Android MiniClient v1.2.0 - Released

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by VCRUser

Nope. I tried this on my fairly new LG G3, running Android 6.0, and I would say it doesn't even approach "OK," which I'd define as being able to tap on "recordings" and get a list of my recordings, even if it's a bit sluggish. Instead, I tap on "recordings" and either nothing happens at all, or some random command is executed, like playing live TV (which plays ok, but there's no obvious way to pause or stop it).

Haven't tried it on my brand new Galaxy Tab A, but since I'd previously tried on other devices, with similar (worse, really - couldn't even get an opening screen to display fully) results, I've begun to suspect that it doesn't work well with the Sage6 server, and was wondering if anyone had achieved even "ok" results with that server. I am starting to plan my update to Sage9, but am not there yet. I really want to do a test setup on another machine first, and that will take a bit of time to arrange.

That is an issue of the UI, not the miniclient. What STV are you using?

[stuckless]

Originally Posted by KryptoNyte

Yes, raw screenshots here;

Screenshot_2017-01-11-19-46-50.png
Screenshot_2017-01-11-19-30-46.png

Do you know the video dimensions? The video screenshot looks right to me. It seems like the video is keeping the aspect ratio and forcing the black bars and the top bottom. There was lots of issues in the Aspect rendering before, and in many cases I was just stretch/filling the UI area, but in the last couple of releases it using lots of logic to ensure that the video aspect ratio is correct while also taking into account the phone aspect ratio. Did you set your phone to 16x10 of 16x9 in the setup?

[stuckless]

Originally Posted by VCRUser

Nope. I tried this on my fairly new LG G3, running Android 6.0, and I would say it doesn't even approach "OK," which I'd define as being able to tap on "recordings" and get a list of my recordings, even if it's a bit sluggish. Instead, I tap on "recordings" and either nothing happens at all, or some random command is executed, like playing live TV (which plays ok, but there's no obvious way to pause or stop it).

Haven't tried it on my brand new Galaxy Tab A, but since I'd previously tried on other devices, with similar (worse, really - couldn't even get an opening screen to display fully) results, I've begun to suspect that it doesn't work well with the Sage6 server, and was wondering if anyone had achieved even "ok" results with that server. I am starting to plan my update to Sage9, but am not there yet. I really want to do a test setup on another machine first, and that will take a bit of time to arrange.

My suggestion is revisit this when you upgrade to V9. Different phone/tablet hardware is going to have different results, for sure. I've run this on some devices and I can't even get a display, and others, it runs fine. Much of it depends on processor, ram, screen size (largers screens are going to be slower). I have Samsung Galaxy S2 that I use for testing and I have Pixel (and a bunch of phone in between). While it runs on these devices, I've never considered the user experience to great, mainly because the STV (ie, the UI) needs to be re-engineered to be more phone/tablet/touch friendly, and that hasn't happened (nor is that something the MiniClient would do, that's a core sagetv function).

That's likely not the news you want to hear, but, there is nothing I can do.

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by stuckless

Do you know the video dimensions? The video screenshot looks right to me. It seems like the video is keeping the aspect ratio and forcing the black bars and the top bottom. There was lots of issues in the Aspect rendering before, and in many cases I was just stretch/filling the UI area, but in the last couple of releases it using lots of logic to ensure that the video aspect ratio is correct while also taking into account the phone aspect ratio. Did you set your phone to 16x10 of 16x9 in the setup?

He's using a Note 4 I think he said, which is 2560x1440 (16:9), but yes, if he had his Setup -> Detailed Setup -> Multimedia -> Display Aspect Ratio set to 16:10, that would result in the incorrect letterboxing he's seeing.

[KryptoNyte]

Originally Posted by stuckless

Did you set your phone to 16x10 of 16x9 in the setup?

That was it. For some reason, after one of the updates a couple back it switched this to 16x10. Switched back to 16x9 and everything is back to normal. Thanks.

[bialio]

Originally Posted by KryptoNyte

That was it. For some reason, after one of the updates a couple back it switched this to 16x10. Switched back to 16x9 and everything is back to normal. Thanks.

That happened to me also - at some point in the past all my mini clients on android switched the 16:10. I took note but didn't think much of it...

[KryptoNyte]

Originally Posted by bialio

That happened to me also - at some point in the past all my mini clients on android switched the 16:10. I took note but didn't think much of it...

The mini client has worked so well for me right out of the box on the Note 4 that I honestly forgot all about the usual SageTV detailed settings for extenders and clients. I just know now that I have to be *really* careful not to touch the screen wrong where I accidentally change the station.

[VCRUser]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

That is an issue of the UI, not the miniclient. What STV are you using?

SageTV3.xml Version 6.6.2.30 October 5, 2012

[VCRUser]

Originally Posted by stuckless

My suggestion is revisit this when you upgrade to V9. DI've never considered the user experience to great, mainly because the STV (ie, the UI) needs to be re-engineered to be more phone/tablet/touch friendly, and that hasn't happened (nor is that something the MiniClient would do, that's a core sagetv function).

