Android application: taSageTV

[batwater]

Originally Posted by Fonceur

Version 1.30

- Initial support of images in detailed view (through Sage Remote API).


This requires the Sage Remote API (Sagex service) installed. Since the full size image is sent, this is relatively inefficient and even transfers the image twice to work around some memory issue with large images. So it will get better, this is a work in progress...

Are these images stored on the SD card or in main memory?

Also, while on the topic of SD card, does taSageTV support apps2sd capability in Android 2.2 Froyo allowing the application to run off of the SD card?

Thanks!

[Fonceur]

Originally Posted by batwater

Are these images stored on the SD card or in main memory?

Currently it's only in main memory, so they do get downloaded over and over... You might have noticed the permission to write to the SD card, but it's not used yet.

Also, while on the topic of SD card, does taSageTV support apps2sd capability in Android 2.2 Froyo allowing the application to run off of the SD card?

First of all, I am still compiling with OS 1.6 and allowing OS 1.5, for compatibility reason, so I couldn't enable that... What you really want is for me to move the database to the SD card, which is planned, but trickier to do...

[batwater]

Originally Posted by Fonceur

Currently it's only in main memory, so they do get downloaded over and over... You might have noticed the permission to write to the SD card, but it's not used yet.

Okay, that makes sense.

Originally Posted by Fonceur

First of all, I am still compiling with OS 1.6 and allowing OS 1.5, for compatibility reason, so I couldn't enable that... What you really want is for me to move the database to the SD card, which is planned, but trickier to do...

Yes, that is definitely true, however, there is also this latest statistic - Android 2.x accounts for 83% of market ;-) How many of the taSageTV users are still pre 2.1?

[Fonceur]

Originally Posted by batwater

How many of the taSageTV users are still pre 2.1?

Well, I rarely get any feedback when I ask... The thing is that the cheap Android tablets are typically pre 2.1, which is why I wanted to keep the backward compatibility.

[planetc]

The Galaxy Tab has recently been released in the UK and mobile internet is starting to reach a point where it becomes affordable. I'm very tempted now to add one to my gadget collection, particularly given the additional functionality it offers over the iPad. Has anybody got first hand experience using one with taSageTV?

[dlevey]

This looks like it does for the W7 phone, something like what I was hoping TA would do.

http://usingwindowshomeserver.com/20...ne-7-released/

[Fonceur]

Originally Posted by dlevey

This looks like it does for the W7 phone, something like what I was hoping TA would do.

Except for the metadata, scheduling, TV Guide, future airing, Remote control, etc... In case you haven't been keeping up, photos on the device were added. I am still looking at improving the streaming, but it is an Android OS issue and the ones who have solved it are not really willing to share the functionality...

[Fonceur]

Version 1.31

- Enabled single song streaming.


Could someone try the VLC streaming with the parameters in SageTCPServer.jar 1.8.0.

You will need to shutdown SageTV (and its service), copy the file to the SageTV/SageTV/jars folder, edit the Sage.properties file and get rid of the various sageTCPServer/streaming* lines (except for the path, if you're not using the default location).

[Fonceur]

Version 1.32

- Reduced the size of the spinner (drop down menu).
- Reduced the font size of the lists.
- Reduced the font size of the detailed view.


EDIT: Initial feedback that I got was that I reduced the font size too much... And I thought I was still using bigger fonts than on the iPhone...

[Fonceur]

Version 1.33

- Increased the font's size of a few elements, as 1.32 might have been too extreme...


I was just matching my iPod's font size for similar elements, but oh well...

[planetc]

Taken the plunge, picked up a Galaxy Tab this morning.
Will be testing this at the first opportunity but need to keep it under wraps 'til xmas because it'll be sold to the missus as a joint xmas present based on her future use of the video function, lol. Will let you know how this runs on the Tab in due course.

[dlevey]

It's great that the new version can stream a song, but it has limited usefullness if after each song is done you have to go pick another song. Can it stream a playlist, album, or entire folder?

[dlevey]

after downloading the new version I can't see any of my playlists. I'm on a moto droid running 2.2.1.

I have tried resyncing, and at this time it stopped at430 songs, 158 albums, no photos, no videos.

