guide Data
Choose whether to have SageTV automatically download TV programming guide data for this source:

Use US, Canada, or XMLTV Guide Data – Continue to step 8.

'''Use tvtv Services Guide Data''' – Follow the on-screen instructions for entering your tvtv account details and continue to Step 10.

Do Not Use Programming Guide Data – Continue to Step 10.

'''Use or Copy an Existing Channel Lineup for this Source''' – An existing lineup already in use by another tuner may be selected for use with this tuner, or the lineup may be copied to a separately configurable lineup for this tuner. This selection will complete the setup of this source. 

Note: For more information regarding using the XMLTV plugin for programming data, see our website at sagetv.com/configuration.html.

Step 8: Select Provider Type
Choose the provider type for the programming guide data:

Cable or Satellite – If connecting to a cable or satellite input, continue to step 9A.

Local Broadcast – If the TV signal is received “Over-The-Air”, continue to step 9B.

Step 9A: Select Cable or Satellite Provider (Part 1: Zip/Postal Code)
Enter your zip or postal code so that SageTV can find providers for your area. If you have previously entered a zip or postal code, you can either select that one or enter a new one. Note: For Canadian postal codes, use the Pause command (Ctrl+S) on your remote to switch the display to enter text via the displayed number pad.

Step 9A: Select Cable or Satellite Provider (Part 2: Select Provider)
From the zip or postal code previously entered, SageTV downloads a list of cable and satellite providers for your area. Scroll through the list and select your provider. If your provider is not listed, use the Left arrow to return to the previous step and try using a different zip code that is nearby.

If the selected provider is already in use by another tuner, you will be asked whether to use the same channels as other sources using that lineup, or to copy the channels to a new lineup where separate channels can be enabled & disabled. If the same channels are used, source setup will continue to the next step, otherwise the channels will be copied to a new lineup for the tuner being configured and source setup will continue to Step 10.

Step 9A: Select Cable or Satellite Provider (Part 3: Select Service Level)
Select the service level, either Basic Service or '''Extended Basic Service''', that most closely matches the service you subscribe to from your provider. If you don’t know what service you subscribe to, select Extended Basic Service for a complete channel lineup.

Continue to Step 10.

Step 9B: Select Local Broadcast Market
If you are receiving your TV signal “Over-The-Air”, select your local broadcast market. Scroll through the list of areas and select the one that best describes the area from which you receive your broadcast stations.

If the selected local lineup is already in use by another tuner, you will be asked whether to use the same channels as other sources using that lineup, or to copy the channels to a new lineup where separate channels can be enabled & disabled.

Continue to Step 10.

Note: If the local broadcast market is not listed for a Canadian location, return to step 8, choose '''Cable or Satellite''' as the provider type, enter your postal code in step 9A, then see if your local area is listed.

Step 10: Choose the Channels to Receive
At this point, you will enter the Channel Setup menu, where you can manage the channel lineup used by the source being configured. You can choose which channels are enabled, scan for available channels, remap channels, and so on. For complete details, see Channel Setup.

When entering the Channel Setup menu while configuring a new digital TV tuner, you will be asked to start the recommended channel scan. All digital TV tuners need to perform a channel scan in order to make sure they can properly tune the enabled channels on their lineup.

When you are done, select Done with Channel Setup.

You have now completed the Source Setup for this source and will be returned to the Source Wizard Summary, where you can either add another source or complete the setup process and continue using SageTV.

Source Details
From the '''Source Details''' menu, it is possible to view the status of a source, calibrate it, and change its configuration. The available options on the left are:

Channel Setup – Go to Channel Setup to view and change the list of enabled channels for the lineup associated with this source. Changing the channels in the lineup will affect all sources that use the same lineup.

Color Calibration – This option is available only for local sources; it is not available for Network Encoders, nor is it available for Digital TV Tuners and certain other sources. SageTV will begin playback of the last tuned channel with the color calibration options displayed over the image. The brightness, contrast, saturation, hue, and sharpness or audio level settings can all be configured, with any changes appearing on screen within a few seconds after a setting is changed. Due to this slight delay between making a change and seeing its results, please wait a short time between adjustments. The on-screen choices are:

Minus/Plus signs – Decreases/Increases the value for the adjacent setting.

Revert – Restore a setting to its value when the current calibration session was initiated. Default – Restore a setting to its default value, regardless of what it was when the current calibration session was initiated.

 Done – Finish calibration and return to the Source Details menu.

tvtv Status – This option will only be available when using tvtv guide data for the current source. Select it to see the tvtv account status information display.

DVB Region or Provider – This option will only be available when using a DVB tuner for the current source. Select it to choose from a list of available regions or providers.

Remove Source – If you no longer wish to use a recording source, use this option to delete it. SageTV will ask for confirmation before deleting the source.

'''Back to Summary''' – Return to the Source Wizard Summary.

Source Options
In addition to the above menu items, the following configuration options may be available on the right hand side of the screen, depending on the configuration of the source. (Use the Right arrow to navigate to these items from the menu list and Select one, or just left-click any of them.)

Input Type – A pop-up menu will appear with a list of available choices for this source’s input type. The list of available inputs can change, depending on the capabilities of the device used as the source. If a source has been configured to be able to connect to an external receiver via a specific channel on the tuner, that option is added to the list. To exit this pop-up menu without making any changes, use the Options command (default: Ctrl+O; Escape; or right-click with the mouse).

RF Channel – If the Input Type is set to use the tuner on a specific channel to receive its input from an external receiver, you will be able to change that channel here. Type in the channel number that the external receiver is set to use for its output and press Return.

Cable/Antenna – Toggles whether the source is configured to use a cable input or an antenna input.

EPG Lineup – Jumps to the Setup Wizard: Step 7, where you can change the lineup that this source is configured to use. Note: When the new lineup configuration is done, you will be returned to the Source Wizard Summary.

Tuner Control – This option is available when the source has been configured to use an IR tuning plugin to control an external receiver in Setup Wizard: Step 5. A pop-up menu will appear with these options:

 Change Tuning Device – Displays a pop-up menu with a scrollable list of tuning devices that may be used with the tuning plugin selected in step 5 of Source Setup. Either select the name of a device to use or choose Cancel to close the pop-up menu without making a change.

 Test Infrared Code – Displays a pop-up menu with a scrollable list of all the infrared codes that  may be used. select any code to test it to see if it is correctly received by the external receiver. When done, choose the Close list entry, or use the Options command.

 Reprogram Infrared Code – Displays a pop-up menu that is similar to the one for testing the codes. Select any code you wish to reprogram. You will see an on-screen prompt for

reprogramming that code. When done with all codes needing to be reprogrammed, choose the Close list entry, or use the Options command.

 Learn New Command – Additional infrared commands can be learned by using this option. In the pop-up dialog, type the name of the new IR command and press Return. You will then proceed through the process of teaching the code to SageTV, as shown above.

 Remote Control Options – Another pop-up menu will appear with options for configuring how SageTV will use the IR transmitter to control the external receiver. See the Remote Control Options dialog for details, below.

 Close – Closes the pop-up menu. The Options command may also be used to close this menu.

Audio Input – If the tuner captures audio separately from the video (most software encoder devices), this option will be available. Select it to change the audio input source, then select the audio input from the pop-up menu that lists the available inputs.

Remote Control Options
By choosing the '''Remote Control Options menu item from the Tuner Control''' pop-up menu, you may configure additional options for how SageTV uses the IR transmitting device to control an external receiver.

 Digits per Channel – Specifies the number of digits that SageTV will transmit to change to a new channel. Type in the number and press Return in the pop-up dialog. Example: If you enter 3 for the number of digits, then when changing to channel 7, SageTV will send “007”. Use 0 to transmit the actual number of digits in the channel number. Example: When changing to channel 7, SageTV will send “7”.

 Channel Change Prefix Code – Tells SageTV to always transmit the specified code before transmitting the digits for a channel change. A pop-up menu with all the IR codes will be displayed. Choose one to use as the prefix code, or choose None to close the popup without selecting a code. The Options command will also close the pop-up without making a selection.

 Channel Change Confirm Code – Tells SageTV to always transmit the specified code after transmitting the digits for a channel change. A pop-up menu with all the IR codes will be displayed. Choose one to use as the confirm code, or choose None to close the pop-up without selecting a code. The Options command will also close the pop-up without making a selection.

 Delay Between Codes – Tells SageTV how much time to delay between IR code transmissions. Type the number of milliseconds to delay between transmissions and press Return. (There are 1000 milliseconds in 1 second.) Use the Options command to close the dialog without changing the current setting.

 Delay Between Channel Changes – Tells SageTV how much time to delay between each channel change. Type the number of milliseconds to delay between channel changes and press Return. (There are 1000 milliseconds in 1 second.) Use the Options command to close the dialog without changing the current setting.

 IR Blaster Repeat Factor – Tells SageTV how many times to repeat the IR code being sent.

 Close – Closes the pop-up menu. The Options command may also be used to close this menu.

Channel Setup
Channel Setup and the related Remap Channel, Add Channel to Lineup, Channel Scan Results, and Channel Manager menus provide the tools used to manage a channel lineup.

'''Notes: '''

 

The list of enabled or disabled channels is linked to a channel lineup, not a capture device source, so if multiple sources use the same lineup, changing which channels are enabled in the lineup will affect all sources using that lineup. If you wish to enable/disable a different set of channels, then choose to copy an existing lineup in Setup Wizard: Step 7, where you begin choosing the EPG lineup for a source.

If the channel lineup is associated with a digital tuner, then a signal strength meter will be shown below the description area while a channel is being previewed. The signal strength display will be updated every few seconds.

When entering the Channel Setup menu while configuring a new digital TV tuner, you will be asked to start the recommended channel scan. All digital TV tuners need to perform a channel scan in order to make sure they can properly tune the enabled channels on their lineup.

To edit which channels are enabled on multiple lineups at one time, use the Channel Manager menu, accessed from the Program Guide menu.

Tip: Any changes made to the channel lineup will force SageTV to go online to refresh the programming data. Thus, if you wish to have SageTV update the channel listings in the Program Guide, simply toggle any channel twice so that its enabled/disabled status is set back to its original value and then select Done with Channel Setup.

The first few items shown on this menu are options for managing the lineup. Those options are followed by a list of all the channels that are part of the lineup.

The options at the start of the list include:

Done with Channel Setup
When Channel Setup is complete, highlight this entry in the list and Select it. You will be returned to Source Details, unless you are in the middle of the Source Setup, in which case you will be returned to the Source Wizard Summary, instead.

Edit Channel Lineup
Highlight this option to access the sub-options that will shown on the right side of the menu:

 Clear all Remapped Channels – Use this option to clear all remapped channels on this lineup. Note: Clearing remapped channels will also remove any manually added channels and certain channels added during a digital tuner channel scan.

 Enable All Channels – Enable every channel in the lineup, after confirming the action.

 Disable All Channels – Disable every channel in the lineup, after confirming the action.

