SnapStream Beyond TV 3.5 official feature list

[brett_li2]

http://forums.snapstream.com/vb/showthread.php?p=98694

I came across this post just now... an official list of features in Beyond TV 3.5. Seems that they are finally catching up with SageTV (ie they're finally adding multi-tuner and network client support!). Is anyone out there beta testing this? Can anyone out there directly compare it with Sage2?

[stanger89]

Well I see right off the bat they are going to charge you to use more than 2 tuners.

No word on the actual availability of a client, only that the "Link" is supported.

Adding an analog to Inteligent Recording, and improved the scheduling engine (up to par with Sage?)

I'm sure mlbdude will chime in if he has access to it (and isn't under NDA) or as soon as he gets it.

[mlbdude]

There is no type of IR. They have just updated the scheduling engine to be a little smarter to allow for better conflict management and rescheduling.

The API sounds cool (and is) but you can only use it to do external things. You can't change the look or feel of the application itself nor can you extend it.

The charging for more than 2 tuners is a definite competitive disadvantage.

Overall it is shaping up nice. Still not up to par with Sage but they are closing the gap.

[DynamoBen]

Looks like they are finally making some headway. I agree that they have a long way to go to match the conflict resolution in Sage. In addition paying for multiple tuners is a bit much.

**As a side note I know that you can change the look and feel of sage. However Sage Studio has been very very slow going. I'm one of many that has been waiting on studio w/o any word. Although they can't change the look and feel in snapstream...we currently are dependant on a few users for these changes.

[JasonJoel]

Stole my snide comment. I can't change the user interface in Sage TV any more than I can in SS 3.5.

So for now, in my mind, they are TIED on that feature (aka you can't).

Jason

[brett_li2]

Hey folks, I just found out that anyone can login and download the Beyond TV 3.5 beta and Beyond TV Link (SageTV's Network Client is like this)... I downloaded it myself and had it up and running in no time. Definitely check this out! The sign-up for their beta program is http://betaprogram.snapstream.com/... it's as easy as just signing up. I'm a paid user so I'm not sure if people who aren't paid users can access the beta -- can anyone verify?

[stanger89]

Be aware you have to sign an NDA to DL it.

[kny3twalker]

well you have be a registered user
and who cares if BTV finally has multiple tuner support

they are still behind SageTV and not catching up cause they added one nice feature

the program has performance issues that I haveonly seen get worse
some of the best releases that I tried were the earlier ones

I tried out 3.5 beta and it was horrible
sorry but stabilityis more important than adding multiple tuners year after the competition

SageTV also has some things that BTV will never have
support for the pvr 350
support for the X card
Intelligent recording

We are getting support for the MVP

thats the only thing BTV has over SageTV

BTV has a long way to go

if there was no SageTV
I would learn linux (MythTV)

[mlbdude]

I am a beta tester for BTV as well. Compared to previous version this one is going to be much better - even in the stability department.

Feature wise it is adding in some important ones. At the core it is still a weak PVR. Can't record what you are currently watching. Lack of full time-shifting capabilities. Can't setup favorites across multiple channels. Horrible EPG, and poor UI and navigation throughout. Those are just some of the small items they need to work on. I think they will eventually get to those though.

Frey should definitely keep on eye on this for 3.6 or 4.0.

[jennyfur]

Originally posted by kny3twalker
thats the only thing BTV has over SageTV

I can think of one more thing... BTV's WebAdmin interface. Supposedly you can use it to schedule (and even watch, though I doubt that would run all that well) recordings over the internet. I've never used BTV, but that sure is a feature I'd love to have. I've seen others on the Sage forums bring it up before as well (and I've only been here about a week), so it's definately something people are interested in.

[kny3twalker]

I hated the web interface
you had to do all the setup there
it is almost as annoying as the properties file
but at least sage has some things that can be configured in the UI

also I currently would never use the web interface for scheduling
and the internet video maybe ok
but I would not want to compress everything
So I would not use that either

just my thoughts

[Brett]

(from the "original" brett)

Again Key you might want to check your facts. The "official" mvp support, that I assume your referring to, was quietly put on _indefinite_ hold last I heard. That update was from May and came through Brad (htpcnews) who spoke with Dan personally. So perhaps, I am wrong in this case, but that is what I heard. Regardless, the "unofficial" mvp support is coming, but from what I understand it will only support playback of videos. Similar to how the older BTV mod worked. The funny thing is that API, that not many have looked at, is actually being used to practically reproduce a fully functional mvp client that you can schedule recordings/guide/the works BTV style.

Stranger89 again you commented on stuff your not quite sure about. BTV Link is in beta testing right now, and will be available at the same time as BTV3.5.

