SageTV launches HD Theater (HD200) media streamer

Ah, so this is a yearly treat? Almost a year to the day after SageTV's STX-HD100 HD Media Extender was revealed, in flies the unit's proper successor. The simply named HD Theater (or HD200, if you prefer), is launching for the same $199.95 and sports a slightly smaller footprint, the same remote as the HD100, USB ports on the front and rear, an Ethernet jack, HDMI / component / S-Video / composite video outputs, a S/PDIF audio port, network / local media streaming capabilities and the SageTV Media Center for Windows software bundle. Per usual, you'll find support for a cornucopia of formats (MPEG 1/2/4, H.264, WMV9, VC1, MKV, MOV, AVI, FLV, AAC, MP3, WMA, FLAC and JPEG just to name a few), and it looks as if it's ready to ship as we speak.

[Via GeekTonic]

[Flashpoint @ Dec 1st 2008 9:05AM]

that thing looks BORING.

How many people would like to have this displayed in their entertainment center?

[Danny @ Dec 1st 2008 9:08AM]

Doesn't have to be seen at all.
And for that price and what it can do.
I wouldn't complain.

[Tarnation @ Dec 1st 2008 9:46AM]

Boring say wha?

MKV support almost make the darn thing worth it. Now I don't have to convert my Anime to another format just so i can watch on mah tv without having a dedicated HTPC.

Yeah it ain't pretty, but with a cable box, VCR for old stuff, Xbox, Wii, Archos Dock, SNES, N64, hooked up to the tv one more device isn't really going to make too much difference.

[sha1dy @ Dec 1st 2008 9:37AM]

eah? and how does remote will work? through walls?

[Jim @ Dec 1st 2008 10:13AM]

Remote works via the device and then through the network connection. Typically works pretty good - depending on the complexity of the interface you may notice a slight lag. In my media range extender I notice virtually no lag from clicking the button the remote and the action on the screen.

[Brent @ Dec 1st 2008 9:48AM]

Whats the matter Flashpoint, not enough flashing lights for ya ;)

The form factor is very small, silent and should fit into just about any Livingroom or bedroom environment with a HDTV. Still, I think the point of the device is function, not necessarily form.

[sha1dy @ Dec 1st 2008 9:51AM]

but... what about AppleTV? I think it costs the same and with some hacking/whacking you can get 'media streamer' of your dream...
of course damn Apple didn't make it in the first place.

[jimmy @ Dec 1st 2008 10:07AM]

appletv doesn't do 1080p.. not sure if this box does either. popcornhour >*

[Brent @ Dec 1st 2008 11:28AM]

Yes, this box does 1080p

[Paul @ Dec 1st 2008 9:53AM]

I have 4 of the previous generation boxes (hd100), and they are great. Whole family loves them. Might have to try this new version if I can talk the boss into a another TV somewhere.

[Todd @ Dec 1st 2008 10:21AM]

Or I could just go purchase an Apple TV (ebay for $150, retail for $249 or less) and install Boxee (free) or aTV Flash ($49), spend about the same amount of money, have a 40GB hard drive available locally, have access to all the same codecs (if not more), also have a 1080p device, and have full access to the iTunes and Jaman library of shows and movies to purchase or rent if I for some reason I don't have the movie available locally, or can't find among the thousands of movies and available on-line.

Honestly, $199 is too much for this device. It would need to be around $99 to offer compelling reasons to purchase it compared to other devices that can perform more functions and have a hard drive for local storage to boot.

[Jon Acheson @ Dec 1st 2008 10:33AM]

So let me get this straight: I should buy a device that costs more, does less, and requires me to spend time installing unsupported software on it?

[Brent @ Dec 1st 2008 11:33AM]

If you prefer AppleTV that's certainly your choice, but seriously the AppleTV isn't even close to being capable of doing what the SageTV HD100 or this new HD200 can do.

