Where would YOU put Sage's improvement priorities?

[toricred]

@DFranch you're missing the fact that a lot of people use satellite rather than cable.

[Skirge01]

Originally Posted by toricred

@DFranch you're missing the fact that a lot of people use satellite rather than cable.

Hehe... I said that once someplace (might have even been another forum) and the cable groupies looked at me like I was nuts. It seemed like, "What? You satellite groupies are the vast minority. Cable is the main business for HTPCs."

[toricred]

I tried really hard to not say a sizable number of people, but what the heck. There are a sizable number of people who use satellite rather than cable. Probably not 50%, but I would guess over 25%.

[DFranch]

Originally Posted by toricred

@DFranch you're missing the fact that a lot of people use satellite rather than cable.

I don't know the specifics of how satellite works, only cable. Do you need to have a cable box and use an HD-PVR for each tuner with Satellite? If so, I guess that's why I still have cable.

[EnterNoEscape]

One perk of satellite for me is you can actually own your own STB. Being able to do this with cable is a very spotty area. This would mitigate the additional monthly rental fees associated with having a box and HD-PVR or R5000-HD approach to tuners. Even accounting for the monthly fees, it would take several years to pay off the cost of multiple boxes plus the hardware needed to capture from them. That's not accounting for the cost in electricity to run all of this hardware (HD-PVR = 7 watts, STB = 13 watts average measured with Kill-A-Watt). In the end a 4-tuner PC based CableCard tuner is cheap to rent, has a comparatively low up-front cost and uses a lot less power.

In my situation, a CableCard solution would pay for itself in less than 2 years, and give me two extra tuners I didn't have before. Of course in two years, the whole DVR scene will probably be a new standard making all my investment break even as best.

[PeteCress]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

I'd like to get some sort of a feel for where people think sage should be spending their most development resources.

My agenda is for SageTV to be around and prosper for a long time to come - that way I don't have to find a new product.

To that end, if I were calling the shots at Sage, I'd put some effort into making SageTV something besides an enthusiast's product.

It doesn't have tb a totally dumbed-down utility like MCE, but the UI SB more consistent with what an innocent buyer would expect (e.g. what is the difference between "Recorded TV", "Videos", "Media", and "DVDs" from the user's perspective? Answer: Litttle or None. Those distinctions appear tb derived from the functional geneology of the subroutines that provide them.)

Another e.g.: Client, PlaceShifter, and the HD200 should present identical UIs - which they almost do, but not quite.

Last e.g.: There needs tb some public relations material written by professional writers, not Linux experts. What *is* SageTV and how can I, the average person, use it to my benefit?

They can add features until Hell freezes over, but their customer base will never expand beyond enthusiasts. They're a step (a very large step) above MythTV, but they're still in the same league.

[barney B.A.]

All good points. However, I don't think most average users will ever pick something like Sage. Look at Tivo. It seems they make most of their money winning lawsuits. Even they are looking into deals with Comcast and Directv running their software on motorola STBs from the cablecos

[PeteCress]

I think they sb thinking about a SageTvClient for iPhone/iPad/iTouch.

Orb is already in the game, but it doesn't work on Windows Home Server boxes and it lacks Sage's sophisticated/comprehensive UI.

An iPhone/Touch/Pad client would preserve their position as a comprehensive home media solution.

FWIW, I think they could sell an iPhone/Touch/Pad client in the AppStore for $25 to existing SageTV users no problem...

[doncote0]

I would gladly shell out $25 for this.

It is similar to the placeshifter in functionality, but placeshifter doesn't work on these devices.

I already shelled out $10 for Orb, but am not crazy about it. I like timeshifting my recordings which Orb does not support well.

[PeteCress]

Originally Posted by doncote0

I already shelled out $10 for Orb, but am not crazy about it. I like timeshifting my recordings which Orb does not support well.

Are you running the Orb server on a WSH box or an XP box?

I know what you mean about the timeshifting.... Orb is pretty primative there. In fact, it's no prize overall - but right now it seems tb the only game in town live-TV-wise.

Have you tried AirVideo for viewing recorded shows?

The UI is better than Orb's and it supports resuming where one left off.

[doncote0]

Originally Posted by PeteCress

Are you running the Orb server on a WSH box or an XP box?

Windows 7 64bit

I know what you mean about the timeshifting.... Orb is pretty primative there. In fact, it's no prize overall - but right now it seems tb the only game in town live-TV-wise.

Have you tried AirVideo for viewing recorded shows?

