SageTV Alarm Clock - Who's up to coding one for a kickback?

[chris123]

Hey there guys.

I've been using SageTV for some time now and I love it. There is a feature I really need but can't find an easy way to implement this. I would gladly arrange something for someone who could come up with a Sage-based solution:

I need an alarm clock for SageTV. It must:
1. Be able to work as long as SageTV or SageTVService are running.
2. Be a plugin for SageTV, with all customizable features build into sagetv menus and can be setup with dynamic menus
3. Be able to set up a one time, or weekly, schedule (i.e. triggers at Tuesday every week at 10:00AM and Wednesday at 9:00Am etc.)
4. Alarm can be set to fade in volume over a set period of time (tv, movie, music etc.)
5. Alarm can activate music playlist, movie, or livetv.
6. Alarm can send signal to girder and use USB-UIRT to turn on tv.
7. Girder TV blaster files included
8. Snooze remote programmable key and snooze settable time

Can this be done guys? ..and could someone do it? Thanks.

Regards,
Chris

[GKusnick]

Originally Posted by chris123

It must:

So all eight points are deal-breakers, then? Because it seems to me you could probably get about 80-90% of what you want using Windows scheduled tasks and batch files for driving Sage and Girder from the command line. The main thing you wouldn't get from that approach is the ability to configure it entirely from within Sage.

[sainswor99]

Originally Posted by chris123

I would gladly arrange something for someone who could come up with a Sage-based solution:

Can you get me a pony? I've always wanted a pony.

[Brent]

What would be more useful is a simple Sleep Function. Lets say you have a teenage kid that tends to leave the TV on and falls asleep while watching at night. I come down to the family room to realize that teenage kid still has the TV on at 6am when I get up.

Would be nice to have a setting to stop playback and activate the screensaver at a certain time at night.

But I must admit - I have no pony to give to the developer of such a add-on

[hemicuda]

There's already a Sleep Timer STVi. Works fairly well. I think it puts my extenders in standby though.

[S_M_E]

Originally Posted by GKusnick

So all eight points are deal-breakers, then? Because it seems to me you could probably get about 80-90% of what you want using Windows scheduled tasks and batch files for driving Sage and Girder from the command line. The main thing you wouldn't get from that approach is the ability to configure it entirely from within Sage.

I've been using task scheduler as an alarm clock for years but it would be a neat plugin for Sage.

[chris123]

Sigh* searching the forums just gets tons of "sleep timers" and "windows scheduler" ...

Alarm clock sagetv plugin is what I need. Sagetv interface because I am not a programmer or a super power user, and I'd like to be able to use the remote to set it.

Yup 80-90% sounds good and I'd happy to pay someone for their time.
Thanks.

[chris123]

No takers?
I would imagine this can't be to difficult could it?

[rockwella]

Well its like this..they understand you want to controll all with your remote...but it just seems kinda silly. I mean common, how often will you be changing the alarm time? And if you did change it...why not do it with no one else around and let the fact that its not all remote be a dirty little secret.

In regards to the kids falling asleep, atleast in my case...after a certain amount of time of inactivity from my computer my lcd shuts down. I program standby to kick in after 30 mins (stv doesnt allow standby), sage wakes for recordings, and my tv shuts off about 30 seconds after standby.

I give you that it is a cool idea, but you can achieve it in any number of ways that dont require a new piece. If you love the concept that much, learn about programming and give yourself a pony. Happy 3am

[chris123]

In regards to the kids falling asleep, atleast in my case...after a certain amount of time of inactivity from my computer my lcd shuts down. I program standby to kick in after 30 mins (stv doesnt allow standby), sage wakes for recordings, and my tv shuts off about 30 seconds after standby.


I hate turning off my computer for any reason. Besides, standby interferes with regular computer use, anyways...night time is for downloading.


it just seems kinda silly. I mean common, how often will you be changing the alarm time?