[leland @ Dec 1st 2008 6:59PM]

Popcorn hour ($180-250) + utorrent (free) + Apple sticker ($1) and stream every kind of media ever made, HD and SD, for free from a HDD or network.

OR what you said.

[the tif @ Dec 1st 2008 10:31AM]

I read that quickly as SegaTV and got excited, hoping that it would allow me to hook up my old Genesis (or Megadrive, since I was in the UK) controllers and play some old school Sonic the Hedgehog.

Green Hill Zone FTW!!!

[Marshall @ Dec 1st 2008 10:53AM]

This product sets itself apart by offering DVR style functionality with Live TV when used in combination with a PC/TV Tuner/SageTV. If you're looking for just a media streamer box, the AppleTV or Popcorn Hour would be a better bet depending upon your needs. But, if you want Live TV support, this is one of the few boxes that offers it.

[Brandon Jenkins @ Dec 1st 2008 11:02AM]

Box highlights:

1) Custom skinning
2) 1080p output component and hdmi
3) No SageTV server required
4) Online content
5) Content from your network
6) Supported by Harmony remotes (Same profile as HD100)

B

[sam @ Dec 1st 2008 11:29AM]

no mention of HD audio codecs on that link. I'd go with 1 of the other brands, netgear, popcorn hour, western digital etc. Hopefully reviews for all these new players will come out then we can see the advantages and disadvantages of each.

[Brent @ Dec 1st 2008 11:42AM]

Audio Codecs I've seen confirmed in the devicee manual
MPEG Audio
AAC
AC3
WMA
FLAC
DTS passthrough

Video Formats:
AVI
ASF
Mpeg
MKV
QuickTime
MP4

Video Codecs:
Mpeg-1/2
Mpeg 4
ASP
H.264
WMV9
VC1

[cesium @ Dec 1st 2008 11:50AM]

This box fails if it does not passthrough TrueHD or DTS-HD

[Precurse @ Dec 1st 2008 12:11PM]

the iSTAR HD is a nice pick. It has optical, hdmi, component, RCA, vga out, USB, SATA. It does bitstreaming for a large number of different codecs, and decoding for 5.1, ac3, aac, wma audio. Has a solid user base, and are always updating the software it runs. It uses the same Sigma Designs chip that current Blu-Ray players use as well. Plays Divx, xvid, h/x264, mkv containers, FLAC, etc. Supports Samba, NFS and http shares. Also allows Youtube, FLICKR, etc viewing. On top of that, it allows external SATA drives hooked up and does (legal?) torrenting right on the device!

Plus, it only costs ~$165.. And comes with every cable: HDMI, Optical, SPDIF COAX, ethernet, rca video and a remote control. Not too shabby for something that's cheaper than most blu-ray players

[TavisJohn @ Dec 1st 2008 12:30PM]

Streamer... Why does everything require STREAMING?
I just want a little box to browse the network for shared folders, and let me choose video files to play DIRECTLY!

I give up! I am just going to have to get more used XBOX classics and mod them with XBMC! It just WORKS!

[Brent @ Dec 1st 2008 12:55PM]

TavisJohn,
You are streaming ANYTHING that goes across a network - its not reencoding the files - its just playing them so yes it is playing them directly. I think you're confusing something like Divx Connected or AppleTV that requires files to be re-encoded on the fly to play back non-supported file types. This box does NOT require you to do that.....

[TavisJohn @ Dec 1st 2008 1:04PM]

When I read "Streaming" I think that some sort of server software has to be installed on a machine. I purchased a "Streaming" media player from D-Link.... And it SUCKED! The video was all blocky and stuttered. I have looked at other media "Streamers" and they all require software to be installed on a computer.

I just want a box I can plug in, and browse the network for files with. NO SOFTWARE!
So far the best thing out there is a modded XBOX and XBMC. Nothing can touch it for quality and price.