 Add Channel to Lineup – Use this option to add a channel to the lineup, if it isn’t already part of the lineup. If the desired channel exists on another lineup, then consider remapping the desired station to a channel on this lineup, described further below. Selecting this option will jump to the Add Channel to Lineup menu. Note: To remove an added channel, select its '''Remap this Channel''' button and use the Delete command while highlighting its Logical Channel button in order to reset its logical channel number. The channel will be removed from the lineup and will be removed from the database during the next EPG update, if the channel is not referenced by other database objects such as recordings or past airings. 

Channel Sorting Method
Highlight this option to see the channel sorting options listed to the right. You may choose to sort the channel list by Channel Number, Channel Name, or '''Channel Description'''. The enabled channels can be placed at the front of the list by checking the List Enabled Channel First option. Tip: The sorting method can be changed from anywhere in the channel list via the Options command.

Scan for Available Channels
The option to scan for available channels is available for digital and analog TV tuners which are not tuned using an external converter box. When this option is highlighted, the right side of the screen will display when the last scan was performed and offer options to Scan for available channels now and, if a scan has already been performed for the tuner, an option to '''View modified channels from the last scan results'''.

Selecting '''Scan for available channels now''' opens a dialog with these options:

 Start a Full Channel Scan – Perform a full channel scan, which remaps channels to match the scan data, enables all found channels, and disables all non-tunable channels. This type of scan can be performed at any time, but should be used when the tuner is first being configured and at any time when you believe that many channels have changed.

 Start an Update Channel Scan – Perform an update channel scan, which tries to preserve existing channel mappings and tries not to enable or disable existing channels. This type of scan should be performed only after a full channel scan has been performed and you believe that most channels have not changed.

 Skip Encrypted Channels – Available only for DVB tuners. Before choosing the scan type to perform, check this option if the channel scan should ignore channels marked as encrypted.

During a channel scan, SageTV will scan through all channels to automatically determine which channels can be received. If the tuner is not a digital TV tuner, you will see a preview window of each channel as it is scanned. While the scan is being performed, a pop-up dialog will show the scan progress. Select the Stop button to cancel the scan. Note: After scanning using a digital tuner, it may be necessary to remap stations to match a found channel with its EPG data; see below and the Remap Channel menu..

After the channel scan completes, if any channel modifications were found by the scan, they results will be shown on the Channel Scan Results menu.

Channel List
Below the general options is a list of the available channels where you can enable or disable any channel, depending on whether you can actually receive, or want to receive, that channel. If a channel has a green dot next to it, it is enabled, listed in the Program Guide, and may be used by SageTV to record TV shows. Channels without green dots are not enabled and are not used by SageTV. To toggle an individual channel’s enabled/disabled state, highlight the desired channel and Select it by pressing Return or left-clicking it with the mouse or use the Don’t Like command.

When a channel item is highlighted, the right side of the menu will display the channel’s details and options to:

 Remap this Channel – If you want to remap a channel’s station, logical channel number, or physical channel number, select this option to jump to the Remap Channel menu. Notes: o The logical channel number only affects the number SageTV displays in places such as the Program Guide. The logical number can be set to any number without affecting SageTV’s ability to tune the channel.

o   The physical channel number is the number that SageTV uses when tuning a channel. The physical channel number must be the correct number, or else SageTV may not be able to tune the channel properly, so it cannot be set to any desired value.

o   Digital TV tuners often need to have each channel’s station and/or physical channel number remapped in order to tune a channel properly. The channel scan should automatically determine the physical channel number, but the station may need manual correction.

o   The station ID shown in the channel details area can be used to tell whether SageTV may be able to automatically receive EPG listings from Zap2it for that channel. If the ID is greater than or equal to 10,000, the ID is in the Zap2it range. If the ID is below 10,000, the station may need to be remapped in order to receive EPG listings for the channel.

 Preview this Channel – Select this option, or use the Play command, to start a preview of the currently highlighted channel. Use the Stop command to stop playback of the preview. The preview should remain active while using the Channel Setup related menus, but will automatically stop when jumping to a different menu.

Channel Setup Options
Use the Options command to open this menu’s options dialog, with these options affecting this menu:

 Channel Sorting Method – Choose to sort the channel list by '''Channel Number, Channel Name, or Channel Description'''. The enabled channels can be placed at the front of the list by checking the List Enabled Channel First option. This sorting option affects how channels are listed on this menu and the channel order used on the Remap Channel menu.

''' Automatically Enable Channels Newly Added to EPG Lineups''' – Choose whether channels that have been added to an EPG lineup are automatically enabled or not. The option is initially enabled, but you may wish to disable it if new channels are often not viewable on your system. This option is also available in Detailed Setup: Customize Settings.

Remapping Stations for EPG data using ATSC or QAM Digital Tuners
SageTV is often not able to automatically determine the Zap2it station call letters when configuring an ATSC or QAM digital tuner source. When this happens, the Program Guide may either contain No Data for some channels or it may list EPG data only for the next couple days from the broadcast stream. While configuring these channels, you should highlight the channel in Channel Setup, choose Remap this Channel, then remap the station, choosing the station name that matches the listings for your lineup on the Zap2it website. See the Remap Channel menu for details. Example: a scan might find WCBS-DT, but the actual Zap2it name for the channel is WCBSDT, so WCBSDT may need to be selected from the list of stations when remapping the station. Zap2it stations have IDs greater than or equal to 10,000.

When configuring the '''SiliconDust HDHomeRun''' (HDHR) on a Windows PC for QAM tuning, channel setup includes first using SiliconDust’s channel editor to scan and remap channels.

SageTV can then use that data to automatically remap the QAM channels for an HDHR tuner. For ATSC tuning, the HDHR scans for channels in SageTV just like any other digital ATSC tuner. This setup process is kept up to date in the hardware section of the SageTV forums: http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=9

The topic titled “Tuner Configuration Tips & Instructions” links to the HDHR instructions and to tips about configuring other tuners:

http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35004

Remap Channel
The Remap Channel menu is used to remap the station, logical channel number, or physical channel number for a channel.

The left side of the menu contains the main options for remapping the station or channel numbers:

 Remap Station – When this option is highlighted, the list of all stations in the database are listed to the right. Select the station that should be associated with the channel being remapped. Tips: The station list sorting method is configurable by using the Options command; see below for more details about the station sorting options. When any station is highlighted, enter letters or numbers to jump to the station name, number, or show that starts with that letter or number. The currently highlighted station’s ID and EPG information are listed above the station list. IDs greater than or equal to 10,000 are in the range provided by Zap2it; those station may have downloadable EPG data available.

 Remap Channel # – When this option is highlighted, the following options are available to the right:

o   Enabled – Select this option to enable or disable the channel on this lineup. The channel is enabled if this option is checked.

o   Logical Chan # – Select this option to enter a new logical channel number, which is the number SageTV displays in places such as the Program Guide.

o   Physical Chan # – Select this option to enter a new physical channel number, if it is different from the logical number. The physical channel number is the number that SageTV uses when tuning a channel. If this value is incorrect, SageTV will not be able to tune the channel. For more information about remapping digital channels, see Remapping Channels for Digital Tuners.

Use the Delete command to reset the logical or physical channel numbers while those options are highlighted. If the channel was previously added to the lineup, then resetting its logical number will cause the channel to be removed from the lineup and it will be removed from the database during the next EPG update, if the channel is not referenced by other database objects such as recordings or past airings.

Along the bottom of the screen are the following options:

 Exit – Exit the menu and return to the previous menu.

 < Chan – When available, use this button to go to the previous channel in the lineup’s list of channels. The Smooth Rew or Skip Bkwd
 * 1) 2 commands may be used as shortcuts. 

 > Chan – When available, use this button to go to the next channel in the lineup’s list of channels. The Smooth FF or Skip Fwd #2 commands may be used as shortcuts. 

 Preview – Use this button, or the Play command, to start a preview of the current channel. Use the Stop command to stop playback of the preview. The preview should remain active while using the Channel Setup related menus, but will automatically stop when jumping to a different menu.

– Use this button, or the Options command, to open this menu’s options dialog. See Channel Remapping Options, below.

Channel Remapping Options
Use the  button or the Options command to open this menu’s options dialog, with these options affecting this menu:

 Channel Sorting Method – Choose to sort the current lineup’s channel list by Channel Number, Channel Name, or Channel Description. The enabled channels can be placed at the front of the list by checking the List Enabled Channel First option. This sorting option will affect movement to the next and previous channels and also affects the sort order on the Channel Setup menu.

 Station List Sorting Method – Choose whether the station list on the right side of the screen is sorted by the Currently Airing Show Title, Channel Number, or Station Name. Tip: While a preview is active, if you recognize the show being played, sort the station list by the currently airing show title. If EPG data is available for the highlighted station, the currently airing show will be displayed above the station list.

''' Include stations with no EPG data access''' – This option is only available when using SageTV’s built-in EPG data provided by Zap2it. When this option is checked, then all stations are included in the station list. When it is not checked, then stations that do not have Zap2it IDs are filtered out of the list. (Zap2it IDs are those greater than or equal to 10,000.)

Remapping Channels for Digital Tuners
When configuring a digital tuner source, Channel Setup will first perform a channel scan. The scan results will be saved as a table in a .FRQ file in the SageTV installation directory, such as “FusionHDTV, Transport Stream Capture-0.frq”. The information found in this table is what SageTV uses for digital channel tuning and can be used as a reference when remapping digital channels.

When remapping a digital channel, in many cases the physical channel remapping can simply be set to the channel index number for the desired channel. This number matches the “ch:index” field, or the first number on a line in the .frq file, and is valid for ATSC, QAM, DVB-C, DVB-S, and DVB-T.

ATSC and QAM physical channels can alternatively be specified by entering a channel number in the “major-minor” format. The major number is the call sign number of the station in the USA and the minor number is the sub channel. The two numbers are entered with a dash between them, such as “58-2”.

The above two cases are the usual methods of remapping digital channels. More advanced remapping methods are listed below. If further help is needed for such remappings, contact SageTV technical support (www.sagetv.com/support.html) or talk to other users on the SageTV online forums (forums.sagetv.com/forums).

For ATSC or QAM, 3 numbers separated by dashes: “physical channel number-major numberminor number”. Tuning using this method is independent of the channel scan table file listed above.

For DVB-C or DVB-T, 3 numbers separated by dashes: “ONID-SID-TSID”. ONID is the original network ID, SID is the service ID, and TSID is the transport stream ID. The ONID, SID, and TSID values can be found via third party channel scanning utilities or public information found on the internet for the station. Tuning using this method is independent of the channel scan table file listed above.

For DVB-C or DVB-T, 4 numbers separated by dashes: “ONID-SID-TSID-index”. ONID is the original network ID, SID is the service ID, and TSID is the transport stream ID. The ‘index’ value is the index of the channel in the channel scan table. If the index is a valid index entry in the FRQ file and the table’s ‘control bits’ field is 1 for that index, then the scan table information is used to tune the channel; otherwise, the “ONID-SID-TSID” values are used for tuning. The ONID, SID, and TSID values can be found via third party channel scanning utilities or public information found on the internet for the station.

