another new product coming soon: Beyond Media

[dcorwin]

I would love to have the Beyond Media interface instead of the MVP's on my television. That's just gotta be something you should look into, it would be too cool!

Also, Apex will be coming out with a mass market htpc soon, are you guys looking into compatibility with that?

-Dave

[-LD]

you can have the BTV look and feel on the MediaMVP - http://discuss2.snapstream.com/vb/sh...threadid=11891

[Rita]

Originally posted by debennett2


What delay are you talking about? The delay it takes for the FSUI to come up? There cannot be a difference in how fast Snapstream loads from myHTPC or by itself.

Well, yes and no. Yes, the delay that bothers me is the delay it takes to start up Beyond TV when it isn't already in full screen mode when I select it from myHTPC. But there exists a work around - sort of. First I start myHTPC, then I start Beyond TV in full screen and then I change focus to myHTPC on the PC. This way when I selected Beyond TV from myHTPC it is instantenous. The problem is that I haven't figured out a logical way to switch back to myHTPC without programming a key for Alt-tab. (which won't work if I have other things running in the background) It is already a stretch for me to get my husband to use a programmed key on the remote to "escape" when he's backing out of recording. He won't use live TV and won't use the E and L keys. If I mentioned alt+tab and remote together in one sentence he would probably never touch the remote again. So if Beyond TV is able to do the same thing myHTPC does but find a way to change focus through a menu item rather than having to program alt+tab or some other key, I could actually use their version of myHTPC even if it has no other benefit. To make it more complicated Beyond TV uses "escape" and myHTPC uses "backspace" to back out of screens. Yeah, my remote has 6 keys I can program all this stuff in - and I could use it - but my husband would refuse to learn all these functions.

There was another thing that bugged me which may be some setting that I haven't bothered to further look into; when I used the ATI remote with myHTPC and then switched to Snapstream, the behavior of the remote changed. I can't stand the way the ATI remote works when it is set to control individual applications (at least in Beyond TV). When it is set to work the same for all windows applications all the buttons work the way I would expect. But when I go to Beyond TV from myHTPC the remote seem to change to individual program setting (maybe this is the only way the myHTPC plugin works for it?) and then the ff/rw buttons no longer skip forward and back, they just open a dialogue asking me to select how much to skip forward or back - can't remember exactly but it was way too annoying to mess with. So basically if Snapstream offered a more integrated version of myHTPC it would be more usable for me and I would pay a little for it - even though technically I could get the same functions for free.

[DramaticMarlin]

But there exists a work around - sort of. First I start myHTPC, then I start Beyond TV in full screen and then I change focus to myHTPC on the PC. This way when I selected Beyond TV from myHTPC it is instantenous. The problem is that I haven't figured out a logical way to switch back to myHTPC without programming a key for Alt-tab.

If I understand correctly, you're launching BTV directly from myHTPC -- this is pretty slow. What I do is have BTV start up as part of my HTPC machines' Windows login. It starts as an icon in the system tray, with no GUI displayed. This adds a few seconds to the system boot, but it isn't that big of a deal.l

Then what I do from myHTPC is have menu items that correspond directly with Live TV, recordings, EPG, etc etc and invoke them in full screen. This reduces start up dramatically as the core BTV engine is already running --- all that is loading is the GUI. Takes about 1-2 seconds overall to load up Live TV for me.

Have you tried that approach?

[Cayars]

Originally posted by riekl
It still isn't as efficient Yes they can be ripped as easily but you have to mount every image before you can play it this adds further lag time and problems of drives already being mapped etc .. it is far easier to play dvd's from vob's / ifo's with many less potentials for complications ..

Your right, your way isn't as efficient ISO is the way to go in myHTPC assuming your using the defacto DVD player in myHTPC.

Check out the feature page for simpleDVD:
http://myhtpc.net/pub/simpleVideo/#Features

You'll notice it can play movies directly from the ISO file without you having to mount the image outside of myHTPC. Doing it this way allows you to keep all your ISOs in a slick easy to manage directory structure without the maintenance headaches.

