Media Center Movie Managers – Comparison
Missing Remote has a nice rundown of the many movie managers available for MS Media Center users. They compare MyMovies, Collectorz, Salami/Meta Browser and YAMMM. I still use DVD Profiler although SageTV has a nice, automated media manager called Batch Metadata Importer that is continually being improved on and integrated in numerous add-ons for SageTV. What do you use to manage movies on your HTPC?
Battle of the Media Center Movie Managers via MissingRemote
Read More......SageTV How-To: Edit a Show Title or Metadata or Import Video into Recorded TV
I see this question asked over and over on the forums.
“How do you rename a TV show in SageTV?”
or “How do I add basic synopsis info to my movie or show in SageTV?”
or “How do I make a video file show up under TV Recordings in SageTV?”
The answer is a simple one. Here are the basic steps required:
1. Be sure you have installed the SageTV Web Server. Download & forum here with the GeekTonic Overview of SageTV Web Server here
2. Once you have SageTV web server installed and set up, open up a browser and start up WebServer
3. Select “Media Library” and then “Search Imported Videos”
4. Check the box for videos and type in all or part of the filename you’re looking for.
5. From the list of results click on the title of the one you wish to edit.
6. Click on “Edit Show Info”.
7. After “checking” the edit show info box, the fields will no longer be grayed out and you can edit any of them including show title, category, etc.
8. Once you have completed all of your edits, click on the update button.
That’s it! Go back to SageTV on your TV and the information for that show will reflect your changes.
To demonstrate, I changed the Show Episode Name for this NCIS show to say “GeekTonic” at the end of the name:
Import Video into TV Recordings
This same procedure can be followed to import a video file that wasn’t recorded by a SageTV tuner into recorded TV listings. No need to edit anything (unless you want to) – just click that “edit show info” box and update. This simple step “fakes” SageTV into thinking it is a TV recording by giving it an EPG ID number. I use this on occasion when I have a video file obtained from a DVD or other place that I want listed in SageTV recordings instead of just Videos.
There are additional ways to automate obtaining metadata and fanart etc. We’ll cover those steps in future SageTV How-To’s.
Read More......Ask The Readers - Firewire for Channel Changing - Are You Doing It?
I'm preparing an article explaining How to use the Firewire Port to change channels on your Cable or Satellite Box with SageTV. But before I complete the how-to, I'm looking for input from GeekTonic readers that use any HTPC solution (SageTV or others) who use Firewire.
Please answer in the comments section the following:
- Let me know if you are currently using firewire to change channels on your HTPC OR even to tune channels on your HTPC.
- Let me know if you've attempted to get a firewire-enabled cable or satellite box, but couldn't. I'm interested in stories about any difficulties of obtaining a firewire-enabled box.
If you're not sure what I'm talking about (that happens a lot here in the GeekTonic Home) I'll explain everything shortly.
Read More......TV Premieres: What To Watch 07/12 - 07/18
Our last few weeks of summer TV premieres arrive. Read on for all of the details.
Note: Download the free, PDF of all summer 2009 TV premieres
Leverage returns to TNT Wednesday Night
NOTE: All Times are Listed for EST
Sunday 07/12/2009
Meteor (9pm on NBC) - Two-part Miniseries with the premise of: A collision between two massive rocks in outer space sends a large meteor hurtling toward Earth. My guide isn't showing that it will be available in HD which has to be wrong - doesn't it?
Drop Dead Diva (9pm on Lifetime) - New series for Lifetime where by a twist of fate, a shallow wannabe model must learn to live in the body of a plus-sized attorney.
Entourage (10:30m on HBO - Available in HD) - Season 6 begins tonight.
Monday 07/13/2009
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations (10pm on Travel - Available in HD) Season 6 begins in Chile.
Hearings on Supreme Court Justice Nominee Sonia Sotomayer (All Day on C-Span) - If you're in to that sort of thing (keeping up on what's going on in the U.S. govt.)
Tuesday 07/14/2009
Miami Social (10pm on Bravo) Series Premiere of yet another realityTV show - and it's not in HD.
Wednesday 07/15/2009
Ted Williams (8:30pm on HBO - Available in HD) - What looks like a very well done documentary on baseball great Ted Williams.