I was hoping to be playing my xmas music over extender without turning on my tv to see the GUI, but, still not there yet.

[Fonceur]

Originally Posted by dlevey

It's great that the new version can stream a song, but it has limited usefullness if after each song is done you have to go pick another song. Can it stream a playlist, album, or entire folder?

Not yet, but it is in the plans. It should be possible to launch VLC with multiple filenames.

Originally Posted by dlevey

after downloading the new version I can't see any of my playlists.

The playlists are per clients (i.e. extenders and such), were you connected to one or just the server?

I have tried resyncing, and at this time it stopped at430 songs, 158 albums, no photos, no videos.

You can resync those sections individually and if the parsing of the Music still has issues, you can grab one of the free log gatherer and send the report to me so I can figure out what is the problem. There might be some garbage in a song metadata which chokes the parser or something.

[Fonceur]

Originally Posted by dlevey

Can it stream a playlist, album, or entire folder?

I've tried playing with the VLC command line, but I can't get it to stream multiple files in a row. The same command that streams just fine for one file, as soon as you add it a second file, it scratches the streaming part and just plays both files locally...

I've tried putting the list of files in a playlist.m3u, but I get the same result where it just plays locally and totally ignores the streaming request. I've seen other reports of that issue but no work around...

The only positive things that came out of it, is that fixed a bug in taSageTV, when adding an album to a playlist.

EDIT: Never mind, using Duplicate I seem to be able to do something...

[Fonceur]

Version 1.34

- Fix: Adding an Album to the Playlist didn't work.
- Can now stream an Album.


You will need SageTCPServer 1.80 and should delete the sageTCPServer/streaming* lines from the Sage.properties file (after shutting down SageTV and its service).

There seems to be an issue with filename containing special characters.

[planetc]

Scary, just reading through the wiki and the ip addresses in the hostname field on the images are that of my server. What's the odds against that?

[planetc]

Well, a little feedback. Just installed this along with VLC using all default settings throughout on the Galaxy tab. I haven't played with it, other than a brief look through and check streaming (rtsp) but it's looking good. Running using WLan on my internal network, I'm liking the functionality and the video opens and plays ok, albeit rather pixelated and not full screen, I assume this can be improved upon where bandwidth is available?
Will get some more testing done when I can, but it looks like I'll be purchasing. Thankyou for your efforts.

[planetc]

Could you tell me which parameters Are the ones likely to improve the quality of the video? Are the additional ones within the wiki related to improving the image? The screen on the tab is 1024x600, I believe there is an issue with some apps not scaling properly which I will attend to, but there is too much pixelation to make this watchable with the default output.

[Fonceur]

Originally Posted by planetc

Scary, just reading through the wiki and the ip addresses in the hostname field on the images are that of my server. What's the odds against that?

Actually, it's pretty standard for the routers to start the local network address at 192.168.0.100, though I guess it might be more likely to be the main PC than the HTPC...

Originally Posted by planetc

I haven't played with it, other than a brief look through and check streaming (rtsp) but it's looking good.

Good!

I assume this can be improved upon where bandwidth is available?

Yes, you can modify the command sent to VLC according to your network, Android device and the server doing the transcoding.

Originally Posted by planetc

Could you tell me which parameters Are the ones likely to improve the quality of the video?

Assuming you are on SageTCPServer 1.80 and didn't have an older installation, the current parameters are:

"fps=15,vcodec=mp4v,vb=512,scale=1,width=352,height=240,acodec=mp4a,ab=192,channels=2,samplerate=44100,deinterlace,audio-sync"

So obviously you could try fps=29, increase the width and height, probably double or more the vb=512.

If you have a beefy server, you could replace the h.263 (i.e. mp4v) by h.264 using the parameters shown on the wiki:

vcodec=h264,venc=x264{no-cabac,level=12,vbv-maxrate=384,vbv-bufsize=1000,keyint=75,ref=3,bframes=0}


The easiest way to test parameters, is to enable the debugging and then copy from SageTV\SageTV\sagetv_0.txt the VLC command line to a file, like say stream.cmd. After that you open up a DOS command prompt and execute that file.