Add Channel to Lineup
This menu is accessed from the Channel Setup menu and is used to manually add a new channel to a lineup by filling in the following fields:

 Station Name – Enter the call sign of the new channel. This is the station name, as is usually used for TV listings.

 Station ID – If you know the station ID, enter it here, or leave this field blank if you do not know the ID. If you know the Zap2it ID for the station, use that value so that SageTV can automatically download EPG listings for the channel, if SageTV has access to the channel’s listings. Note: SageTV may not be able to download listings for channels that are over-the-air only, but listings should be available for any channel that Zap2it includes as part of any cable or satellite lineup.

 Logical (Guide) Channel Number – Enter the logical channel number, which is the number SageTV displays in places such as the Program Guide.

 Physical (Tuning) Channel Number – If the physical number is different from the logical number, enter it here. The physical channel number is the number that SageTV uses when tuning a channel. If this value is incorrect, SageTV will not be able to tune the channel.

After entering the new channel information, choose from the following options along the bottom of the screen:

Cancel – Cancel the new channel addition and return to the previous menu.

Add – Done – Add the new channel and return to the previous menu.

Add – Again – Add the new channel, reset the fields, and remain on this menu so that another channel can be added.

 Reset – Reset all the new channel entry fields and start over.

Notes:

If you know the station ID, enter that value first. If the ID matches an existing channel in the database, its information will be entered into the other fields. You can add channels from other lineups to the current lineup this way, or even edit existing channels.

If the name of an existing channel is entered, its information will be entered into the other fields.

To remove an added channel from a lineup, highlight its entry on the Channel Setup menu, then choose to remap it. On the Remap Channel menu, highlight its logical channel number and reset it by using the Delete command to reset the logical channel number mapping. The channel will be removed from the lineup and will be removed from the database during the next EPG update, if the channel is not referenced by other database objects such as recordings or past airings.

Channel Scan Results
After performing a channel scan on the Channel Setup menu, the list of channels modified as a result of the scan can be reviewed on this menu. After reviewing the modified channels, use the Back command or select Done Reviewing Scan.

When a channel scan result item is highlighted, the channel’s details will be displayed to the right, along with the following selectable options:

 Enabled – Select this option to enable or disable the channel on this lineup. The channel is enabled if this option is checked.

 Remap this Channel – If you want to remap a channel’s station, logical channel number of physical channel number, select this option to jump to the Remap Channel menu.

 Preview this Channel – Select this option, or use the Play command, to start a preview of the currently highlighted channel. Use the Stop command to stop playback of the preview. The preview should remain active while using the Channel Setup related menus, but will automatically stop when jumping to a different menu.

Selecting the scan result item will display a pop-up dialog with the following possible options, where applicable:

 Enable Channel – This is an alternate way to choose whether the channel is enabled. The channel is enabled if this option is checked.

 Clear Remapped Channel – Use this option to clear all of the channel’s remappings. Note: this could result in the channel being removed from the lineup if it was previously added to the lineup. 

 Map Logical (Guide) # from X to Y – Map the logical channel number from one value to the other. 

 Map Physical (Tuning) # from X to Y – Map the physical channel number from one value to the other. Note: Mapping the physical channel number to the wrong value can result in SageTV not being able to tune the channel. You may want to preview the channel before and/or after choosing to remap the physical number. 

 Remap this Channel – Select this option to jump to the Remap Channel menu. 

 Close – Exit the dialog. 

Channel Manager
The Channel Manager lists all available channels on all channel lineups to allow choosing which lineups have each channel enabled, instead of editing each individual lineup in Channel Setup in order to enable or disable channels. In addition, the logical channel numbers (the numbers shown in the guide grid) can be remapped. This menu is accessed via the Options command on the Program Guide menu.

The left side contains some actions that can be performed:

 Sort by:  – Toggles whether the list of Channels is sorted by Number (default) or Name.

 Reverse order: Yes/No – Toggled whether the channel list is sorted in reverse order.

 Back – Return to the previous menu.

The right side of the screen contains the list of all channels, sorted by the selected Sort option and order. Each channel item display’s the channel number, name, description (when available), and how many lineups contain the channel. Enabled channels have a checkmark icon next to them, are shown in the Program Guide, and may be used by SageTV when scheduling recordings. Disabled channels do not have a marker, are not shown in the guide, and are not used for recording.

Select a channel item or use the Don’t Like command on it in order to enable or disable it. If the channel is available only on a single lineup, then the channel will toggle between enabled and disabled. If the channel is available on multiple lineups, then a dialog will be shown where you can choose Enable on All Lineups, '''Disable on All Lineups''', or choose each individual lineup where you want it to be enabled or disabled.

Select the Remap button to the right of a channel item to remap that channel’s logical number. The logical channel number only affects the number SageTV displays in places such as the Program Guide. The logical number can be set to any number without affecting SageTV’s ability to tune the channel.

Parental Controls
The '''Parental Controls''' options can be used to prevent others from watching selected types of shows unless they know the lock code. Initially, SageTV’s Parental Controls menu displays the controls as disabled. Once the controls are enabled, the options on this menu will change accordingly.

The choices on this menu are:

'''ENABLE Parental Controls''' – Available when parental controls are disabled, this option enables the controls. If a lock code has not been previously entered, SageTV will ask for a new lock code and for confirmation of that code. When presented with the pop-up dialog, type in the desired lock code and press Return. SageTV will not show what you type, but will display asterisks for each character typed. Enter the code a second time to confirm it. If the second entry does not match the first, SageTV will not accept the new lock code.

'''DISABLE Parental Controls''' – Available when parental controls are enabled, this option disables the controls. Any restrictions that were previously set will be retained, but no lock code will need to be entered to watch shows that are restricted.

'''Change Parental Lock Code''' – Use this option to change the lock code. Changing the lock code also causes the parental controls to be enabled. As with ENABLE Parental Controls, above, you will be asked to enter the new lock code twice to confirm it. If the second entry does not match the first, SageTV will not accept the new lock code.

'''Clear Parental Lock Code''' – Available when a lock code has already been entered and parental controls are disabled, use this option to clear the current lock code. If you later decide to enable the parental controls again, you will need to enter a new lock code.

 

'''Modify Parental Restrictions''' – Go to the Parental Control Restrictions menu, where you can specify which types of shows require the entry of the lock code before they can be watched. The restrictions can be configured regardless of whether the parental controls are enabled or not, but will only be used when the controls are enabled.

'''Back to Main Menu''' – Return to the Main Menu.

Parental Control Restrictions
Parent Menu: Parental Controls.

The Parental Control Restrictions menu is used to configure SageTV to ask for the parental control lock code when attempting to play media that matches the restrictions and to control access to some setup menus.

Use the arrow keys to highlight any criteria and use Select to turn that criteria on. Or, simply leftclick on the desired criteria. This screen displays a marked checkbox next to all the restrictions that have been set.

If Parental Controls have been enabled, attempting to watch a recording that meets any of the chosen criteria or enter any of the protected setup menus will require the entry of the lock code before SageTV will play the recording or enter the setup menu. If the correct lock code is entered, then SageTV will begin playback of the recording or enter the setup menu.

If the wrong lock code is entered, SageTV will display a notification that the lock code was incorrect and will also display a playback error due to the parental code check having failed.

Detailed Setup: General Settings
From the '''General Settings''' configuration menu, you can reach the other setup options by highlighting Multimedia, Video/Audio, DVD, Commands, Server, Advanced, or Customize in the right-hand column.

Highlight any setup subject in the left-hand column to view its options, or choose Main Menu to return to the Main Menu.

On the right-hand column, highlight an option’s setting to see its description at the bottom of the screen. Select the setting to change its option.

The '''General Settings''' are:

Video Recording Directories
The Video Recording Directories are where SageTV stores the recordings that it creates. SageTV supports the use of multiple folders on multiple drives as well as using mapped drives or UNC paths across a network, and will automatically handle determining which Video Directory to use when making a recording; see the next option, below. Choose modify to go to the Configuration Wizard step for editing the Video Recording Directories, where you will see a list of existing Video Recording Directories and to be able to add or remove directories. When you are done on that menu, you will be returned to Detailed Setup.

Video Recording Path Optimization Style
Choose the method SageTV will use when determining where to store a new recording. Select one of these options:

 Optimize for Space – Choose a recording path by selecting the recording directory with the most available free space. This is the default option.

 Optimize for Bandwidth – Choose a recording path by trying to spread simultaneous recordings between multiple recording directories so that all current recordings aren’t being written to the same hard drive at once. Consider trying this setting if you have many recording devices and want to try reducing the bandwidth required by a hard drive when recording many airings at once. Note: When optimizing for bandwidth and there is not enough free space for a new recording, SageTV may delete recordings that are the lowest priority in the recording directory it selects to store the new recording, but the deleted recordings may not be the lowest priority of all existing recordings.

Also see: Where to Store the Next Recording.

Media Center Import Directories
The Media Center Import Directories are used to tell SageTV where to find already-existing media files on your computer, such as videos, music files, and pictures. SageTV supports the use of multiple folders on multiple drives as well as using mapped drives or UNC paths across a network. Choose modify to go to the Configuration Wizard step for editing the Media Center Import Directories, where you will see a list of existing Media Center Import Directories and to be able to add or remove directories. When you are done on that menu, you will be returned to Detailed Setup.

Automatic Library Rescan Frequency
Set the delay time, in hours, before SageTV automatically rescans the Media Center Import Directories for new imported media again. Set this value to 0 in order to only rescan at startup or when manually initiated.

Intelligent Recording
Enable this option to begin using SageTV’s Intelligent Recording feature. See SageTV Quick Start Guide: Intelligent Recordings for details of how this works.

Note: When Intelligent Recording is disabled, live TV recordings will be automatically deleted shortly after the show’s airing has completed and you have stopped watching it. This autodeletion of live TV will not affect shows that have been scheduled to record, whether you watch them live or not. (See Automatic Cleanup of Live TV.) However, disabling the Intelligent Recording feature will not delete all the existing Intelligent Recordings.

Autodial if Needed for Internet
Enable this option if SageTV should try to establish a dial-up connection when an Internet connection is needed to update the programming guide information. If you are using an alwayson type of connection, or if you wish to control all access to the internet, leave this option disabled.

Sync System Clock with SageTV Server
Enable this feature if you want to synchronize your PC system clock with the SageTV server. This is highly recommended because the SageTV server is synchronized with the US Military Atomic clock for accuracy. If you have already configured such an atomic clock synchronization utility on your computer, enabling this option isn’t needed.

Note: While this will ensure that your PC system clock is set to the correct time, TV stations’ clocks may still be set differently. To make sure your Favorites and Manual Recordings record an entire show, you may wish to consider using padding on some of your recordings, particularly those aired on stations that regularly begin shows early or end them late. See Record Options for Manual Recordings and Start Padding and Stop Padding for Favorites.

Animation Options
Choose settings for the various animation options:

 Animation system – Choose whether to enable or disable the animation system. This setting will determine whether additional animation options described below are displayed.

 Menu transitions – Controls whether the menus use an animation effect when moving from one menu to another.

 Dialog transitions – Controls whether animation effects are used when dialogs open or close.

