Love the new UI!

[Omegadsl]

Originally posted by SHS
Try low case techtv.jpg and start SageTV after add the folder.
I agree with laurenglenn the image do need bigger

I tried it lowercase and uppercase. Is there something wrong with the line I have in the properties file?

[EDIT] Nevermind, I figured it out. Thanks for the help, all.

[Narflex]

So what was it? I'm curious....I didn't respond because I couldn't figure out what was wrong.

[Omegadsl]

Originally posted by Narflex
So what was it? I'm curious....I didn't respond because I couldn't figure out what was wrong.

Heh, it was really stupid. Someone hid extensions on my computer. I always have it so that you can see file extensions. I was naming the files .jpg.jpg

[Narflex]

I hate that Microsoft made that the default, it's gotten me before too.

[Omegadsl]

Originally posted by Narflex
I hate that Microsoft made that the default, it's gotten me before too.

Yeah, I always change that after a reinstall. Somebody must've thought it was better not to see extensions .

[dkardatzke]

Here's a shot using a background I got from myHTPC.net and then adding some outlines...

[SHS]

I like mine this way beening Stargate SG-1 nut.

[mogrinz]

Let me start by echoing other's compliments on the changes made to the interface. It's nice to see that work on the software progresses across many areas with each release.

Here are some random thoughts I've had about the UI:

- My TV unfortunately doesn't have an s-video in, so I lose a little detail converting to straight composite. The icons in the area across the top of the progress bar are unfortunately barely discernable. It would be nice to be able to turn those icons off or toggle their size. Same goes for the buttons across the top of the guide: I sure wish I could make them a little larger.

- Back to that s-video issue for a moment: Is it technically possible to to the on-screen stuff through the 350's output? I suspect not, because wouldn't Hauppauge have done so w/ WinTV? The picture off that out is noticeably sharper than the out from my Radeon.

- Now that we've got transparent menus, how's a hot-key to pull up transparent program information while I'm watching the show, instead of having to flip back to the guide? And - gadzooks - how's about an option for having the whole thing overlayed over live tv? I'd leave the channel in the bg as the one last selected - I wouldn't change it while the user browses.

-Continuing on the transparency theme; why not allow for GIF's for channel logos? That way, I could set a transparent color, and have the logos really blend in nicely on the guide (they need to be a bit bigger too, and keep the text ;-)

- I think the hierarchical library is a good idea. Granted, I'm not going to replace WinAmp, but it's nice to have the concept of a "Media Center" (where have I heard that term before). I would suggest taking the next logical step: Hierarchical organization of Sage recordings. I have a 200 gig drive, and thus a lot of recorded content. Rather than have to scroll through 30 shows to find what I want, it would be nice to see a folder that says "Simpsons - 10 episodes" and then be able to jump into there. Single instance recordings should exist at the root level and not in a "folder of 1".

- Let me also request (if it doesn't exist already) that there be a little more explanation as to the .properties file. It seems there's a wealth of items in there that can be used for further customization. But since there doesn't seem to be a good doc on it, I generally avoid tinkering with it out of fear that options may come and go between releases.

- Alright; this is at the bottom of the list for a reason: It might be nice if there were hooks to play short wav's on certain events. For example: While I'm watching a show, I want to mark it as a favorite w/o having to go back to the guide. I press a button, hear "ding!", and it's done. Sound can be a powerful feedback mechanisim, but anyone who's heard a stupid cell-phone jingle knows it can be equally annoying.

Just a little stream-of-consiousness purge there. I think you guys are doing a terrific job.

[jmeeks]

According to Jeff, .gif files do work. (re: an earlier post in this thread.)

[Narflex]

Originally posted by mogrinz
The icons in the area across the top of the progress bar are unfortunately barely discernable. It would be nice to be able to turn those icons off or toggle their size.

You can turn them off be deselecting "Enable Toolbars" in Detailed Setup. Soon you will be able to make them larger and change the images and more.

Originally posted by mogrinz
Is it technically possible to to the on-screen stuff through the 350's output?

It is possible and I have done it. I've only gotten a static image to display, nothing interactive. But I proved to myself it's possible. There'll be more done with this at some point in the future.

Originally posted by mogrinz
- Now that we've got transparent menus, how's a hot-key to pull up transparent program information while I'm watching the show, instead of having to flip back to the guide? And - gadzooks - how's about an option for having the whole thing overlayed over live tv? I'd leave the channel in the bg as the one last selected - I wouldn't change it while the user browses.

This is different because it involves transparency over the video. That requires the use of the VMR in DirectX 9. The PVR350's tv output also supports this feature (w/out DX9). At some point we'll implement each of those, but no time frame on when.

Originally posted by mogrinz
-Continuing on the transparency theme; why not allow for GIF's for channel logos? That way, I could set a transparent color, and have the logos really blend in nicely on the guide (they need to be a bit bigger too, and keep the text ;-)

As John said, this should already work.

