Android App: Phoenix for SageTV (Feature Poll #1)

[stuckless]

I gave people the option to post some of their feature requests, and I've compiled a list of those features, and as such, you can vote on which feature(s) you'd like to see next.

Watch Later (Transcode and Download)
- Once the file is transcoded, it is then download to the device.
- Queue up multiple files, but limit the number of transcode jobs that would run on the server
- Going to require a polling mechanism to hit server and check for completed jobs... this causes a battery drain on Android. (I can't use CDM (send a notification to the phone) since I don't have a central server for pushing messages)

Resume Transcode
- Allow the transode process to know how much has been watched
- Allow user to resume watching/transcoding from the last watched place.
- Set the 'watched' flag on completion.
- NOTE: Unless VLC has an option to specify an input file AND a start time (which I'm unsure if you can do) this may not be an easy thing to do.

Seek/Skip during Transcode
- Implement VLC remote functions which MAY allow for seek/skip operation.
- This will probably require using different profile than the current live streaming profiles, since I think we can only do this if we are using rtsp streaming.
- Going to require some re-architecture of the streaming server (I'll probably implement it separately, and leave the current stuff alone)
- Will probably require that I use the native video play, and build my own controls that communicate with the vlc server. ie, MXPlayer, Mobo, etc will not work for this solution, since I need to manage the video controls for skip, seek, etc.

Update metadata
- Ability to search/update metadata on the device (bmt lite)
- Not the full metadata editing that BMT does, but allow for some ability to search and update metadata for an item.

Movie Centric View
- Wall view/Poster view for movies (mainly for tablets/tv/landscape)

Music centric View
- Build a Music view that allows for showing Albums, Songs better than just the list view used today. (Actually not even sure music works at all today)

Schedule Recordings
- Ability to schedule recordings without linking to the Mobile Web View (today, you can search airings and schedule recordings, by using the View in Web View option on the search results)
- This would give you the option of using a native view to schedule a new manual for favorite without requiring the Mobile Web View.

Manage Favorites
- Ability to Manage Favorites
- Change priority, edit and delete favorite

EPG Grid View
- EPG Grid view (probably more tablet centric, landscape)
- Basically try to replicate the EPG view in SageTV on a phone/tablet.
- All for scheduling of recordings
- This is a fairly large undertaking.

So this is the list, vote and in a week or so, I'll pick the most voted option and start work.

There were a few other suggestions, such as adding "Don't Like" that I didn't put on the list, since it was a small undertaking, so i just added it my "work in progress queue". Also, if you posted something that isn't on the list... it'll make it the next list... and the I may do other things from the eventually... this just lets me know where I should focus the efforts, initially.

[Fredo44]

i am wondering if the feature "Seek/Skip during transcode" also includes seek/skip for playback of non-transcoded (raw) streams

[stuckless]

Originally Posted by Fredo44

i am wondering if the feature "Seek/Skip during transcode" also includes seek/skip for playback of non-transcoded (raw) streams

In, short, no. Seek/Skip would require using the VLC server, since the "raw" stream is basically a copy of the original that you can start watching as it buffers. Seek/Skip is going to require some sort of server side control, in conjunction with the client side media player. It's not trivial

[Dargason]

Originally Posted by stuckless

It's not trivial

Yeah, basically you have to write an entire android media player just so that you can accept the user input and feed it back to the server.

[Fredo44]

Originally Posted by Dargason

Yeah, basically you have to write an entire android media player just so that you can accept the user input and feed it back to the server.

hmmm......assuming that mid-term many set-top-boxes will be using android and do not need trans-coding that is probably not a bad idea ?

[stuckless]

Originally Posted by Fredo44

hmmm......assuming that mid-term many set-top-boxes will be using android and do not need trans-coding that is probably not a bad idea ?

