another new product coming soon: Beyond Media

[rakeshagrawal]

The Beyond Media pre-release FAQ has been copied to this thread for anyone that wants to keep track of it:

http://209.151.81.67/vb/showthread.p...threadid=12523

[jmracek]

I just bought a hauppauge MVP network player. It works OK but nothing as nice as this interface. The software for it appears to be running on the main server. The server controls the session and the MVP player is just a display terminal.

Is SnapStream using this device as there hardware client and rewriting the server code to implement Beyond Media or is snapstream developing there own hardware?

Also, will Beyond Media play WMV files or will it be limited to MPEG2 like Hauppauge's MVP player?

Jack

[Mr.X]

Have you seen this? http://discuss2.snapstream.com/vb/sh...threadid=11134

[jmracek]

Nice,
thanks
Jack

[danjb]

I'm a user of both BTV and MyHTPC. They're both great programs, and the price of MyHTPC is certainly nice! My complaints about both of them are:[list=1][*]They could be better integrated. I have it close to seamless, even down to the look and feel, but the load delay of BTV and extra prompting about exiting BTV back to MyHTPC prevent it from being seamless.[*]They're both works in progress and lack function I need. For example, the media module in MyHTPC almost works well enough for my music collection, but has some playback limitations (no single key automated launch of a playlist, for example). BTV needs to be able to separate programs into folders.[/list=1]BM is good news; it'll obviously address #1, and for #2 it will be one more "work in progress" to examine and compare to alternatives. My main worry about MyHTPC is there has been no significant update since May of last year, when talk of MyHTPC2 started surfacing. I have used a few other shareware programs that went into "working on a total rewrite for version 2" mode and never exited that mode.

At a minimum, maybe the imminent appearence of BM will spur a quicker release of MyHTPC2. At a maximum, maybe BM will be everything MyHTPC2 has promised to be and more, plus have tight integration with BTV. Either way, competition in this space is good!

[hessman]

I have been a beta tester and avid user of the now beyond tv for some time. This was the only thing missing. Can't wait

Hess

[koltz]

Well not like everybody has read this before, but here are my thoughts:

I agree this is a lot of new features for a point release program and would expect to pay an upgrade, but I don't feel that it should be a seperate program. Plus I really don't like the name , I know, I know, but Beyond TV is kinda cool, beyond media, oh well.

My recommendation, release this with Beyond TV as 3.5 or probably 4.0, registered 3.0 users, pay say $30 to upgrade to the full feature set of Beyond Media. But I agree with most, a seperate product may kill you guys in a market that more and more are starting to get into and one is free. I personally don't use MyHTPC at all, but have tried it.

I would imagine a price for current users will be in the works, but I also hope that you do get a beta out for current beta testers of Beyond TV (as I am . Anyway, I love your product and look forward to seeing this new one, but again, recommend selling it as seperate product.

Couple possible names, Beyond HTPC, Beyond Theatre, Beyond Microsoft Media Center Edition

Corey

[tkoenig]

I am holding off right now on buying as I want to see how pricing will happen as I want beyond media too. I only have 14 days left on the trial though so I may need to just bite the bullet and buy beyond tv before beyond media is released...

[Eric3a]

I am not speaking officially since I don't work for Snapstream but I see no way that Beyond Media will be ready before tour trial expires....

I am pretty certain Snapstream will have some sort of deal for existing customers.

Eric

[apodoc]

I WAS GOING TO BUY A MICROSOFT MEDIA CENTER PC. Then I came across this site. I was wondering if this software will be available soon. I am so confused. Should I buy Beyond Tv? Should I wait? What is the best TV tuner card out there?

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Abe

[SuperG]

I was leaning towards Sage 2.0 because they included a Frontend with their PVR. (I really have a thing for synergy). ;-)

Now that SnapStream has a Frontend and a really nice remote control ready to go out of the box, I'm leaning towards Beyond media, BTV with Firefly. I really love the MCE look that Beyond Media has.

If beyond media can be navigated entirely by remote, then that's game, set, match for me.

I just hope that the price of BTV /Beyond Media package is on par with Sage's offering.

[apodoc]

It would be really nice if they had downloadable movies like MCE. I tried this at a friends house and it was awesome.

[Brett]

Originally posted by apodoc
It would be really nice if they had downloadable movies like MCE. I tried this at a friends house and it was awesome.

hmmm? You can out of the box run a television server on BeyondTV, what else is there?

-Brett

[Eric3a]

It would be really nice if they had downloadable movies like MCE. I tried this at a friends house and it was awesome.

You mean the PPV downloadables from MCE?
Is it $5 a movie...

Eeeeeek
Hate that kind of deal. Hopefully Snapstream will never ever try something like that.... Next thing you know they'd have to have Digital Rights Management and all that nonsense.

Eric

[apodoc]

Well its $3.89 to rent a movie at Blockbuster. And I always pay the late fee of $1-2. And to save the trip in gas. I think its worth it.