What is your dream SageTV client?

[valnar]

One more point I'd like to make, since we're all dancing around it. Especially since there are a bazillion other ways to watch local content from 320x240 AVI's to 4K MKV files.

I can't say this for certain, but I think the fact we can watch local content with the HD100-HD300 boxes is a secondary feature and partially available by accident. The primary purpose of Sage is a DVR, and as a DVR it needs to be able to show recorded programs, which are most 480i, 720p and 1080i. That's it. Not 4K; not 1080p.

Since Sage procured Sigma-Design boxes to do so, it just so happens that they could also play local content up to 1080p. So why neuter that feature?

As far as I know, the HD300 needs no more advancement or horsepower to continue to play TV recorded content. Most of the other features of Sage (music, weather, DRM streaming) are being left behind due to attrition anyway. What's important is the DVR and EPG.

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by valnar

One more point I'd like to make, since we're all dancing around it. Especially since there are a bazillion other ways to watch local content from 320x240 AVI's to 4K MKV files.

I can't say this for certain, but I think the fact we can watch local content with the HD100-HD300 boxes is a secondary feature and partially available by accident. The primary purpose of Sage is a DVR, and as a DVR it needs to be able to show recorded programs, which are most 480i, 720p and 1080i. That's it. Not 4K; not 1080p.

Since Sage procured Sigma-Design boxes to do so, it just so happens that they could also play local content up to 1080p. So why neuter that feature?

As far as I know, the HD300 needs no more advancement or horsepower to continue to play TV recorded content. Most of the other features of Sage (music, weather, DRM streaming) are being left behind due to attrition anyway. What's important is the DVR and EPG.

I think that misses the mark pretty badly though. If all you really wanted to do was to record and playback tv, you'd be just fine with a company provided whole-home DVR. It's the media library and customization that has always kept me with sage.

[korben_dallas]

My dream client would be a Blu-ray player with the SageTV client on it. I don't rip Blu-ray discs and wouldn't want to try to feed that storage need.

Essentially I already have a Blu-ray player with SageTV, albeit in Windows PC form. If the Blu-ray software gui and remote control functionality were as rock-solid as SageTV, then my only other wish would be a smaller form factor.

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by korben_dallas

My dream client would be a Blu-ray player with the SageTV client on it. I don't rip Blu-ray discs and wouldn't want to try to feed that storage need.

You'd be surprised how inexpensive it really is. At current 4TB prices (of $160), that turns out to be <$1/bluray, if you go with just the main movie.

[emveepee]

Originally Posted by valnar

The primary purpose of Sage is a DVR, and as a DVR it needs to be able to show recorded programs, which are most 480i, 720p and 1080i. That's it. Not 4K; not 1080p.

The BBC has been broadcasting 1080i/p hybrid for years.

HEVC tests are already happening for broadcast channels around the world.

Martin

[samgreco]

Originally Posted by korben_dallas

My dream client would be a Blu-ray player with the SageTV client on it. I don't rip Blu-ray discs and wouldn't want to try to feed that storage need.

Essentially I already have a Blu-ray player with SageTV, albeit in Windows PC form. If the Blu-ray software gui and remote control functionality were as rock-solid as SageTV, then my only other wish would be a smaller form factor.

I remember many years ago (2007?), Sage showed a client on a BluRay player at CES. It worked. It was great. Just never gained traction. I saw it at that show.

Jeff could probably tell us more

[MickBurke]

I know this has turned into more of a brainstorming thread for the opensource programming types, but for my 2¢ on what I want from a client;

Just the simplest of things, an app for Roku or the like would be great, the ability to get titles etc from the internet (like Plex does with movies and TV episodes) would be a logical thing.

Beyond that, I LOVE that save uses a jump FFW and REW, meaning that one press jumps 10 seconds, rather than regular ffwd like the cable box or Roku do, so I'd hate to see that change.

Fired up for some new development of SageTV!!

[aaronb]

My dream client would be built into Kodi, with the ability to have a DVR section separate from the main library, with a context menu option to archive something into the Kodi library. After 10+ years of playing around with this stuff finally having one program to rule them all would be fantastic

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by MickBurke

...the ability to get titles etc from the internet (like Plex does with movies and TV episodes) would be a logical thing.

You mean, like BMT?

Originally Posted by aaronb

My dream client would be built into Kodi, with the ability to have a DVR section separate from the main library...

Maybe I'm missing something but when I tried to use Kodi for TV (with ServerWMC backend) I found it to be terrible.

[dinki]

Originally Posted by stanger89

Maybe I'm missing something but when I tried to use Kodi for TV (with ServerWMC backend) I found it to be terrible.

I agree. I use Kodi on a cheap Android box as a make-shift extender for watching live tv/recordings in our bedroom. While it does work, the FF/RW leaves much to be desired. I'm using an nPVR backend.

That said, it is still functional for my purposes but would really like a SageTV backend for Kodi so that I can get rid of the nPVR backend that I'm using just for this purpose. An Android SageTV client would also eliminate the need for the Kodi set up I have now as well. I guess it's a whichever-comes-first type situation for me.

I'm sure over time that Kodi PVR will improve but it will probably be a long while before it is even remotely as robust as SageTV.

