Video Demo Ideas

[fidget]

I am in the process of building another SageTV computer (you people are really evil, but you knew that) and thought that could use the new computer to record SageTV in use (FWIW, this is how I convinced a friend to buy a TiVo).

I was thinking of showing some basic user interaction:
1) Watching TV (of course)
2) Navigating through the program via FF/FF2, RW/RW2
3) Working with Favorites and manual recordings
4) Playing with other applications while watching SageTV (also showing CPU loading)
5) Having SageTV running in both full screen and windowed modes

What else would you like to see? What format should the recording have (MPEG2 is probably too big, but should it be MPEG1 or DivX?)? What should the resolution of the screen be (is 320x240 too small)? I would really like to keep the piece short (< 2 minutes or < 20 MB, if possible, which ever is smaller) so I can upload it to my web page.

The pieces should be arriving within a week and I can make the recording shortly thereafter.

- Jonathan

[justme]

I would think DivX would fit the size/quality restraints best, but then again I hate MPEG1.

Are you going to do a voice over at certian parts? If not a simple text naration could help. It could point out some of the features that aren't neccessarily obvious by just watching the demo.

You might also want to show a search.

PS:I'm beginning to think Frey embeds some form of thought control into SageTV. It's the only explaination for all the effort users, myself included, put into getting other people to try SageTV.

[jmeeks]

What will you make the recording with? I have been trying to do this, but I do not get any video in the recorded file because of the overlay.

Thanks.

[Narflex]

Thought control....not really...but there's definitely some AI.

This would be great fidget. If you need anything, let me know.

[fidget]

Originally posted by jmeeks
What will you make the recording with? I have been trying to do this, but I do not get any video in the recorded file because of the overlay.

Thanks.

I will use the second SageTV setup to record the S-Video output from the first. I probably won't patch the sound, especially if I (or better yet, someone else) will be doing a voice-over.

[fidget]

Originally posted by Narflex
If you need anything, let me know.

A script? Seriously, if there is to be a voice-over, a script would be best for getting the proper timing down.

[fidget]

While watching TV tonight, I was what to put into the recording. First is the format, I was planning on recording the demo at 1.8 GBps with the full NTSC signal, which would give me about 61 MB for a two minute recording (a higher quality recording would require that I put the DVD in the mail). I have 100 MB of web space, so I can make the master file available to Frey so they can rework it. Does anyone know, off the top of their head, what the compression rate is for DivX as compared to MPEG2?

This is what I was planning to cover:

1) SageGuide.
- a) Basic navigation via scroll left/right/up/down, via page up/page down, via single/multiple day.
- b) The menu associated with a program and its fields (adding/remove favorites, record/cancel record, additional airings).
- c) Displaying information in a program using the Info mode and Detailed Info menu selection
- d) Playing a recorded program
- e) Moving a recorded program to the library
- f) Extending the recording time of a manual recording
- g) Record two shows simultaneously.

2) Sage Recordings area.
- a) Compare to the SageGuide section
- b) Display the menu associated with the programs.
- c) Use the Info mode

3) Recording Schedule area

4) Search (by title since I am using XMLTV and it doesn't carry all the information needed for the other searches).

5) Setup:
- a) Setup Wizard to show the multiple tuners (I have two)
- b) Favorites Manager. Menus and options
- c) Channel Setup. Add and remove a station. Show its impact on the Guide.

6) Watching programs:
- a) Playing a program
- b) Pause and resume the program
- c) Show skip (10 second) forward/back and jump (2.5 minute) forward/back
- d) Program Details
- e) Do the same with live TV.
- f) Take SageTV away from full screen mode. Surf the web, watch TV, show CPU usage (should I play a FPS while recording two shows?)

7) Use the mouse to navigate some of the above.

8) Put SageTV to sleep. Show it in the System Tray.
- a) Wake it back up

Anything that I may be missing?

- Jonathan

p.s., the rest of my second computer will be arriving Monday, so I will try to do the recording some time next week.

p.p.s., I will be using this recording (and using the second PC as a demo unit) to corrupt some of my friends (insert evil laugh here). What is your commission from Hauppauge?

