Request: Tight integration with iTunes

[LehighBri]

I recently noticed on Snapstream's blog that they announced they now have tighter integration for feeding TV shows to iTunes. This is great for if you compress shows using the iPod compresson profile. Snapstream's integration is powered by RSS and it seems to update it's RSS feed each time a show is recorded and compressed. iTunes can then read the updated RSS feed to pull in the latest content.

Example: http://blogs.snapstream.com/2007/09/...es-and-iphone/

Does SageTV have any plans to further integrate with iTunes? Or will the "strategy" continue to be to have users manually import compressed TV shows into iTunes? I think this is some great functionality that would continue to make SageTV a very competitive PC PVR option.

[gplasky]

Originally Posted by LehighBri

I recently noticed on Snapstream's blog that they announced they now have tighter integration with iTunes. This is great for if you compress shows using the iPod compresson profile. Snapstream's integration is powered by RSS and it seems to update it's RSS feed each time a show is recorded and compressed. iTunes can then read the updated RSS feed to pull in the latest content.

Example: http://blogs.snapstream.com/2007/09/...es-and-iphone/

Does SageTV have any plans to further integrate with iTunes? Or will the "strategy" continue to be to have users manually import compressed TV shows into iTunes? I think this is some great functionality that would continue to make SageTV a very competitive PC PVR option.

There is a program that was created a while ago called Podifier.
http://www.ipodifier.com/

You should also be able to search the forums here for it. It was originally created here by a user. You can use it to do the transcoding also.

iPodifier is an application that automates the process of getting video onto your iPod. Although you can use iPodifier to simply transcode one or two videos that you have kicking around, it is primarily designed to work with a DVR application like SageTV, Windows Media Center Edition or TiVo. Once setup, iPodifier will monitor your DVR application for new video and automatically transcode the video into a format compatible with the video iPod, add the new video to iTunes then sync your iPod. In addition, iPodifier will organize video in your iPod into catagories (i.e. TV shows, Music videos, Movies et cetera) by creating video playlists. Each TV show will have its own video playlist as well. You can also select which TV shows get transfered to your iPod and how many of each show to transfer. iPodifier will automagically make sure that the latest shows are always on your iPod for viewing

I don't consider it "tight" integration but it works automatically. Next time you connect your iPod all of your SageTV show you chose is placed on your iPod.


Gerry

[nielm]

The webserver can be used for this...

• Convert the recordings to ipod format
• Perform a search in the webserver for Sage recordings (SageTV/Search Recordings), leaving the search string blank, but with filename: *.mp4
• eg:

  http://mediaserver:8080/sage/Search?SearchString=&searchType=TVFiles&filename=%2A.mp4

• in the results page, right-click on the RSS button, and copy shortcut/link address
• You now have a podcast feed URL in your clipboard of all *.mp4 Sage Recordings, that itunes *should* be able to handle... eg:

  http://mediaserver:8080/sagepublic/Rss/Search?SearchString=&searchType=TVFiles&filename=%2A.mp4

[appelm]

for iPodifier.. works great.. my shows are downloaded every morning to my iPod for my morning train commute.

[rsagetv99]

Originally Posted by nielm

The webserver can be used for this...

• Convert the recordings to ipod format, but store them in a specific directory, say: e:\IpodVideos
• Perform a search in the webserver for Sage recordings (SageTV/Search Recordings), leaving the search string blank, but with filename: e:\IpodVideos\*
• eg: http://mediaserver:8080/Sage/Search?...podVideo%5C%2A
• in the results page, right-click on the RSS button, and copy shortcut/link address
• You now have a podcast feed URL in your clipboard of all videos in your e:\IpodVideos folder, that itunes *should* be able to handle...

Disclaimer: I don't have itunes...

This didn't work for me. As much as I would have liked it to.

First the URL was too long for my search since it tacked on all of the "Any" settings. I chopped it down to what I thought was needed, to this http://myserver:8080/sagepublic/RSS/...%3A%5CIpod%5C*. I tested it in a browser and I could see the rss page with the recordings listed, but in Itunes it just says Sage Search Results, and does not allow you to expand the listing to see the videos in the feed.

[nielm]

Just installed Itunes, and I see the problem... Will look into it, but I think it needs a webserver fix...

[CollinR]

Could you not just setup an FTP server on the SageTV server that syncronized the directories based on file extension? This way when you plug it in it's synced, of you could add a command to sync if desired.

[nielm]

Ok, should be fixed in webserver v2.20...