Originally posted by mogrinz
- I think the hierarchical library is a good idea. Granted, I'm not going to replace WinAmp, but it's nice to have the concept of a "Media Center" (where have I heard that term before). I would suggest taking the next logical step: Hierarchical organization of Sage recordings. I have a 200 gig drive, and thus a lot of recorded content. Rather than have to scroll through 30 shows to find what I want, it would be nice to see a folder that says "Simpsons - 10 episodes" and then be able to jump into there. Single instance recordings should exist at the root level and not in a "folder of 1".

This will be in a future release, I've got lots of storage so I know what you mean.

Originally posted by mogrinz
- Alright; this is at the bottom of the list for a reason: It might be nice if there were hooks to play short wav's on certain events. For example: While I'm watching a show, I want to mark it as a favorite w/o having to go back to the guide. I press a button, hear "ding!", and it's done. Sound can be a powerful feedback mechanisim, but anyone who's heard a stupid cell-phone jingle knows it can be equally annoying.

We're working on this too. I already started playing around with it a bit. If you've got links to sites with some free wavs I can use, please start another thread on that topic. Using sound to confirm something like 'favorite' when watching TV is a good idea. The lack of a confirmation of the action is exactly why I haven't put that in yet.

Thanks for the feedback.

[mlar]

While we are at it, here are some thoughts I have about 1.3.2,

- I have to second the problem with lots of storage space. I have 320GB for video and it literally takes me minutes to find the shows I want to watch. At least have a different hierarchy for Favorites and everything else would help alot.

- To add to the above problem, I just haven't been able to stop Sage from recording all the Paid Programming stuff. I click "Dont like" on them every day, but it looks like it doesn't stick.. I have over 100 half hours of Paid Programming in my list, and it is driving me nuts. Deleting them manually is equally painful since there is no direct access to "delete" (at least there wasn't in 1.2.8, I haven't looked in 1.3.2 to be honest), so you have to go through the options menu, and it just takes alot of time. A blacklist (based on name of the show) would be awesome.

- I noticed that in 1.3.2 overscan correction only applies to the UI and not the video image (like it used to). Please keep it that way! My EPIA board has terrible hardware scaling (no anti-aliasing), so the image looks bad when it is scaled. The picture has never looked this good before, comparable to the TiVo now (running the EPIA at 720x480).

- I like the new library function, but I'd really like to be able to specify more directories for the music files. It doesn't support non-US ASCII characters in filenames btw, files with those characters wont even show up.

[Narflex]

That's funny about Paid Programming. It is hardcoded to blacklist those like you said. You're just not using our guide data, so it's somehow missing it because the titles don't match. It looks for the title to be "Paid Programming", no quotes, and its case insensitive. That bug's on your end.

For the overscan, that's exactly why I changed it. You can bet I'm going to leave it the way it is.

There's more to come with the library in the future....

[mlar]

I am actually using your guide data, and I'm still getting the Paid Programming. But now that I think about it, it hasn't recorded shows called Paid Programming for awhile.. However, it is recording something called "Market Place" on CBS every night, which basically is paid programming.

What happens if I'm watching Live TV, and go back to the main menu.. Does it continue to record from the channel I was watching, including paid programming? If so, how do I tell it to stop recording from the channel?

[Narflex]

putting it to sleep cancels the request to watch that live show, if the profiler's off then it'll stop recording, if it's on then it may or may not keep recording it

[mandrake]

I second the need for a new way to view files. I have over 250 movies and shows. I currently have them grouped in folders and am using myHTPC to view them because it will group based on folders like scifi then SG1 then the episodes. Also the picture view is all but worthless in my case as it stretches the images and no easy way to go back.

You can have multiple MP3 directories by choosing each directory one after the other. This works until you shut down and restart SageTV. I discovered this by accident when I choose the wrong directory and went back and choose the correct the files in both showed up.

Thanx

Correction restarting dont clear the old dir choose. How do you remove directories from the libary setup?

[laurenglenn]

For those using the channel pics, I just noticed something. If you hit "Info", the channel logo gets larger too.

This should hold me up until the logos get displayed larger (and hopefully when viewing LiveTV)..... Please add this.... It would add more to what is already a nice LiveTV display.

Lauren

[mogrinz]

If you've got links to sites with some free wavs I can use, please start another thread on that topic.

I could probably find a zillion sites on google; but royalty free wav's are another matter

I would suggest just letting people assign their own, thus avoiding any redistribution problems (ala channel logos)

Besides, this way I can have Homer's "Woo-hoo" and "D'oh!" for my Favorite/Don't Like

M

[Narflex]

There's a hierarchy in the EPG now if you enable it. It's the auto_categorize_epg property in the properties file. Set it to true, and it'll coalesce similar files into a 'folder' entry in the EPG (usually on title).

[JJarmoc]

I agree that user's should be able to assign their own .wav's, but I do feel that there should be some default set. Even if the defaults are just 'ding' and 'buzzzz' or something. That way, everyone get's the flexibility, but in future development you can assume that everyone will have some sort of sounds. I'm sure sound will be a consideration in UI design going forward.

[JJarmoc]

I agree that user's should be able to assign their own .wav's, but I do feel that there should be some default set. Even if the defaults are just 'ding' and 'buzzzz' or something. That way, everyone get's the flexibility, but in future development you can assume that everyone will have some sort of sounds. I'm sure sound will be a consideration in UI design going forward.