My Adventures with Google Fiber - from a SageTV guy

[nycjoe]

Originally Posted by Brent

Interesting, if you look at the following link you can see references to what looks like hdhr support --
https://gfiber.googlesource.com/vend...omerun_plugin/

[Rob]

Originally Posted by panteragstk

Great. San Antonio and not Dallas...

Well it is nice to see it expanding anyway. Gives me hope it may get to Dallas before my current sage setup dies. I'm not sure why I would think it would die, since it continues to work fine, but I would upgrade to Jeff's new system in a hearbeat.

[trk2]

Originally Posted by nycjoe

Interesting, if you look at the following link you can see references to what looks like hdhr support --

That is interesting. It give me hope that they're still looking at a stand alone version for non-google fiber customers.

[wayner]

Would that be the HDHR OTA or Prime, or both?

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by wayner

Would that be the HDHR OTA or Prime, or both?

There are cases in the code for both HDHR PRIME and HRHR US.

[Brent]

I did see the HDHR reference a week ago and excitedly tried to connect my HDHR OTA dual tuner to Google Fiber TV. Unfortunately that didn't work so it's apparently not a feature available to consumers so far at least.

[bcjenkins]

Originally Posted by nycjoe

Interesting, if you look at the following link you can see references to what looks like hdhr support --
https://gfiber.googlesource.com/vend...omerun_plugin/

Anyone have enough time to compile the ffmpeg and see if it is a drop in replacement?

That could be a way to make use of new video formats.

[routerunner]

Originally Posted by bcjenkins

Anyone have enough time to compile the ffmpeg and see if it is a drop in replacement?

That could be a way to make use of new video formats.

I could be completely wrong, but I'll be very surprised if they're using ffmpeg other than for pictures/thumbnails display, I don't think the DVR has enough power for real-time transcoding of 4 file simultaneously (the maximum number of extender supported at the same time), also, if is true that you cannot upload any video on the unit then they are in a very controlled environment and therefore no need of transcoding. From the extenders I'm expecting proper video processing capabilities.

Eddy

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by routerunner

I could be completely wrong, but I'll be very surprised if they're using ffmpeg other than for pictures/thumbnails display, I don't think the DVR has enough power for real-time transcoding of 4 file simultaneously (the maximum number of extender supported at the same time), also, if is true that you cannot upload any video on the unit then they are in a very controlled environment and therefore no need of transcoding. From the extenders I'm expecting proper video processing capabilities.

Eddy

I think he was meaning as a replacement for SageTVTranscoder on out systems. There are a few tweaks from the main branch in there to support sage functions, but it is based on a very old branch, and has not been updated in quite a few years. If the new one has the proper modifications, it MIGHT work as a replacement, and improve performance when used with our current sagetv 7 systems... (not entirely likely though).

[pjpjpjpj]

Let's face it, what we all want is for the Google Fiber product to be completed across the country, and then narflex to come on here and announce "when I signed on to Google, I included a requirement in my contract that would allow original Sage users to keep their product forever, by making the end product compatible with original Sage equipment and software via a patch only available to original users. So here's the download you need to install on your server to make it all work for you via Google Fiber into your existing (but now upgraded to Sage 8.5) systems. Thanks for your loyalty through all of this!"

[dgeezer]

That would be great
But, what I am hoping is that since Google Fiber is expanding in to more markets, Google will continue to provide the EPG data to us legacy SageTV users indefinitely. They need to provide some type of epg listings for the Google Fiber SageTV users anyway. It may not be any extra work or expense to provide it to us also.

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by pjpjpjpj

Let's face it, what we all want is for the Google Fiber product to be completed across the country, and then narflex to come on here and announce "when I signed on to Google, I included a requirement in my contract that would allow original Sage users to keep their product forever, by making the end product compatible with original Sage equipment and software via a patch only available to original users. So here's the download you need to install on your server to make it all work for you via Google Fiber into your existing (but now upgraded to Sage 8.5) systems. Thanks for your loyalty through all of this!"

I don't want google fiber - I just want a SageTV 8, with CableCard/AllVid/Whatever DRM support to allow premium content "properly" without hacks/workarounds/exploits.

