STV: Cayars17 Ultimate STV (Release 17 - Jan 18)

[rsagetv99]

Another TIVO feature I miss is the ability to have separate default recording qualities for live TV and for recordings. This change is probalbly a little more involved, but it would be nice if all LiveTV was recorded at Excellent quality, and the default quality for scheduled shows was able to be changed.

This does pose a problem when you try to record a show from the show buffer, but the way TIVO handles this is, when you choose to record a buffered show it asks if you want to record from the beginning at Excellent quality, or record starting now with the default recording quality - or you could go to recording options and pick a different recording quality.

[mikejaner]

Yes, I like the auto delete at end of a recording idea too. I hate going in and cleaning out 30 shows at a time.

[ToxMox]

I personally wouldn't want the auto delete at the end...too easy for the wife to delete my shows. But hence the beauty of making it an option as Cayars is prone to do

[mls]

Originally Posted by Cayars

I just figured out something interesting concerning the new code I put in the header for the Schedules by Capture Device.

This works perfectly from a SageClient. It also works perfectly on the server if you are running in Service Mode. But it does not work if running on the server without service mode. How strange is that?

As noted in my previous post, the headers do display on my client machine, but not on my main server machine (on which I do not run the service).

Although I don't know why it doesn't work when running without the service, it's really not so strange when you consider that when running the service you actually do end up running the GUI as a client on that machine. Since the headers do display on client machines, it would seem logical that they would also work on the main machine when running with the service (since you would be using its built in client functionality).

BTW: If you do not run the service, you can run a 2nd instance of SageTV on the main machine by making a shortcut to SageTV.exe with the "-client" switch added on the end of the line. This allows doing more interesting things like PiP. It also creates a seperate properties file, so the 2 instances can have independent settings for video mode, decoder, and custom STV.

Depsite what others say, I have yet to find any logical reason to every run the service. To me, having 2 different things running (service and GUI) just doubles up the number of things that can go wrong.

[Cayars]

Originally Posted by ToxMox

I personally wouldn't want the auto delete at the end...too easy for the wife to delete my shows. But hence the beauty of making it an option as Cayars is prone to do

Yea, I like giving people "Option Anxiety" <- hope that was spelled correctly

Of course all the darn options do come back to "haunt" me every once in a while with a self inflicted bug!

[White94Cobra]

Speaking of options

My wife commented on how wierd it looks to have the OSD progess bar to the far left of the screen. It looks like it's broken. Here's what I'd like (as an option)

Since I don't use the system volume (it goes through my receiver) remove that OSD and make the progress bar full width like the top OSD). The date/time could either remain in their current location to the far right or they could be moved to the top OSD near the channel logo (my preference).

Or... if too difficult, an option to still display the volume OSD when ff/rw/pausing.

Thanks again for all your hard work!

[rsagetv99]

Originally Posted by ToxMox

I personally wouldn't want the auto delete at the end...too easy for the wife to delete my shows. But hence the beauty of making it an option as Cayars is prone to do

Well, just to be clear I don't want the show to automatically delete, I just want the Delete menu to pop-up giving you the option to delete - of course giving you the option to back out of the menu if you do not want to delete the program. This is how it is in TIVO, and my Fiance' has never accidentally deleted one of my programs - maybe on purpose but not accidentally . Another reason why the To Do List is nice in TIVO.

I also set my Uncle, Mother and Sister up on TIVO and they the delete options at the end of the program never caused them a problem either. For my uncle and my mother this is saying a lot because they are computer illiterate .

As you said this should probably be an option that can be turned on or off, however being new to Sage I have been somewhat confused by having soooo many choices. Of course, I could "choose" not to use Sage or this STV, but although confusing at times, I love both .

[Cayars]

Originally Posted by mls

"Disk Status (Logo Position)" appears in both the Logo/Screen Saver OSD Options and in the Enhanced OSD Options. This redundant duplication was in previous releases also, but I forgot to mention it.

Perhaps with the removal of this extra item and the one mentioned above everything could be moved into one setup pop-up (perhaps just the Enhanced OSD Options) ?

Are you sure your running the STV named "Cayars12.stv" now?

I just went into the code to remove it and it's not there.

[Cayars]

Originally Posted by mls

"Show Upcoming Recordings in Menu" has still not been removed from the Enhanced OSD Options setup pop-up list. I believe this was going to be removed 2 or 3 revisions back, but seems to keep being overlooked.

This too isn't in my current stv. Better check to make sure you're current.

[Cayars]

Originally Posted by mls

<snip>
Depsite what others say, I have yet to find any logical reason to every run the service. To me, having 2 different things running (service and GUI) just doubles up the number of things that can go wrong.

OR it halves the amount of things that can go wrong

If you have an OSD/STV crash it doesn't effect your ability to keep recording.

Another plus for some (not me) is that you can have it running as a service on a machine that is used as a "normal" computer. Then you can use machine connected to your TV running SageClient. The only difference here to 2.0 days is that the user of the "server" may not even be aware that it's doing the recordings since there isn't any "logo".

It also has an advantage for people who worry about security and don't want the computer to auto login. Using the new service, no one has to log into the machine. Along the same line, while running as a service, you have the ability to logout and login as another user and it has no affect on the service.

There is another advantage to the service but I can't say yet until Jeff anounces it. The old NDA thing...

[abasu2003]

There is another advantage to the service but I can't say yet until Jeff anounces it. The old NDA thing...