[Brent @ Dec 1st 2008 2:36PM]

That was my point. This box does just that - plug it in, it can automatically search for media on your network and then play any of it directly without any transcoding at all. Software is built-in and upgradable via firmware updates and if you ever decide to go further with it you can install SageTV software on a XP, Vista, WHS, MAC or Linux computer and it can act as a fully-functional extender with LiveTV and recorded TV as well.

I know the Xbox and XBMC and it has a nice interface, but this thing is way above the old XBox capabilities.

[TavisJohn @ Dec 1st 2008 3:09PM]

All I need is a box to play music and video. I can snag an XBOX for under $50.00.

This Sage TV costs $200. So for the price, I'l stick with a modded XBOX. I see no need to pay for fancy features I will not be using.

[Eric @ Dec 3rd 2008 6:37AM]

I hear you

Despite it's limitations the original Xbox make an excellent "HTPC" with XBMC. I would be in dreamland if it had a quieter fan/drive and upgradable CPU.

[Dave @ Dec 1st 2008 12:35PM]

Is there a streaming box that reads MKV and has built in Wireless N?

[bangladeshiluv @ Dec 1st 2008 2:30PM]

$200 w/ no wireless is BS!

stick w/ the WD media player for half the price

[Dubb @ Dec 1st 2008 4:04PM]

None that I know of.

[leland @ Dec 1st 2008 7:03PM]

Hard to find, as streaming MKV requires a pretty consistent connection. A friend of mine tried a Popcorn hour with wireless router and a wireless laptop in the other room and all he got was endless buffering.

[CL @ Dec 1st 2008 12:44PM]

Use Orb, then use either your xBox360, PS3, or hack your Wii to access the content on your PC. Orb also offers DVR/Live TV functionality.

[h_2_o @ Dec 1st 2008 12:54PM]

what about netflix, i'm waiting for one of these boxes to get official netflix support then i'll swap out my htpc's with these boxes. and popcorn hour does not count as it is not native you still need a pc to stream it from.

[MitchSchaft @ Dec 1st 2008 1:56PM]

SageTV has a Netflix plugin and it will work fine over the extenders. This box only works with SageTV.

[thestewman @ Dec 1st 2008 3:37PM]

Not true. Popcorn Hour does not require a PC. It can stream from external USB drive, internal hard drive, network server or network connection. And with PlayON installed on a PC the Popcorn Hour streams Netflix, Hulu and others now.

[jimmy @ Dec 1st 2008 2:27PM]

you can install a hard drive into a popcorn hour box. or use a usb drive. did i mention it has a bittorent client? :) :) :)

[jin kazama @ Dec 1st 2008 2:25PM]

what sux is , why cant a f*cken 360 or Ps3 just play MKV . then we wouldnt need these bootleg devices.

how does a 360 have like a full MCE interface but cant play anything.

[getnate @ Dec 1st 2008 2:27PM]

Cool it supports MKV and H.264 but the obvious question is: Which H.264 profiles, levels, bit rates and resolutions does it support?

[Frank Maddox @ Dec 1st 2008 3:47PM]

The SageTV web site does not say it supports MKV:
SageTV HD Theater Specifications

Video format supported: MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4, H.264 up to 1080p, AVI, VOB, WMV9/VC-1 up to 1080p

[Kieran Coghlan @ Dec 1st 2008 4:15PM]

I don't know if I believe it...

I find it surprising, maybe unbelievable that a $200 box that small can decode 1080p H.264 .mkv files. I'm thinking the files must be decoded by the serving computer and then the video is streamed to this box.

If this device really can decode 1080p h.264 .mkv files LOCALLY, for $200, then I'm impressed.

The AppleTV only has the horsepower to decode 720p.

Oh, and XBMC is only software, not hardware (so don't compare it to a hardware device), and it's supported codec list is virtually untouchable.

[Kieran Coghlan @ Dec 1st 2008 4:27PM]

I meant to say that I think the files are *transcoded* by the host computer and streamed to the Sage device.