 Focus transitions – Controls whether animation effects are used to move the highlight image when focus changes from one item to another.

 OSD transitions – Controls whether the playback OSD uses animation effects when being shown or hidden.

 Thumbnail transitions – Controls whether thumbnail transitions occur on various menus when a single item represents a group of media choices.

 Cycle through subgroup items – When a group of items is highlighted, such as a group of recordings on the SageTV Recordings menu, this option controls whether SageTV cycles through the items one by one in the group info area.

Screen Saver Options
Opens a dialog where various screen saver options can be set. The options are as follows”

 Screen Saver on Sleep – When enabled, this option will use SageTV’s built-in Screen Saver when you put SageTV to Sleep while it is running in Full Screen Mode. If this option is disabled or if SageTV is running in a window instead of full screen, SageTV will minimize to an icon in the system tray when it is put to sleep. SageTV will continue recording your programs while in Sleep Mode, but any live TV that is not a scheduled recording will stop. See Sleeping SageTV.

 Screen Saver Timeout – Enter the Timeout period that SageTV will wait before starting the screen saver. Type in the number of minutes and press Return. Use the Options command (Ctrl+O, Escape, right-click) to cancel the pop-up without changing the current value. If the Timeout setting is not 0, the Screen Saver will launch based on the Timeout setting specified. This setting is used mostly in case you walk away from the application and don’t want to be concerned with any screen burn. The screen saver will only start if SageTV is at a menu or if video playback is paused; it will not start if a video is actively playing.

 Screen Saver Style – Choose whether to use a moving SageTV Logo or a Photo Slideshow as the screen saver when music is not playing. The Photo Slideshow will use all imported pictures if there are two or more pictures (the same list viewable in the Photo Browser). '''Note: '''if music is playing, the music information will be displayed as the screen saver.

''' Random Screen Saver Slideshow Order''' – Choose whether images are viewed in random order while playing a slideshow. Note: this setting affects screen saver slideshows and regular slideshows.

Show Mouse Icons
This setting comes enabled by default to show you all the available mouse control icons spread throughout the application. If you are not going to use a mouse to control SageTV you can disable those icons here. Disabling this option will not prevent the use of a mouse with SageTV: a mouse can still be used to select menu items; there will just be no special-purpose mouse icons.

Automatically Connect to Server (Client only)
Note: This option is only available when using SageTVClient.

When SageTVClient starts, you will be asked to enter the IP address or computer name of the SageTV server computer system on your network. Instead of entering this information every time SageTVClient is run, enable this option to automatically connect to the server. When enabled, this option will change from displaying No to displaying the name or IP address of the server, which you entered when SageTVClient started. See Configure SageTV Client to Connect to the Server.

Detailed Setup: Multimedia Settings
From the '''Multimedia Settings''' configuration menu, you can reach the other setup options by highlighting General, Video/Audio, DVD, Commands, Server, Advanced, or Customize in the right-hand column.

Highlight any setup subject in the left-hand column to view its options, or choose Main Menu to return to the Main Menu.

On the right-hand column, highlight an option’s setting to see its description at the bottom of the screen. Select the setting to change its option.

The '''Multimedia Settings''' are:

Aspect Ratio Mode
This option sets the default Aspect Ratio Mode that will be used during video playback. Select the setting next to this option and choose a setting from the pop-up menu:

 Fill – Stretch the video to fill the SageTV playback area. (Initial setting.)

 Source – Use the video source information to determine the playback aspect ratio.

 4x3 – Force playback to fit the video into a 4x3 ratio area, stretching or shrinking the video to do so.

 16x9 – Force playback to fit the video into a 16x9 ratio area, stretching or shrinking the video to do so.

Note: The aspect ratio mode is set during playback for HD extenders. While on the Video Playback screen, use the Options command to choose or edit the aspect ratio mode.

Aspect Ratio Settings
Select Modify to be presented with a pop-up menu containing the available adjustments for the selected Aspect Ratio Mode. The Stretch setting is used to determine the amount the video image is stretched in the horizontal and vertical dimensions in order to fit the screen, while the Offset settings are used to determine where the video image is placed. Each mode stores its own values for the settings presented here.

Select any of the Stretch or Offset values to change their settings. Enter the new value in the pop-up dialog and press Return. Use the Options command (Ctrl+O, Escape, right-click) to close the dialog without changing the current value.

The Stretch values may be greater than 100% initially to allow for overscan and hide the black borders that might otherwise be visible around the edges of TV recordings.

If you find that the upper left corner of the image is not in the correct location, use the Offset settings to change where that corner is positioned. Use positive values to move the video playback image to the right or down; use negative values to move the image to the left or up.

Use Close or the Options command to exit the pop-up menu.

Note: To get instant feedback regarding the Aspect Ratio settings as you make changes, make sure that a video is playing and that video playback is set to display on menus as the background.

See Video Menu Options, below.

Overscan Settings:
Use the '''Overscan Settings''' option to modify the placement of the SageTV User Interface. Through a series of two full screen menus, you will first adjust the location of the upper left corner of the user interface, then you will adjust the location of the lower right corner of the user interface. When you are done, the user interface will completely fill the SageTV display.

Select Adjust to go to the 2-step Configuration Wizard process to Adjust the User Interface Overscan. When you have completed both steps, you will be returned to Detailed Setup.

Display Aspect Ratio Settings
SageTV uses the '''Display Aspect Ratio''' to determine how best to display any graphics or video content. Select Adjust to jump to the Adjust Display Aspect Ratio screen where this ratio is set. On that screen, you may choose from a few pre-set choices, or manually adjust the circle until it appears round. When done, you will be returned to Detailed Setup.

Output Resolution
If SageTV is able to use multiple output resolutions, select this option to choose which resolution to use.

Native Output Resolution Switching
If SageTV is able to automatically change the output resolution mode to match the resolution of the video being played, this option will be available. Select the option to enable or disable it.

Recording Quality
Select Set Quality to see a pop-up dialog where you can set the default recording quality for SageTV overall, or for each individual capture device.

Default Quality: The setting near the top of the dialog is SageTV’s overall default setting. This default recording quality will be used for all new recordings that are created using a capture device that does not have its own default quality setting.

'''Individual Capture Devices: If the setting next to a capture device is Not Set, then that device will use the overall Default Quality''' (above) when a new recording is made. If a capture device has its own default setting, then new recordings made using that device will use its own default setting rather than the overall setting. If the setting next to a capture device is Digital Tuner, then a default recording cannot be set for the tuner because digital tuners simply save the digital stream as it is received.

The default recording quality settings mentioned above are used for all new recordings made by SageTV, but they may be customized for individual Manual Recordings or for Favorites. See Record Options for Manual Recordings and Recording Quality for Favorites.

Select the current setting to the right of Default Quality or any Capture Device for a pop-up menu of recording quality choices. Choose one of the recording qualities listed, or use the Options command to close the pop-up without changing the setting. There is no “correct” choice; the quality setting you choose is a matter of personal preference and amount of hard drive space available. The lower quality settings will use less drive space and allow more shows to be recorded, but at the expense of reduced video quality. On the other hand, higher quality recordings can use disk space very quickly. It is recommended that you try a few settings to see which you are comfortable with. You may want to choose a medium quality setting as your default, then adjust your Favorites or Manual Recordings to higher or lower quality settings, based on their needs. For example: cartoons usually still look OK at lower quality recording rates, while sports may need very high quality settings to retain details during the fast motion scenes.

Notes: To add custom settings to this list, see Appendix H: Custom Recording Quality Settings. Any change to the default Recording Quality will not take effect until a new recording starts.

Enable TV Out for PVR-350
This option is only available when using a Hauppauge PVR-350 encoder/decoder tuner card.

Enable this if you are using the TV Out functionality of the PVR-350 card to view MPEG video.

Enable UI on TV Out of PVR-350
This option is only available when using a Hauppauge PVR-350 encoder/decoder tuner card.

Enable this if you are using the TV Out of the PVR-350 to view the SageTV User Interface on your TV. After enabling this setting for the first time, reboot your computer for the settings to take effect. If, upon starting SageTV, the UI is not appearing on the TV Out, video must be activated for the TV Out to initialize. The best way to do this is to use the TV command (Ctrl-V) to initiate live TV playback.

Hardware Decoding Only:
This option is only available when using a Hauppauge PVR-350 encoder/decoder tuner card.

Enabling this option disables software video rendering to the Windows Desktop. Now video will only be shown through the TV Out of the PVR-350.

Video Menu Options
The '''Video Menu Options''' determines whether video playback can be displayed while using a menu and, if so, whether the video will be displayed in a window in the upper right corner or as the background of the menu. Not all menus can have video played in a window and a few may have background playback disabled also.

When you select the Modify button next to this option name, a pop-up menu will appear with the settings you can change. This pop-up menu is the same as the one that is displayed on nearly every menu when you use the Options command; in fact, using the Options command on this menu displays the pop-up menu also. Some menus have options menus specific for their possible settings, but most use the default general purpose Video Menu Options menu, or at least make those options available. See: The Default Pop-up Menu: Video Menu Options.

Selecting the button next to Display Video on Menus displays a secondary pop-up menu, where three choices are presented:

 Never – Video playback will never be displayed on a menu, regardless of whether one is currently playing or not.

 If Active – Video playback will be displayed on a menu only if there is currently a video being played. When no video playback is active, no video will be shown on the menu.

 Always – Video playback will always be shown on menus. If there is no active video currently, live TV will be shown.

Selecting the button next to Video Menu Style also displays a secondary pop-up menu, where two additional choices are presented:

 Background – If video playback is shown on menus, it will be shown as the background for the entire menu. The menu will appear on top of the video.

 Window – If video playback is shown on menus, it will be displayed as a small window in the upper right-hand corner. Not every menu has the space needed for displaying video in a window; in those cases, the video will not be shown. The Main Menu is one such menu. Tip: Left click with a mouse on the video playing in the preview window to jump to the video playback screen. The TV command may be used to perform this action at any time using the keyboard or remote.

Finally, use Close to close the pop-up menu when done making selections

Example images showing video playback while using a menu:

 

Note: While video is playing on a menu, the commands that control playback continue to function. Please see Chapter 4: Media Playback for media playback details, or see the List of All SageTV Commands for complete details on all available commands. An additional point to remember is that some commands are combo commands, which function differently depending on whether SageTV is at a menu or on a playback screen. While on a menu, the playback versions of those commands may not function since the menu versions take precedence.

UI Language
The current language setting will be displayed next to the UI Language option. Select the current setting to see a list of available language choices for the SageTV user interface and select your preferred language. If a translation file for that language is available, SageTV will use its translations when displaying text on the screen.

Default Audio Language
Select this option to set the default audio language used during playback when a media file has multiple audio languages available.

Default Subtitle Language
Select this option to set the default subtitle language used during playback when a media file has multiple subtitle languages available, or select None to show no subtitles (default).

SageTV Window is Always On Top
This option is available only on a SageTV or SageTV Client UI while using on Windows. Selecting this option toggles whether the SageTV window will always be on top of other windows. Note: for a SageTV Placeshifter window, right click on the Placeshifter window to select its ‘Always On Top’ option.

