OAKBROOK TERRACE, IL— SageTV, LLC, today released SageTV Media Center Version 4.0 for Windows, an upgrade to its Media Center software suite that adds the ability to watch or record HDTV (High-Definition) programs and stream them anywhere in the home. The new edition also enhances the rich feature set built into earlier versions by providing an integrated electronic program guides for Canada and Europe, expanded support for music file types and playlists, and a new configuration wizard that simplifies the process of turning Windows PCs into complete PVR/media centers.
Version 4.0 also includes the long-awaited SageTV Studio Software Development Kit (SDK), allowing complete customization of the SageTV user interface and seamless integration of new applications and online content such as RSS newsreaders, interactive weather maps and IMDB browsers into the SageTV Media Center software by users, developers and OEMs. The SageTV Studio SDK personal license comes free with every registered version of SageTV 4.0. More information on the SageTV Studio is available at www.sagetv.com/studio.html.
With the addition of HDTV recording and programming guide support, SageTV Media Center now enables Windows users to record a single show or whole season of their favorite standard and/or high-definition television programs on PCs equipped with the appropriate tuner cards. Users can also pause, rewind and fast-forward live or recorded cable, satellite or antenna TV shows, and record multiple shows simultaneously because of the application’s multiple tuner support. HD and standard definition programs can also be streamed to any PC on the network using SageTV Client, and to any TV in the house with the SageTV Media Extender scheduled for release by the end of the year.
For end users, the software eliminates the need to buy a new Windows XP MCE PC or Windows XP MCE operating system to record HDTV programs and obtain other PVR/media center capabilities. For OEMs, the application makes it possible to build leading multi-stream standard and high-definition PVR products that also provide access to all music, photo and movies on the network from a single interface on Windows PCs or Linux PCs and embedded set-tops.
Other new features in Version 4.0 include:
• Support for integrated Canadian and European electronic program guides, improving usability for Canadian and European users. All guides provide up to 14 days of television listings directly from the SageTV interface, eliminating the need to switch to a separate online application to plan one’s TV viewing and recording.
• Expanded support for music file types and playlists, enabling users to import playlists they have created in any PC music application utilizing ASF, WMA or WMV file formats as well as the MP3 format supported in earlier editions.
• Integrated weather reports, now available from the SageTV interface at the user’s option.
• New configuration wizard, enabling easier setup of all SageTV Media Center features ranging from music and photo locations to video playback checks and channel tuning including a HDTV signal strength indicator. Clear and simple wizard prompts allow users to choose setup options and media preferences in minutes.
• Support for additional tuner cards and other hardware, enabling the application to support most major tuner cards in North America, Europe and Asia.
The SageTV Media Center software and Studio SDK is also available in a Linux OEM edition that enables OEMs to create powerful, reliable, custom-branded consumer electronics appliances including media centers, media extenders, NAS media servers with TV recording, and IPTV and broadband video on demand products at breakthrough feature/price points on x86 as well as embedded hardware.
Specifications, Pricing and Availability
SageTV Media Center Version 4.0 for Windows is available immediately at www.sagetv.com. SageTV, the core PVR/Media Center application, costs $79.95. SageTV Client, an add-on that allows both live and recorded content to be streamed to other networked PCs, costs $29.95. Minimum system requirements for recording HD include a 3 Ghz processor or a lower cost processor in combination with a video card and decoder that support DXVA; Windows 98SE through Windows XP including XP MCE; 256Mb of RAM; and 60GB of available hard drive space to store recorded content.
About SageTV
SageTV, LLC (formerly Frey Technologies, LLC) is a pioneer in personal video recording and home media center technologies that combine television, music and related media into a complete, easy-to-use home media experience controlled from an existing PC. SageTV Media Center, the company’s flagship product, is the first PVR solution that operates on both PCs and TVs, can be deployed on either Windows or Linux, and supports multiple tuners, networking and intelligent recording. The company was founded in 2002 and is based in Oakbrook Terrace, IL. For more information, visit www.sagetv.com.
