Features Planned for Network Version?

[sshapiro63]

I have seen bits and pieces about a planned Network (client/server) version of SageTV.

Anybody have an overview of how this new software will differ from the current version? How about a list of features? When is it planned for release?

[dkardatzke]

The networked version will be two-fold:

First, your current SageTV version will be updated to act as a "server" version and then we will have a separate version of SageTV as the "client". This client version will then be installed on other PC's on your network and provide you the same interface as your current version of SageTV.

From there you can control your recordings, favorites, search and view recorded or Live TV. I'll let Jeff add any other features that he has already tested.

This version has been in beta for a few weeks but I can't commit to a release date yet. More to come.......

[Narflex]

I'd like to see if someone can tell me a networking feature that it isn't capable of.....see if I missed anything.

[detritus]

Does it provide a web interface so that I can schedule something from behind the firewall at work?

[ron.smythe]

Can you tell me if the network version will allow multi tuner, and allow each 'client' to bond to a tuner or is it first come first severed for Live TV??

An example, I would like to keep all my cable decoders in one room with the SageServer, then in the living room and bedroom I would like to have a Hush computer (http://www.mini-itx.com/store/hush.asp) to act as a Sage Client, thus if I want to watch a program in the living room, and my wife wants to watch a program in the bedroom which is different, will the server recognise the difference client requests and react accordingly? Also who get's kicked out first if there is a program schedule to be recorded?

[JJarmoc]

How about a pocketpc app that would function as a client, but not a display device? Display could be directed to any other active client.

I'm not sure how hard it would be to port to pocketpc, but the thinking here is see the EPG on the pocketpc, select a show, and have it play on my main PC. Quite an intelligent remote control!

I don't know how many people would use something like this, but it'd definitely be cool.

[Narflex]

detritus, The first version will not have any type of firewall tunneling in it. If you want to access the server, you need to be able to get to it through the approrpriate ports (although the ports are configurable).

ron, It intelligently distributes multiple across multiple tuners as needed. You can do what you're asking. For who gets kicked....right now that's a little bit random, but future versions will have permission levels where certain users can have priority over others and also where certain users can have limited access to features.

JJarmoc, This is one of the beauties of writing SageTV in Java. There's even a bunch of cell phones that can run Java, as well as PDAs. The API is severly crippled on them, but it's definitely within the realm of possibilty for the future.

[ron.smythe]

Cool, how do I get the beta server/client to play with?

[dkardatzke]

We are working on that right now as to our next steps with testing. A select few have been testing for a few weeks and we have plans to let everyone else take a stab shortly.

[JJarmoc]

narflex - I think what Detritus was asking for was a browser based client moreso than tunneling the existing client over HTTP. Tunnelling non-http stuff through port 80 doesn't work well with proxies and some firewalls, so it'd be unlikely to work at a lot of people's offices, unless it's true HTTP..

That sentence seemed clumsy. Let me put it this way - MSN Messenger, Lots of Spyware, all the filesharing apps, etc. will use port 80. However, the traffic they send is not standards-compliant HTTP. Therefore, lots of firewall admins (me for one) will run port 80 through a proxy that checks it out, and only allows valid HTTP. That'll break these apps, but still allow normal web traffic. So, if what you send over port 80 isn't HTTP, it might or might not work.

I guess I just assumed port 80 because that's probably the only one we can count on being open just about everywhere.

[detritus]

JJarmoc, yep that's exactly what I meant.

[dkardatzke]

Originally posted by ron.smythe
Cool, how do I get the beta server/client to play with?

Version 1.3.3 of both SageTV Client and SageTV Server will be available shortly for beta testing. I will make a post in the Beta Test forums when they are available. By shortly I mean within the next 24 hours.

Our plan is to still use a 10-day Trial for testing but then reset the trial period with every SageTV Client beta release until RC1.

[justme]

I'd like to see if someone can tell me a networking feature that it isn't capable of.....see if I missed anything.

Ok I know this is a fantasy, but is there any chance you could add client support for the xbox(by that I mean a modded one of course)

[Narflex]

What kind of media players are available on the XBox currently?

[JJarmoc]

The only one I know of is
http://www.xboxmediaplayer.de/

I'd be VERY careful where I tread here. Microsoft isn't fond of people running other software on an Xbox. The free projects, based out of the country, can probably get away with it. Building a client version of Sage which is for sale in the US, by a US based company, might be a little more risky.

[justme]

Oh no! believe me i'm not asking Sage to go into merky legal waters, especially since your product kinda competes against the MCE PC. I was just dreaming and wondering since, everyone talks about Java's portability. I was really asking if anyone knew if the client would run on the Xbox, without Sage using the XDK. I know the Emperor of Micro$oft would never let anything usefull be developed using the XDK.

Im fine just streaming the shows to my Xbox thru other software.