Detailed Setup: Video/Audio Settings
From the '''Video/Audio Settings''' configuration menu, you can reach the other setup options by highlighting General, Multimedia, DVD, Commands, Server, Advanced, or Customize in the right-hand column.

Highlight any setup subject in the left-hand column to view its options, or choose Main Menu to return to the Main Menu.

On the right-hand column, highlight an option’s setting to see its description at the bottom of the screen. Select the setting to change its option.

Note: When playback is currently in progress, choose '''Reload Media Player''' after making any changes.

The '''Video/Audio Settings''' are:

Video Renderer
The Video Renderer is the filter used to render the video to the screen from the source during playback. Choose the setting displayed next to the option to see a pop-up menu listing the possible settings: Default, Overlay, VMR9, and EVR. SageTV is initially set to use Overlay. If there are problems with this setting, try the Default mode instead. The EVR option is only listed if EVR is available on your system.

If you are running a newer graphics card with 3D acceleration, give VMR9 or EVR a try, which will also provide partial transparency to the On-Screen Display over video.

Note: Using VMR9 or EVR requires 3D Acceleration to be Enabled in the Detailed Setup: Advanced Settings configuration menu. If it is not enabled, Overlay will be used instead. If 3D Acceleration is not enabled when you choose the VMR9 or EVR setting here, you will be asked whether to enable 3D Acceleration. If you choose not to do so, the renderer will not be changed to VMR9 or EVR.

MPEG2 Video Decoder Filter
A pop-up menu lists all the available video decoders, which are used to decode the MPEG2formatted video data. The list of decoders depends on the MPEG-2 decoders that are installed on your PC related to your video card, DVD player and TV tuner/Capture card. Select the video decoder that you would like SageTV to use for MPEG-2 video playback.

Note: If you are using the Sigma Designs Xcard as your video decoder, select it from the list and set the Video Renderer to default. Also confirm that the Audio Renderer and MPEG2 Audio Decoder Filter are set to default as well.

SageTV MPEG Video Decoder uses DXVA (hardware acceleration)
This option is available if the MPEG2 video decoder filter is set to use the SageTV MPEG Video Decoder. Select this option to enable or disable DXVA when that decoder is used. Enabling this option allows the decoder to use the video card’s hardware assisted decoding during video playback.

H.264 Video Decoder Filter
When using SageTV on a Windows system, you may choose this option to select the decoder filter used for playback of H.264 format videos. If no H.264 decoders are listed, but you know one has been installed on the PC, then choose “List all decoders” so see a list of all decoders.

VC1 Video Decoder Filter
When using SageTV on a Windows system, you may choose this option to select the decoder filter used for playback of VC1 format videos. If no VC1 decoders are listed, but you know one has been installed on the PC, then choose “List all decoders” so see a list of all decoders.

Media Player for non-MPEG Files
When using SageTV on a Windows system, you may choose the decoder to use for non-MPEG video playback, such as for MKV, AVI, MP4, OGG, etc. Choose to always use DirectShow, the SageTV Player, or a combination of the SageTV Player for online videos and DirectShow for all other non-MPEG videos.

Dscaler Deinterlacer Filter
If you want to use Dscaler to deinterlace the video, enable this option. You can only select this option when selecting the Elecard Video Decoder filter (not included with the SageTV installation, but freely available at www.elecard.com) or the SageTV MPEG Video Decoder. Then select your Deinterlacing mode and whether or not you want to use Double Refresh Rate or Odd Field First. You may experience audio & video synchronization problems if you have Double Refresh Rate enabled on a PC that doesn’t have enough CPU power. More information can be obtained about Dscaler and Deinterlacing at www.dscaler.com.

Audio Renderer
The Audio Renderer is the filter used to render the audio after it has been decoded. Select a renderer from the pop-up menu showing the list of the available choices, which depends on what has been installed on your computer, related to DirectX and your sound card.

MPEG2 Audio Decoder Filter
A pop-up menu lists all the available audio decoders, which are used to decode the MPEG2formatted audio data. The list of decoders depends on the MPEG-2 audio decoders that are installed on your PC related to your video card, DVD player and TV tuner/Capture card. Select the audio decoder that you would like SageTV to use for MPEG-2 audio playback.

Note: If you are using the Sigma Designs Xcard as your video decoder, set both the Audio Renderer and Audio Decoder Filter to default. See MPEG2 Video Decoder Filter for Xcard settings there.

HD Audio Decoder Filter
When using SageTV on a Windows system, you may choose this option to select the decoder filter used for playback of videos with HD audio. If no HD audio decoders are listed, but you know one has been installed on the PC, then choose “List all decoders” so see a list of all decoders.

Audio Playback Delay
If you are having problems with audio playback not being synchronized with video playback, you can set the Audio Playback Delay in order to get them to be synchronized. In the pop-up dialog, enter the number of milliseconds to delay the audio playback and press Return. (There are 1000 milliseconds in 1 second.) Use the Options command (Ctrl+O, Escape, right-click) to close the dialog without changing the current setting.

HD Audio Output
Choose whether to enable HD audio output. If enabled, then SageTV will output the DolbyTrueHD or DTS-HD/MA streams when present. If disabled, then SageTV will output the AC3 or DTS streams instead.

Reload Media Player
This button will appear only if playback is currently in progress. After making any changes, select this button to reload the media player so that the changes can take effect.

Detailed Setup: DVD Settings
From the DVD Settings configuration menu, you can reach the other setup options by highlighting General, Multimedia, Video/Audio, Commands, Server, Advanced, or Customize in the right-hand column.

Highlight any setup subject in the left-hand column to view its options, or choose Main Menu to return to the Main Menu.

On the right-hand column, highlight an option’s setting to see its description at the bottom of the screen. Select the setting to change its option.

Note: When playback is currently in progress, choose '''Reload Media Player''' from Detailed Setup: Video/Audio Settings after making any changes.

The '''DVD Settings''' are:

DVD-ROM Drive
Toggle this option between Yes and No, to tell SageTV whether the computer has a DVD drive installed and you want SageTV to access it for playback of local DVDs.

DVD Video Renderer
The DVD Video Renderer is the filter used to render the video to the screen from the source during playback. Choose the setting displayed next to the option to see a pop-up menu listing the possible settings: Default, Overlay, VMR9, and EVR. SageTV is initially set to use VMR9 for DVD playback. If there are problems with this setting, try the Overlay mode instead. The EVR option is only listed if EVR is available on your system.

If you are running a newer graphics card with 3D acceleration, VMR9 or EVR will provide partial transparency to the On-Screen Display over video.

Note: Using VMR9 or EVR requires 3D Acceleration to be Enabled in the Detailed Setup: Advanced Settings configuration menu. If it is not enabled, Overlay will be used instead. If 3D Acceleration is not enabled when you choose the VMR9 or EVR setting here, you will be asked whether to enable 3D Acceleration. If you choose not to do so, the renderer will not be changed to VMR9 or EVR.

DVD Video Decoder Filter
A pop-up menu lists all the available DVD video decoders, which are used to decode the DVD video data. The list of decoders depends on the MPEG-2 decoders that are installed on your PC related to your video card, DVD player and TV tuner/Capture card. Select the video decoder that you would like SageTV to use for DVD video playback.

Notes: A) The DVD video decoder needs to be able to decrypt the CSS encryption found on most DVDs. If the video decoder does not have this capability, it will not be able to play encrypted DVD video data. B) SageTV cannot use the Sigma Designs Xcard for DVD playback.

DVD Audio Renderer
The Audio Renderer is the filter used to render the audio after it has been decoded. Select a renderer for DVD playback from the pop-up menu showing the list of the available choices, which depends on what has been installed on your computer, related to DirectX and your sound card.

DVD Audio Decoder Filter
A pop-up menu lists all the available audio decoders, which are used to decode the DVD audio data. The list of decoders depends on the decoders that are installed on your PC related to your video card, DVD player and TV tuner/Capture card. Select the audio decoder that you would like SageTV to use for DVD audio playback.

Detailed Setup: Commands Settings
From the Commands Settings configuration menu, you can reach the other setup options by highlighting General, Multimedia, Video/Audio, DVD, Server, Advanced, or Customize in the right-hand column.

Highlight any setup subject in the left-hand column to view its options, or choose Main Menu to return to the Main Menu.

On the right-hand column, highlight an option’s setting to see its description at the bottom of the screen. Select the setting to change its option.

The '''Commands Settings''' are:

Link Infrared/Keystroke to SageTV Command
Choosing this option will display a scrollable list of all SageTV commands in the middle of the screen. When a command is highlighted, its keyboard and infrared code assignments are displayed in a list in the right-hand column.

To link new keystrokes or IR codes to a command, Select that command.

After choosing a command for key/IR code assignment, SageTV will display instructions for you to press the key or remote button to be assigned to the shown command. Any keyboard input at this point is considered to be a key assignment. You can cancel this process by clicking on the Cancel button with the mouse.

If a key or IR code already assigned to a different command is entered, SageTV will ask for confirmation regarding whether to reassign the key or IR code. Choose Yes to continue with the reassignment; No to cancel the reassignment. Using the Options command (Ctrl+O, Escape, right-click) also cancels the reassignment.

For a complete list of commands, see SageTV Commands.

Notes:

If you are using a third party Infrared Receiver such as the IRMan or USB-UIRT, you will need to link every IR code to the commands in SageTV. To enable the use of either of these IR receivers, see Remote Control Configuration, below.

SageTV will only learn IR codes when it is directly using the IR receiver, such as those mentioned above. If you are using the Hauppauge or Streamzap receivers, for example, SageTV cannot learn the IR codes directly from the remotes.

More than one key or IR code can be assigned to each command, but no two commands can share the same key or IR code.

Some remotes use a toggle code where pressing the same key repeatedly results in the remote emitting two separate codes, toggling between then for each button press. For these remotes, you will need to teach both codes for each button to SageTV. Teach the first code to SageTV, then without pressing any other remote button in between, teach the second code to SageTV. In between those 2 button presses, use either the keyboard or mouse to control SageTV.

Show SageTV Commands linked to Infrared/Keystroke
Choosing this option will display instructions for you to press a key or remote button to see which command, if any, it is assigned to.

Unlink Infrared/Keystroke from SageTV Command
Choosing this option will display instructions for you to press a key or remote button that you wish to unlink from a command. Once a key or button is pressed, SageTV will ask to confirm the request. If you select No or use the Options command, the unlink process will be cancelled.

Remote Control Configuration
The Remote Control Configuration option will display your current setting. To change it, select the button to proceed to the Configuration Wizard step to Set your Remote Control. Once you have completed that one part of the Configuration Wizard, you will be returned to Detailed Setup.

Detailed Setup: Server Settings
From the '''Server Settings''' configuration menu, you can reach the other setup options by highlighting General, Multimedia, Video/Audio, DVD, Commands, Advanced, or Customize in the right-hand column.

Highlight any setup subject in the left-hand column to view its options, or choose Main Menu to return to the Main Menu.

