competitor has plugins?!?

[JUC]

Not sure where I have been recently, but I often like to keep up on competitive software...just to see what's out there and how Sage is keeping up. Well, one thing I didn't realize was that BTV has plugins, and quite a few of them ranging from movie showtimes, callerID, DVD and CD burning, barback among various other ones. What's up with Sage--these are all things that we should have too! Yea, there are custom STV's out there but why can't we work on a plugin platform like most of the competition has. That way, we can pick and choose what we want to use instead of having to use an 'all encompassing' STV. So, those blessed with Studio--is it possible to start working on some plugins like the ones mentioned above so we can implement them into our STV of choice?
Thanks
JUC

[Tony414]

Originally Posted by JUC

Not sure where I have been recently, but I often like to keep up on competitive software...just to see what's out there and how Sage is keeping up. Well, one thing I didn't realize was that BTV has plugins, and quite a few of them ranging from movie showtimes, callerID, DVD and CD burning, barback among various other ones. What's up with Sage--these are all things that we should have too! Yea, there are custom STV's out there but why can't we work on a plugin platform like most of the competition has. That way, we can pick and choose what we want to use instead of having to use an 'all encompassing' STV. So, those blessed with Studio--is it possible to start working on some plugins like the ones mentioned above so we can implement them into our STV of choice?
Thanks
JUC

Well said !

[gplasky]

Ah-No. Beyond MEDIA has those plugins. Beyond TV does have a few plugins. BTV got one plugin today. Caller ID. The other plugin is really a .dll (plugin)for Smartie that will reads the show info from BTV. Oh-found another - XMLTV plugin.


Gerry

[mlbdude]

Beyond Media is more like Meedio and not SageTV. BTV does not really have plugins. They are rewriting BTV (again) in the BM engine. This should give them a pretty flexible solution when done though.

BTW, plugins are not realy possible right now. I think Frey mentioned that as one of the reasons why they are waiting on the release .

[JUC]

ah-YES--Beyond TV DOES have plugins...callerID, automated chapter cut and burn to DVD, LCDsmartie support, DivX/Xvid auto compression using autoGK
Beyond MEDIA has tons like the ones mentioned above: POP3email, movie showtimes, DVD auto-insert, MSN messenger, MBM system status (this would be HUGE for sage!!, well for me anyway), mixed drinks and beyond drunk, netradio, comics, stocks, and blog explorer...

-So yes, both BTV and beyond media have plugins.
JUC

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by mlbdude

BTW, plugins are not realy possible right now. I think Frey mentioned that as one of the reasons why they are waiting on the release .

nielm is just very talented with his import modules. (But it is hard to call them true plugins, since such imports won't work with just any STV and you can't really undo them.)

- Andy

[mlbdude]

Originally Posted by Opus4

nielm is just very talented with his import modules. (But it is hard to call them true plugins, since such imports won't work with just any STV and you can't really undo them.)

- Andy

Exactly Plus you can't remove them. That is the clincher right now

[mlbdude]

Originally Posted by JUC

ah-YES--Beyond TV DOES have plugins...callerID, automated chapter cut and burn to DVD, LCDsmartie support, DivX/Xvid auto compression using autoGK
Beyond MEDIA has tons like the ones mentioned above: POP3email, movie showtimes, DVD auto-insert, MSN messenger, MBM system status (this would be HUGE for sage!!, well for me anyway), mixed drinks and beyond drunk, netradio, comics, stocks, and blog explorer...

-So yes, both BTV and beyond media have plugins.
JUC

Ah, you mean those external programs? You can use those with Sage too if you want. They are not actually integrated with BTV. The auto compress one is nice. I have used it before.

To create items like that you don't need Studio.

[JUC]

mlbdude--would you mind explaining a little more on how to integrate the external programs in sage? Since I haven't actually tried BTV (only glance at their forums to keep up) I thought that the MBM and movie showtimes among others were integrated into BTV(or beyond media). If they are just calling up external programs not within the same user interface, well then....I guess I take back the first post. I can do that with sagemc and most other custom STVs. Regardless, some form of plug-in model is needed. This would enable those without studio to pick and choose what they want.
JUC

[mlbdude]

The BM ones are true plugins. Those you could not use. If you download the BTV caller ID one it is just a DLL and exe. It will throw up a overlay via Girder I believe when a call is recieved. Though you need a modem, have not had one of those for a few years .

There might be some that pull information out of BTV. Have not noticed any though. BTV does have an external API that you can use but you can't use it to integrate into BTV.

The BTV guys are pretty enterprising . It would be nice to see some of that activity here a little more.

[JUC]

Thanks for the info. I guess it is just the 'grass is always greener...' ... although, even without true plugins, i won't be leaving sage. I was just surprised that BTV/media had plugins at all and other neat things that us sage users could use, but don't have yet. For me, the perfect STV would be sageMC, with commercial skip, auto compress, callerID, speedfan integration, offline DVD catalogue and weather suite. Nothing more, nothing less. I guess we are almost there anway.

JUC

[mlbdude]

I think with 3.0 Frey will be making a decision as to whether they are a PVR app alone or a PVR app and a front end. If they go with the latter, I would guess we will see more and better things coming from them on that.

BTW, you should be able to use that AUtoGK app over at the BTV forums for you stuff. I would guess you can set it up to watch your recordings folder and have it reompress shows to your library. Not ideal but if you are desperate for space .

[JUC]

thanks, not really desperate for space yet, I am probably one of the few left with only one tuner card---hopefully not for long though. Something to monitor my temps would be nice. Hopefully frey will decide to go the PVR app and a front end route--this would really set them ahead of the competition because their PVR functions are leaps beyond others, leaving only the frontend/media player stuff left to tackle and refine.
JUC

[JUC]

Oh yea, its 4:00pm where I am....the weekend has officially begun for me!!!!

[edgley]

I hope they go for PVR, leave the rest to someone else.