View Full Version : SnapStream BeyondTV client built-into XBMC or as a plugin?
SnapStream Beyond TV is personal video recording (PVR) software that adds television recording capabilities to ordinary home PCs. In addition to basic PVR features like time-shifting live television and recorded shows, there are numerous other features that are unique to the Beyond TV software. With features such as multiple-tuners and Beyond TV Link support, Beyond TV is unsurpassed in the industry.
http://www.snapstream.com/products/beyondtv/
http://www.snapstream.com/Partners/BeyondTVSDK.asp
Would be great to have a SnapStream BeyondTV client built-into XBMC or as a plugin?
i have asked about this quite a bit both in the xmbp and snapstream forums. i think it boils down to the snapstream team not seeing the benefits of doing the work to get the integration going (aside from the legal issues for a company that wants to keep m$ happy).
that being said, the snapstream devs have been talking about a developpers sdk which could open the door to integrating snapstream with xbmc.
here are two quotes from a conversation on the snapstream forum -
hello folks, james,
just to keep this topic "fresh" in the pvs team's mind, this is the most recent post on the xbmp forum with respect to some type of integration between snapstream and the xbox media player;
quote:
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i know no one of the offical xbmp devs is working on it right now and might be a while til they do.
does not help either that snapstream is closed source so everying has to be reversed engineered.
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if you guys could only find sometime to help them a little ... maybe the api will go a long way to resolving this ?!?!
thanks.
and the reply from one of the key dev at snapstream
i would think the developer sdk would totally resolve these issues, if it meets my expectations. feel free to mention it over there.
i have not heard much since then, but since there is renewed interest, i'll *bump* the snapstream forum and see what kind of reaction i get. it would certainly not do any harm to have others voice their interest ... here and at snapstream.
my two cents.
you gotta love the snapstream team ...
after making my post here, i posted over a snapstream and within a few minutes i had a reply from rkuo, one of the devs.
his reply about the sdk for integrating with snapstream, from an architecture standpoint was:
i'm not sure how xbmp will deal with this, but you'll basically want to be able to make web service calls over soap. ideally you'll want to use .net with the .net framework as the development environment...i'm not sure whether you have that option on the xbox, but if you do, that would be great. the other option is to get familiar with the web service/soap packages out there and use those. gsoap is one open package that i'm aware of.
it is a bit over my head, but i guess the first question that comes to mind is whether xbmc could use web service calls over soap, or what would have to happen to support this ?
thanks.
Gamester17
2003-10-04, 23:19
xbmc could use web service calls over soap, or what would have to happen to support this ?
but that api is not in snapstream yet is it?, and no sdk or dev docs on it, without that...
i agree gamester - no, its not there yet.
however, i will be making a point of pestering them until we get it !!!
:d
wow, ive have searched forums for info and asked a few people. but you really looked into it, i really hope it works out. it would be a very nice, useful function. this will keep my hopes up for awhile. thanks.
if someone can get their hands on the snapstream sdk, please lemme know.
i still like snapstream and just like you would love to have it working from xbmc
frodo
frodo - i spend quite a bit of time in the snapstream forums and i am waiting with great anticipation for the sdk. it is not out yet, but as soon as i can get my grubby little hands on it, i'll pass it on to you. i aksed them if they could give me some indication at when we could see the sdk - haven't heard back yet.
zarufa/fellow pvs users - it certainly wouldn't hurt if the snapstream users who use xbmp/xbmc would participate in a thread over at snapstream to get the ball going - http://discuss2.snapstream.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=8629.
now all we need is some patience ... anyone got any, i could use a couple of buckets *http://www.xboxmediaplayer.de/forums/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif
ya, ive been going through everything on there forums...ive emailed there development team development@snapstream and will continue too push this, until we get a good response. they have been talking about when they would release the sdk since like may. so hopefully they are closer now.
windragz
2003-10-08, 09:26
xbmc could use web service calls over soap?
but that api is not in snapstream yet is it?, and no sdk or dev docs on it, without that...
xbmc needs to support web service/soap. the community can develop easly tons of free services, that will makes the different!
i'm ready to develop a lyrics server for xbmc or a news server and so on :lol:
i belong to the btv beta forums located here (http://forums.snapstream.com/vb/index.php?s=). the current version of btv is 3.4 but the upcoming v3.5 will have an open interface that you'll be able to develop plugins for. although i know there is an xbmc pc version being worked on this would be an opportunity to add a plugin to the xbox similar to anyone familiar w/myhtpc. currently, myself and many others use btv to record and manage recorded shows and then use the xbox to watch those shows.
anyway, when the question of an xbmc/btv plugin was approached ont he forums one of the snapstream developers replied to the thread, "if you know any xbmc developers, we'd love to add them to the tech preview." i think at the very least an interested developer might want to take a look at the btv code and see if there's anything that can be integrated into xbmc. if you're interested let me know and i can pm the snapstream developer on the other forum.
Gamester17
2004-04-27, 15:20
frodo tried to add snapstream support to xbmp but it turned out to be too hard since the interface was closed code, i'm sure him or someone else would love to get the chance to implement support into xbmc if they got the chance, please have the snapstream devs e-mail me
i'm curious... are you using btv's divx plugin to transcode your recordings? i've found that with the 4/23 build of xbmc i'm using it won't play those, yet i have no problem playing any of the divx + mp3 movies i have.
tim
i know from reading past threads that frodo didn't like btv b/c it was closed code but from what i've read and what the btv developers said v3.5 of btv changes that and adds plugins that will allow for customization and development. i'm not a coder so i can't give specifics but i would really encourage frodo or one of the other xbmc coders to send the btv guys an e-mail or send them a pm on their forums. a lot of btv users use xbmc as a front end and the combination of btv and xbmc is just incredible.
tharvey: i don't archive or store my recordings. i watch and delete them so i only record in wmv and don't bother w/mpeg2 and divx.