On the right-hand column, highlight an option’s setting to see its description at the bottom of the screen. Select the setting to change its option.

The '''Server Settings''' are:

SageTV Server
This option is only available in SageTV, not SageTVClient, and toggles between Enabled and Disabled. If you plan to use SageTVClient on another computer on your network, you must enable SageTV to act as a server.

Media Extender and Placeshifter Server
This option is only available in SageTV, not SageTVClient, when the SageTV Server option (above) is enabled; it opens a dialog when selected, where you may choose to toggle the setting between Enabled and Disabled. Enable this option if you plan to connect a Media Extender, such as the SageTV STX-HD100, STP-HD200, or Hauppauge MediaMVP, or a Place Shifting client to your SageTV server. '''Note: changes to this setting won’t take effect until the SageTV server (the above option) is restarted, so you will be asked whether to restart the SageTV Server when this option is changed. In the dialog, choose Yes''' to change the option and restart the SageTV Server, choose No to change the option without restarting the SageTV Server, or choose Cancel to leave the setting as it is.

For details on Media Extenders, see Appendix M: SageTV Media Extenders.

For details on the Placeshifter Client, see Appendix N: SageTV Placeshifter Client.

Configure Placeshifter Internet Connection
In order to use a Placeshifter Client from a remote location, your local network’s router/firewall needs to be configured to allow access to your SageTV server from remote locations. This configuration can be done manually on the router, or SageTV can be configured to automatically handle keeping access to the SageTV server open if your router has UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) capability. For details about configuring the router, see Step G6: Configure the Placeshifter Internet Connection (server or media extender only) in the Configuration Wizard. When you are done on that menu, you will be returned to Detailed Setup.

Manage Placeshifter Users
Select Configure to view, add, or manage Placeshifter users. After selecting Configure, a dialog will be shown where new Placeshifter users can be added and existing users can be managed. If a user is disabled, the user name will still exist, but that user will not be able to log on via a place shifter client. Note: when a new user is created on the server, the STV assigned for that user will be the STV currently in use on the server. If a new user is created from a client, then the default STV will be assigned.

After selecting a user name, a dialog will be shown where various user settings can be configured, or the user can be removed completely. You can set the user’s STV, change the password, disable/enable the user, or remove the user.

Placeshifter Locator ID
Select the View option to see the Locator ID for the server, along with an option to copy it to the system clipboard. This ID can be used by the place shifting client to find the server so that you do not need to know your actual IP address. Note: The Locator ID is also displayed on the System Information display.

Allow Placeshifter clients to automatically login
Choose whether Placeshifter clients can be configured to automatically login.

Media Extender Conversion Quality
Choose whether to use Standard or High quality when video needs to be transcoded for playback on a Media Extender. Standard is SVCD quality, while High is DVD quality.

Detailed Setup: Advanced Settings
From the '''Advanced Settings''' configuration menu, you can reach the other setup options by highlighting General, Multimedia, Video/Audio, DVD, Commands, Server, or Customize in the right-hand column.

Highlight any setup subject in the left-hand column to view its options, or choose Main Menu to return to the Main Menu.

On the right-hand column, highlight an option’s setting to see its description at the bottom of the screen. Select the setting to change its option.

The '''Advanced Settings''' are:

Load at Windows Startup
Select the setting next to this option and choose a setting from the pop-up menu:

 No – Do not start SageTV automatically when the computer starts.

 Yes – in Full Screen mode – Start SageTV automatically when the computer starts, and start it running in full screen mode.

''' Yes – sleeping in the System Tray – Start SageTV automatically when the computer starts, but start it in Sleep''' mode, minimized to the system tray.

Video Orbiting Duration
Use this setting if you have a Widescreen TV or HDTV and wish to shift the 4:3 image horizontally in the 16:9 screen area. The time controls how quickly the screen moves away from and back to its starting position. A value of 0 disables this feature. The image shifts quickly with low values and slowly with large values.

In the pop-up dialog, enter the number of minutes for the orbiting duration and press Return. Use the Options command (Ctrl+O, Escape, right-click) to close the dialog without changing the current setting.

3D Acceleration
This option toggles between Enabled and Disabled. Enable 3D Acceleration for better performance if you are using a Graphics card that support DirectX9 and 3D Acceleration. 3D Acceleration cannot be enabled if you are using the OSD through the TV-out of the PVR-350.

If enabling this option fails and you are not using the OSD through the TV-out of the PVR-350, then you should make sure that your video card drivers and DirectX installations are up to date. Also, note that 3D Acceleration require a video card with at least 32 MB RAM.

Note: This option must be enabled in order to use VMR9 or EVR as the Video Renderer in Detailed Setup: Video/Audio Settings or as the DVD Video Renderer in Detailed Setup: DVD Settings. If VMR9 or EVR is the renderer for either of those settings, you will be asked to confirm whether to disable 3D Acceleration. If you choose to disable it, any VMR9 and EVR settings will automatically be changed to use Overlay instead.

Use Full Screen Exclusive Mode
'''This option will only appear if 3D Acceleration is enabled, above.''' When using 3D Acceleration, you will have a choice of how SageTV will operate when run in Full Screen mode. Normally, SageTV will still act as a regular Windows application, except that it covers the entire screen; however, when using full screen exclusive mode, SageTV will attempt to gain exclusive control of the screen, just as a Windows game run in full screen mode would do. When successful, this exclusive control of the display is intended to provide smoother video playback, especially with the VMR9 renderer. But, exclusive mode is not always available, depending on certain system settings and the video card that is being used. '''If you turn this option on and experience playback problems, turn it back off.'''

Overlay Color Keying
This option toggles between Enabled and Disabled. When using Overlay as the Video Renderer in Detailed Setup: Video/Audio Settings or as the DVD Video Renderer in Detailed Setup: DVD Settings, enable Color Keying if you want the On-Screen Display to have transparency.

Optimized Image Loader
Choose whether to have the optimized image loader Enabled or Disabled. Enable it for faster loading of larger images; disable it only if images are not loaded properly.

Rescan Existing Library Files
Choose this option to force SageTV to rescan the entire library and perform format detection and metadata importing again for all imported media.

Automatic Update Checks
Choose whether SageTV can automatically perform the checks for updates listed below. When enabled, SageTV will perform these checks once per day after jumping to the Main Menu.

''' Check for and install updates for the lists of online videos''' – When enabled, SageTV will check for updates for online video feeds listed on the Online Services menu. If an update is found, it will be downloaded and installed.

''' Check for and notify when updates are available for the STV, installer, or extender firmware''' – When enabled, SageTV will check for updates for the STV, new versions of SageTV, and new firmware versions if an extender is in use. If an update is found, a system message will be generated for viewing on the System Messages menu.

''' Include notifications for installer and firmware beta updates''' – If the above option to check for new installer and extender firmware versions is enabled, this option will be available. When enabled, SageTV will include checking for new beta versions. If a beta update is found, a system message will be generated for viewing on the System Messages menu.

Check for STV Update
Select Update to see if there is an update available for the default STV file set. The current version number is shown directly below this option’s title. Note: The default STV file (SageTV3.xml or SageTV7.xml) must be the currently loaded application package for the update to proceed. This option may be used to install fixes or add new features, but frequent updates are not expected.

If an STV file set update is available, a dialog will list any change notes for the new version and ask for confirmation to download and install the update. After performing an update, it is suggested that you check for another update in case one update was required before the next update could be installed.

Revert to the default STV
When using a customized STV, this option can be used as a shortcut to change back to the default STV provided in the SageTV installer.

Reload last custom STV
When using the default STV, this option can be used as a shortcut to change back to the last-used custom STV, if one has been previously loaded.

Manage STVI plugins
'''Note: This option is no longer enabled by default. Use the Plugin Manager instead. '''

 

In addition to being able to specify which SageTV custom interface file (STV) to use, see below, it is also possible to load one or more STVI import modules that will add or change functionality of an existing interface file. See below for information where import modules may be found online. Note: Before importing an STVI module, especially for the first time, make backup copies of wiz.bin and Sage.properties and/or SageClient.properties.

After selecting the option to manage the plugins, the STVI Plugin Manager dialog will open. From there, you may choose from the following actions:

Rest the base STV to the current STV if it is not already the base used for imports or it is not the plugin managed STV that already has the imports.

Remove any existing plugins – select a plugin from the list to remove it.

Add a new STVI plugin file – select to choose a new import in a file browser dialog.

Automatically prompt for rebuild – Check this option to have SageTV automatically check to see if the base STV or any of the import files have changed since the last time the plugin managed STV was built. The check will be performed when SageTV starts or when an STV is loaded.

Force Rebuild and Reload STV File with plugins – Select this option to immediately import all the plugins into the base STV.

Load Existing STV with plugins – If the base STV is loaded and the plugin managed STV exists, this option allows quickly reloading the plugin managed STV without rebuilding again. (If the automatic prompt for rebuild option is enabled, then the check will be performed after the managed STV has been loaded.)

Close – Exit the dialog. The status of the plugin managed STV will be checked when the dialog closes and you may be prompted to rebuild if it is out of date.

Note: The process of importing the selected plugins may take a few minutes, depending on how many plugins are in the list and how complex each one is. When the rebuild process is done, the resulting updated Application Package will be saved as a new XML file, it will remain loaded as the current Application Package, and SageTV will return to the Main Menu.

SageTV Full UI Package (.STV or .XML File)
SageTV is capable of using custom files that define what the user interface looks like and what capabilities it contains. The appearance and functionality is defined in SageTV application package files, which have a file extension of STV or XML.

Choose this option to open a dialog where you can choose a new STV file to use as the SageTV interface.

To find custom STV files, please see:

The '''SageTV Customizations '''forum is one of the forums on the SageTV site, where some users who have created custom STVs have posted information about those STV files and may answer questions about them. (forums.sagetv.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=27)

Import UI Modification (.STVi File)
'''Note: Use the Plugin Manager instead if the desired import is available there. '''

 

In addition to being able to specify which SageTV custom interface file (STV) to use, it is also possible to load STVi update modules that will add or change functionality of an existing interface file. See above for information where import modules may be found.

Note: Before importing an STVi module, make backup copies of wiz.bin and Sage.properties and/or SageClient.properties.

After choosing the Application Package Import file, you will be asked to confirm whether to proceed with the import process. If you choose to proceed, SageTV will import the selected file and save the resulting updated Application Package as a new XML file, then load it as the current Application Package and return to the Main Menu.

Select the User Interface Theme
Select this option to choose which set of graphics (theme) is to be used for the user interface. A dialog will open, displaying a list of the available themes along with a description and preview of the currently highlighted theme, if a description and preview image are available. SageTV installs with the Standard theme.

For more information about themes and how to create custom themes, see: Appendix O: User Interface Themes. Additional user created themes may be found on the SageTV online forums at forums.sagetv.com/forums and may be available in the Plugin Manager.

Debug Logging
Choose whether to enable debug logging on the SageTV server, and local client if using a client. SageTV will need to be restarted after changing this setting.

