Android application: taSageTV

[Fonceur]

Originally Posted by Mythikal

The BluMediaLab Media Player didn't show up in the market for him (version compatibility?).

Try:

market://search?q=pname:com.blumedialab.mediaplayer_trial

Apparently their trial version is newer and better than their commercial release...

[mkanet]

Hi Fonceur, I just finished installing and configuring all components of TASageTV per the information on Wiki.

The only thing Im interested in doing is to test watching TV to see how smoothly it works. When I start the app on my phone, I only see 3 items:

Media Center
Recordings
TV Guide

Aren't I supposed to see a LiveTV button? Anyway, when I select Recorded Shows/TVshow-test-recording/Detailed Information/Stream

I get a popup window showing the name of the app and version 1.09 with a link to download the apk file. Hopefully there's a way to test streaming of TV without having to buy the license first.

Im 100% sure I followed all the steps correctly in the Wiki. The only thing I wasn't sure about was the modified status.xml file for VLC. In the instructions it says there's a link to the modified file.. in reality, there's onlly a bunch of unformatted text (no carriage return, tabs, etc) that I could copy.. so I just copied whatever was there and pasted that into the xml file (unformatted and all).

Misc questions for phone app:
Do I need to add any clients under "Client settings" just to watch TV? I added one client anyway per the instructions. However, get a red exclamation mark for it. I wasn't sure what to put in the server password. I'm guessing I dont have one or I wouldnt be able to see my guide, tuners, recordings, etc. Also, I didnt see a delete button to delete clients/servers I erroneously added under client/server settings. Lastly, I wasn't sure what to put for the client IP under "client settings"; as it's an internal dynamic IP. The only DNS name I have for it is STP-HD200; which I dont think the phone's DNS client will resolve. I already have the respective ports forwarded on my hardware router/firewall.

Lastly, I will see a green checkmark on the server I configured on the phone, but after a little while it turns to a red exclamation mark.

PPS: I noticed when I list all my guide channels, when I list "All", it only lists whats on one of my 12 tuners. If I change to a different tuner source, the app gives me a "Force Close" dialog box. I've only heard of the "Force Close" error. This is the first time I've actually seen that on my phone.. as I've only had my phone for a couple of weeks.

Thanks,
Michael

[Fonceur]

Originally Posted by mkanet

Aren't I supposed to see a LiveTV button?

You will only see it if you are connected to a SageTV Client/Extender, otherwise it doesn't make any sense...

I get a popup window showing the name of the app and version 1.09 with a link to download the apk file.

You need to be connected to the server, otherwise it doesn't make sense to stream... There will be an extra link for the location of the stream.

Hopefully there's a way to test streaming of TV without having to buy the license first.

Yup, the only limitation is the number of items per list (10).

The only thing I wasn't sure about was the modified status.xml file for VLC.

Actually, that's to use VLC remote, another Android app, the Tallus owner put that in, but I'm not quite sure why...

However, get a red exclamation mark for it.

Have you done the sageTCPServer part? Otherwise there is nothing to connect too...

I wasn't sure what to put in the server password.

That's really for future use, and not actually implemented yet. I should probably hide it.

Also, I didnt see a delete button to delete clients/servers I erroneously added under client/server settings.

Right, though you can always just overwrite one.

Lastly, I wasn't sure what to put for the client IP under "client settings"; as it's an internal dynamic IP.

As per the instructions, you put the SageTV server's IP, unless you are connecting to a software SageTV Client...

Lastly, I will see a green checkmark on the server I configured on the phone, but after a little while it turns to a red exclamation mark.

That's because it thinks it's connected, but realize it's not. Or some how it lost connection, choke parsing some metadata or something. You can install log collector, then zip and post the result...

PPS: I noticed when I list all my guide channels, when I list "All", it only lists whats on one of my 12 tuners. If I change to a different tuner source, the app gives me a "Force Close" dialog box.

Hard to diagnose without a log.

[brewston]

Hi

Originally Posted by mkanet

Do I need to add any clients under "Client settings" just to watch TV? I added one client anyway per the instructions.

I have a similar setup with HD200. You don't use its IP/name at all, you add the MAC address of the HD200 onto the line for the server eg :

sageTCPServer/clients=local.9250,00085a12b34c.9260

So, the client setting will be <server IP> with port 9260. Once its there you will get the live tv button (Which pulls up the remote)

The server passwd is currently unused. I've not tested streaming myself but others have had success with it.

I assume you're doing all this on your wireless LAN ? (I'd get it working locally before messing with port forwarding on the router etc) and if you're getting force closes (Effectively the apps crashed but it seems to be configured to restart automatically) then install the log collector from market and let fonceur look at the log.

