iPad/iPod/iPhone application: TiSageTV

[Fonceur]

Originally Posted by rileydogmi

I installed SageTCPServer - read the wiki and added the entires in the properties file

Are you using SageTV version 7? If so, you don't need to manually edit the properties file, I have move the SageTV 6 configuration to its own wiki page, as it seemed to confuse some person... You might need to restart SageTV and its service, as SageTV as been reported flaky as far as really using the updated plugins from the internal restart.

Not sure where to start - I turned debug on but see no sagetv_0.txt - I set degubbing in Sage on and also on the TCPServer...

That points to the SageTV service still running and thus all your edits have been discarded... If you perform those operations from the SageTV interface, in settings and plugin settings, they should work. Maybe restart the PC after, just to make sure.

Originally Posted by Dingdul

Yeah I had this although after a few restarts of my pc the various functions came alive.

Right, I hope the SageTV programmers will be able to resolve that issue of pugins requiring an extra restart, even though SageTV is performing a restart after installing some plugins.

Good work and promising even if a little disappointing at first.

So what do you see as lacking?

[appelm]

Originally Posted by Fonceur

But that's already working like that, if you select a genre, the next list will be sorted and show the index...

Oh sorry you're right.. I meant in the Sorted by Title view for videos and tv shows.

[Fonceur]

Originally Posted by Dingdul

and for a hefty price there's bound to be a stream of updates.

Well, it's priced in line with the cost of a placeshifter license, and if you have multiple iOS devices synced to the same iTunes account, you can use those devices simultaneously without requiring extra placeshifters licenses. Of course if you already had extra placeshifters licenses laying around, that's a different story.

As far as the updates, the one week approval process from Apple does cramp my style...

[Dingdul]

Originally Posted by Fonceur

So what do you see as lacking?

The areas of functionality are impressive, so it's more around maturity - in places it has the feel of a beta - versus price.

Improved look and feel will be important for me personally but again, the list of suggestions elsewhere will address this over time.

Great effort!

[rileydogmi]

I am using the latest 7 (not beta)

I see the log now - but, it still doesn't work...

I have the TCP plugin and also the jetty plugin installed - I also have the mobile web plugin - nothing else except dependancies.

I restarted system many times too...

[Fonceur]

Originally Posted by rileydogmi

I see the log now - but, it still doesn't work...

OK, if you could zip up and post your sage.properties and sagetv_0.txt, I will take a look.

Are you trying to test it over wifi first (using 192.168.0.x)?

[rileydogmi]

Thanks - yes, 192.168.1.9 is my server...

One thing I found "strange" on the iPhone app

I renamed Server 1 to another name in iPhone settings.

In the app settings, I see that name but when I select it, the name stays "Server 1" - same with Client.

Not sure if changing the name screws something up.

[Fonceur]

Originally Posted by rileydogmi

Thanks - yes, 192.168.1.9 is my server...

Try double checking the IP address on the SageTV server with ipconfig or such... Everything was fine on the SageTCPServer front, just no attempt at connecting to it...

In the app settings, I see that name but when I select it, the name stays "Server 1" - same with Client.

I might not be displaying the right values, but nothing to worry about. At some point, I will be grabbing the available clients from SageTCPServer directly, but since that will require SageTV 7, I am trying to make sure that every TiSageTV users is on it...

[rileydogmi]

I just reloaded the UI and it all works - no idea how that happened!

Thanks

The only thing is the status (now playing client 1) spins and spins - not sure why, nothing ever comes up.

But, progress and looking good. Thanks.

[Fonceur]

Originally Posted by rileydogmi

The only thing is the status (now playing client 1) spins and spins - not sure why, nothing ever comes up.

Maybe you haven't sync yet the item that is currently playing...

[PLUCKYHD]

Fonceur,

First and foremost thanks for this. I have no issue with your price I know how much time a project like this takes. It was $30 well spent i had my doubts but really impressed. Works easy and very well. My main uses/wants are the control I have no interest in steaming. Couple questions

1. Videos doesn't seem to remember my sorting by title setting is there a way to get it to?

2. Any chance of getting a play feature from the guide?

3. Any chance of getting a fuller guide with several channels at once one that mimics sage more accurately?

If those are future plans great. Again thanks and great app!!

