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

[madpoet]

Have to agree on Amazon, Netflix, etc; Heck, I'd love it if I could use my Comcast.net stuff (all the on demand web programming). That would be outstanding, lots of stuff there.

[JetreL]

Originally Posted by scanner95

A few things that come to mind:
1. Torrent integration. Ideally, I'd like to browse/search a tracker, select a video to download, and start watching it when enough is downloaded (well, I'm dreaming now, but who cares?)

I actually laughed when I read that, Thanks!

My list is pretty simple, netflix, amazon, hulu and pandora. Maybe sage could work out a deal with Play-on and integrate their product in Sage?

SageTV now with SageOn

[paulbeers]

Originally Posted by scanner95

1. Torrent integration. Ideally, I'd like to browse/search a tracker, select a video to download, and start watching it when enough is downloaded (well, I'm dreaming now, but who cares?)

Please remember, Torrets are a very gray area as far as their legality are concerned. Sure you can download non-copyright material, but to be honest that isn't what it will be used for and just like the suggestion earlier about being able to copy freely from netflix/hulu/etc., this would put Sage in possible legal aiding the illegal consumption of copyright material....

Just saying....

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by paulbeers

Please remember, Torrets are a very gray area as far as their legality are concerned. Sure you can download non-copyright material, but to be honest that isn't what it will be used for and just like the suggestion earlier about being able to copy freely from netflix/hulu/etc., this would put Sage in possible legal aiding the illegal consumption of copyright material....

Just saying....

Sage DOES have a large 3rd party developer community, that can conveniently get around these 'grey' issues...

Just saying...

[Brent]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

Sage DOES have a large 3rd party developer community, that can conveniently get around these 'grey' issues...

Just saying...

Quite true. Of course the aim of this thread was to offer up ideas and hopes for things SageTV can/will build in to SageTV directly.

[Zippster]

Netflix and the likes of it need to be native to Sage, not using Playon, today was the first time I got to mess around with a trial membership and watched it via Sage/Playon, then used the Netflix via Xbox360, having to go through Playon is absolutely killing the quality of video on my 55"

Hulu also.

[sleonard]

Yeah, I didn't even bother with Playon. I can continue using the XBox for Netflix until it is available natively in Sage (if ever )

S

[Brent]

Originally Posted by Zippster

Netflix and the likes of it need to be native to Sage, not using Playon, today was the first time I got to mess around with a trial membership and watched it via Sage/Playon, then used the Netflix via Xbox360, having to go through Playon is absolutely killing the quality of video on my 55"

Hulu also.

Nobody has built-in Hulu... do they?
EDIT: Oh, forgot they are adding Hulu Plus subscription service to XBox Live premium members.

[scanner95]

Originally Posted by paulbeers

Please remember, Torrets are a very gray area as far as their legality are concerned. Sure you can download non-copyright material, but to be honest that isn't what it will be used for and just like the suggestion earlier about being able to copy freely from netflix/hulu/etc., this would put Sage in possible legal aiding the illegal consumption of copyright material....

Just saying....

Well, I understand what you are saying, and part of me really agrees with you. However, my proposal was more about a universal video on demand integration. Torrent sites today, in my view, represent a universal VOD engines which are not utilized this way and are, by no doubts, hosting mostly illegal content.
Since lately I have a very fast internet connection (which is a requirement when you speak about HD VoD), I started to wonder what will happen if I lived in an ideal world.
After all, Sage does not have to directly support torrents. Might be that all what is needed is some set framework where a user can choose which sites/RSS feeds/etc to work with, and which download client to fire...

[tmiranda]

Originally Posted by scanner95

1. Torrent integration. Ideally, I'd like to browse/search a tracker, select a video to download, and start watching it when enough is downloaded (well, I'm dreaming now, but who cares?)

Not really possible. Torrents download files piece-by-piece and there is no guarantee on the ordering of when the pieces are downloaded. A torrent is essentially useless until ALL of the pieces are downloaded.

[broconne]

#1) Cablecard support. This for me really is a must have. Just yesterday, I had to reboot my Sage box because the HDPVR just stopped recording.

