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[Mr.X]

I'm very excited to see the new "PVR" features of MJ9. I haven't yet downloaded it because I'm waiting for it to be stable enough to risk my huge MP3 collection and really give it a run for it's money.

One thing I've been looking for for years is a piece of software that has the same functionality as these stand-alone PVR's. I've searched the internet, and although there are lots of programs that will record a program, some even using a web-based TV schedule, I have yet to find one that has the "smarts" of some of the stand alone units.

What I'm specifically talking about is this: Some (maybe only 1) PVR's will automatically keep track of what shows you watch regularly, and create a constantly updating "top 10" list. From this list, it will look for those programs on the downloadable TV guide, and automatically record these programs whenever they come on. It somehow also has the smarts to make sure that it doesn't record the same episode twice!

Additionally, you can tell it that you always want to record a certain program, and it will keep an eye on the TV guide, and make sure that program is recorded for you, whenever it's on, even if the time or channel changes.

Never miss your favourite show again! Slap a nice 120gig HD in your computer and you've soon got every episode of the Simpsons!

This functionality should be very simple to implement - mostly requiring the software to keep checking the listings service to see when shows are on, but it requires  accurate listings to be available to the software. This is a big problem with most of the software that's out there. (other than not having the smarts that I've described above) I live in Canada, and although there are several web-based and accurate tv listings, all the programs seems to want to use their own. The program needs to be able to choose from several different tv listings, (and in my case, one that works in Canada) looking for the info it needs to find time and channel for a particular program.

I'm very excited to think that MJ might finally be the program that brings this "killer app" to the PC. Keep going boys!!!

-Mr.X

[Matt]

Thanks Mr. X.  We're excited too.

Once we move to beta, it'd be great if you helped out and gave us some pointers on how to make what we're doing better.

Thanks for the kinds words and take care.

[Ingo]

Mr.X,

I've been thinking about quite the same stuff for quite some time, and I alread bought ShowShifter. Though it is a great 'VCR', even with added value (like easy scheduling of a program) it's still lacking all this 'automatic' stuff.

Matt,
make everything smart and automatic. This is the way to go.  Mr.X is on the same track as I am.

Ingo

[Mr.X]

Yes, I tried ShowShifter, SnapStream, PowerVCR, and others thinking they might do what I wanted, but no. Even wrote letters to them asking them to add the functionality that's been available for years in the stand-alone units. They're not interested. And neither am I in their products.

Matt - Can I download and use MC9's TV features only and keep using MJ8 for my MP3's? I heard that you can't have both programs installed on the same machine.

-Mr.X

[KingSparta]

for anyone that has a TiVo

How Does It Hookup to the Satelite Box?

Does it Change The Sat Channel or does it have a built in tuner?

i have always wondered this.

[Mr.X]

I don't have one, but have done a lot of reading about them...

My understanding is that the TiVo has a built-in tuner, just like a VCR. With cable or sattelite boxes, it either controls them with it's IR blaster or via a serial port on the box.

As with VCR's and Sattelite, it's tough to record one program while watching another, but at least in TiVo's case, you can record one program while watching another program that you have recorded earlier. The exception is with the new DirecTV/Tivo and a dual sattelite feed you can record one program, watch another, or even record 2 programs while watching a pre-recorded program. That's some serious throughput on the old harddrive!

check out http://www.tivofaq.com

-Mr.X

[Mr.X]

Matt, here's a wish-list of features. Too early to implement, I'm sure, but while I'm thinking about it...  

1.  Program a recording by clicking on a show name in the web-based guide.

2.  Have the software keep a list (customizable number of entries) of all the shows you watch, say for a certain number of minutes (again customizable) and create a "top-10" or "top-100" shows. From this list, allow the user to "check" any of these shows for regular recording. The software checks the web-based guide at regular intervals (customizable) to see where and when the show is on, and automatically records it, skipping any repeats of shows already recorded. Smarts here are needed to have the program keep track of programs that are already recorded.
It should keep track of shows that have been viewed, creating a "bottom-10" list of shows to be deleted when space becomes an issue. A check-box beside each entry on this list would allow a user to make sure the program doesn't delete something they wanted to keep. If you run out of storage, the bottom-10 list should come up again and give the option of deleting some shows, or not recording any more until space has been freed. A user-configurable amount of space on a storage medium can be allocated for the recording of programs.

3.  Programs can be checked as a "manual" add to have them recorded every time they appear. Useful for new programs that haven't made it to the top-10 list.

4.  Simultaneous buffering of the current program being watched, to allow for pausing of live TV.

5.  A "favourites" list where you can select an actor, director, genre, or other criteria to have the program look for programs or movies that match the criteria, and automatically record them.

6.  Configurable recording quality, various codecs for quality vs. size, WITH A WIZARD to allow easy selection of the proper format. (I can never figure out what codec to use!!  ?

7.  Perhaps some support for dual TV tuners in one PC? Record one program while watching another? Record 2 programs?

8.  Some of the neat ATI-TV features - "TV desktop" is one I really like.

I feel that the hardest part is finding a web-based guide that works everywhere in the world (or being able to work with multiple guides), and parsing it correctly.

-Mr.X

(I'm sure I'll think of other things, or other people will put in their 2cents!)

[NoCodeUK]

I think you hit the nail on the head there with your final comment.  I would love this feature and it would be much cheaper to buy a TV Card and use it in my existng PC rather than buy a TiVo or Sky Digital +, but if the web guide was only for the US the feature would be completely useless to me...

Hopefully there is a way this can be sorted as if not it would kinda limit the non US user base.

Adam

[PhatPhreddy]

There is a fairly good UK guide online and I have seen one for Europe a fair bit too...

IMHO you will also need to look at external tuner / device control via IR out of the media PC due to the fact that 99% of the PCTV cards feature a horrible internal tuner... Anyone who has used one of these will testify (if looked at large) that these exhibit noise and interferance inside the PC case... Many people help this by using an external tuner (VCR / PVR / Etc) and piping the signal in....

Obviously then channel changing becomes an issue...