It now correctly creates podcast RSS feeds, that ITunes seems to cope with...

The search URL can be as simple as:

http://mediaserver:8080/sage/Search?SearchString=&searchType=TVFiles&filename=%2A.mp4

which searches for all *.mp4 Sage Recordings...
The equivalent podcast URL is:

http://mediaserver:8080/sagepublic/Rss/Search?SearchString=&searchType=TVFiles&filename=%2A.mp4

[rsagetv99]

Originally Posted by nielm

Ok, should be fixed in webserver v2.20...

It now correctly creates podcast RSS feeds, that ITunes seems to cope with...

The search URL can be as simple as:

http://mediaserver:8080/sage/Search?SearchString=&searchType=TVFiles&filename=%2A.mp4

which searches for all *.mp4 Sage Recordings...
The equivalent podcast URL is:

http://mediaserver:8080/sagepublic/Rss/Search?SearchString=&searchType=TVFiles&filename=%2A.mp4

Works like a charm, thanks Nielm!

Searching for MP4 has the added benefit of not having to relocate files to an \Ipod\ directory.

Thanks for the tip as well.

[clayfree]

Just upgraded to Sage 6.2 and installed Webserver 2.20 and this works.

Thanks Nielm

[clayfree]

One question - Can I set up a feed for separate series. Can I search for "Mad Men" + *.mp4

[nielm]

yes

[clayfree]

Thank you, I got the search for a single series and it works.

OK, only 1 more question, I promise. Is there any way to edit the podcast title, the all show up as "Sage Search Results". I don't see a way to edit the name in iTunes.

Any ideas about how I can edit the titles.

Thanks for the help, this is a great feature of Webserver.

[LehighBri]

Originally Posted by clayfree

Thank you, I got the search for a single series and it works.

OK, only 1 more question, I promise. Is there any way to edit the podcast title, the all show up as "Sage Search Results". I don't see a way to edit the name in iTunes.

Any ideas about how I can edit the titles.

Thanks for the help, this is a great feature of Webserver.

Clayfree - once you have the RSS url, how do you add it as a podcast in iTunes? I quickly looked into it and it looks to me like you have to register the URL with iTunes for it to show up in their "directory". Is this true or is there an easier way to open the RSS feed in iTunes?

UPDATE: Nevermind. I found it under the Advanced menu -> Subscribe to Podcast. Works like a charm!

[clayfree]

Originally Posted by LehighBri

Clayfree - once you have the RSS url, how do you add it as a podcast in iTunes? I quickly looked into it and it looks to me like you have to register the URL with iTunes for it to show up in their "directory". Is this true or is there an easier way to open the RSS feed in iTunes?

UPDATE: Nevermind. I found it under the Advanced menu -> Subscribe to Podcast. Works like a charm!

You can also just drag the RSS button from Webserver to the iTunes podcast window and it will add it.

[nielm]

Sorry, there is no way to name the podcast title -- it will always be 'SageTV Search Results'...

I might sneak something into a new version that allows naming the search...

[rsagetv99]

Originally Posted by rsagetv99

Works like a charm, thanks Nielm!

Searching for MP4 has the added benefit of not having to relocate files to an \Ipod\ directory.

Thanks for the tip as well.

I may have spoken too soon, or maybe it is something I am doing wrong. I was able to successfully download my shows via the podcast, but I think there might be something else missing that flags the shows as video podcasts. Right now, when I go to play the podcast it only plays the audio, with a picture of like the first frame of the video as album art.

When I added the videos by just adding the folder in itunes (not using a podcast), the videos played fine.

[rsagetv99]

Originally Posted by rsagetv99

I may have spoken too soon, or maybe it is something I am doing wrong. I was able to successfully download my shows via the podcast, but I think there might be something else missing that flags the shows as video podcasts. Right now, when I go to play the podcast it only plays the audio, with a picture of like the first frame of the video as album art.

When I added the videos by just adding the folder in itunes (not using a podcast), the videos played fine.

Nevermind, it was my fault. I was playing the podcast from the wrong location on the Ipod. You have to go to Video Podcasts...

[edbmdave]

This is Great. It would be really cool if you could subscribe to a "favorite" as a feed from the web server's favorite management page. (and of course for the feed to show in the PodCasts as the Series Name.

[nielm]

You can. In fave detailed info page, click Recorded Airings.
Then click the RSS button in the search result.
There are currently 2 bugs: files > 2Gb will cause a java error, and the title of the feed is 'search results'