Tim

[mkanet]

Hmmm.. something doesnt add up, if I'm not connected to the server for real, how am I able to get my guide data, tuners, recordings to choose, and a stream button to stream it? Is it possible to not connect to the server at all and see my sageTV server's information? There isn't really much to the configuration of the server except for installing SageTV_TCPServer_Setup.exe and adding the below lines in my sageTV properties file (with the correct extender mac address).. transcoding parameters get populated once I start sageTV.

load_at_startup_runnable_classes=sagetcpserver.StartServers;sagex.jetty.starter.Main;com.shadeblue.sage.InfoPopup.StartListener;

sageTCPServer/clients=local.9250,001d6a4cf74f.9260,http.8000

If there isnt something fundamental I'm missing, I'll probably try posting the debug logs later..

Thanks,
Michael

EDIT: PS, I'm not on my LAN when doing this.. however, forwarding a couple of ports appears to be pretty trivial.

Originally Posted by Fonceur

You will only see it if you are connected to a SageTV Client/Extender, otherwise it doesn't make any sense...


You need to be connected to the server, otherwise it doesn't make sense to stream... There will be an extra link for the location of the stream.


Yup, the only limitation is the number of items per list (10).


Actually, that's to use VLC remote, another Android app, the Tallus owner put that in, but I'm not quite sure why...


Have you done the sageTCPServer part? Otherwise there is nothing to connect too...


That's really for future use, and not actually implemented yet. I should probably hide it.


Right, though you can always just overwrite one.


As per the instructions, you put the SageTV server's IP, unless you are connecting to a software SageTV Client...


That's because it thinks it's connected, but realize it's not. Or some how it lost connection, choke parsing some metadata or something. You can install log collector, then zip and post the result...


Hard to diagnose without a log.

[brewston]

Originally Posted by mkanet

Is it possible to not connect to the server at all and see my sageTV server's information?

Its cached (The recordings stuff until you restart the app, the media center stuff persists across restarts) If you saw the green checkmark, saw your data and then saw the red cross, you must have lost connection

As for the client, I'd check open a cmd window on Windows and check netstat -a shows its listening on port 9260. Then recheck your port forwards

Tim

[Fonceur]

Originally Posted by mkanet

Hmmm.. something doesnt add up, if I'm not connected to the server for real, how am I able to get my guide data, tuners, recordings to choose, and a stream button to stream it?

It means that you did indeed connect to the server, but something must have happened...

I'll probably try posting the debug logs later..

That's the best option.

[mkanet]

SageTVservice.exe is listening on both 9250 and 9260. That's the first thing I checked. There's only one way to set up port forwarding on my router... no different than the other 15 or so ports I've fowarded for other unrelated server hosting services.

PS: I also have the latest version of VLC installed on the same server (enabling the advanced option of one instance at a time).

Well, at least I gave it my best shot in doing everything that was mentioned on the wiki installation instructions. I'm guessing there's probably something in my configuration that the instructions dont account for.

Edit: It looks like my server green checkbox stays there until I click on the "stream" button.

Originally Posted by brewston

Its cached (The recordings stuff until you restart the app, the media center stuff persists across restarts) If you saw the green checkmark, saw your data and then saw the red cross, you must have lost connection

As for the client, I'd check open a cmd window on Windows and check netstat -a shows its listening on port 9260. Then recheck your port forwards

Tim

[mkanet]

Please see attached log. It doesnt look like Im seeing the red checkmark anymore. Its staying green now on the server before and after I select streaming or restart the android app.

Quote:
I'll probably try posting the debug logs later..
That's the best option.

[Fonceur]

According to the log, you defined your extender on 9260 as your server in taSageTV... So yeah, there would be odd things going on... So reconfigure the Server and Client in taSageTV...

[mkanet]

Thanks so much for looking at it. This is what I have in my sageTV.properties file:

sageTCPServer/clients=local.9250,001d6a4cf74f.9260,http.8000

Do I have that backwards? I also have the below entry in my sageTVclient.properties since I have a working client on the server as well:

sageTCPServer/clients=local.9261

Thanks again for looking at it!
Michael

Originally Posted by Fonceur

According to the log, you defined your extender on 9260 as your server in taSageTV... So yeah, there would be odd things going on... So reconfigure the Server and Client in taSageTV...

[Fonceur]

Originally Posted by mkanet

Do I have that backwards?

No, that part is fine (well you probably want to try rstp instead of http for the streaming). It's the taSageTV configuration which isn't using those settings...

I have a working client on the server as well:

Yes, that's good for the server in service mode, or a software client (you would need a copy of sageTCPServer in its JARs folder too).