That's likely not the news you want to hear, but, there is nothing I can do.

So I'm beginning to understand that this isn't intended as a mobile app but rather as an extender-replacement using an Android TV device attached to a TV, and that if it works on an Android phone or tablet, that's more of a bonus than the primary purpose. Given that the quantity of extenders is finite, it's good to have the possibility of a replacement. Of course I wouldn't mind having a good mobile app available as well!

[Fuzzy]

The miniclient app works just fine on most mobile devices as well, it's just the current crop of UI's are not all that great on a small touch screen - being primarily designed for navigation via directional commands, and not touches or even mouse clicks. A 'touch friendly' ui is probably warranted, but until recently, there's been no client that would make proper use of it.

That said, if you upgrade to v9, you will have a few more UI options andsomemight work better than SageTV3 on a touch device. SageTV7 is the newer updated 'core' ui. Gemstone is a graphics heavy addition to SageTV7, but doesn't support touch in the flows. Phoenix3 is very simplified, but still rather graphical, so it may work well on a touchscreen. SageCollegeProject is very simple, and brand new (made as a college project, as you can likely guess). All of these are available in the SageTV Plugin system if you upgrade your system to v9.

[wayner]

I believe that jusjoken plans to make the upcoming v2 of Gemstone touch friendly.

[jusjoken]

Originally Posted by wayner

I believe that jusjoken plans to make the upcoming v2 of Gemstone touch friendly.

It's partly there....more work yet to complete that task.

[VCRUser]

Is it possible to have different STVs in different clients/place shifter and the server?

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by VCRUser

Is it possible to have different STVs in different clients/place shifter and the server?

Yes. The STV used is stored in the SageClient.properties file (for a full client) or on the server in the cilents folder, there is a .properties file for each miniclient/placeshifter/extender, each with its own completely different set of properties.

[cat6man]

Originally Posted by stuckless

Doesn't the Mic button bring up the options during playback? But yeah, the TV navigation controls could be better as well. Currently other than setting a default button based on the state of the UI (ie, video or no video), I don't actually control the navigation flow of the button highlights... i could... I just havent dont' much around that... Personally, I'm think that maybe we need 2 navigation screens... one for video but a certain button layout and one for UI (that wouldn't need the video controls, etc).

ooooh..............pushing Mic button brings up options during playback?
didn't know that one. i'll have to see if that also works when browsing the program schedule.
right now, i have to click > about 48 times for each day, which is a lot when i want to see if a program is on a week from now (insert sore thumb emoji).

perhaps a 3rd state (video, no video, program), or maybe the no video could add long press forward and backward

[VCRUser]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

Yes. The STV used is stored in the SageClient.properties file (for a full client) or on the server in the cilents folder, there is a .properties file for each miniclient/placeshifter/extender, each with its own completely different set of properties.

Thanks; I could then use a touch-friendly STV on a mobile app and a keyboard-friendly one elsewhere. I looked through the sageclient.properties and the properties files in my /client folder on my server. Some of them have a line "STV= ..." followed by the location of my SageTV3.xml file; others don't have an "STV= ... " line at all.

I also found in my main sage.properties file some lines for "miniclient," which seem to relate to the various placeshifter users setup. There is a line for a hashed password and a line about STVs.

There is quite a collection of files under the \clients folder on my server, each with a sequence of hex numbers at the start of the filename. Is there a way to determine which is which? To change out .STV files, do I edit the .properties files or do something in the UI, or would either way work?

[jusjoken]

In V7 STV go to Detailed Setup, General and select a different STV....on the client.

Each new client connected will by default just use the STV of the Server if nothing else is selected on the client itself.

The filename you are refering to is the MAC address of the client. Easiest way to determine which is which is use only 1 cleint and look which file is recently updated.

Backup any file you change and the server must be shutdown if you are going to directly edit any of those files rather than using the UI.

k

[fresnoboy]

Why does the miniclient not show up in the list as an Android TV app on the play store? I think this would be a great marketing opportunity for the app and SageTV as a whole.

With the new Shield TV introduced and shipping, there is an opportunity to convert a lot more users.

Thx
Mike

[stuckless]

Originally Posted by fresnoboy

Why does the miniclient not show up in the list as an Android TV app on the play store? I think this would be a great marketing opportunity for the app and SageTV as a whole.

With the new Shield TV introduced and shipping, there is an opportunity to convert a lot more users.

Thx
Mike

If you search for SageTV... it shows up.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...droid.tv&hl=en

Not sure why you would not see it.

[fresnoboy]

What I meant was it doesn't show up in the list of android tv apps here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/c...apps_all?hl=en

BTW! Does the mini client feed all the metadata about recordings, videos, etc... into the android TV comprehensive search? So if I search for greys anatomy, sage recordings should show up in addition to Netflix, etc....

Thx!
Mike