Leverage (9pm on TNT - Available in HD) - Season 2 of TNT's popular drama series
Dark Blue (10pm on TNT) Series Premiere of a new police drama on TNT. Dylan McDermott is Carter Shaw, head of a very deep, undercover police team.
Mike & Mike Have Issues (10:30pm on Comedy) Series premiere of a new comedy bit
Thursday 07/16/2009
61st Primetime Emmy Awards Nominations (8:30pm on E!)
Friday 07/17/2009
Catch It Keep It (9pm on Science Channel) Sigh... A reality show on Science Channel.
Saturday 07/18/2009
The Bill Engvall Show (9pm on TBS - Available in HD) - Season 3 premiere
Dirty Sexy Money (10pm on ABC) - Dirty, Sexy, Money returns from hiatus for a few more episodes before it's death.
Season Finales this Week:
(only one for this week)
- 7/13 10:02pm "Here Come the Newlyweds" on ABC
The GeekTonic Ultimate Guide to the Fall 2009 TV Season is ready and should be available very soon so stay tuned.
Click Here If You Would Like to Get a Weekly E-mail for GeekTonic TV Premieres & News
GeekTonic Deals Update
On this lazy Sunday I wanted to remind GeekTonic readers of GeekTonicDeals, the companion site to GeekTonic.
The site will keep a steady stream of good deals, coupons and discounts for tech stuff at this site with a link to the latest ones here at GeekTonic. For instance, here's a few recent deals that are still live:
-
Hauppauge HD-PVR $175 with MIR
-
Playstation 3 Entertainment Value Bundle with Bonus Game $469
-
Linksys Wireless N Router $38
-
Sharp Aquos 46" LCD HDTV $836
I'll be updating the site daily and it will include all things tech (including HTPC and Media Gadgets) from your favorite online sites such as Newegg, Amazon, ZipZoomFly and more.
Read More......GeekTonic Week in Review – July 11
GeekTonic was back to it’s normal pace with numerous posts this past week. One of the more popular ones was the interview with SageTV CTO, Jeff Kardatzke, but there was plenty of other good stuff in there as well.
Below is a quick summary of the past week's news and stories on GeekTonic.
- Deal of the Day - Logitech Harmony 550 Remote $30
- Guide Tool - Easy Guide Management for Windows Media Center
- Deal of the Day - SiliconDust HDHR Dual QAM Tuner
- Windows 7 Preorder Deal - Ends Saturday (yes today)
- MeediOS Gets Three New Themes
- Kindle 2 Price Drops to $299 & Drops the 2 from Name
- Deal of the Day - Hitachi 1TB Drive $70
- Another Reason I Like Netflix
- SageTV Developing Effortless Linux Media Server on a USB flash drive
- Pandora Now Safe - Some Cost Involved
- VideoLan VLC 1.0.0 Arrives
- SciFi Channel Becomes Syfy with Warehouse 13 Premieres (you can still pick this premiere up on Sunday if you missed it)
- Interview with Jeff Kardatzke CTO and Founder of SageTV Part 2
- Deal of the Day - Logitech Harmony 890 $99.99
- Interview with Jeff Kardatzke CTO and Founder of SageTV Part 1
- TV Premieres: What To Watch 07/05 - 07/11
- SageTV 6.5.19 RC Beta Released
- Sage MovieWall - A Beautiful Movie Interface for SageTV
Stay tuned for more in-depth content for Media Gadget Fans at GeekTonic.com.
If you’re in to the Twitter thing, be sure and follow me on twitter under the name GeekTonic. Thanks for Reading GeekTonic!
Read More......Deal of the Day - Logitech Harmony 550 Remote $30
Wow, thirty dollars - that's pretty darn cheap for a universal remote control! I don't really need one, but picked it up anyway. I'll probably review it and either use it with one of those endless "friends & family" installs I do or give it away on GeekTonic. Either way, it's worth checking out even though it's a refurb since it regularly sells for $130...
Amazon (affiliate) has the Logitech Harmony 550 Universal Remote Control - Refurbished
Thanks to andromeda_m31 on Twitter for the tip.
Read More......