Android application: taSageTV

[Fonceur]

Version 0.94

- Completed the migration of the Music section to the new scheme.
- Fix: was not escaping \ to \\ (sageTCPServer).
- Improved the query for the rows count in the database.
- Changed the default sort options.
- Replaced more problematic filtering characters by _.

[Fonceur]

Version 0.95

Fix: filtering by folder was partially broken.

[Mythikal]

I was able to get the streaming to work on my Evo - Android 2.1. Apparently VLC v1.0.5 is broken. v1.0.3 works just fine.

With that being said, here are some of the issues I'm having:

1) The media player being used doesn't like to start the first stream. If I back out and hit stream again (either for that video or another), the original stream starts to play. However, without starting another stream, I can start up a browser and go to rtsp://server:8000/stream.sdp and it does play in the default streaming app - which has controls, btw ;o)

2) No controls on the media player (stop/play/mute/quit and maybe resize would be nice).

3) Screen falls asleep when videos are playing.

4) The VLC instance doesn't terminate on the server and the "Allow only one instance" setting doesn't seem to matter when calling it from tasagetv. I logged in as my SageTV service user and set the "Allow only one instance" there too (as it doesn't appear to be a global setting), but that didn't work either and actually broke it altogether (multiple instances still, but no transcoding on any of them). I had to reinstall VLC after that.

5) I haven't found a way to quit the media player other than to force close tasagetv.

6) No "Now Playing" button. I can't quit the media player, but I can't get back to it to see what's playing either! I can hear the audio, but it would be nice to see the video that goes along with it too.

7) A/V sync is terrible. What sucks is that it's in sync on the PC.

8) The quality could be better, but that's just a matter of tweaking the transcode settings. Maybe give quality options of low/medium/high?

This was tested on both movies and recorded TV (sd and hd). They all acted the same way.

There ya go. Making some progress.

[Fonceur]

Originally Posted by Mythikal

I was able to get the streaming to work on my Evo - Android 2.1. Apparently VLC v1.0.5 is broken. v1.0.3 works just fine.

Thanks, I guess that might explain some of the problems, VLC versions have always had such issues between releases...

1) The media player being used doesn't like to start the first stream.

Probably that the player is started before the stream is actually available...

I can start up a browser and go to rtsp://server:8000/stream.sdp and it does play in the default streaming app - which has controls

I think that the first tests were done launching the default app, then I tried with something else has it wasn't working fine. Which might just have been the VLC version...

4) The VLC instance doesn't terminate on the server

Right, I might need to use the HTTP interface of VLC to do things properly.

8) The quality could be better, but that's just a matter of tweaking the transcode settings. Maybe give quality options of low/medium/high?

Once you enable streaming, you end up with the used parameters in the sage.properties file, so you can try tweaking them. Of course tweaking in VLC + browser directly is probably a better way to test...

[Mythikal]

Originally Posted by Mythikal

Apparently VLC v1.0.5 is broken. v1.0.3 works just fine.

...

7) A/V sync is terrible.

If old is good, older is better? VLC v1.0.0 all but eliminates the A/V sync issues.

[Fonceur]

Originally Posted by Mythikal

I can start up a browser and go to rtsp://server:8000/stream.sdp and it does play in the default streaming app

OK, try this experimental built (TV guide is disabled). It will pop the About page with a link to stream.

I'm getting a report that it tries to download the stream instead of playing it, but it might depend on the Android OS version, manufacturer, or such... Are you sure it's a default app and not something you (or the manufacturer) installed? Or maybe you tweaked some settings somewhere?

[Fonceur]

Another suggestion for the streaming would be to use the Android app VLC-Remote, with the instructions at http://code.google.com/p/android-vlc...es/detail?id=1 and some eventual merge/tweaks, should that method works better...

[brewston]

Originally Posted by Fonceur

Version 0.95

Fix: filtering by folder was partially broken.

I installed this version (Along with 1.3.8 on my server) and it forces closes as soon as it starts.

log shows :

E/AndroidRuntime( 2117): java.lang.RuntimeException: Unable to instantiate service tallus.android.sagetv.service.STVServer: android.database.sqlite.SQLiteException: no such table: Videos: , while compiling: SELECT count(*) FROM Videos

I rolled back to 0.93 and the error is the same. I will try a fresh install of 0.93

fuller log file attached...