Plucky

[Fonceur]

Originally Posted by PLUCKYHD

1. Videos doesn't seem to remember my sorting by title setting is there a way to get it to?

Yes it is planned (Keep track of last access/sort preferences)

2. Any chance of getting a play feature from the guide?

It's part of 1.09: "Can now launch LiveTV on a specific channel form the TV guide", and I've submitted 1.10 for approval already...

3. Any chance of getting a fuller guide with several channels at once one that mimics sage more accurately?

It is planned (Display the TV guide as a grid). I actually started working on it, but got side-tracked.

[PLUCKYHD]

Originally Posted by Fonceur

Yes it is planned (Keep track of last access/sort preferences)


It's part of 1.09: "Can now launch LiveTV on a specific channel form the TV guide", and I've submitted 1.10 for approval already...


It is planned (Display the TV guide as a grid). I actually started working on it, but got side-tracked.

Thanks. Couple of other observations

Take away delete from videos oh my that scares me!

Why when I sort videos by title why when I click on a title do I get another screen with that title and the first letter above it and have to click it again?

Still impressed!! And a grid guide would be a killer feature

Another nice one would be a quicker ability to change the client you are controlling.

Cheers

Pluckyhd

[Fonceur]

Originally Posted by PLUCKYHD

Take away delete from videos oh my that scares me!

Well, it's in red for a reason... But from 1.09: "Added confirmation to the favorite and file deletions."

Why when I sort videos by title why when I click on a title do I get another screen with that title and the first letter above it and have to click it again?

In principle you could be clicking a series and thus getting multiple choices on the next step. But yes, the feature request on the wiki (you might want to read it... ) does have: "Go from sorted list to detail view if there is only one match."

Another nice one would be a quicker ability to change the client you are controlling.

Press Settings and select one, not sure how much quicker it could be...

[PLUCKYHD]

Originally Posted by Fonceur

Press Settings and select one, not sure how much quicker it could be...

I was thinking more along the lines of a button always visible on the top or bottom corner that you could hit anytime and would bring down a drop down of the clients. Kind of like my movies does it. Just making it two clicks less but more importantly easier and more simple to find kind of a always there thing.


The delete thing if I may ask for a way to hide it all together if we want. My guest will use this app often and allowing them to delete my videos would be a cruel joke they could play on me.


As for the wiki didn't even see it until now thanks.

What would it take to cache the images locally on a iPad or is this already being done. I know you mentioned that is how my movies does it but they I also realize they have a full blown web server to access as well.

Cheers

Plucky

[MacDaddy]

Originally Posted by Fonceur

And it's already in there...

One thing to note is that on iOS before 4.1 that would crash, so I had to disable it on those, so make sure your firmware is up to date...

I think I may now realize why the index isn't active on my iPhone. I am currently at iOS 4.2.1, but when I first began using TiSageTV the firmware was at the default when I bought the beast over a year ago.

Where is the setting to disable and is it something I can enable myself?

[Fonceur]

Originally Posted by PLUCKYHD

I was thinking more along the lines of a button always visible on the top or bottom corner that you could hit anytime and would bring down a drop down of the clients.

I see, I might be able to make those connection icons on the top right clickable... But between that and clicking the tab icon at the bottom right, I'm not sure you'd be saving much and might end up pressing it more by accident instead...

but more importantly easier and more simple to find kind of a always there thing.

Well, on the iPod/iPhone, the bottom tab is almost always there and certainly there more often than the connection icons, so that would actually be a step back. Unless I add some new buttons just for that, but then that means losing some screen real estate everywhere... Now on the iPad the situation is a bit different, there is more room for that and the connection icons are less present too.

And how often do you need to change clients in the first place? Unless you have multiple extenders accessible from the same TV or TV's in a single room, I'm not sure to see the benefits of saving those 2 clicks considering what I mentioned before.

The delete thing if I may ask for a way to hide it all together if we want. My guest will use this app often and allowing them to delete my videos would be a cruel joke they could play on me.

Actually, my initial plan was to have a setting to disable it completely, add a warning on use or have it work as pre-1.09. So it will make it in, hopefully before your guests do too much damage...

What would it take to cache the images locally on a iPad or is this already being done.

Every thumbnails and other images are cached for a week, based on their last access. On launch of the application, the cache is purged of the ones that have not been accessed in a week. Now in order to make use of coverflow/movie wall, I would need to sync all the images during a regular sync or as an extra step, and never expire them for albums/songs/videos, possibly photos and TV shows too. Of course some people might end up filling up their device that way and taking forever to transfer all those images over wifi...