[dgeezer]

Just curious. Do you use the Kodi pvr plugin or x-newa? I personally like the x-newa interface better and comskip works.

[SHS]

Originally Posted by dinki

I'm sure over time that Kodi PVR will improve but it will probably be a long while before it is even remotely as robust as SageTV.

HaHa and when Pig Fly that will the day as 5/6 years have all ready gone by and nothing.

[SWKerr]

Originally Posted by dgeezer

Just curious. Do you use the Kodi pvr plugin or x-newa? I personally like the x-newa interface better and comskip works.

I do not even use the Kodi PVR integration. I just use the X-Newa plugin.

Not sure what you mean about comskip. I don't have any problems with comskip in Kodi. It just does not show the tick marks like in SageTV but it works fine. Although I did setup a custom key map to get the remote to work the way I wanted.

I would rather have something like X-newa than rely on the PVR integration. If you can get your SageTV TV Library to scan into the Kodi TV Library by naming the recording correctly then the PVR integration is only useful for live TV and setting up recording. For that the X-newa is perfect.

[dinki]

Originally Posted by SWKerr

I do not even use the Kodi PVR integration. I just use the X-Newa plugin.

I use the Kodi integration

Not sure what you mean about comskip. I don't have any problems with comskip in Kodi. It just does not show the tick marks like in SageTV but it works fine. Although I did setup a custom key map to get the remote to work the way I wanted.

Comskip works fine for me too. Had to change the edl to output a different 'code' for the type of break or something. I think I have it set to '2' and comskip files normally are set to '0' or something. I requested tick marks on the XBMC forum a long while ago but it doesn't seem anyone cared. This little detail and the fact that SageTV brings up the timeline when comskip happens is greatly missed in my Kodi viewing.

I would rather have something like X-newa than rely on the PVR integration. If you can get your SageTV TV Library to scan into the Kodi TV Library by naming the recording correctly then the PVR integration is only useful for live TV and setting up recording. For that the X-newa is perfect.

Yes, but I'd prefer to use SageTV as my backend for live tv. I'm using SageTV and nPVR. I use nPVR for viewing on my phone/tablet/bedroom and only use it for live tv. Setting recordings in nPVR is not desirable.

[aaronb]

Originally Posted by stanger89

Maybe I'm missing something but when I tried to use Kodi for TV (with ServerWMC backend) I found it to be terrible.

Yeah, it's not very good right now (I've only tried WMC/ServerWMC backend and not NextPVR or MythTV), but I am hopeful it will get better. None of the PVR backends are as good for your general media library as Kodi, and Kodi is not very good at being a PVR frontend. I've been trying to figure out a single solution for years and haven't gotten there.

[dgeezer]

Not sure what you mean about comskip. I don't have any problems with comskip in Kodi.

Maybe I'm wrong . At one point, maybe Gotham or Helix, edl files would not work when you were playing a recording via the Npvr plugin for Kodi. However, comskip has always worked when playing a recording from the library or through x-newa. Of course, all the things mentioned above need to be in place as far as defining the breaks in comskip.ini and using either network recording paths or defining path substitution.

I requested tick marks on the XBMC forum a long while ago but it doesn't seem anyone cared. This little detail and the fact that SageTV brings up the timeline when comskip happens is greatly missed in my Kodi viewing.

This is also the one thing I miss the most about using Npvr and Kodi vs the SageTV extenders. I know that NextPVR has a similar popup timeline when you view recordings on the server or the pc clients. Maybe we should all beg Martin to try and add this to x-newa.

I could help, I once wrote a SIX line batch file

Sorta back on track:
I just set up a Nvdia Shield TV with Kodi and the x-newa plugin. The deinterlacing is still not great, but there is talk on the geforce forums of Nvidia allowing full access to mpeg2 hardware decoding for android apps. If this is available to all developers, I think that an Android SageTV client app might be a nearly perfect replacement for the HD300.

[emveepee]

I can't add support for showing edl markers there no gui control that supports it. Look at the ugly skin being proposed to show the location in live tv http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?...809#pid2014809 because of that limitation.

I hope to get the shield after they allow root or mpeg2 h/w decoding. I've got too many players that can't play my files.

Martin

[troycheek]

To be honest, my perfect SageTV client would be an exact copy of the existing SageTV software which could run in client mode without needing a product key. Then I could install it on all my family's computers and let them handle their own scheduling and whatnot.

[stuckless]

Originally Posted by dgeezer

If this is available to all developers, I think that an Android SageTV client app might be a nearly perfect replacement for the HD300.

I started one, but I'm not sure Android TV is great platform either... it's OK, but playback will always be an issue. This isn't really finished, since I started it to learn a little bit about the Android TV apis.... I then got bored

https://github.com/stuckless/phoenix-app-ng

[dinki]

Originally Posted by stuckless

I started one, but I'm not sure Android TV is great platform either... it's OK, but playback will always be an issue. This isn't really finished, since I started it to learn a little bit about the Android TV apis.... I then got bored

https://github.com/stuckless/phoenix-app-ng

Are you talking about Android TV specifically not being a great platform or Android in general? The only reason I ask is that I've got a GBox MX2 (Android based) that plays everything I throw at it.