STV: SageMC - 1.0 Jan 9

[Wheemer]

It is running under the same account I log in with. This was to ensure Sage had access to all my network drives.

[Wheemer]

Since there is possibly a version 1.1 in the works, I figured I'd throw out a feature request or two.

Currently I still find the "Back" button not really functioning in an intuative manner. I understand the history memory, and it is helpful in certain cercumstances. However it seems that the usage of SageMC might improve if the back functioned as an "up one level" button sometimes. Here's what I mean.

When I'm viewing live tv, the back button should take me to the "Program Info" screen of the current show. Hitting it again it should take me to the "My TV" screen. And hitting it once more should take be back to the Start screen. The history should really be a factor in this.

When viewing a Sage recording, the "Back" should take me to the "Program Info" screen of the recoding. Hitting it again should take me to the "Recorded TV (ALL)" screen. Again and it should go to the "My TV" screen, and finally again and it should take me to the Start Screen.

Basically I guess what I'm getting at is the "Back" function can still become useless and take you all over the place if you've been using keys mapped to specific screens.

It would be nice if there was a constant screen mapping structure that was used for reference first, and the history as a secondary source, if you came from a different area in the STV.

Let me know if I'm not clear on this.

Also, when I bring up the guide and hit "Info" on a program I should be able to get the "Program Details" view, but it does nothing.

When exiting Live TV and I re-enter it later, it always defaults to the first channel in your lineup, is it possible for it to remember the last channel you were on? Same goes for the guide view, sometimes it's not highlighting the right channel.

I know it's been said a million times, but this is a great STV, I hope version 1.1 turns out even better!

[mayamaniac]

speaking of Back button, when using a mouse and not remote, how comes there's no Back button to click on? I constantly have to use the keyboard Ctrl+V or Alt+Left Arrow to navigate the menu. Am I missing something?

[stanger89]

mlbdude created this STV exclusively for remote use, as such there are no mouse icons.

[redman]

I finally sat down and got internet radio working with a shortcut to my favourite streams and another shortcut to kill the windows Player in the background. (I am using the 350, so no OSD)

So thanks mlbdude.

For 1.1 have you through about some other icons / changes to the existing ones that would let you know if the program can be deleted. So, if you had manually recorded it, it could be a different colour / shape, etc to one that was recorded by IR or recorded by Series.

I also would like to see the episode names in the series list, rather than just the series name (i.e. mine show up just like 'Cops' in the document)

Thanks for all your hard work.

[theMixxMaster]

Truly the best stv out there, IMHO! I can't wait to see what "enhancements" are coming up(perhaps the cool way MCE animates the menus?)
Some features and options that I would love to see integrated:
Internet Radio...
Multiple local weather forecasts...
Comskip integrated...
Perhaps some options for those who are into home automation...
Caller ID...
RSS feeds(My News?)....
Options for customizing the different menus(like starting out in Artist menu, then albums for music)...
The ability to use a different media player within Sage for viewing videos...
The only issue I seem to have, is that I use the power button to put Sage to sleep, and if I need to start a program through the Other Programs section, it doesn't minimize, it sleeps. This prevents me from using the program unless I yank out the mouse, and use that to minimize. Yeah, pretty minor I know...
Hey, wouldn't you know it, I can't think of much else. Like I said, awesome stv!
Now, when will we FINALLY be able to get Studio, Frey's been teasing us since the beginning of the beta!!!

[Cayars]

Yea, come on mlbdude, I'd like to see the following added to your STV also:
Internet Radio
Multiple Local Weather Forecasts
Home Automation
Caller ID

[makutaku]

Originally Posted by Cayars

Yea, come on mlbdude, I'd like to see the following added to your STV also:
Internet Radio
Multiple Local Weather Forecasts
Home Automation
Caller ID

Interesting, I barelly find the "single" Local Weather Forecasts usefull ! Home Automation ?? You must be kidding !!

I wished my PVR just did "PVR things" very well, not more unrelated features. I could always use another application to do that.

These are what I define as "PVR things":

1) Commercial detection - even my cheap VCR does that !
2) Close caption - any TV does that !
3) Burn to DVD. Burn series to DVD, telling how many disks will be necessary for the recorded episodes. (MCE does some of that!)
4) A decent juke box. Currently one sucks. Actually, from what I have seen, media management is not very good in Sage. Frey should either remove it or fix it.
5) Make it easier and pleasant to watch and manage videos, musics and pictures, in that order.

Anything that deviates from that, in my opinion, will help make Sage bloated and confusing for my wife, which I think shares similarities to mlbdude's wife.

More features is usually not better. Designing an application that makes 100% of the users 50% happy is worse than designing it to make 50% of the users 100% happy !