Originally Posted by MacDaddy

Where is the setting to disable and is it something I can enable myself?

The check is performed at run time, so that should not be an issue. I did enable the indexing in more places in the "waiting for review" version 1.10...

[PLUCKYHD]

Originally Posted by Fonceur

I see, I might be able to make those connection icons on the top right clickable...

That would be great with just a drop down list of clients from there.

Originally Posted by Fonceur

And how often do you need to change clients in the first place? Unless you have multiple extenders accessible from the same TV or TV's in a single room, I'm not sure to see the benefits of saving those 2 clicks considering what I mentioned before.

I change quite often but I know I am an exepction but I have 5 hd 300's and one client computer. Also is there anyway to disable and not show the unused client slots?

Originally Posted by Fonceur

Actually, my initial plan was to have a setting to disable it completely, add a warning on use or have it work as pre-1.09. So it will make it in, hopefully before your guests do too much damage...

Originally Posted by Fonceur

Every thumbnails and other images are cached for a week, based on their last access. On launch of the application, the cache is purged of the ones that have not been accessed in a week. Now in order to make use of coverflow/movie wall, I would need to sync all the images during a regular sync or as an extra step, and never expire them for albums/songs/videos, possibly photos and TV shows too. Of course some people might end up filling up their device that way and taking forever to transfer all those images over wifi...

Yeah I see the hang up there but would be a nice benefit for ipad users especially. While we are on the topic what are you using to get your DVD and movie titles in the videos section? Some of my videos are showing the directory name am I sure that is a fallback to the call you are using but I do have titles so curious what API title you are using there.

[Fonceur]

Originally Posted by PLUCKYHD

That would be great with just a drop down list of clients from there.

If I don't put the server changes too, then yes I can do it that way.

I change quite often but I know I am an exepction but I have 5 hd 300's and one client computer.

I see.

Also is there anyway to disable and not show the unused client slots?

Actually, the plan is to grab the list of clients/ports from SageTCPServer, remove the client part totally from the TiSageTV settings, and thus only display what is really available. Of course to do that requires that no TiSageTV user is still running SageTV 6, and a few changes on my part...

While we are on the topic what are you using to get your DVD and movie titles in the videos section? Some of my videos are showing the directory name am I sure that is a fallback to the call you are using but I do have titles so curious what API title you are using there.

Yes it can be pretty messy... If people have good metadata, it should be displaying the title. But if people have ripped a DVD or downloaded a file from bittorent, then Title and Episode title will contain some info, and I try to figure out a proper title from that... If you wipe the TiSageTV database and redo a sync, you can look at the sagetv_0.txt to see what is sent in OFL: (Other File List).

title = airing.GetAiringTitle();
episode = airing.GetShow().GetShowEpisode();

If you really want, I can paste what I actually use to reconstruct titles from that.

[PLUCKYHD]

Originally Posted by Fonceur

Yes it can be pretty messy... If people have good metadata, it should be displaying the title. But if people have ripped a DVD or downloaded a file from bittorent, then Title and Episode title will contain some info, and I try to figure out a proper title from that... If you wipe the TiSageTV database and redo a sync, you can look at the sagetv_0.txt to see what is sent in OFL: (Other File List).

title = airing.GetAiringTitle();
episode = airing.GetShow().GetShowEpisode();

If you really want, I can paste what I actually use to reconstruct titles from that.

I have good metadata it all shows right in the default for a reference this is how I get the media title in diamond and seems to work spot on.

   public static String GetMediaTitle(Object MediaObject) {
        String Title = sagex.api.MediaFileAPI.GetMediaFileMetadata(MediaObject, "MediaTitle");
        if (Title.equals("") || Title.equals(null)) {
            Title = sagex.api.MediaFileAPI.GetMediaTitle(MediaObject);
        }
        if (Title.equals("") || Title.equals(null)) {
       Title = sagex.api.AiringAPI.GetAiringTitle(MediaObject);
        }
        if (Title.equals("") || Title.equals(null)) {
            return "Unknown";
        }
        return Title;
    }

Also any chance you could ad scrubing of the "the" , "a" and "an" before titles.

cheers and thanks for listening