Detailed Setup: Customize Settings
From the '''Customize Settings''' configuration menu, you can reach the other setup options by highlighting General, Multimedia, Video/Audio, Commands, Server, or Advanced in the righthand column. Note that there are more options than can fit on a single screen, so you will need to scroll down the list to see some choices.

Highlight any setup subject in the left-hand column to view its options, or choose Main Menu to return to the Main Menu.

On the right-hand column, highlight an option’s setting to see its description at the bottom of the screen. Select the setting to change its option.

The '''Customize Settings''' are:

Fast Forward & Rewind times
Select Configure for a pop-up options menu where you can set the times for the fast forward and rewind commands. Select any of the choices to set the jump times associated with these commands:

 Fast Forward – The current Skip Forward time is displayed and may be changed. 

 Fast Forward 2 – The current Skip Fwd #2 time is displayed and may be changed. 

 Rewind – The current Skip Bkwd time is displayed and may be changed. Rewind times are negative values. If you enter a positive value, it will automatically be changed to a negative one. 

 Rewind 2 – The current Skip Bkwd #2 time is displayed and may be changed. Rewind times are negative values. If you enter a positive value, it will automatically be changed to a negative one.

 Time Scroll – The current Time Scroll time is displayed and may be changed. For details about using Time Scroll, see: A Note About Time Scroll Playback Mode.

Inactivity Timeout and OSD AutoHide
Select Configure for a pop-up options menu where you can set the options for the playback OSD autohide functionality after a timeout period:

''' Enable Inactivity Timeout and hide the OSD after timeout? – Select this setting to toggle between: o Yes''' – Enable the inactivity timeout timer and allow the OSD to automatically hide itself if there is no user activity during the timeout period, or 

o No – Disable the inactivity timeout and OSD autohide feature 

 Inactivity Timeout – If the Inactivity Timeout is enabled, above, select this option to configure the time out period. 

Automatically Enable Channels Newly Added to EPG Lineups
Choose whether channels that have been added to an EPG lineup are automatically enabled or not. The option is initially enabled, but you may wish to disable it if new channels are often not viewable on your system. This option is also available on the Channel Setup menu via the Options command. When a new channel is added, a system message will be generated for viewing on the System Messages menu.

Power Management settings
Select Configure for a pop-up options menu where you can set the options for SageTV’s power management timings:

 Idle timeout – Set the time for how long SageTV can be idle with no user input or video playback before allowing the operating system's settings for going into standby to take over. To reset this value, enter 0. 

 Server wake up time prior to starting a new recording – Set this value to the time it takes for your SageTV server system to wake itself up and return to actively running. SageTV will schedule the server system to wake up this much time prior to when a scheduled recording is to begin. 

Font Size Limitation Settings
Select Configure for a pop-up options menu where you can set the options for font size limitations:

 Smallest font size – Use this option to set the smallest font size that SageTV will use in the user interface. If you find some of the text in the UI too small to read, try increasing this value. To reset this value, enter 0. 

 Minimum shrunk font size – SageTV will shrink some text to fit in its allotted space. Use this option to set the minimum font size text can be shrunk to. To reset this value, enter 0. 

Numeric Text Input Settings
Numeric text input is a method used for entering text using only the numeric keypad on a remote and is similar to how text is entered via a telephone’s keypad. Each number is assigned a few characters or symbols. Then, when entering text, do the following:

1.      Press a number repeatedly to cycle through that number’s available characters until the desired character is reached. The number will be available as the last character in the cycle.

2.      To accept the current character, you may do one of the following:

a.       wait until the input is accepted

b.      press another number to accept the current character and begin cycling through the characters for the new number

c.       use the Play command to accept the current character.

3.      To enter more characters, return to step 1.

On the screens where numeric text input is available, a keypad will be displayed showing all the numbers and the characters assigned to them. During data entry, the entered number’s list of characters will be displayed below the entry field and the current character will be highlighted. The default assignments are:

1  – various symbols and 1

2  – ABC2

3  – DEF3

4  – GHI4

5  – JKL5

6  – MNO6

7  – PQRS7

8  – TUV8

9  – WXYZ9

0 – Space and 0

Stop command – Clear the last input.

Play or Play/Pause command – Accept the current input character.

Pause command – Toggle Numeric Text Input mode between Upper Case, Lower Case, and Off.

Select Configure for a pop-up options menu where you can set the options for SageTV’s numeric text input feature. Note: The below options to reconfigure the numeric keys and their hints are not available on clients that cannot use keyboards, such as media extenders.

 Use Numeric Text Input – Choose whether Numeric Text Input will be enabled by default when a text entry field is in use. Note: You may use the Pause command to change the Numeric Text Input mode while entering data. 

 Delay time before auto-accept – This is the amount of time without any input before SageTV will automatically accept the currently highlighted character. Enter the number of milliseconds for this delay. (There are 1000 milliseconds in 1 second.) 

''' Configure the upper case numeric keys''' – Select these options to see or configure the list of the current upper case character assignments for each number. 

''' Configure the upper case hint text''' – Select these options to see or configure the list of the upper case text that is displayed beneath each number on the number pad. 

''' Configure the lower case numeric keys''' – Select these options to see or configure the list of the current lower case character assignments for each number. 

''' Configure the lower case hint text''' – Select these options to see or configure the list of the lower case text that is displayed beneath each number on the number pad. 

 Close – Close the dialog. 

Online Video Options
This item opens a dialog where options for online videos can be configured:

Online Video Access
This option is used to control access to the Online Services menu and its online video feeds. Choose from these three options:

 Always Enabled – The online video menus will always be available.

 Always Disabled – The online video menus will never be available and will not appear in the Online Services menu.

 Determined by Parental Controls – The online video menu items will be available, but access is controlled by the Parental Controls options. If Parental Controls are enabled, the correct code must be entered to enter the online video menus. If Parental Controls are not enabled, online video menus may be entered without any code required.

YouTube Video Quality
This option is used to control the highest resolution video that SageTV will attempt to download when playing a YouTube video. If a higher resolution is not available, SageTV will automatically try playing the next lower resolution. Low bandwidth Internet connections may work better using a lower resolution setting here. Choose from these three options as the first resolution to try:

HD 1080p

HD 720p

SD High Resolution

SD Low Resolution

Channel.com Options
This option is used to configure options for the Channels.com item on the Online Services menu. Configure these options:

 Languages – Select the languages you wish to allow in the Channels.com feeds, or choose Allow Any Language.

 Allow Adult Content – Choose whether the Channels.com feeds can include those with adult content. If Parental Controls are enabled, the correct code must be entered in order to enable this option. If Parental Controls are not enabled, this option can be toggled on or off without any code required.

Temporary File Storage Location
Choose the location where temporary files are to be stored when playing online media.

Reset Temporary File Storage Location
If the Temporary File Storage Location has been customized, use this option to clear it.

Mouse Auto-Repeat Rate
Use this option to configure settings used when a mouse button is clicked and held over a mouseable icon, such as a list scroll arrow. Set the time (in milliseconds) for:

 Delay before first repeat – Sets the amount of time to wait while the mouse button is held before automatically issuing the first repeated mouse click.

 Period between repeats – Sets the amount of time to wait while the mouse button is held before automatically issuing each subsequent repeated mouse click.

Ignore Leading Articles During Text Sorting
Use this option to configure whether articles at the beginning of text, such as ‘a’, ‘an’, and ‘the’, are ignored while sorting text, along with which articles can be ignored. After selecting this option, a dialog will be shown with settings that can be changed:

''' Ignore leading articles while sorting''' – Toggle whether the leading articles are ignored while sorting.

 List of leading words to ignore – Use this option to configure which words are considered leading articles to be ignored.

Instant Search mode on Navigation Menus
This option controls whether and how Instant Search functions while on a navigation menus (menus like the Main Menu). Select this option to open a dialog with these choices:

 Instantly start searching – Jump to the Search menu as soon as any alphanumeric characters are entered.

 Use dialog for more text entry – When alphanumeric characters are entered, open a dialog to allow further input before starting the search.

 Do not use Instant Search – Disable the use of Instant Search.

Maximum Results per Search
Sets the maximum number of search results per search. The default value is 1000. Increasing this number can cause searches to take longer.

Action to take when SageTV Window is closed
When you exit the SageTV Window, either by clicking on the X in the upper right corner or by pressing Alt+F4 on the keyboard, SageTV can either exit or go into sleep/standby mode. Select this button to choose whether that action will result in exiting the program (Exit SageTV) or putting SageTV to sleep (Sleep SageTV).

Video Background Color
The '''Video Background Color''' is the color SageTV displays on the Video Playback screen in areas not covered by the video being played. For example: a 4x3 image won’t cover the entire screen for a 16x9 display, and vice-versa. Choosing to Modify this setting opens an external dialog box where you can select a new color to display in the areas outside the video.

Focus follows mouse movement
If you interact with SageTV using a mouse, SageTV can automatically change the user interface element focus to the item that the mouse cursor is pointing to. Selecting this option toggles between turning this feature on or off.

Delete Live TV files when not using Intelligent Recording
Choose whether SageTV should automatically delete live TV recordings shortly after the show has finished airing and you have stopped watching the recording. By default, this will be on. If you disable live TV autodeletion, the recordings will still be deleted when more disk space is needed for a new recording.

Use aggressive negative profiling for Intelligent Recordings
Only available when Intelligent Recordings have been enabled in Detailed Setup: General Settings; this option tells SageTV to give more consideration to shows that have been marked as Don’t Like, so that SageTV is less likely to record similar shows.

Include episode names in filenames
Selecting this item toggles between enabling or disabling adding the episode name of a show to the filename generation when a show is recorded.

Remove padding on back to back Favorites
Choose whether back to back Favorites that are on the same channel should have their overlapping padding removed. If padding is not removed, then such shows cannot be recorded by a single tuner; if there is only one tuner, overlapping Favorites on the same channel will generate a conflict, causing one to either be recorded at a later airing or not recorded at all.

Add ShowID as part of Movie Favorites
Choose whether to add the Show ID as a keyword when creating a Favorite for a movie. Using the ShowID as part of the Favorite would help limit the Favorite to that specific movie, not other movies or shows with the same title.

Reset watched shows when played again
Choose whether an already-watched recording should have its Watched status reset when you start watching it again. By clearing the Watched status, SageTV will be able to track your lastwatched position again, in case you stop playback before the end of the recording.

Always ask whether to resume or restart partially watched videos
Choose whether to always resume at the last-played position when starting playback of a partially watched video or whether SageTV should always ask whether to resume or restart at the beginning.

Always start video playlist items from the beginning
Choose whether video playlist items will always start from the beginning while playing the playlist or whether each video should start at its last-played position.

Detect repeat airings with non-unique IDs
Choose whether SageTV should try to detect when airings that have the same non-unique generic ShowID are actually the same show. (See Notes about Scheduled Recordings for more details about ShowIDs.) If set to Yes, SageTV will attempt to detect whether such airings are, in fact, the same show. If set to No, SageTV will treat all shows with the same SH-based ShowID as if they are all different shows.

Automatically add converted videos to database
Choose whether SageTV should automatically add converted videos to the SageTV database. If you regularly convert videos for use on a different media player instead of in SageTV, you may wish to leave them out of the database. Note: Converted videos that are replacing the original videos or are being placed in a recording or import folder will be added to the database regardless of this setting.