Mlbdude I do agree with you that some fundmental issues (such as recording in the middle of show) are important, but I am not sure I agree with how much value you assign them.

Unfortunately, I can not say much more and I am kinda of bummed. It all seems real pointless now as I just heard MCE2004 will be available to whitebox OEMs as early as next month. And with MCE multituner support on its way, its going to make it a very difficult sale for either company.

-Brett

[stanger89]

Originally posted by Brett
Stranger89 again you commented on stuff your not quite sure about. BTV Link is in beta testing right now, and will be available at the same time as BTV3.5.

All I said was that there was no word on availability of the client:

* Beyond TV Link support. Beyond TV 3.5 will support Beyond TV Link (our upcoming client product).

All that says is that 3.5 will support the client, nothing about availability, and that was all my comment said.

[brett_li2]

Originally posted by Brett
(from the "original" brett)
Unfortunately, I can not say much more and I am kinda of bummed. It all seems real pointless now as I just heard MCE2004 will be available to whitebox OEMs as early as next month. And with MCE multituner support on its way, its going to make it a very difficult sale for either company.

-Brett

You make a very good point here. With the next version of MCE being blown out beyond the exclusive set of OEMs they've been selling it with, Sage and SnapStream are both going to have a bigger problem on their hands than each other.

[stanger89]

I haven't seen anything definitive on whether an average person like myself will be able to acquire MCE w/o purchasing an entire PC. I've seen press releases and articles stating that MCE would be made available to white box OEMs, but nothing more.

If anyone has anything more definitive I'd be interested to see it. Having an Xbox the idea of making use of the Media Center Extender on my Xbox is appealing. However the lack of configurability of MCE could quite easily nullify the benefit of that nice feature.

[mlbdude]

If an "unofficial" MVP mod is coming I would like to know who is doing it. I made the first items available, and if the project gets started I will include the rest - including the ability for a fully functioning version with LiveTV viewing and scheduling.

The SageTV community is not as enthusiastic on this for some reason. I think because when the BTV users did it, BTV Link was not even being though about.

Mlbdude I do agree with you that some fundmental issues (such as recording in the middle of show) are important, but I am not sure I agree with how much value you assign them.

Not everything is as important to everyone. However, BTV users claimed multi-tuner support was not that important either. I think it is one of those things that you can live without, but if you have had it it has hard to give up.

[mlbdude]

A new project has started to make a new and better PVR. The technology used will be SageTV, but I would love it if all PVR users from all camps would come and contribute.

We are actually getting help from a group of guys that have done some great usability assessments on the current state of PVR.

Thanks!

http://forums.sage.tv/forums/showthr...&threadid=6575

[Brett]

I am about 95% confident that white box OEMs means that Newegg will be carrying it. There is a little trick to all white box OEM software in that it only requires it be sold "with hardware" it never says what hardware. Newegg (and others) legally get around this by including a $3 power cable with all Microsoft purchases.

I too am interested in the extender technology. My "fear" is that the XP-MCE OEM will only be "pennies" more than XP-PRO OEM. So it would be "silly" for a user building a new machine to not atleast upgrade. Then instead of demostrating how SageTV (or BTV) benefits over WinTV, you now have to demostrate the benefits over MCE. For hardcore/control folks (such as us forum users) this is a pretty simple sale, but I venture to bet we make up less than 20% of sales for either company. Convincing regular Joe to pay $79 to upgrade might be far more difficult and I foresee it being a MAJOR issue not too long from now for a bunch of these companies. People dont always go with the best decision, they go with the company they recognize. Think about internet explorer, it entered way late in the market, but now, despite several security warnings it maintains like 97% of the market.

Mlbdude, I don't recall people saying the lack of multituner support was not important, regardless your point is well taken. Different opinions for different users.

-Brett

[x[corwyn]]

Originally posted by mlbdude
If an "unofficial" MVP mod is coming I would like to know who is doing it. I made the first items available, and if the project gets started I will include the rest - including the ability for a fully functioning version with LiveTV viewing and scheduling.

The SageTV community is not as enthusiastic on this for some reason. I think because when the BTV users did it, BTV Link was not even being though about.


Not everything is as important to everyone. However, BTV users claimed multi-tuner support was not that important either. I think it is one of those things that you can live without, but if you have had it it has hard to give up.

I really REALLY want the MVP client. Mine arrives tomorrow and I will be hooking it up this weekend. I have no idea why anyone wouldn't want this. I'm going to get a couple more if this works out right. Hook a brother up!

[kny3twalker]

I will buy an MVP as soon as there is some kind of support