Linspire developer of the commerical desktop Linux operating system of the same name and Freespire, the community desktop Linux operating system, and SageTV, 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, today announced the availability of SageTV Media Center Version 6 for users of the Linspire and Freespire desktop Linux operating system. SageTV Media Center software lets users watch, pause and record TV programs on their desktop Linux PCs without the monthly subscription fees required by current personal video recorder (PVR) services and provides a single user interface for accessing online video as well as personal music, photos and videos stored on the personal computer.

“SageTV Media Center for Linspire and Freespire users broadens our support for desktop Linux and extends our reach into the rapidly growing desktop Linux market for the first time,” said SageTV CEO Mike Machado. “This is a strong partnership that gives users access to an affordable, full-featured PVR, online video, music and photo solution for all their TVs and PCs at home and as well as away from home.”

SageTV Media Center Version 6 is immediately available via digital download using CNR (“Click and Run”) one-click download and installation software delivery system at: http://www.linspire.com/sagetv

Key features of SageTV Media Center for include:

• Complete personal video recording without subscription fees, enabling users to record a single TV show or a whole season of favorite programs on their PC; pause, rewind and fast-forward live or recorded cable, satellite or antenna TV shows; and record multiple shows on multiple tuners simultaneously. The one-time software purchase fee eliminates monthly fees levied by services like TiVo as well as expensive Windows upgrades required to support Microsoft’s own media center software.
  
• Online video, personal music, photos and videos all available from your remote control, access online video including Google video as well as personal media files from PCs from a single interface, play them on a connected TV. Access music play lists by artist or album as well as run music in the background with a slideshow.
  
• Integrated 14-day U.S., Canadian and European program guides, eliminating the need for users to switch to a separate online application to plan their TV viewing and recording. (European guide requires subscription to tv guide service).
  
• One-stop music, photo and video management and access, including the ability to access media files from a single interface, play them on a connected TV, and access music play lists by artist or album as well as run music in the background with a slideshow.
  
• Connectivity to any home TV with an optional media extender, allowing any TV in the house to access to all live or recorded TV, online video, music, photos and personal videos from the SageTV Media Center interface without installing a digital video recorder box on every TV and then searching to find out which show was recorded on which box. Users in different rooms can record and/or access different programs or media at the same time on the quiet and cool SageTV Media Extender.
  
  Connectivity to any home or remote PC or Mac with an optional SageTV Placeshifter license, enabling users to access live or recorded TV, music and photos from the user’s home-based SageTV software from any PC with a high-speed Internet connection, whether in a hotel, office, airport, WiFi café, at the pool, or in another room in the house.

“SageTV is another great example of ongoing application development for the Linux platform,” said Kevin Carmony, CEO of Linspire, Inc. “Linspire users can now take advantage of a comprehensive media center solution, including online video, at a great value. As demand for desktop Linux continues to take hold in the marketplace, so does the need for feature parity with applications designed for Microsoftw Windows.” In addition to SageTV Media Center Version 6, SageTV has also made available an optional SageTV Placeshifter software application and SageTV media extenders that enables users to access their home TV and entire PC-based media library from any Internet connected PC away from home.

In addition to SageTV Media Center Version 6, SageTV has also made available an optional SageTV Placeshifter software application and SageTV media extenders that enables users to access their home TV and entire PC-based media library from any Internet connected PC away from home.