It's not really about being a good or bad idea... its more about having the time to implement such a solution... time which I really don't have (although I'd love to have the time to actually play around with it)

[tvmaster2]

Originally Posted by stuckless

It's not really about being a good or bad idea... its more about having the time to implement such a solution... time which I really don't have (although I'd love to have the time to actually play around with it)

the ability to schedule and cancel recordings would be enough for me. afterall, it's a freakin' smartphone... lol.
PS - any idea how much phone-data would be used streaming a .ts hauppauge file from our servers? I know it's a stretch, but would it be easy or hard to add a data-streamed indicator, either as a daily, or per-incident account? That would save some $$$ while bored in a foreign airport

[stuckless]

Originally Posted by tvmaster2

the ability to schedule and cancel recordings would be enough for me. afterall, it's a freakin' smartphone... lol.
PS - any idea how much phone-data would be used streaming a .ts hauppauge file from our servers? I know it's a stretch, but would it be easy or hard to add a data-streamed indicator, either as a daily, or per-incident account? That would save some $$$ while bored in a foreign airport

I don't really know how much data is used (off hand). But I haven't really looked into doing this since, the Android 4.x devices have built in bandwith monitor caps, and you can see how much data has been consumed by each application (keep in mind that using this, you have look at the data used by MXPlayer and not the SageTV app)

[panteragstk]

Originally Posted by tvmaster2

the ability to schedule and cancel recordings would be enough for me. afterall, it's a freakin' smartphone... lol.

True as that may be, there's no reason we can't use it on an android STB.

[tvmaster2]

Originally Posted by stuckless

I don't really know how much data is used (off hand). But I haven't really looked into doing this since, the Android 4.x devices have built in bandwith monitor caps, and you can see how much data has been consumed by each application (keep in mind that using this, you have look at the data used by MXPlayer and not the SageTV app)

cool - sadly I'm stuck at 2.3.4 I believe (Gingerbread). I'll see if MXPlayer does this in 2.3.4

[tvmaster2]

Originally Posted by panteragstk

True as that may be, there's no reason we can't use it on an android STB.

ooo - what's an Android set-top box...example? sounds fun

[panteragstk]

Originally Posted by tvmaster2

ooo - what's an Android set-top box...example? sounds fun

http://www.amazon.com/Companion-802-...pd_sim_sbs_e_1

One example anyway.

[tvmaster2]

Originally Posted by panteragstk

http://www.amazon.com/Companion-802-...pd_sim_sbs_e_1

One example anyway.

so, running the Android App, this is effectively a HD200?

[stuckless]

Originally Posted by tvmaster2

so, running the Android App, this is effectively a HD200?

Just so you know... I've tried my app on a GoogleTV device.... It's not usuable as is. It would require a lot more testing before I'd be happy with it.

That being said, it would be possible to build a complete extender in Android, but it would take alot of work, as well.

[Dargason]

Given the limited (and shrinking) user base, it might be tough to justify that level of development.

[stuckless]

Originally Posted by Dargason

Given the limited (and shrinking) user base, it might be tough to justify that level of development.

Agreed... It's not high up on my priority list

[tvmaster2]

Originally Posted by stuckless

Agreed... It's not high up on my priority list

yeah, that's kinda what I figured in the first place :0)

[waynedunham]

Originally Posted by Dargason

Given the limited (and shrinking) user base, it might be tough to justify that level of development.

I'm not sure I'd agree with that assessment. Have you seen what some folks are paying for HD-200/300's? If stuckless could make an app that would effectively turn an Android STB into a Sage Client it might be worth a significantly larger donation.
He was looking at what features to put behind the lock, well there you go.

Of course it might even require a separate app. One for phone/tablet and one for Android STB.

[panteragstk]

What I see being the issue with the android STB's would be playing back a file directly without transcoding. Not sure that's even possible.

[Fonceur]

Originally Posted by panteragstk

What I see being the issue with the android STB's would be playing back a file directly without transcoding. Not sure that's even possible.

That's what the "no transcode" option (or "Play on device" from TaSageTV) already does... It just pulls the file through http and plays it back. Might not be as efficient as the "direct play" from Plex, but is probably very close...