Suggestion for future product development

[beyond]

This is meerly a suggestion, that would be wonderful if it was implemented.

I know that *most* users of the product are now using Haupauge PVR250 cards.. so why not implement Closed Caption support for this one particular line of cards?

I know that usually products like yours say that they can't do closed caption support because of the million different capture cards out there..

but... since most are now using one particular card in general, why not add the support for that one card type? and have it say that for closed caption support, you must buy a PVR250?

I know for a fact, that there are a ton of people that would buy snapstream JUST for that fact.

Also, I know it can't be that hard to do, since a SINGLE developer of a plugin for myhtpc already has Closed Caption support on his PVR Plugin for Myhtpc (when using a PVR250 card).

I really hope that this feature could be included in future versions of the software, this way me and my wife, along with a good number of other users, would understand what's going on more .. (since there are a good # of us that are hard of hearing! hahha)

[PBMax]

Close caption support has been on our feature list for quite some time now. If there are more users who really want this feature then we can bump it up the list. Not all cards support Closed captioning. If a users buys a snapstream because it has closed captioning support and his card doesn't then we get the blame.

Any other users out there think close caption support is a major feature they look for in pvr software?

[Kindrael]

I would enjoy closed caption support as long as the closed captions were recorded and I could simply turn them on and off during replay.

The 7 second, "what did he just say" button is nice, but there are still time occasionally where even after listening a few time my wife and I still can't interpret. That would be the instance that I would use closed captioning. But like I said during REPLAY, i'd like to be able to turn it on and off.

ATI AIW 9000.

[comptechltd]

While I wouldn't use the CC support myself I believe you guys have a valid point. PBMax, as far as blame goes, just make it very clear that the tuner card must support CC. Just like they do for telephones supporting Caller ID.

Just my $.02


Steve

[sloanja]

Another issue that Snapstream has to contend with is that if they go with "If you want 'Closed Caption', they must go with Hauppauge's PVR-2/350", they are really putting a lot of ephasis on one card brand. They would be essentially turning their backs to ATI and all the other name brands of TV Tuner cards which help support the development of this software either with monetary support or technical software/hardware support. Without the software and hardware manufacturers talking and cooperating, this software wouldn't have been made at all.

[beyond]

heh.. well some people responded...

I do like merrypig's thought... have it be some add on or something that someone can do, and have it just be a developer tool availible for people who want it.. and offer no support or something... (just have it enabled for the #1 brand cards)

I know that the second it's offered in snapstream, i'll turn it on.. we always have the closed captions turned on our TV... they aren't that big when it's a 61 inch screen.. and it doesn't really bother us on our 27 inch in the bedroom either..

I personally hope some more people come in and voice their opinion for it... as I know that they are out there.. i've seen them on boards like this one, as well as over at showshifter.. and at boards for open source / private free software's BBS's as well..

[RobertH]

the whole problem ends back up with people who will not read the nice page that states the requirements. I dont know howmany messages Ive replied to over the past months with people who want to use outdated harware, stuff that is on the "Completely incompatible dont even try it list" and stuff like that then they blow up like that one guy did and complain to all hell that snapstream trapped them or something. The main problem, and this is why microsoft chose only to allow media center pcs to run on a specifc set of hardware, is so that joe user cant walk up and say I want hardware XYZ to work when there is no way that it will work. I really think that the generality of the support for cards/tuners may be a problem in the future.

Everyone is complaining how bad the tv picture is compared to their tv software or some other product, or how their 800mhz box cant record 720x480 at dvd quality.

It will be things like this that will limit the future development of things like closed captioning, plus we still have features in the system that are half implemented or can only be accessed from one interface but not another or that are completly glitchy and dont always work. I personally would like to see the current bugs get completly ironed out before I see new features. Yeah I would like to see CC support but I can live without it, Hell I cant even read the text snapstream puts on my 38" tv without my glasses on, and it is really uncomfortable to try and laydown and watch tv with my glasses on just so I could read the text or the CC data.

THen you have the whole aspect of how do you store the data, a sub stream in mpeg? Then what about wmv? A seperate file? Render it to the video stream?

Just some ranting

[PaulyT]

Any other users out there think close caption support is a major feature they look for in pvr software?

YES YES YES! This is one of my primary requirements when looking for PVR software. The only reason I *don't* use SnapStream, despite how much I like it otherwise, is that only the ATI MMC software supports CC.

I know that *most* users of the product are now using Haupauge PVR250 cards.. so why not implement Closed Caption support for this one particular line of cards?

Is this really true? Not for me, anyway. I think you'd have to also support ATI, at least 8500DV (what I have) and higher models, in order for this to be generally useful. To me, this is the *only* way SnapStream would compete usefully with ATI MMC.

Anyway, here's one vote at least for the importance of CC and ATI cards.

[PaulyT]

... Anyway, with that said, if you do implement CC for Hauppage cards (only), I'd probably end up buying one just for this - that's how motivated I am on this issue...

I would also be more than happy to help test CC's out in the Beta program.

[dragin33]

Originally posted by sloanja
Another issue that Snapstream has to contend with is that if they go with "If you want 'Closed Caption', they must go with Hauppauge's PVR-2/350", they are really putting a lot of ephasis on one card brand. They would be essentially turning their backs to ATI and all the other name brands of TV Tuner cards which help support the development of this software either with monetary support or technical software/hardware support. Without the software and hardware manufacturers talking and cooperating, this software wouldn't have been made at all.

Since i currently own and use ATI cards i can tell you that they suck. Hauppauge cards are way better. So it's probably a good thing that snapstream supports them more. ATI cards are always crashing computers and having stability problems let alone the quality of the video.

[cirqueme]

If this is a tally, please add me to the list of those who would like to see captioning support added.

[ncoig]

Ditto. CC's would be fantastic.

[archie]

i would like to see CC, especially when the tv is muted! but i think that other issues should take priority, and i certainly understand the point that users don't read the sys req's - we see those posts all the time.

hey, can you add caller id to the overlay when the phone rings? that would really improve the couch potato factor of ss that we are all trying to achieve.

archie

[CO_Coding_Cub]

/me throws in his vote to get CC support, at least with the PVR cards

[wonder6oy]

I've been watching this and other programs for months and haven't bought any of them because they don't yet support cc's.

I personally find it ridiculous that one should even have to ask for this basic, universally standard feature.

Support cc's and tv listings for my (East Texas) area and I will buy your product.

I already have a PVR250.