But, I could be wrong. It's just surprising if true.

[Brent @ Dec 1st 2008 5:52PM]

Sigh... The files are not transcoded it works just like the HD100 which streams the content and plays back the original format.

And I wasn't the one comparing the Xbox with XBMC (not XBMC itself) to this device. I was responding to someone who was trying to do that....

I think XBMC on the proper hardware is very good, but if you're comparing software I doubt you'll find a code or video format that it plays and SageTV doesn't. Regardless this is about a hardware extender not the software.

[Kieran Coghlan @ Dec 1st 2008 6:44PM]

1) Well, then, as I said, I'm impressed.
2) I never said YOU were the one comparing it to XBMC.
3) you doubt I'll find a code or video format that XBMC plays that SageTV doesn't? How about this:
RealVideo, Quicktime, 3ivx, AVS, VIVO, NUB, FLI, FLC... for video, and
RealAudio, AIFF, ALAC, MIDI, AVS,... just to name a few for audio.

And the supported video container list for XBMC is even more exhaustive. Sage HD Theater lists all of two video containers (VOB and AVI). Which btw, verifies that it does NOT support 1080p H.264 .mkv files. You would need to convert them to .avi.

I noticed you posted above that it does support .mkv files. The sage website doesn't say that. (that I can find)

[Bob @ Dec 1st 2008 4:40PM]

Ah, god I wish MKV would just go away. Here's the thing - this isn't the first time that some box has said "supports MKV." People are complaining about the Popcorn Hour box already. One of its biggest features was the alleged MKV support. But since MKV is just a *container* it really depends on what people put in it. Popcorn Hour users are reporting a hell of a time getting many many many MKV files to play back on the thing.

Urgh. MKV is just a huge PITA.

Also, does this box require their SageTV software? That's another $80 onto the price tag. I guess I'll have to wait for some reviews to come in, and reports on whether or not it actually does play those godawful MKV files. (XBMC & Boxee also have trouble, VLC has problems playing them sometimes, and the developers from Matroska act like elitist pricks if you ever say anything negative about their 'perfect' container.)

[ddub @ Dec 1st 2008 5:48PM]

why don't people encoding movies get off their high horse and just encode in mp4 with h264 streams instead of trying to force that mkv container on people. I so hate when these techno nerds start wanting to wage their format wars.

[Matt @ Dec 1st 2008 6:36PM]

Can't get untouched AC3 audio in a standard mp4 container. No high horse here, just simple utility.

[leland @ Dec 1st 2008 7:13PM]

MKV is supposed to replicate a DVD in many ways. Multiple subtitles, audio tracks, etc make for a more robust media container. For the hordes of non-english speaking pirates, it's really easy to add a subtitle or audio track to a .mkv, maybe 5 mins. Hardcoding one to a .avi stream takes half a day.

And I did the .mkv -> wmv-hd streaming to the xbox that you're talking about, with wme assistant, for a while and it worked pretty well, despite taking 10 hours. It was a huge pain and you can't get subtitles (unless they're hardcoded) so I gave in and bought a popcorn hour after a few months. Made my life a lot easier and I no longer have two versions of everything.

[leland @ Dec 1st 2008 7:23PM]

But to answer your original gripe they didn't want to deal with the ISO standards of MP4 and would rather have an open source option that they could count on, mp4 is a proprietary framework, mkv is extensible blah blah blah blah

[ddub @ Dec 1st 2008 5:48PM]

as a matter of fact i'll go one better. if xbox 360 could just play files over 4 gigabytes i'd be fine and just demux and remux the big files. And how about a slick interface for the media playing stuff?

[aaron @ Dec 2nd 2008 11:32AM]

XBMC on my Xbox is all I could ever want or need except for the fact that the hardware is outdated. The Xbox CPU doesn't have the horsepower to play HD material :(