By keeping the images in ISO format you can very easily burn the movie back to DVD also.

[riekl]

Ah but that is only good for that ONE player

If you want to use the best player around (Theatertek

Not to mention ifo/vob files are JUST as easy to burn back to a dvd no more steps then burning an ifo .. at least with nero you just plop the ifo and vobs into the video_ts dir and it burns. To each their own .. but more players are going to play ifo/vob (read ALL of them Theatertek, powerdvd, windvd, nvdvd, simple video) where as virtually none other then simple video have an easy way to play iso's natively .. so you pick which one is easier for you .. but for me long term compatability and not having to rerip or de archive everything is the better choice for me

[ctebo]

Using iso's for your ripped DVDs is so 90s. Any decent DVD software (TheaterTek, PowerDVD, WinDVD, ZoomPlayer, etc) can play directly from ifos/vobs.

Using iso's for dvds will cause you more grief than joy...

Chris

[Cayars]

I agree with you ctebo about using ifos/vobs for all the main DVD players out there. But I was talking specifically about DVD Ripping for myHTPC as per the thread. A large majority of people who use myHTPC use simpleDVD because of it's seemless integration as the native DVD player.

There are probably advantages and dis-advantages to both types of rips. Depends on the person I guess.

Truth be told I find both techniques about the same overall. I just decided to go ISO mainly because it's easier to maintain. I also figured I could pretty easily convert the ISOs over to IFO/VOB format pretty quickly if needed.

Regardless, getting back to the thread, the better way will be however Beyond Media handles ripped DVDs!

Carlo

[rmccormi]

Just rip DVD's to DiVX format. Removable media should be a thing of the past in this networked day and age!

[riekl]

RPM --

I highly doubt you are going to get anywhere with that comment People want to be portable and since 90% of the dvdplayers (probably more) out in the market today can't play divx movies they would have to maintain _2_ copies of every movie or reconvert it (read loss of quality) every time they wanted to take a movie to a friends or let a parent borrow it etc .. DVD (ifo/vob) will continue to be the primary movie format for many years to come with DivX taking a backseat .. (a very far in the back backseat at that)

[Rita]

Originally posted by DramaticMarlin


If I understand correctly, you're launching BTV directly from myHTPC -- this is pretty slow. What I do is have BTV start up as part of my HTPC machines' Windows login. It starts as an icon in the system tray, with no GUI displayed. This adds a few seconds to the system boot, but it isn't that big of a deal.l

Then what I do from myHTPC is have menu items that correspond directly with Live TV, recordings, EPG, etc etc and invoke them in full screen. This reduces start up dramatically as the core BTV engine is already running --- all that is loading is the GUI. Takes about 1-2 seconds overall to load up Live TV for me.

Have you tried that approach?

Yes, that is how I do it. That 1-2 seconds is enough for non-technical people to think something is wrong. They are used to the remote to respond instantly. If it acts like a PC it doesn't get used... which is why my husband doesn't use Live TV through BTV - he'd rather lose the pause/rewind capabilities than wait the couple of seconds it takes to load Live tv! Which is fine by me actually cause he wouldn't sit still long enough for me to explain when he can and when he can't use it anyway! (don't change channels when it's recording!)
Anyhow that 1-2 seconds is enough to annoy me too. That is why the only acceptable approach I can think of is having both programs running full screen in the background and having some way (preferably menu item) to switch focus between them. That way there is no delay at all - it responds instantly. (except live tv) And having the same remote configuration between them is a must too.

[debennett2]

DVD (ifo/vob) will continue to be the primary movie format for many years to come with DivX taking a backseat .. (a very far in the back backseat at that)

I don't know about MANY years. As we all may or may not know, today's DVD is tomorrow's betamax. I honestly have no clue how DVD became as popular as it has (I used to think it was great) but thankfully we have two new formats fighting for the title of HD DVD in the next 1-3 years (guesstamating) with Sony's Blu-Ray (bleck) and also AOD (Advanced Optical Disc). These are going to make DVD's look like garbage and I can't wait. In fact, I won;t even bother buying DVD's knowing that these will come out in the next years to come. By the way, Sony is sticking with MPEG-2 whereas AOD is trying to optimaize a compression closer to a MPEG-4 standard. Compression sucks (i.e. digital cable and satellite looks like ass compared to those big a** C-band satellites), but if you are going to use it, why not use it with the most efficiency (MPEG4 over MPEG2)?