[justme]

I personally find I can compress to 1/3 or 1/4 of the original with no real noticable degradation in quality using DivX.

[fidget]

Well, that almost worked. It seems that the case I bought has a slightly obstructed PCI slot and I can't insert my PVR-350 (AAAARG!). Looks as if I need to get a different case. I was hoping to not have to use a PCI adaptor, but...

[fidget]

I finally got my second SageTV PC put together and I made an attempt at recording the output of SageTV. Then I fed the output of my SageTV PC (S-Video) into SageRecorder. Playing with SageTV this way was a surprise since I forgot about the additional lag induced by the SageRecorder. The next time I try it, I will use a third PC to control them both via VNC. Hopefully this will result in a better (less haphazard) recording.

The file was almost 15 minutes long and 350 MB in size. I haven't converted it to DivX yet, but I don't think it will be small enough for me to put on my web page. What I will try to do is re-record the video and then post the movie in peices.

[justme]

If at first you don't succeed...

If you are going to break it into parts then, try to make the cuts where you go from a fully SageTV UI based section to a section that uses moving video(TV show/DVD) with Sage's OSD overlayed. This way you can later compress(with Divx) the segments that don't have moving video to a much higher level without noticeable loss of quality. Depending on how much of the total recording time is not moving video, you should be able to greatly reduce the final total size.

I would guess that you may be able to go up to 1/10 the final size in the segments that lack moving video. If just 1/3 of the video is of this type and if we assume that you compress the rest of the recording to 1/3 size using Divx. We would get a rough estimate of about 90MB in total size. Of course all this last part is pure guess work on my part. I'm fairly confident of my Divx estimates but the actual recording will determine where you can cut and compress more. Still this should be fairly close to the final size.

Best of luck, I can't wait to see the finished video.

[fidget]

I just reran the video capture, with much better results! The video is now about 10 mintues long and is 260+ MB in size (MPEG2, 1.8 GB/hr). After converting it to DivX, it is now about 25 MB. I will be uploading it tonight and I will post it HERE when I am done. If people want it broken into pieces, let me know since it can easily be broken into four segments (approx. 7MB each in DivX?).

- Jonathan

EDIT: It is up and available. I have generated four smaller files, but have not converted them yet. They are: setup, guide, TV, and the rest.

[fidget]

I have put them on my web page, the first DivX file isn't as long as I thought. They are:

setup.avi, a 12.3 MB file showing some setup screens
guide.avi, a 9.5 MB file navigating through the guide
tv.avi, a 7.8 MB file showing live TV, pausing, etc.
rest.avi, a 14.5 MB file showing SageTV running with other desktop applications running.

[jmeeks]

You'll need the Divx codec to play these files: http://download.divx.com/divx/DivX51Bundle.exe

[sticky]

nice bandwidth... Who do you use for your hosting?

[sticky]

and BTW.. very good videos...makes me drool even more.

[fidget]

Originally posted by sticky
nice bandwidth... Who do you use for your hosting?

Apple Computer (I have a .mac account)

[rebelde]

hi guys does any one has copies of this clips as the link doesn't work.can some one email them to me at rebeldeh2k@yahoo.com would love to see sage in action and to show my peers what i'm building thks for your help.

[mightyt]

Originally posted by fidget
I have put them on my web page, the first DivX file isn't as long as I thought. They are:

setup.avi, a 12.3 MB file showing some setup screens
guide.avi, a 9.5 MB file navigating through the guide
tv.avi, a 7.8 MB file showing live TV, pausing, etc.
rest.avi, a 14.5 MB file showing SageTV running with other desktop applications running.

Hey Fidget? Can't get to your AVI site?

See my attachment below ... I get .... SORRY !!!

Am I missing something?

Thanks, T.

[fidget]

Originally posted by mightyt
Hey Fidget? Can't get to your AVI site?

See my attachment below ... I get .... SORRY !!!

Am I missing something?

Thanks, T.

The only thing that you are missing is time. Since I have very limited online resources, I pulled the files within about two months. I am one of the Mac maintainers for FlightGear and needed the space to post a release (about 85 MB out of my 100 MB total online space). It does not look like I have the .AVIs lying around anymore and it will take a while before I can regenerate them.