If Jeff really wanted to crack down on the NDA thing, he could make a killing perusing these forums

[Cayars]

Originally Posted by White94Cobra

Speaking of options

My wife commented on how wierd it looks to have the OSD progess bar to the far left of the screen. It looks like it's broken. Here's what I'd like (as an option)

Since I don't use the system volume (it goes through my receiver) remove that OSD and make the progress bar full width like the top OSD). The date/time could either remain in their current location to the far right or they could be moved to the top OSD near the channel logo (my preference).

Or... if too difficult, an option to still display the volume OSD when ff/rw/pausing.

Thanks again for all your hard work!

Hey, if you don't like MY layout, then don't use it!

Just kidding. I struggled with the idea on how to do this. What I tried was just having it centered when only the timebar is active. I then tried moving it over to the left when the volume panel was open. I tried always showing the foot (timebar & volume).

What I tried to accomplish with the OSD was to use minimal screen real-estate. So normally only one "panel" is displayed at a time. I found it to work best (picture wise) to keep things in the corners to maximize show viewing availability. This also tends to cover network logos too instead of having one panel center at the bottom of the screen with a network logo onside it.

What I'm thinking of trying in an upcoming release is to combine the timebar along with station info along with adding buttons for users to change channels which you can't do at the moment. I'd then make this use the full bottom of the screen.

I'm also thinking of getting rid of the rounded edges all around the "panels". This can be a pain to get to look correct on a TV using the overscan type settings. Some TVs aren't square but slightly rounded on the sides and bottom and it's hard to get the panels to look good.

What I'd do instead is just have a thicker colored line seperating the active panel from the OSD. There would be no "box" with rounded edges. It would just have the transparent background. So there wouldn't be and side borders. The top pannel would only have the line under the panel and the footer panels would only have a thicker line above the panels. I think this would solve a few issues and would look better too.

[White94Cobra]

Fixing the border issue would be great. I spent quite a bit of time trying to adjust my overscan and TV tilt to get the OSD to look straight and have all of the edges on the screen. It still doesn't look perfect.

As for screen real-estate, I'm not sure it matters if you get to see 10% of the bottom-right of the screen or not. I'd prefer just to have the top and bottom OSD's use the full width. I care more about the center portions of the screen. With your more recent versions the top OSD has been great. Many times it is only as tall as the channel logo.

Also, for what it matters, personally I prefer to have the date/time in the upper right corner of the screen. I'm just used to it I guess.

Thanks again!

[Cayars]

I prefer the date time up top right too, BUT then the show description is only 80% as wide and ends up taking a lot more space overall. I don't think I want to mess with the header. The footer on the other hand does bother me but I haven't quite figured out how to do it yet.

I've looked at other PVR solutions for examples of OSD Layout(MCE, Showcenter, BTV, Myth, GB-PVR) but none of them are what I'm looking for. Yes some are very pretty BUT it doesn't fit my criteria for using the LEAST amount of space to convey the information.

[Cayars]

Originally Posted by abasu2003

If Jeff really wanted to crack down on the NDA thing, he could make a killing perusing these forums

True, but then there would be no CAYARS STV

[Hector]

I agree. One of the first things you notice Tivo-->Sage is that it's more of a pain to delete shows.

As rsagetv99 points out it's not automatic deletion just easier because you can make your keep/delete/archive decision at the end of viewing. The default selection is NO and you have to explicitly make the decision to delete it.

Now if people in your house are deliberately deleting your shows, then you probably have bigger issues that even Cayars can solve, heh.

peace . . .

Originally Posted by rsagetv99

Well, just to be clear I don't want the show to automatically delete, I just want the Delete menu to pop-up giving you the option to delete - of course giving you the option to back out of the menu if you do not want to delete the program. This is how it is in TIVO, and my Fiance' has never accidentally deleted one of my programs - maybe on purpose but not accidentally . Another reason why the To Do List is nice in TIVO.

I also set my Uncle, Mother and Sister up on TIVO and they the delete options at the end of the program never caused them a problem either. For my uncle and my mother this is saying a lot because they are computer illiterate .

As you said this should probably be an option that can be turned on or off, however being new to Sage I have been somewhat confused by having soooo many choices. Of course, I could "choose" not to use Sage or this STV, but although confusing at times, I love both .

[Cayars]

Originally Posted by Hector

<snip>
Now if people in your house are deliberately deleting your shows, then you probably have bigger issues that even Cayars can solve, heh.

peace . . .

Well now, I wouldn't say that. You might be suprised with some of the things I'm thinking about adding.

I wish I could just do this and make money. It would be cool to do this all day long instead of a couple hours here or there...

[Crashless]

I may have missed it Cayars, but have you setup a paypal donation site? I have some beer money for you...

[phatjew]

Originally Posted by Crashless

I may have missed it Cayars, but have you setup a paypal donation site? I have some beer money for you...

I, too, would like to provide you with beer. Not too much, though -- it might make the coding go slower.

To be fair, though, Cayars would have to share with all the folks whose work has been incorporated into this STV. I don't want any of those folks thinking that their work isn't appreciated. An interesting conundrum.

[rsagetv99]

Originally Posted by phatjew

I, too, would like to provide you with beer. Not too much, though -- it might make the coding go slower.

To be fair, though, Cayars would have to share with all the folks whose work has been incorporated into this STV. I don't want any of those folks thinking that their work isn't appreciated. An interesting conundrum.

Drinks for everyone!!!!! Woohooo!!!!!