You've never worked a job with irregular hours? Come on.


you can achieve it in any number of ways that dont require a new piece

I notice there are weather apps, RSS readers etc. as plugins... ever heard of firefox???

"..why not do it with no one else around and let the fact that its not all remote be a dirty little secret"

Alright, I'll disable channel changing and audio playback.. life just got easier!

give yourself a pony

I will get myself a pony.
Thanks,
Happy 5 am.

[rockwella]

You are absolutely right! People have made some silly (in my opinion) customizations, as well as extremely useful ones. I hope you can find someone to do this for you...honestly, I might even use it . GL

[mickp]

I'd use it.

Thanks for offering to pay for development Chris. I don't understand the pooh poohing. What's that about?

Mick.

[Brent]

Originally Posted by mickp

I'd use it.

Thanks for offering to pay for development Chris. I don't understand the pooh poohing. What's that about?

Mick.

I might even use it. You never know, someone might code it for you. And a pony is way to much work and cost to maintain anyway right

Regarding the "reward for development" thing. I think it would be fine for developers to offer donationware and even a small fee for their SageTV apps. If it would encourage even more development its a win-win for all of us imo.

[GKusnick]

Originally Posted by Brent

Regarding the "reward for development" thing. I think it would be fine for developers to offer donationware and even a small fee for their SageTV apps. If it would encourage even more development its a win-win for all of us imo.

The thing is, people with the necessary development skills tend to already have real-life programming jobs that pay big bucks. So they're not especially interested in getting paid peanuts to write random Sage plugins on the side to somebody else's specs. As a general rule, people who write plugins do it for fun, because the idea of that particular plugin catches their fancy or is something they might find useful themselves. That's my take on it anyway.

The other potential issue with pay-for-plugins is that as soon as it stops being a hobby and starts being a business, you run afoul of the "no commercial use" clause of the forum rules.

[Brent]

Good points Greg. I imagine it would require a change on SageTV's policy to allow the paid apps thing.

I know you're probably right about the developers here writing plugins - all obviously do it because they enjoy it. I think having the option of a paid app wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing though. Say you've spent time to develop an app/plugin and then later on it requires a bit more work to update it to a new version of SageTV (this is a hypothetical) then it might be nice for the developer to be compensated a little even if it is peanuts. I'm only guessing on that since I'm not a programmer and don't write plugins or apps though.

I think it might encourage a developer new to SageTV to be more likely to spend time developing if he thought his time/energy were compensated even if it was in a very small way. Then again SageTV has had tremendous user-development with the way things are now so it certainly isn't something that has to happen or anything. Just thought it was worth a discussion I guess.

[sainswor99]

Originally Posted by mickp

I'd use it.

Thanks for offering to pay for development Chris. I don't understand the pooh poohing. What's that about?

Mick.

As the originator of the pony remark, it was not my intent to pooh-pooh anything, so I hope it wasn't taken in that way. I was just attempting to point out (with a bit of humour) that the OP was making a wide-open offer. I wanted a pony; others might have gone for the whole immortal soul business.



*not a Sage developer, btw. But I might become one if the offer was right.

[Brent]

Originally Posted by sainswor99

I wanted a pony.....
*not a Sage developer, btw. But I might become one if the offer was right.

I have a pony you can have sainswor99. What kind of app can you make for us

black or brown - for the pony I mean...

[brewston]

Personally, I think there should be an anonymous beer fund for plugin developers. People can donate something if they really like the plugin. By making it anonymous, the developers don't feel obliged that they have to fix a certain person's "bugs" because they can see they've donated.

[mickp]

Does anyone know if there are any actual OEM licencees of SAGE out there doing products based on the linux OEM version?

Mick.

[Bandit]

I'd love an alarm clock import. The one thing people mentioned Scheduled tasks and other stuff forget about is that would not work on extenders. If I could have an alarm in my bedroom and my daughters bedrrom that would be great. We both fall asleep to the tv, so the extenders are already on, would love to use them as my alarm clock.