iTouch/iPhone Client/PlaceShifter: Is there any hope?

[PeteCress]

Is there any prospect of an iTouch/iPhone application that does what Client or PlaceShifter does: namely offer a UI into a SageTV server and render the same stuff that Client/Shifter do?

I read the iPodifier thread, but that seems tb a transcoding utility that adds program material to the iTunes DB from which it gets synch'd to one's iPod

But I was thinking of the whole nine yards: WiFi connection, SageTV menus, program material still resident on the server, and so-forth

Or isn't the horsepower there in those devices?

[jreichen]

I'd love to have it too but I don't think you'll see one soon. Other users have been asking about it for a while and the Sage folks haven't given any indication that they're working on it.

The closest you'll get right now is the mobile web interface. It's focused on TV recording features and doesn't support videos, music and pictures yet. It also doesn't support video streaming. I've tried to add support but the iPhone's built-in media player seems pretty buggy, which surprises me. I have the iPhone 3G, maybe the 3GS works better but I don't have any way to test it.

[inlvnv]

I would love to see client/placeshifter apps for iPhone, but I also don't see this happening anytime soon. Although I would be pleasantly surprised if they do.

Even if SageTV plans/is developing an iPhone app, there is still a matter of getting it approved through Apple. And considering EyeTV and Sling had to cripple their apps to work in wifi only to get their apps approved, it's probably a huge gamble. I just don't see a huge demand for this app without 3g streaming capability. Then again, Orb and Air Video apps were approved with 3g and wifi streaming, so there is a hope there.

Then there is the issue with SageTV charging $79.95 for their server software vs. free Orb and others server software. Very few would be willing to pay for server software plus the cost of iphone app. Unless server software is free, they would be catering to a very small minority SageTV owners with iphones.

When SageTV iphone app is released, I would absolutely buy it; but until then, I'm more than happy using OrbLive, which does just about everything other than controlling recordings.

[mistergq]

Brent as Narflex about it in his interview. If Sage does do it, it would only be for WiFi because of ATT shutting down orb on the Iphone.

[inlvnv]

Originally Posted by mistergq

because of ATT shutting down orb on the Iphone.

Link?

[mistergq]

Originally Posted by inlvnv

Link?

http://www.geektonic.com/2009/07/int...e-cto-and.html
it was slingbox, not orb.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/12/a...-blackout-for/

[sandor]

but ATT has no issue with the MLB app - streaming all games

http://mlb.mlb.com/mobile/iphone/

and there are many more that do it:

http://mashable.com/2009/08/08/iphone-live-tv/

[ldw58]

I point Orb at the same directories Sage points to and then I can view everything through my iPhone either in 3G or WiFi.

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by inlvnv

Even if SageTV plans/is developing an iPhone app, there is still a matter of getting it approved through Apple.

Sounds like another vote for an android app... no meddling apple concerns...

[sandor]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

Sounds like another vote for an android app... no meddling apple concerns...

a quick poll of the forums - iphone owners v. android-based phone owners would answer the market questions very quickly.

apple having a controlled system isnt necessarily "meddling" and from the 100,000+ apps already approved, i find it rather hard to believe that it is *that* difficult to get something approved if you play by the rules.

[Fuzzy]

true... I guess my greater concern would be getting AT&T to play along. wouldn't be long before they blocked sagetv use.

[vikingisson]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

true... I guess my greater concern would be getting AT&T to play along. wouldn't be long before they blocked sagetv use.

Why would they do that? oh, you must be talking about an unlimited plan. I have 1G of available data so they don't dare block anything or I'll get very upset. Data is data and none of their business what I do on it, I pay for it. Besides, this is something that would be more suited over WiFI, faster and free. I might want to schedule something over 3G but I doubt I'd want to watch something over the cell network very often.

[mistergq]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

true... I guess my greater concern would be getting AT&T to play along. wouldn't be long before they blocked sagetv use.

They block 3G access, not wifi access. I think there is no problem for Wifi.

[Whitey]

Why does this feature need to be an app? We have a website in the uk that streams UK TV channels that has just formatted it to work perfectly on the iphone. This then could be done through an improvement in the sage phone software already available. Also it would please other non-iphone people.

The link to what I'm refering to is iphone.tvcatchup.com but i don't think in will work outside the UK.

whitey

[jreichen]

It doesn't have to be. Somebody pointed out the iPhone AirVideo application so I looked into it and found out it was using ffmpeg, which comes with SageTV. I tried implementing streaming for the mobile web interface in a similar way but I couldn't get it to work reliably. I have an iPhone 3G and it would hang when downloading the video, sometimes tell me the video was in the wrong format, etc. Too many problems to try to release it (at least for now). Even video from ESPN's mobile web site would hang sometimes. I'm wondering if the 3G is too slow. Do you have the 3GS?

Thanks for the link to that website. I tried to watch a video but good old DRM got in my way Does the video ever stop or studder on you? It looks like they're using RTMP, based on the fact it's using port 1935. That's more complex to implement plus could cause firewall issues for some people so I wouldn't do it that way. ESPN's site uses HTTP. One thing that complicates this for SageTV is that the video needs to be transcoded on-the-fly. Most sites can convert their videos before making them available. It doesn't make it impossible, just a little more difficult.

What I'd like to see is a Jetty app just for streaming. Then different clients could access it - future iPhone Placeshifter, future Android Placeshifter, nielm's and the mobile web interface, etc. If anybody is interested in working on this let me know.

Note that I'm not guaranteeing anything so I don't want to set any expectations here. I'm only saying that I've tried and so far been unsuccessful, but would like to eventually get it working. As I know most of you would, too.

[inlvnv]

Apple pulled Orblive from appstore on 12/08. I'm guessing over 3G streaming of live tv and/or videos. AirVideo shouldn't be too far behind.

[tchapin]

There are currently 3 Orb apps in the app store.

OrbMedia - streams your media (video / photos / audio)
OrbController - not sure what the difference is
OrbMusic - stream your music

BTW, they must have taken OrbLive off sometime after July 2009, as I have it and I got my first iPhone in July.

Todd

[sandor]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

true... I guess my greater concern would be getting AT&T to play along. wouldn't be long before they blocked sagetv use.

Yeah, i really cannot wait for Apple to open up the iPhone to many more US providers, like they have done in the rest of the world. Not that i think Verizon's network will be able to handle the load any better (isnt it something like 40% of data traffic on US 3G is from an iPhone??) but i think competition is always a good thing.

[jmccarter]

When SageTV iphone app is released, I would absolutely buy it; but until then, I'm more than happy using OrbLive, which does just about everything other than controlling recordings.[/QUOTE]

Does orblive work while SageTV is on the same computer. I am having trouble getting Orblive to work and was wondering if SageTV "gets in the way"

[LehighBri]

AT&T just announced they are allowing the Slingbox iphone app to run over their 3G network!

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles...ingplayer.html

Wow... I can't tell you how much I'd pay for Sage to build a placeshifter iphone app.......