[pukka_parker]

Originally posted by riekl

To each their own .. but .. it setup/installation just does NOT get ANY easier then myhtpc It works immediately right out of the box, ALL you have to do is tell it what directory your movies, pictures and music is in .. you really should look at it again as your first impression is not an accurate one.

riekl, you miss my point. Sure, myHTPC "works" out of the box, but it's "basic" as standard To get it to work exactly how I want (interface mostly, not functionality) will take a good deal of effort. IMO, BeyondTV is good enough out the box (for TV) that I was willing to give up the media (pics, mp3, etc.) stuff.

If SS can offer a relatively inexpensive option to do the other stuff then I'll buy it just to fill the gap. I'm not too fussed. Am I alone in wanting simple and tidy solutions for my PC applications? Whilst I would count myself as a bit of an IT nerd I still prefer to avoid complication. myHTPC, BTV, xmlTV, Girder (or similar) and IRDA interface (for UK cable box) is too complicated by far! Could do it, would rather not. Nowadays I go for the option with the most wizards and the fewest individual components cos I don't have the time to tinker with my PC.

I just hope that BM is competively priced (i.e. not too much more expensive than free) so that this unimportant gap can be filled. (I think 10% voted for pic/mp3 support in most wanted feature poll.)

BTW. I'm not knocking myHTPC which is a very good product at a darn good price .

[pukka_parker]

Originally posted by Rita

If it acts like a PC it doesn't get used... which is why my husband doesn't use Live TV through BTV - he'd rather lose the pause/rewind capabilities than wait the couple of seconds it takes to load Live tv!

Rita,

I couldn't agree more (with your husband!).

I'm not sure what market SS are after. Is it VCR, expansion of PC to PVR or (like me) buying a separate PC to be a TiVO?

Only one of those options (PC expansion) allows for anything taking more than about one second - and then only because the user will fully understand what is going on "under the bonnet".

So here's the question... What is BTV with BM? Is it a *consumer* electronics product or is it a PC expansion?

[DWAnderson]

I think Beyond Media looks great.

Like many here I use BTV in connection with myHTPC, and it works fine. I'd be willing to pay some amount, however, for Beyond Media. Here's why:

-- A consistent UI (that also includes a consistent interface on a remote client like the MediaMVP).

-- Ability to play video files using BTV's video playback engine, which I think is superior to any of the the myHTPC plugins I've used.

-- Having multiple professional developers that are continuously working to add new capabilities to the product and cut deals with third parties to broaden the reach of the product. (Pablo's efforts on myHTPC have been great, but there's only so much one guy can do!)

-- I'd love a nonproprietary alternative to MS Media Center (the new version of which looks really good!).

-- The setup of the current incarnation is kind of a pain. Granted, that's mostly due to my trying to use it to integrate about five different apps, but if Beyond Media really enabled me to reduce the number of apps I'm integrating my life would be that much easier.

All of this being said, the more flexible and customizable Beyond Media is, the more of the current HTPC enthusiasts it will appeal to. Based on my trip to CES on Friday, accessing digital media from PCs and using appliances was the one theme that completely dominated the show. The things that have the potential to make one solution stand apart are the following:

-- Ability to use nonproprietary formats

-- Ability to customize functionality (through plugins) and appearance (UI options)

-- Well designed used interface

Good luck.

Doug

On a side note, I applaud Snapstream for allowing all of these mentions of myHTPC in their forums. I recently made a complimentary mention of that product on J River's Media Center forum and had the paragraph in which I did so deleted without any type of notice. But that's another story...