Open Thread: Sage is Awesome - Next I hope they add.....

[Brent]

I love SageTV - as you probably already know. I think SageTV 7 is a huge step forward in making things easier - especially if the new user gets an extender. But being a HTPC geek...er enthusiast I'm oftentimes thinking about what I hope they (SageTV guys) do next. Here's my short list:

1. Built-in Netflix Streaming Support
2. Built-in Amazon Streaming Support (I think Amazon is preparing a move to expand in this area)
3. iPhone/iPad/Android/Windows Phone Placeshifter support w/official app
4. Official Pandora/LastFM support
5. Improvements to HD Theater Standalone Media Player mode (I'll leave this one open ended. It will benefit HD300 sales more than it will help me.
6. CableCard or better solution (I fear the move of Cableco's shrinking unencrypted QAM to nearly nothing)

So that's my quick&dirty short list. What's on your wishlist or hopes for the SageTV future?

[PLUCKYHD]

Good list I will add my food for thought.

Originally Posted by Brent

[*]Built-in Netflix Streaming Support

Agreed here but only valuable to me if it is able to integrate in the sagetv interface (I don't want to have to go to the standalone mode like the xbox 360 does if so I will stick with playon.

[*]Built-in Amazon Streaming Support (I think Amazon is preparing a move to expand in this area)

Same as above on netflix although I don't currently use amazon I probably would.

[*]iPhone/iPad/Android/Windows Phone Placeshifter support w/official app

Here here That is my number on want but I want more of remote control placeshifter isn't as import to me. I want to be able to control all my sage boxes from my iphone/ipad/android just like i can my sonos. Any extender from one remote. I actually started work on one but decided in the end I would have to charge to make it worth while and native one would be worlds better.

[*]Official Pandora/LastFM support

That is what sonos is for

[*]Improvements to HD Theater Standalone Media Player mode (I'll leave this one open ended. It will benefit HD300 sales more than it will help me.

I have actually been thinking about porting SMM to work in standalone mode although I haven't actually looked at it yet. That would allow a great standalone jukebox movie play for sagetv without sagetv software just don't know that the demand would be there for it.

[*]CableCard or better solution (I fear the move of Cableco's shrinking unencrypted QAM to nearly nothing)

I am onboard with this as long as it doesn't start DRMing everything and we have a choice. I personally wouldn't use it as nothing but locals is marked copy freely on my cable carrier and no commercial skip is a no go for me.

I will have to get back on my adders to the list

[toricred]

I'd also like to see Native Hulu, but I fear that's a non-starter. I've made my statements about CableCard support and won't repeat them for fear of being flamed even more. The final thing I really want is a user based approach so that it can track watched status based on user and implement parental controls based on user.

At this point I don't see anything else I'm interested in having added as it meets all my needs. The only other thing I'm waiting for is Ortus or possibly Phoenix. I'm currently using TVE, but it has its bugs and even razr says it's on hold for the moment. Plucky's TV Idea/Concept may be the solution I'm looking for there.

[mistergq]

Great thread:

1) User control
2) Netflix integration
3) Hulu integration
4) iPad/iPhone placeshifter (bias since I use both)
5) Cablecard support

[Email68]

New guy here. Don't want to steer too far off topic. But this seems like a pretty advanced piece of software. All the way at version 7. Why doesn't it already have cable card support?

Tim

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by Email68

New guy here. Don't want to steer too far off topic. But this seems like a pretty advanced piece of software. All the way at version 7. Why doesn't it already have cable card support?

Tim

Not to get too far off topic, but it's mostly cablelabs doing. CableCard is prohibitively complicated/expensive to support (by design?). The DRM requirements are not only cumbersome, but would break most of the functionality of sagetv, not to mention go against the creator's beliefs on the matter. SageTV themselves have even petitioned the FCC for more openness in whatever the successor to CableCard ends up being.

Back on topic:
1) Native Netflix Streaming (though since I use PC clients exclusively, not as important for me personally)
2) Native Pandora Playback (like #1, not for me personally that imoprtatnt, though it would be nice to have it integrated nicely into the SageTV UI)
3) Mobile Placeshifter support (Android, for me) - Though I'd prefer they just open up the Placeshifter protocol, so we could write whatever we wanted for it. (Thinking a nice integrated plugin for OpenMobile)
5) Dynamic Menu's (Actually, all I really want is an external Menu file that could be configured to order/reorder/add/remove menu options - I don't care if there is any in-UI configuration capabilities)
4) CableCard (more for the 'plug-in and go' type capability).. Would be far better to support whatever new 'Gateway' device the FCC shoves down or throats.. but that's years away).

[toricred]

Fuzzy,

You just reminded me +1 for Dynamic Customizable Menus.

[graywolf]

Already mentioned but also would love
Built-in Netflix Streaming Support (must be able to record)
Built-in Amazon Streaming Support (must be able to record)
Dynamic Menus

[Brent]

Originally Posted by graywolf

Already mentioned but also would love
Built-in Netflix Streaming Support (must be able to record)
Built-in Amazon Streaming Support (must be able to record)

No official plugin is going to give you the ability to record online streaming content. Because it isn't allowed by those that provide the online content. That's just the way it is.

[paulbeers]

Originally Posted by graywolf

Already mentioned but also would love
Built-in Netflix Streaming Support (must be able to record)
Built-in Amazon Streaming Support (must be able to record)
Dynamic Menus

Recording Netflix and/or Amazon would probably be the fastest way for Sage to be shut down as a company. The ensuing lawsuit could and would be a financial disaster for Sage.

Haven't you ever wondered why no other software does this?!?!