[brewston]

Originally Posted by brewston

I will try a fresh install of 0.93

A fresh install of 0.95 seems to have recreated the database as it now starts. I will carry out some more testing

[brewston]

Most of Media Center now won't sync... another log attached

[Fonceur]

Version 0.96

- The streaming option now takes you to the About page, with a link to the stream.
- The TV Guide has now migrated to the more memory efficient method.

[Fonceur]

Originally Posted by brewston

Most of Media Center now won't sync... another log attached

I think the main issue is that your channel numbers are not numbers (i.e. ITV1)... Then there was also the ratings in ExpandedRatings. I guess I'll need to go back to Channel as text, with the side effect that sorting will produce:

1
101
11
2
3

instead of

1
2
3
11
101

[brewston]

Originally Posted by Fonceur

I think the main issue is that your channel numbers are not numbers (i.e. ITV1)...

I thought ITV1 was the call sign (and name) rather than the channel number, it should be channel number 103. I'm in the UK so lots of our EPG stuf is different due to be being pulled via XMLTV

[Fonceur]

Originally Posted by brewston

I thought ITV1 was the call sign (and name) rather than the channel number

Indeed it should... So it's either an issue with the XMLTV importer not putting everything where it should, or more likely that the channel 103 is not in the xmltv file to start with, as Europe tends to have more generic version, compared to North America where they are available by zip code/provider.

[Mythikal]

Originally Posted by Fonceur

Are you sure it's a default app and not something you (or the manufacturer) installed? Or maybe you tweaked some settings somewhere?

The default streaming media app on the Evo is by HTC. It's not an Android app per se. Sorry if my previous statement was confusing. I was just trying to show that the stream itself was valid and playable from another player, not necessarily trying to promote using it.

doubleTwist can play RTSP streams and does come up as an option when I put the link in a browser. Just tested it again to make sure I wasn't cross-eyed last night. Yes, it works. I did have to force close the browser to get it to pick up the app when I installed it before it would work. The screen falls asleep when watching a stream though just like the built in player in tasagetv. Not sure how to fix that.

I think whatever player you're using would work just fine if you can get it to close on exit and pick up the stream on the first try.

I'll try out the new version when my eyes open up a little more.

[Fonceur]

Originally Posted by Mythikal

The default streaming media app on the Evo is by HTC.

Sounds like theirs support progressive stream, which the native Android app won't before 2.2...

I was just trying to show that the stream itself was valid and playable from another player, not necessarily trying to promote using it.

Well, I know it plays on a pc, so didn't have doubts about the stream itself, just on how to play it back on the Android...

The screen falls asleep when watching a stream though just like the built in player in tasagetv. Not sure how to fix that.

Should be some settings in the app...

[Fonceur]

Version 0.97

- Changed the Stream link to "all" from "web"...
- Fix: Some properties were missing from the database.
- Fix: TV guide had issues following a device rotation.

[Mythikal]

TASageTV-0.97 + SageTCPServer-1.3.9

Doesn't show anything in Media center-->videos (0/1164). Is that because I'm using the trial?

Crashes when backing out of TV Guide if guide data is not populated.

Streaming link, for the recordings at least, works for me.

[Fonceur]

Originally Posted by Mythikal

Doesn't show anything in Media center-->videos (0/1164). Is that because I'm using the trial?

No, it just means that you need to sync (hit the hardware MENU button). The Media lists should be pretty much static, so they are only queried when the user asks for it. OTOH, maybe something went wrong with the previous sync.

Crashes when backing out of TV Guide if guide data is not populated.

I don't suppose you are using some XTML-TV importer too?

Streaming link, for the recordings at least, works for me.

That's good news. So people just need to install some app that supports progressive streaming.

[Mythikal]

Originally Posted by Fonceur

No, it just means that you need to sync (hit the hardware MENU button).

I did try to synchronize. No luck. I also tried to wipe and re-sync. No luck there either.

Originally Posted by Fonceur

I don't suppose you are using some XTML-TV importer too?

Not to my knowledge.

Originally Posted by Fonceur

That's good news. So people just need to install some app that supports progressive streaming.

And downgrade VLC on the server. ;o)