Beyond TV now has User Access Control

[Lester Jacobs]

I was just over at the Beyond TV site (I like to see where the competiton's at every once in a while) and noticed that they have introduced user access control. This is something that I (and a few others) have been wanting in Sage for a while now. Admittedly, the Beyond TV implementation of access control is pretty basic but at least they've made a stab at it. Were Sage to implement access control I'd like to see additional features like:

1) Track Watched Status by user
2) Link favourites to users (eg. if a favourite has multiple users linked to it then the episode does not get deleted until all users delete the episode. When a user deletes an episode it merely removes the episode from that user's list of shows)
3) Channel access by user. Users can be linked to a subset of the available channels. Useful for restricting kids to only those channels suitable for them
4) Other features that I can't remember right now.

So now that Beyond TV has added a security model to their software here's hoping that we can expect Sage to follow suit (and hopefully exceed the capabilities of the Beyond TV implementation).

Cheers
Lester

[bmtrigger]

Originally Posted by Lester Jacobs

I was just over at the Beyond TV site (I like to see where the competiton's at every once in a while) and noticed that they have introduced user access control. This is something that I (and a few others) have been wanting in Sage for a while now. Admittedly, the Beyond TV implementation of access control is pretty basic but at least they've made a stab at it. Were Sage to implement access control I'd like to see additional features like:

1) Track Watched Status by user
2) Link favourites to users (eg. if a favourite has multiple users linked to it then the episode does not get deleted until all users delete the episode. When a user deletes an episode it merely removes the episode from that user's list of shows)
3) Channel access by user. Users can be linked to a subset of the available channels. Useful for restricting kids to only those channels suitable for them
4) Other features that I can't remember right now.

So now that Beyond TV has added a security model to their software here's hoping that we can expect Sage to follow suit (and hopefully exceed the capabilities of the Beyond TV implementation).

Cheers
Lester

I believe that the current implementation of user accounts in BTV already does 1-3 - it may just not be exposed in the current release.

[CarlR]

Originally Posted by Lester Jacobs

1) Track Watched Status by user
2) Link favourites to users (eg. if a favourite has multiple users linked to it then the episode does not get deleted until all users delete the episode. When a user deletes an episode it merely removes the episode from that user's list of shows)
3) Channel access by user. Users can be linked to a subset of the available channels. Useful for restricting kids to only those channels suitable for them
4) Other features that I can't remember right now.

This would be very, very, very cool. Especially 1 & 2. I'd love to never again have to hear how it takes my wife too long to scroll through all my "crappy" shows.

[kevine]

Originally Posted by CarlR

This would be very, very, very cool. Especially 1 & 2. I'd love to never again have to hear how it takes my wife too long to scroll through all my "crappy" shows.

I singin' this too my brother!

[paulbeers]

While I have no interest in this, I can definately see this as a plus for all of you family friendly types. Maybe now that the "competition" has it, maybe Sage will too.

[dvd_maniac]

Just another voice to the cause of UAC!!!

[Berg]

It would be great !!! Please, please, please.

[toricred]

At this point, this would be my number one request.

[ging]

I'd like user access controls on Folders so all my movies can be segregated into kids and non kids stuff, my son is 3 and a bit and is learning how to operate Sage but I don't want him to accidentally put Blade or Clerks on

[dblaine2]

Originally Posted by ging

I'd like user access controls on Folders so all my movies can be segregated into kids and non kids stuff, my son is 3 and a bit and is learning how to operate Sage but I don't want him to accidentally put Blade or Clerks on

At least this part can be accomplished within Sage by using the Parental Controls (unless your 3 year old knows how to enter passwords

[jdamore]

This is a great idea.. love it.

I would set up a "guest" profile for everyone but me

[BarkOLounger]

If anyone counts, I have wanted this for some time as well. Parental control isn't nearly enough since I have different parental guidelines for my 6 year old than my 16 year old!

Just to echo my dream features would be:

-Tracking recording (favorites and manual) by the user that added them.
-Allowing users to subscribe to an added favorite or manual recording.
-Tracking which users have watched a show so I know it's safe to delete.
-I'd like to be able to assign a profile to a user. So have an STV that they saw no matter where they log on (a PC, Placeshifter or extender).
-Parental restrictions assigned by user.
-Ability to set a show or favorite as watchable by a user regardless of restrictions.
-Ability to set restrictions on when a user can watch TV, or at least log how much TV they watch.
-Ability to restrict/control on line content by user

[White94Cobra]

This would be a great feature!

[bastafidli]

I completely agree with above and think that this should be a priority for sage for the future to make it more user friendly for more non tech users. I imagine it should work somewhat similar to windows sign up screen. I have a list of names/icons of users (kids, mom, dad, guest) and user would select first the profile, enter optional password and beyond that everything (import folders, ability to play certain movies, certain music, online sources) would be limited to what is allow to that profile.

[Slipshod]

Originally Posted by BarkOLounger

-Tracking recording (favorites and manual) by the user that added them.
-Allowing users to subscribe to an added favorite or manual recording.
-Tracking which users have watched a show so I know it's safe to delete.
-I'd like to be able to assign a profile to a user. So have an STV that they saw no matter where they log on (a PC, Placeshifter or extender).
-Parental restrictions assigned by user.
-Ability to set a show or favorite as watchable by a user regardless of restrictions.
-Ability to set restrictions on when a user can watch TV, or at least log how much TV they watch.
-Ability to restrict/control on line content by user

If you add in the ability to restrict videos and music (individually, by rating, and possibly by genre) it's pretty darn close to perfect.

[david1234]

Originally Posted by bastafidli

I completely agree with above and think that this should be a priority for sage for the future to make it more user friendly for more non tech users.

If a user has to deal with user profiles and passwords and all that it's too complicated for a non-tech user. Look at how many people turn off their login screens for windows.

Plus- the more security you add, the more it gets away from being a set-top box which is what Sage does really well!

[Lester Jacobs]

Originally Posted by david1234

If a user has to deal with user profiles and passwords and all that it's too complicated for a non-tech user. Look at how many people turn off their login screens for windows.

Plus- the more security you add, the more it gets away from being a set-top box which is what Sage does really well!

Sage could always provide the ability to turn off this functionality. However, especially for those of us with multi-member families, the option to have user access control is quite valuable.

As for the "its too complicated" argument, my 3.5 yr old can turn on the computer, click on his user name and type in his password. His home page on IE then takes him to a list of kid friendly websites. If a 3 yr old can do that then it's not too much of a stretch to expect the general population to be able to handle UAC in Sage.


Lester

[Djc208]

Originally Posted by Lester Jacobs

Sage could always provide the ability to turn off this functionality. However, especially for those of us with multi-member families, the option to have user access control is quite valuable.
Lester

A couple of extra screens in the setup proceedure would do it. One asking if you want to use UAC, if you click no (like I would) then Sage works as it does now. Otherwise you get routed to a screen to set up the user accounts. Should be pretty straight forward from that end.

As this thread shows this request comes up way too often and is too popular for Sage to ignore, but I'm not a programmer and even I can tell this will be no small feat to implement. I would imagine it will probably be the central feature of Sage 7.0 however.

[Olias]

My family and I would love these features (especially #3).
I don't even want the choice of seeing some of the channels my wife watches and vice versa.

[Sparhawk6]

This would be wonderful.