As for my list:

1. Full integration with Netflix
2. Android/iOS application (I have both a Droid X and an iPod Touch and will be adding an iPad when 2.0 comes out unless the Android 3.0 is really tablet friendly)
3. Sage 7 for Mac! (still waiting)

[briands]

I know there is a lot of clamor for adding features, but it seems there are still a number of opportunities to improve the core since, after all, Sage is first and foremost a PVR application.

Following are recording features that have been requested for a LONG time - I've tried to find the first post for each... wow, some of these go back a ways...

Favorites -
New Favorite type / option - KEEP at LEAST - so you always have a few episodes to watch

New Favorite option - Always Record First Airing - this one will cause more conflicts, but it is apparent that some customers want this feature.

New Manual recording setting - Record within the next x days - one time favorite - this is for those times you see something you want to record (a movie for instance) that has multiple airings in the guide. I want to record it, but want to let the scheduler figure out how to prevent a conflict.

Improve intelligent recordings - , wouldn't it be GREAT to actually be able to use Intelligent Recordings? Does anyone use it or even remember that it's there? Brent's New Premiers is what reminded me of this. I was thinking, wouldn't it be great if Sage would just record the new series' that I will like instead of me searching the program guide vs. Brent's list??? Here's an OLD post on the topic (I'm sure there are others).

Other IR issues here and

here

Originally Posted by JasonJoel

Yeah... A little more granularity on the IR feature would make it AWESOME.

Just a few features like:
1. Never record this show - I hate it, I will never watch it regardless of the fact it is in a category I like. I got a lot of these shows on Tech TV...
2. Never IR record on this particular channel (can do this by removing the channel, but that stinks if you sometimes want to watch something on it). This is how I got around a lot of the recording kiddie cartoon issues, I just removed Disney and a few other channels. That solution obviously does not work if you want to watch Disney on occassion, that's where the new 'never IR on this channel' feature comes in...
3. Limiting IR space to X
4. An IR specific keep only 'X' episodes. The idea here is, yes I like Seinfeld but you don't have to record 50 of them just because I like them (regardless if there is space or not)
5. And of course separating the IR recordings in the folder list (this is actually probably #1 on my list...)

Jason

"I HATE IT" - take aggressive negative profiling to an extreme - the anti favorite. I MAY OCCASIONALLY WATCH THE NEWS... i do not EVER want any news recorded via IR...

Babysitter/ guest mode - again, not a big deal if you don't use IR - a way to ignore live TV in determining IR...

[graywolf]

Originally Posted by Brent

No official plugin is going to give you the ability to record online streaming content. Because it isn't allowed by those that provide the online content. That's just the way it is.

Oh well. Would have been nice.

[evilpenguin]

Originally Posted by Brent

1. Built-in Netflix Streaming Support
2. Built-in Amazon Streaming Support (I think Amazon is preparing a move to expand in this area)
3. Official Pandora/LastFM support
4. CableCard or better solution (I fear the move of Cableco's shrinking unencrypted QAM to nearly nothing)

Yep, that's pretty much my list too, with extreme emphasis on the additional content sources. If Sage can't start knocking some stuff off that list in the next year they're in serious danger of users wandering off in search greener pastures.

[Spectrum]

I'm not gonna repeat the obvious: Netflix, Amazon, Cablecard, etc. Oops I just did.

The one thing I want, that really should not be all that hard to add, is more aspect ratio choices. Source, 4x3, 16x9, and fill just aren't enough. Is there any reason that these couldn't be user added arbitrarily?

• I need source for imported media, DVD's etc.
• I need 4x3 for anything recorded at 480p by HDPVR.
• I need 16x9 for most things recorded in SD by the overflow analog tuners.
• I have fill set to expand the picture vertically just a bit to run the CC data off the screen.
• I need at least 1 more to expand anything that is broadcast SD on an HD channel. I love it when locals do that

That's just off the top of my head, I'm sure I could go on if I really went through my recordings....

[toricred]

If I recall correctly you can create custom aspect ratios in sage.properties. I'm sure it's in the manual, but I don't have it handy at the moment.

[Spectrum]

Originally Posted by toricred

If I recall correctly you can create custom aspect ratios in sage.properties. I'm sure it's in the manual, but I don't have it handy at the moment.

Only for HD Extenders according to the V6 manual. If I have some time I'll edit the sage.properties and see if it will work, but IIRC this topic as come up before and the consensus was we are stuck with 4 until it's changed in the core.

[toricred]

Sorry, I didn't realize you were talking about a client. I've only used extenders for so long that I sometimes forget the client even exists.

[Spectrum]

Originally Posted by toricred

Sorry, I didn't realize you were talking about a client. I've only used extenders for so long that I sometimes forget the client even exists.

No worries, the only problem was you got my hopes up! At this point an extender really doesn't make sense for me because everything is localized in one room. I just use placeshifter on my laptop to watch TV in the kitchen if I am cooking or on my desktop in my bedroom. Yay for the bachelor pad, I don't currently have W/GAF to deal with

[Sparhawk6]

I love SageTV as well but every day I check these forums hoping and praying that I will hear of CableCard support (although I suspect I will hear it from Brent first on twitter or his blog). That is the pinnacle for me right now. I must have it. I will not get the HD-PVR as I consider it a stop-gap only. I pray I pray I pray

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by Sparhawk6

I love SageTV as well but every day I check these forums hoping and praying that I will heard of CableCard support (although I suspect I will hear it from Brent first on twitter or his blog). That is the pinnacle for me right now. I must have it. I will not get the HD-PVR as I consider it a stop-gap only. I pray I pray I pray

Honestly, You're missing a LOT if good quality HD in the mean-time. it being a 'stop-gap' really shouldn't be a reason to stick to lousy quality.