My Adventures with Google Fiber - from a SageTV guy

[Brent]

Hi all,
As promised I'm working through a series of write-ups on my experiences with Google Fiber since I am fortunate enough to live in Kansas City, MISSOURI.

Here's what I have so far:
Google Fiber Install – The Wait

The Google Fiber Build-out in Kansas City

Google Fiber–The Installation

I'll be adding a few more that go into detail on how the TV part of things work, the real internet speed you get with Google Fiber, the Google Fiber TV app, and some stuff that will be of particular interest to current and former SageTV users. All of that coming in the next few days/weeks as I have time. Let me know if you have any questions/comments and I'll try to address them in the future posts.

[pjpjpjpj]

Thanks, Brent! I look forward to more updates, especially the "meaty" stuff about comparing it to SageTV.

For those who wondered how Google would be able to handle the person-to-person customer service, it has been exceptional so far especially compared to my experience with Time Warner, Dish Network and DirecTV.

The bar wasn't really set very high there, was it?

[Skybolt]

It must be nice not to have to wonder what you're going to do when Sage is no longer functioning for you!

How does the STB handle local ripped content? just as nicely as the 300 did/does?

Nice write ups BTW.

[Brent]

Originally Posted by pjpjpjpj

Thanks, Brent! I look forward to more updates, especially the "meaty" stuff about comparing it to SageTV.


The bar wasn't really set very high there, was it?

No it definitely was not. But I was still a little concerned about how Google would handle it since they aren't really known for the kind of direct contact customer service you might need in a CableTV sort of business. So far it's been good - we'll see how it goes after their customer base multiplies exponentially.

[Brent]

Originally Posted by Skybolt

How does the STB handle local ripped content? just as nicely as the 300 did/does?
Nice write ups BTW.

Thanks. I honestly have only tried one video file on the STB so far and it handled it well. The real problem there is that the STB is very locked down so thus far it can't access any files that aren't on the Storage box itself. Instead you have to copy anything like that right onto the storage box which won't work for me.

I've been using Plex plus a Chromecast (plugged into my TV) for my movies etc as a workaround and so far that solution works really nicely for me.

[nycjoe]

Originally Posted by Brent

Thanks. I honestly have only tried one video file on the STB so far and it handled it well. The real problem there is that the STB is very locked down

Really?? You can't mount nfs/cifs? Did you try sshing in? Maybe user/pass sage/frey?

[Brent]

Originally Posted by nycjoe

Really?? You can't mount nfs/cifs? Did you try sshing in? Maybe user/pass sage/frey?

I haven't gotten that far... yet. But even if I did I'm not sure I really care as much anymore as the only additional thing I'm missing is all stuff Plex give me pretty easily - all on the same TV set.

[MattHelm]

Originally Posted by Brent

No it definitely was not. But I was still a little concerned about how Google would handle it since they aren't really known for the kind of direct contact customer service you might need in a CableTV sort of business. So far it's been good - we'll see how it goes after their customer base multiplies exponentially.

Brent,
Are they Google employees or contractors. Just wondering. (And yes, even if they are contractors, the hiring company can get good ones)

[MattHelm]

Originally Posted by Brent

I've been using Plex plus a Chromecast (plugged into my TV) for my movies etc as a workaround and so far that solution works really nicely for me.

Can Chromecast handle high bit rate MKVs???

[Brent]

Originally Posted by MattHelm

Brent,
Are they Google employees or contractors. Just wondering. (And yes, even if they are contractors, the hiring company can get good ones)

There are a bunch of contractors. All of these types of jobs are contractors:
in-home installation specialists - ITC Service Group
In Ground Construction (fiber work including digging and laying the fiber) - Atlantic Engineering Group, Bear Communications, OnTrac
Pole Construction (Pole Change Crews who string the lines that are on telephone poles - Par Electric and probably many others

So that includes most of the people you would see from the construction in ground and on poles, bringing the fiber to your neighborhood and installing in your home.

Employees that I know of include:
Construction Team Managers (one guy to oversee given construction crew/s)
Network Engineer - A couple of folks to maintain and monitor ongoing network operations
Software Engineer - The important stuff that a telcom company needs
Employees at the Google Fiber Store - there are a good number of "Sales/Customer Reps" who man the single store in town where you can see very detailed demo's, get instruction, ask questions, get help signing up, etc. These people also run events around town promoting the service especially during the official sign-up period.

I'm not sure about the customer service reps you talk to on the phone and/or instant message helpdesk.

Then of course you have the development team that includes a few folks that worked on SageTV as well as several others. This is a much bigger team then you would have seen at SageTV btw.

*NOTE* Narflex feel free to correct me where I misstated anything if you wish

[Brent]

Originally Posted by MattHelm

Can Chromecast handle high bit rate MKVs???

I imagine that depends on how high of a bit rate. But I think (not positive) that the quality of your WiFi between your server and the Chromecast will have more of an impact.

I've tried mostly standard DVD's and no Blurays thus far but all of the DVDs I've tested play just fine on my setup.

[MattHelm]

Originally Posted by Brent

I imagine that depends on how high of a bit rate. But I think (not positive) that the quality of your WiFi between your server and the Chromecast will have more of an impact.

What's Wifi??? Oh, I remember why I didn't get one of these now, no ethernet.

[Skybolt]

Originally Posted by Brent

Thanks. I honestly have only tried one video file on the STB so far and it handled it well. The real problem there is that the STB is very locked down so thus far it can't access any files that aren't on the Storage box itself. Instead you have to copy anything like that right onto the storage box which won't work for me. ...

I wonder if a symbolic link (or the linux counter part) would work. I have been able to fool some systems with this.

[wayner]

Does Google Fiber have Placeshifting built in? If not have you thought about adding a Slingbox? Bidirectional, unlmited Gigabit ethernet and Placeshifting almost allows you to start your own pirate Aereo type of service with not just OTA channels. Have friends and family that live far away and want to watch the local college Basketball games? Not a problem!

Have you considered hooking your Google TV boxes up to SageTV using HD-PVRs?

[toony]

I wonder if you can change out the hard drive to a something larger.

[pjpjpjpj]

Originally Posted by wayner

Bidirectional, unlmited Gigabit ethernet and Placeshifting almost allows you to start your own pirate Aereo type of service with not just OTA channels. Have friends and family that live far away and want to watch the local college Basketball games? Not a problem!

On that note, Brent, let's talk about me buying you the MLB.tv package so I can watch my local MLB team from your Slingbox (since I don't have cable and I'm blacked out by being in their market).....

[bcjenkins]

Originally Posted by pjpjpjpj

On that note, Brent, let's talk about me buying you the MLB.tv package so I can watch my local MLB team from your Slingbox (since I don't have cable and I'm blacked out by being in their market).....

You could always do a subscription and a VPN service to pop out of a different state..

[bcjenkins]

Originally Posted by Skybolt

I wonder if a symbolic link (or the linux counter part) would work. I have been able to fool some systems with this.

This Linux counterpart is called symbolic link..

[pjpjpjpj]

Originally Posted by bcjenkins

You could always do a subscription and a VPN service to pop out of a different state..

I could if I knew anything whatsoever about how to do that.
(it's been suggested to me before on this forum)

But let's keep this thread about Brent.

[Brent]

Originally Posted by pjpjpjpj

But let's keep this thread about Brent.

Thanks