Originally one of the reasons I upgraded my system (ask me private) was to give more room for Playon and AirVideo. Now that I have, Orb has been good at USB-UIRT control, which means I'll try that first. Can AirVideo timeshift or watch LiveTV?

The UI is better than Orb's and it supports resuming where one left off.

Orb always let me resume where I left off (except for live shows).

[PeteCress]

Originally Posted by doncote0

Can AirVideo timeshift or watch LiveTV?

I took "timeshift" to mean watching recorded shows.

But now I'm thinking you mean both watch *and* record.

No; AirVideo does not do TV Tuners. AFAIK, the only thing it can do is play back pre-recorded material.

I did not know that Orb would resume where I left off while watching a show... but AirVideo does it more explicitly with a "Do you want to resume where you left off... Yes or No" dialog. Also, I like it's presentation of the file lists better.

But both pale in comparison to what even a majorly-dumbed-down version of Client of Placeshifter would probably supply.

[doncote0]

Orb allows me to resume most of the time. I do watch recorded shows.

Occasionally, I will need to watch a live non-standard channel (USB-UIRT). This is usually for some NFL, ESPN, cartoon network or SYFY show. (Yes I watch cartoons. )

So I need a player that will allow the "timeshifting" without freaking out. Orb does it poorly. Trying to play a file that keeps getting larger in size messes most players up. Some won't play them at all.

Might be a moot point if Sage comes up with a Placeshifter client for the iPhone.

Could also be moot if I can get Orb to watch liveTV using the USB-UIRT.

But both pale in comparison to what even a majorly-dumbed-down version of Client of Placeshifter would probably supply.

True, trancoding is already built in to placeshifter. We just need the front end (client) setup for iPhone use.

Pretty pretty please with sugar on top? (and some money on the side)

[vhurst]

Originally Posted by doncote0

I wish that placeshifter could work with my iPhone.

Please create a SageTV client for iPhones. If any other smart phone user also needs a client, they should speak up now.

(You should have an unlimited data plan to use this.)

I would not mind paying extra for the privledge of using SageTV on my iPhone. I would expect it to be on par with the normal client access license plus the cost for the iPhone app itself (total cost about 1.5 to 2 times the normal license cost).

Here here! A Placeshifter mobile app for windows mobile.

[Nelbert]

I'd vote for more Satellite improvements, especially to increase sales to the European market.

Better disecq/motor support, yes I know the bda architecture doesn't have specific support so it's on a card by card basis.

Increased CAM/CI support, which again tends to be proprietory. Before anyone starts with Sky UK blah blah, with satellite and multi-lnb or motor, Sky isn't the only option. Many europeans have valid viewing cards for different countries.

[trallyus]

Speaking as someone who uses sage tv for just over the air tv I do know that not everyone needs cable card support I have 3 tuners on the sage tv box recording shows on the main stations that I get with an antenna.

And for other channels like hbo and showtime and such I have a dvr dedicated to recording shows with its 2 tuners so as not to miss a thing

That was why I voted for Develop a flashier, more graphically intensive UI.
Create an official plugin installer system, and online plugin catalog.
and Improve the music/video library system.

Just my two cents worth.
Trallyus

P.S. Alot of users that just set up sage tv and have no problems with it tend not to check the forums when everything is working right or they tend to lurk like I used to and just read without registering I would think so the numbers will probably be skewered toward more advanced user suggestions then what most general users would want.

[ttdberg]

In the base SageTV7 for Windows product, support for vobsub subtitles embedded in MKV and MP4 containers.

[PeteCress]

I'd try to make behavior of lists consistent from list-to-list.

In v6, at least, one list responds to keyboard input by positioning itself to the letter pressed while another similar list does not.

In v7, one list's selection behavior consists in part of an icon jumping out at the user while another list's does not.

[Deacon Crusher]

Sage 7 and the HD300 are awesome, but (yes, there's always a but) what comes next.

# 1 for me is support (as good as possible) of the Ceton and Prime cablecard products.

# 2 real support for netflix so we can watch the high quality streams. (on Extenders)

# 3 placeshifting to handhelds

# 3b (I think 3 happens easier/better/faster if this happens) get transcoding to use the power of the GPU on the server (new GPUs can do transcoding tons faster then CPUs.) Faster then real time transcoding of h264 and way faster of other formats.

# 4 User accounts. chose which sage user you are and different things are displayed, different shows and menus (including hiding config items and adult programming from a given account) and make sure favorites can be marked as belonging to multiple users so won't auto delete until all users have seen.

[comet48]

How about getting the software up from alpha quality to release quality!!