Time Shifting? Pause recording? DivX?

[bradwww]

Hi, I have used Showshifter but it does not offer some key features I need.

Does Snapstream software allow you to pause live TV like a typical PVR?

While recording shows, can you pause recording to edit out commercials? If not, can you re-record the show while playing it later to edit commercials or save portions of files?

Does it have the ability to re-compress to improved formats like DivX as a background task?

Will it recognise a CDR full of MPG files when inserted in the drive and make them available for playback?

Can it be used from a remote control without requiring mouse and keyboard? (like a cordless mouse controller for example) Is 1 clock recording of the current show possible?

Thanks - I have a Dishplayer PVR but would like to upgrade to a more flexible format by using a PC instead of a proprietary box so I can record DivX to CDR and digitize TV and video tapes I have.

brad

[PBMax]

Snapstream as it currently is isn't in the same category as Showshifter.


Originally posted by bradwww:
Hi, I have used Showshifter but it does not offer some key features I need.

Does Snapstream software allow you to pause live TV like a typical PVR?


No it doesn't SS is designed to record programs for later playback either locally or across the internet or across a LAN.


While recording shows, can you pause recording to edit out commercials? If not, can you re-record the show while playing it later to edit commercials or save portions of files?


While recording now.... you can view a live recording but what you are watching is a time delayed stream of the current recording show. The interface is media player and therefore you cannot pause a recording to cut out commercials.

The final file format is WMV files and you can use Windows Movie Maker to take out the commercials.


Does it have the ability to re-compress to improved formats like DivX as a background task?


Right now it doesn't. If you have third party software that can read WMV and convert it then you can do it. As of now you can only record in WMV but other codecs are in the works. A developer will have to tell you more about this feature. I think in the future you can expect to record straight into divx. But if you record in any other format besides WMV (maybe MOV in the future) you lose the ability to stream your shows over the internet. You might be able to stream an MPG over a highspeed LAN though.


Will it recognise a CDR full of MPG files when inserted in the drive and make them available for playback?


Not at this time. Is this a future feature? Ask AMIT. You can IMPORT your movies into SS but it will convert the files into WMV files stored on one of your media stores.


Can it be used from a remote control without requiring mouse and keyboard? (like a cordless mouse controller for example) Is 1 clock recording of the current show possible?


The current interface requires a MOUSE and Keyboard. You can use a cordless mouse and keyboard to control your computer or use a third party IR receiver and software(IRMAN) and your IR Remote to control the mouse without the need for a mouse and keyboard.
Using titanTV you can have 1 click recording access.


Thanks - I have a Dishplayer PVR but would like to upgrade to a more flexible format by using a PC instead of a proprietary box so I can record DivX to CDR and digitize TV and video tapes I have.


As the product is today SS isn't a replacement for a hardware PVR but it is in a different category than a Hardware PVR such as Tivo.
Can your PVR stream shows over the Internet?
Can your PVR share it's recordings with other PVR's?
Can your PVR import other formats?
Can your PVR transcode shows to playback on a Pocket PC?

As you can see these products are in different categories but as time goes on and development continues who knows where Snapstream will go? And since Snapstream is a software product that is primarily based on your TV card. All you have to do is upgrade the software to the newest version to get the new features. Can your hardware PVR do that? (Well maybe it can somewhat http://discuss.snapstream.com/ubb/smile.gif )

[bradwww]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by PBMax:
[B]Snapstream as it currently is isn't in the same category as Showshifter.

Which category is that? Apparetnly I am looking in the wrong place. Being a media server on the internet seems like a very small niche compared to the huge number of people who want the capabilities of a PVR on their computer so they can encode media easily and share it with friends via napster-genre services, but thanks for your honest answer. I suggest you guys look at this as the beginnings of a TIVO clone, because the number of television fans is huge compared to the number of computer tinkerers - but thats my opinion. I think you could get in the PVR category easy if you wanted to. I sure would appreciate it. thanks!

brad

[PBMax]

Snapstream still is a PVR in that it doesn record your shows for you so that you can watch them. Showshifter will timeshift while watching a show and record shows on a schedule. You can still share shows with friends because all they are are files in Snapstream. One of the features of Snapstream which hasn't been implemented but it may be if the legal implications can be worked out is Snapstream.net. It is a service in which you can access another snapstream user's interface and d/l shows directly into your own snapstream. The legal issues is that is it legal to download a show that you didn't record for personal use. This is sorta like you are distributing a show without the owner's consent. Sort of like how Icravetv.com got shut down. Until the legal implications have been worked out I'm sure this is something that won't be implemented soon. As it is now I think that Snapstream is a good alternative to a Hardware PVR. Once Mpeg2 encoding and codec support has been implemented you can setup your PVR box over the LAN or internet (as if from work) to record you shows and know that when you get home it will be ready to watch. Who knows once SS becomes mainstream there will be third party products to make snapstream more TV friendly and have the features you are looking for.