#2) If we can't get cablecard support - sage needs to build its own HDPVR like device, with the following specs:
(1) Stable
(2) Available over ethernet - like the HDHR.
(3) Firewire support for channel changing.
(4) IR blaster for scenarios where Firewire is not feasible.
(5) Nice size local buffer to handle network/disk blips.
(6) Ability to detect if the cable box is off and send the appropriate power-on command.

It is pretty apparent Hauppage doesn't really make good stable hardware, I think if Sage had end to end control of the recording solution - we would all be better off.

[uberpixel]

My top 3 would be:

1. Add cablecard support
2. Add cablecard support
3. Add cablecard support

I would also like to see an Android/Windows phone placeshifter app and native Netflix streaming. But only after they finish with items 1 through 3.

I love SageTV.

Give me a reason to love it more!

[NetworkGuy]

I agree cablecard support is at the top of the list.

Does anyone know if the new HDHomeRun Prime will work with SageTV?

If it ever comes out.

[Ender]

I agree with many of the suggested features.

-Native Netflix would be nice.

-HULU though looks as if it will never happen, but on my client PC, HULU Desktop works well enough.

-Dynamic customizable menus are on my short list as well.

-Cable card support would be great, but I am concerned about the caveats there.

-One issue that still bothers me to this day, and today reminded me of it, better EPG lineup support. To be specific, for my HDHR, and My HDPVR, there is only one EPG source to choose from, so, the HDHR, which only gets my HD locals in the clear uses the Lineup. The HDPVR uses a copy, but alas if a channel is added, then it will not be updated, and I need to copy it over again. Unfortunately I also have to re-enable all the channels I get and that is time consuming. If there was a way to allow copies to add channels that have been added from it's source lineup, then that would be great.

Well that is about it, other than the odd random video freeze I am getting now all looks good.

[Qusix]

Originally Posted by Ender

for my HDHR, and My HDPVR, there is only one EPG source to choose from, so, the HDHR, which only gets my HD locals in the clear uses the Lineup. The HDPVR uses a copy, but alas if a channel is added, then it will not be updated, and I need to copy it over again.

All you have to do is make the HDHR use a copy of the HDPVR lineup instead of the way you have it. I'm sure the local channels always stay the same so there is nothing to update for that. Any new channels will show up on the HDPVR's lineup. That is how I have it setup and it works fine.

[drewg]

Coming from MythTV, what I really, really miss is "timestretch". This is a MythTV feature that allows you to playback a recording anywhere from 0.5x to 2.0x speed. It adjusts the audio pitch so that voices are sped up (or slowed down), but don't sound like Alvin and the Chipmunks on speed. There are some video artifacts, but they are not as bad as you might imagine.

It is really handy to be able to watch the "boring parts" of shows at 1.5x. That way you can hear the dialog, and not miss anything, but can concentrate on the scenes you like. Most of the news is much better at 1.8x, then you slow down for the story you want to hear.

It can also be useful to slow down the speed. I mainly use this to untangle mumbled dialog (it is easier to drop the speed to 0.75x and rewind 10 seconds than it is to pull up CC, and rewind far enough back that the CC syncs).

Drew

[Bikeman]

I think you guys asking for native Netflix are aiming too low!

How about working a deal with Roku and one gets Netflix and the rest of their channels come along with it?

Jeff

[Ender]

Originally Posted by Qusix

All you have to do is make the HDHR use a copy of the HDPVR lineup instead of the way you have it. I'm sure the local channels always stay the same so there is nothing to update for that. Any new channels will show up on the HDPVR's lineup. That is how I have it setup and it works fine.

I was thinking that same thing as I was typing it, it had dawned on me just then. All being said, there could be a better way.

[sflamm]

1. 64-bit firewire STB tuning support
2. Cable card support OR Windows 7 MCE as remote tuner (for cable card )
3. Netflix native
4. Pandora native

[paulbeers]

Originally Posted by sflamm

1. 64-bit firewire STB tuning support

While I don't use it, isn't that a driver limitation and not necessarily a Sage limitation?