[mkanet]

Okay, I think I made some progress. Just to be safe, I tried again behind my firewall. When I look more closely at the Tallus logo popup screen with a bunch of hyperlinks. If I manually click on the URL for Stream: rtsp://192.168.1.2:8000/stream.sdp , I finally get see my phone trying play back the stream by saying "Loading..." but then, within 5-6 seconds when I think I'm actually going to see playback, I get an error:

----------------------------------
Cannot play video
Sorry, this video cannot be played.
[OK]
----------------------------------

So, does this mean that I'm somehow getting a bad stream from VLC, or does this mean my phone can't play this kind of streamed media?

Anyway, that's where I'm at.

Thanks again for all your help,
Michael

Originally Posted by Fonceur

No, that part is fine (well you probably want to try rstp instead of http for the streaming). It's the taSageTV configuration which isn't using those settings...


Yes, that's good for the server in service mode, or a software client (you would need a copy of sageTCPServer in its JARs folder too).

[Fonceur]

Originally Posted by mkanet

So, does this mean that I'm somehow getting a bad stream from VLC, or does this mean my phone can't play this kind of streamed media?

The problem is likely that your phone doesn't know how to handle those streams. It seems like the HTC Evo is the only one with a native media player who can, though things might change with the Android OS 2.2 release... So we either need to find a media player on the market which can handle the stream, or find a way to get VLC to produce a stream that the device might like. Too bad I don't own yet an Android device to test myself.

[Mythikal]

Originally Posted by Fonceur

(well you probably want to try rstp instead of http for the streaming)

I've never tried replacing HTTP with rapid spanning tree protocol, but I'm pretty sure a layer 2 protocol can't replace a layer 7 protocol. ;o)
(jk, but it's funny if you know anything about the OSI model.)

Originally Posted by Fonceur

It seems like the HTC Evo is the only one with a native media player who can

Don't forget that I successfully tested this with an HTC Hero running 2.1 with the default media player. Still having problems with the G1/1.6. Didn't have time today to have try the link you posted for BluMediaLab. Hopefully soon.

[Fonceur]

Originally Posted by Mythikal

(jk, but it's funny if you know anything about the OSI model.)

Nope, so that went way over my head...

Don't forget that I successfully tested this with an HTC Hero running 2.1 with the default media player.

It's pretty safe to say that HTC probably uses the same media player on most of their Android phones... So I guess they need to make me a tablet!

[mkanet]

I'm using an HTC Evo.

When I tried using the HTTP, my phone actually opened the web browser and gave an error that the "file" it's trying to download doesnt have a file size defined.

Well, at least the documentation does say streaming is experimental; so, I'm not too surprised or disappointed that it didnt work. I think I've already spent a reasonable enough time on it. If I experimented enough, maybe I can force it to work, but I'm not at all motivated to do that.

Anyway, I appreciate for all the help to get started. I'll still keep an eye on this thread every once in a while to see how its going here. I sincerely hope great success with taSageTV.

Now, I'll have to wait a couple of weeks for my birthday to get a Slingbox HD.... although, I wont be able to access my sageTV recordings and other media, at least I'll be able to comfortably watch TV on my phone (which is my primary goal), record, playback recordings, FF/REW and even proprietary support for Comcast On Demand. From what I can tell it looks relatively polished.

Thanks again,
Michael

Originally Posted by Fonceur

The problem is likely that your phone doesn't know how to handle those streams. It seems like the HTC Evo is the only one with a native media player who can, though things might change with the Android OS 2.2 release... So we either need to find a media player on the market which can handle the stream, or find a way to get VLC to produce a stream that the device might like. Too bad I don't own yet an Android device to test myself.

[Fonceur]

Originally Posted by mkanet

I'm using an HTC Evo.

When I tried using the HTTP

Yeah, I don't think the HTTP version actually works, you would have to use the RTSP one...

trying to download doesnt have a file size defined.

Yeah, that's the unsupported part, hard to know the size of a file when you are re-encoding it on the fly...

The Android OS 2.2 has been officially released on the Nexus One, hopefully the other device manufacturers/providers won't take too long to get up to speed...

[Mythikal]

Originally Posted by mkanet

When I tried using the HTTP, my phone actually opened the web browser and gave an error that the "file" it's trying to download doesnt have a file size defined.

Same thing happens for me when using HTTP. RTSP works though.

PS: I also have the latest version of VLC installed on the same server (enabling the advanced option of one instance at a time)

It's important to note that the newer VLC versions didn't transcode the file into a format that the Evo recognized. I am currently using VLC v1.0.0.

[Fonceur]

If you had been waiting for the application to be out of beta before trying it, well, that time is now... It pretty much does everything I had in mind and more.

While I am still opened to feature requests (and still have some items on my to do list), the next iterations will probably be simple bug fixes, as I concentrate on other projects.


Version 1.09

- Fix: The Mute button did not work.
- Improved the database access.