[PZL]

mlbdude: This is the best STV yet! I think that Frey should consider this as their default stv.

I have a question - when using the Streamzap remote, which one is the "back" button? Left arrow does not work and I have to keep returning to the main screen all the time when navigating - this is pretty frustrating

Paul.

[sixdoubleo]

I'm not sure if this is a question, a feature request, or a rehash of an already-covered issue. (Sorry if it's the latter, but this is a LOOONG thread and this topic is hard to search for).

When viewing recordings, I only get the title of the recording. I'd like to have the title, and the episode name.

Example: Currently, I see "Seinfeld". I would like to see "Seinfeld - The Parking Garage".

Not a huge problem, but a nice-to-have. Is it that this is a clone of MCE and MCE doesnt do it this way? Or is this simply a screen real estate issue?

Thanks, and EXCELLENT job. I really like the STV.

[mlbdude]

Originally Posted by sixdoubleo

Not a huge problem, but a nice-to-have. Is it that this is a clone of MCE and MCE doesnt do it this way? Or is this simply a screen real estate issue?

Both are true .

[jphhughes]

Originally Posted by Wheemer

When exiting Live TV and I re-enter it later, it always defaults to the first channel in your lineup, is it possible for it to remember the last channel you were on? Same goes for the guide view, sometimes it's not highlighting the right channel.

I noticed this problem as well. Is this how your STV handels this or is it in the core SageTV code? Its just an annoyance to have to switch from channel two to the the channel you last left off from.

[briands]

Originally Posted by PZL

mlbdude: This is the best STV yet! I think that Frey should consider this as their default stv.

I have a question - when using the Streamzap remote, which one is the "back" button? Left arrow does not work and I have to keep returning to the main screen all the time when navigating - this is pretty frustrating

Paul.

Left arrow does not work for back because that is not how MCE does it(since when does anyone ADMIT to copying M$). I also have the streamzap. I have programmed one of the colored buttons to send the back command.

[theMixxMaster]

Like I said, if the options were there, then it would be usefull for those wanting more advanced features. Sage is not "just a PVR", it is an HTPC frontend, as well...

Originally Posted by makutaku

More features is usually not better. Designing an application that makes 100% of the users 50% happy is worse than designing it to make 50% of the users 100% happy !

[briands]

I thought i understood that your STV was supposed to resolve the music jukebox issue. I still get files nop playing unless I skip forward. If I skip either forward or backward "beyond" the file, I get no sound again.

I just re converted all of my VBR MP3s to 256k thinking that CBRwould fix it...

Argh...

[RobDMB]

First of all I want to compliment you on this excellent stv. Its extremely easy to use and intuitive. I am however having a problem setting up the weather module. I have it enabled in the menu but am confused about what exactly I have to do to make it work. I have read the weather txt with the explanantions but for some reason I still don't know what to do. I'm sure its really simple so if someone could help me out i'd appreciate it. Thanks

[willemse]

Enable weather module right mouse click in main menu
Set units=m or leave S ( in file: Frey Technologies/Sage tv/STVs/SageMCE/
get weather.bat
Modify ZIP code to one in your area. (Can not help you further with this)

This is what I did and do hope this gets you going.
goodluck

[mlbdude]

Originally Posted by briands

I thought i understood that your STV was supposed to resolve the music jukebox issue. I still get files nop playing unless I skip forward. If I skip either forward or backward "beyond" the file, I get no sound again.

I just re converted all of my VBR MP3s to 256k thinking that CBRwould fix it...

Argh...

The only issues this STV handles with the music jukebox is making the front end usable. Any core items can't be changed in an STV. However, I have never seen the issue you discuss. Maybe the tool I use to rip (media player) does something different.

[mlbdude]

Originally Posted by jphhughes

I noticed this problem as well. Is this how your STV handels this or is it in the core SageTV code? Its just an annoyance to have to switch from channel two to the the channel you last left off from.

SageTV never stored the last liveTV channel you were on that I knew of. Then again I never just blindly go to LiveTV so I could have missed something. I will probably add it as a feature to go to the last channel viewed by default in a future release.

[mlbdude]

Originally Posted by RobDMB

First of all I want to compliment you on this excellent stv. Its extremely easy to use and intuitive. I am however having a problem setting up the weather module. I have it enabled in the menu but am confused about what exactly I have to do to make it work. I have read the weather txt with the explanantions but for some reason I still don't know what to do. I'm sure its really simple so if someone could help me out i'd appreciate it. Thanks

Also, if you had any weather menu setup before make sure you delete all the mlbdude_weather* lines from your properties file. Other than that all is done in the STV and you should not have to edit any text files unless you change from standard to metric units.