Enforce recording quality in schedule
Choose whether SageTV should assign Manual Recordings and Favorites that have been configured to use specific recording qualities only to a tuner that can record using that specified quality. Example: If a Favorite is set to use an MPEG quality, this setting determines whether that Favorite can only be recorded by a tuner than can record using MPEG, or whether it can be recorded by any available tuner, such as the Hauppauge HD-PVR, which records in H.264 format.

Number of Days to Schedule Recordings
Configure how many days into the future SageTV will schedule Favorites and Intelligent Recordings, if IR is enabled. If the scheduler is set to cover fewer days than the EPG data covers, the automatic scheduler can schedule a show to be recorded beyond the initial number of days if it conflicts with other shows during that time period and if it will be aired again during the extended time that the guide covers. By default, SageTV is configured to schedule for the next 14 days, covering all EPG data. Note: Manual Recordings can be scheduled for any time by the user and are not covered by this option. 

Enable MPEG4 timeshifting (requires hardware encoder)
Selecting this option shows a dialog asking whether to allow live timeshifted playback while recording in an MPEG4 recording quality, such as MPEG4 or DivX. If this option is disabled, you will not be able to watch the show until the recording has completed. Note: timeshifting MPEG4 recordings is only available when using a hardware based encoder.

Always tune channel
Selecting this option shows a dialog asking whether to have SageTV always force a channel tuning event every time a recording is to start, even if the next recording is on the same channel as the last recording. When using an IR blaster to tune an external converter box, enabling this option can help if the IR blaster sometimes changes the channel incorrectly or if the converter box is sometimes reset or has its channel changed by another method, such as direct user control.

Channel Entry Options
Select Configure for a pop-up options menu where you can set the channel entry options:

 Auto-accept after timeout – If enabled, SageTV will automatically change to the selected channel after the input timeout period has passed without further input. 

 Max Channel Digits – Enter the maximum number of digits which a channel may contain. After entering this number of digits, the channel change will occur without pressing Enter or OK. If 0 (zero) is entered, then SageTV will automatically determine the number of digits in the largest channel number. 

DirecTV Fast Serial Channel Changes
Select this option to toggle between Fast and Normal mode for channel changing when controlling DirecTV boxes via a serial cable.

Show recording status marker icons in lists
Selecting this option toggles whether the various marker icons are shown next to a show’s name for each show entry in a list, such as the list shown on the SageTV Recordings menu. For a description of the various marker icons, see Marker Icons.

Ask to delete recording at end of playback?
Select this option to choose when to be asked whether to delete recordings as soon as they have finished playing, via the Video Playback Completion Options dialog. You can select to be asked only for recordings that SageTV cannot automatically delete (Manual Recordings and Favorites with AutoDelete turned off), for all recordings, or never.

Use expanded options for the Record command
Selecting this option toggles whether the expanded pop-up options dialog is shown when the Record command is used. When enabled, use of the Record command causes the Record Command Options Dialog to be shown, where you can add or cancel a Manual Recording, adjust the recording’s options, add or remove a Favorite, or adjust the Favorite’s settings. When this setting is disabled, use of the Record command simply toggles whether a show is a Manual Recording or not.

Options menu mode for videos and recordings
Selecting this option toggles whether the Airing and Video Options Dialog uses Basic or Advanced mode.

For grouped items: Select opens options dialog, Info browses into group
Selecting this option toggles whether the Select command or the Info command opens the Grouped Airings and Videos Options Dialog for a group of airings or imported videos. Toggling also affects which of those command is a shortcut to browse into the group.

Alternate Movie category name
SageTV color-codes Movies in the Program Guide, the SageTV Recordings menu, and other menus where the shows are listed. If your EPG does not mark movies as “Movies”, select this option to enter the phrase uses for movies. By default, the alternate name is “Film”.

Display pop-up when a new drive detected
Select this option to toggle whether the New Drive Detected dialog is shown when SageTV detects a new driver, such as when a Compact Flash card is inserted.

Display OSD between Playlist Segments
Select this option to configure whether the OSD will be shown on the playback screen when a playlist changes to another item in the playlist. The option is set independently for video and music playlists.

Reset Disabled Warnings
Resets all disabled warning messages, such as the warning about trying to set the default recording quality when digital tuners are configured.

Use wrap-around scrolling in single column vertical lists
Selecting this option displays a dialog where you can choose whether most single column vertical lists should wrap vertically from the last item to the first item when scrolling up or down. Choose Enabled or Disabled.

Use vertical wrap-around scrolling in the Program Guide grid
Selecting this option displays a dialog where you can choose whether the Program Guide grid should wrap vertically from the last channel to the first channel when scrolling up or down. Choose Enabled or Disabled.

Use ‘Fixed Focus’ in single column non-wrapped vertical lists
Selecting this option displays a dialog where you can choose whether single column vertical lists, such as those used in the imported media browsers, should try to keep focus on the item in the center of the screen. Choose Always On, Always Off, or Automatic. For the Automatic setting, the option will be disabled on desktop UIs and enabled on extender UIs, where a remote is used instead of a mouse or keyboard.

TV Category Background Colors
Selecting this option displays a dialog that shows the background colors used for various TV airing categories. The existing categories and their colors may be edited, or additional categories may be added. This option is also available via the Setup -> Help submenu on the Main Menu.

RC5 Repeat Detection
This option is available for HD Extenders Only. Choose whether repeat detection is enabled when using a remote that uses the RC5 IR protocol, which toggles its code each time the same button is pressed. The SageTV and Hauppauge remotes properly toggle their RC5 codes, so this option should remain enabled for those remotes. If you have a customized remote which does not toggle the RC5 codes, then try disabling this option.

System Information
The '''System Information''' screen displays information about the status and configuration of your SageTV system. Its parent menu is the Main Menu.

At the top of the screen is a button whose function is to go Back to Main Menu. Next to it is a button to jump to the System Messages menu.

Below the button area, the rest of the screen is dedicated to the display of various system information statistics. The information shown will cover much more than a single screen, so be sure to use the Down arrow to highlight and scroll the information display to see the rest of the information.

Tip: Use the Info command (Ctrl+I) to write the System Information details to a text file (SystemInfo.txt) in your SageTV directory. This file may be requested if you contact SageTV Technical Support.

Notes:

At times, the System Information may take a short time to fully update itself. While the data is being updated, there will be an “Updating” message displayed after the “System Status” and “System Configuration Details” section headers. Wait until the information has finished updating before using the Info command to write the System Information details to a text file.

If using tvtv for your TV listings, click on the tvtv logo at the top to check your tvtv account status.

This menu is quickly accessible from the Main Menu via the Info command.

System Messages
The System Messages screen displays messages from SageTV about various situations that the user should be aware of.

On the left are a few options:

Back – Return to the previous menu.

Reset Alert – Resets to the alert level, clearing the alert icon from the menu header. Delete All – Choose this option to delete all current system messages.

To the right is the list of all current system messages, with the newest messages listed first. Highlight a message to see its description displayed at the bottom of the screen. Some messages have actions that can be performed; Select a message to see any options for a message. Use the Delete command to delete the currently highlighted message.

The icon to the left of each message indicates its alert level:

No Icon – General message; lowest level of importance.

– Information

– Warning

– Error

If a new message with a higher alert level than the existing alert level is added, then the menu header will be updated to display an alert icon. See: Status Indicator Icons. To clear the alert level, choose '''Reset Alert''' on the left side of this menu.

SageTV Commands
Except when using a mouse to simply point to and click on menu choices, SageTV is controlled through the use of its commands. Whether the commands are sent via keystrokes, through infrared codes by directly using a supported IR receiver with SageTV, or by sending Windows messages from a 3rd-party application, the commands you can use are all the same. When SageTV is installed, it automatically configured support for some commands to be sent from the keyboard or from a Hauppauge or Streamzap remote. It is up to you to configure the usage of any additional commands.

Most SageTV commands are individual commands that perform one function at a time. A few commands are combo commands, which perform a function depending on the current SageTV context. For example: “Left/Volume Down” will function as a Left command when on a menu, or as Volume Down during media playback.

Sending Commands via Keystrokes
Keystrokes are sent directly to SageTV by using the keyboard, or by using a 3rd-party application that mimics sending keyboard input to SageTV, such as the Hauppauge remote control software. The commands that keystrokes are assigned to can be configured in Detailed Setup by using the option to link a keystroke to a command. See: Link Infrared/Keystroke to SageTV Command.

Sending Commands via Infrared Codes
When using Evation’s IRMan (www.evation.com) or a USB-UIRT (www.usbuirt.com), SageTV can directly receive codes from an infrared remote control. Like keystrokes, these infrared codes can be assigned to commands in Detailed Setup by using the option to link an infrared code to a command. See: Link Infrared/Keystroke to SageTV Command.

Sending Commands via Windows Messages
SageTV can also be controlled by events sent as Windows messages through the SendMessage Windows API function call. When sending a command event via SendMessage, the following parameters must be used:

The event numbers for each command are listed in the List of All SageTV Commands, below.

Sending Commands via Multimedia Keyboards and Remotes
SageTV can also respond to certain media control buttons on multimedia keyboards or remotes. These buttons actually send WM_APPCOMMAND messages that contain the command. The following multimedia buttons/WM_APPCOMMAND commands are recognized by SageTV:

List of All SageTV Commands
Then, use the Skip Fwd & Skip Bkwd commands to jump forward/backward 2:30. (This time is adjustable in Detailed Setup: Customize Settings.) Or, use the Skip Fwd the end or beginning of the video, respectively.
 * 1) 2 & Skip Bkwd #2 commands to jump to

Use this command again to exit time scroll mode and jump to the new playback location. Use the Play command while in time scroll mode to cancel the time scroll jump.

Aspect Ratio                                       96 Changes the Aspect Ratio to the next setting.

Toggle

Full Screen On                                    97 Enters full screen mode.

Full Screen Off                                   98 Exits full screen mode.

Right 99 Combo command:

&                                                                 Menus: Moves the menu focus to the item towards the

Skip Fwd                                                         right of the currently highlighted item. If there is no

such item, it will select the item and proceed to the next screen.

Playback: Fast Forward 10 seconds. (This time is adjustable in Detailed Setup: Customize Settings.)

Left                                                    100 Combo command:

& Menus: Moves the menu focus to the item towards the Skip Bkwd left of the currently highlighted item. If there is no such item, it will return you to the previous menu.

Playback: Rewind 10 seconds. (This time is adjustable in Detailed Setup: Customize Settings.)

Up                                                      101 Combo command:

& Menus: Moves the menu focus to the item above the Volume Up currently highlighted item. Many menus will wrap from

top to bottom if there is no item above the current one. Playback: Increases audio volume.

Down                                                 102 Combo command:

& Menus: Moves the menu focus to the item below the Volume Down currently highlighted item. Many menus will wrap from

bottom to top if there is no item below the current one. Playback: Decreases audio volume.

Online 103 Jumps to the Online Services menu.