[Brent]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

to allow premium content "properly" without hacks/workarounds/exploits.

Huh? What exactly do you mean there?

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by Brent

Huh? What exactly do you mean there?

Meaning direct support. No need to utilize the decode/analog/capture/encode (HD-PVR) or decode/hdmi/strip-hdcp/capture/encode (Colossus) or solder-old-box-with-expensive-mod (R-5000HD). Proper support of CableCard copy flags to allow recording of premium content and playback within the home via licensed playback devices. Yes, I realize those channels may not allow comskip - but we're talking premiums - with no commercials anyway. I have no doubt that if Jeff had pursued CableCard support from it's onset, he would have it certified by now - unfortunately he was strongly backing AllVid - which never came to fruition.

[Brent]

Understood.
I had some hope with the Allvid thing, but the politics of it didn't seem to be working all that well to make that happen. The HTPC world is really shrinking it seems. XBMC and Plex seem to be the only ones still moving forward.

[tmiranda]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

I don't want google fiber - I just want a SageTV 8, with CableCard/AllVid/Whatever DRM support to allow premium content "properly" without hacks/workarounds/exploits.

+1. But I think the odds of this happening are zero.

[ckewinjones]

the odds of this happening are zero

Slim, perhaps, but not quite zero in my opinion.

The market for SageTV has always been the HTPC enthusiasts rather than TV consumers in general. Getting a SageTV installation set up and working "just right" has always taken a more-than-average amount of tech savvy and a willingness (usually an eagerness) to fiddle with gadgets, PC networks, and software to get things working, and working well. The average consumer (who is not an HTPC geek) wants to plug in the gadget and have it "just work."

As long as the potential market for SageTV remains centered on us geeks, there is no way that Google is going to package the technology -- and market it and support it -- separately from Google Fiber. The market just isn't large enough to make it worthwhile. The bit of good news, though, is that in order to make Google Fiber a success, Google will have had to make the SageTV-based Google Fiber box into a consumer-friendly "it-just-works" sort of product. They will have had to learn how to provide support for the SageTV technology to consumers who don't know or care how it works, and don't have the inclination or the technical chops to tweak, tune, or customize their TV hardware and software.

Once they have SageTV technology in a consumer-friendly package and a few years of experience supporting it for mass-market customers under their belts, Google may realize that all of a sudden the market for SageTV technology is a lot bigger than just us HTPC geeks, and a lot bigger than the market that they can reach with Google Fiber in the medium term. Then they might very well be willing to leverage the technology and their experience supporting it to non-Fiber consumers, to tap into that larger market.

That is why I say slim hope, but not zero.

[Brent]

I have no idea what their long-term plans are, but I would think there is still a chance we could see the TV-part of Google Fiber (the TV Boxes etc) outside of GF someday. The big question is what kind of tuner support would they put inside.

[tmiranda]

Originally Posted by Brent

I have no idea what their long-term plans are, but I would think there is still a chance we could see the TV-part of Google Fiber (the TV Boxes etc) outside of GF someday. The big question is what kind of tuner support would they put inside.

If that happens it would have to be opened up to support plugins. Without plugin support it loses its greatest appeal (to me anyway), the ability to customize it.

[Brent]

Originally Posted by tmiranda

If that happens it would have to be opened up to support plugins. Without plugin support it loses its greatest appeal (to me anyway), the ability to customize it.

Good point. I don't think we'll see anything quite as flexible as you are used to. Right now the "advanced" screen doesn't give you much. You're pretty locked in to their apps which currently include: Netflix, Vudu, Weather, and soon YouTube. They have two UI's one you are likely familiar with - the light theme and the now default dark theme. It's designed to be foolproof enough that they don't need a forum or programmer to get around and such

All of that being said, I rarely if ever used the default SageTV theme, but I'm pretty much okay with the one on Google Fiber TV. I DO use Plex though for my movie collection so completely separate from the Google Fiber TV UI.

One thing I do really miss is the commercial detection add-on I used with SageTV. Probably will never see that kind of thing again