Gamester17
2004-04-28, 12:35
since no coders are onboard yet moving discussion to the feature suggestions forum. @suprfli, do you have the e-mail(s) to any btv 3.5 devs?
i don't have a tv card so i can't really help. http://www.xboxmediaplayer.de/forums/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif
hello,
its been a while since i've browsed around here or made a post, but i thought i would revisit this.
beyondtv 3.5 is in the late beta stages and now supports an api that would allow another application from acting as a client to btv. in fact, there is already an application in the early beta stages for the hauppauge mvp that allows the mvp to act as a btv client.
i will acknowledge that btv is a commercial product that is closed, and as such it might not be the preferred "partner" to xbmc, but many xbmc users use btv as their pvr and, imho, btv is certainly at the top of the pvr market.
the folks at snapstream have elected to require a license for any client that accesses the btv "server". they have developed their own client, btv link, and other clients using the api will require a license, but i think it will be worthwhile.
details about the api design along with the hauppauge mvp client are in this post on the btv beta forums - http://forums.snapstream.com/vb/showthread.php?t=18078 . unfortunately, the beta forum is only open to beta testers (which is wide open, provided you are a registered btv user). i would be happy to make sure the xbmc devs have access to the information they need and the forum if they are interested in working on some connection between xbmc and btv.
the open source hauppauge mvp project is here - http://mvpbtv.sourceforge.net/
a registered beta user can download the latest btv release, the latest btv client release and four client keys for testing. i am sure we could work something out.
i would love to work on this myself, but i am not a dev in any way, shape or form, so all i can do is plant the seed and carry the tools ;)
please, give this some thought - if i can do anything, let me know, pm me !!!
are you a btv user ? let us know - post your interest in a btv connection with xbmc.
Gamester17
2004-09-04, 19:32
fyi, we have been contacted by the snapstream development-team who have provided us with btv-framework info and latest btv-beta.
runtime have agreed to code a xbmc-server as a btv-plugin, plus an interface for xbmc or something similar when he get some time over.
...but as i'm not a dev myself i cannot comment how, when or this will be coded, if ever, i leave futher specifics to xbmc-team-devs :evil:
as homer would say, woo hoo !!!!
that's great news. if there is anything i can do to help (i am not a dev, but if i can do something, ... ) i would love to help.
just a quick question - maybe i am missing something, but shouldn't there only be code needed on the xbmc side with nothing but the btv server communicating with the client. why would there be anything needed on the server side ?
when runtime has a chance, i would love a update.
thanks gamester for the fyi.
(ps) i might have to add you guys to my christmas card list ;)
i am also very interested in getting a btv-link client ported to the xbox. i have been beta testing btv 3.5 for sometime, and love it!!! can anyone point me to this runtime group so i can check up on their status???
i am very interested in this! i have windows mce too but this looks a lot better!
Gamester17
2004-09-24, 14:31
can anyone point me to this runtime group so i can check up on their status???runtime is not a group, runtime is the nickname of one person, in fact one of the co-founders of xboxmediaplayer/xboxmediacenter.
you can not and should not try to contact runtime or any of the other official xbmc-devs about this. any updates will be posted here.
nheinemans
2004-09-24, 16:52
i would also be very interrested in this. i've been using ss/btv for years now. i'm not really a coder, but might be able to help testing/debugging beta code.
bradrellinger
2004-10-13, 02:14
been a xbox media center and snapstream users for quite a while - i would love a good integration of beyond tv in xbox media center...
player-x
2004-10-18, 22:55
:kickass: * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *:kickass:
if you guys could get this to work it would make my xbox the true media center i wanted
i think this is the last big thing missing in xbmc making it also a tru pvr
this was the number one on my whish list for xbmc
:kickass: * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *:kickass:
Gamester17
2004-10-19, 12:13
off-topic for end-users, on-topic for devs: fyi, snapstream (http://www.snapstream.com) officialy released beyond tv 3.5 (http://www.snapstream.com/products/beyondtv/) two weeks ago (8th of october 2004),
this btv 3.5 (http://www.snapstream.com/products/beyondtv/) feature a built-in upnp inmpr compliant server (http://www.xboxmediaplayer.de/cgi-bin/forums/ikonboard.pl?act=st;f=4;t=4997), (they also have a new pc network client called beyond tv link (http://www.snapstream.com/products/beyondtvlink/) available).
just a post to say i am very interested in having beyondtv support in xbmc. i already own beyondtv 3.5 and am willing to be a tester if this add-on to does come around.
not sure why everyone wants to integrate with ss when it would most likely be easier to integreate with mediaportal since frodo obviously knows how both work. it would be awesome to see xbmc be able to schedule recordings, stream live tv. this would allow for a low cost solution vs putting computers with every tv.
around
this program would be great in my opinion. i would love to be able to stream livetv over my network and watch it on my tv via the xbox. it would sure beat building and buying a htpc.
not sure why everyone wants to integrate with ss when it would most likely be easier to integreate with mediaportal since frodo obviously knows how both work. *it would be awesome to see xbmc be able to schedule recordings, stream live tv. *this would allow for a low cost solution vs putting computers with every tv.
around
does mediaportal have the api call setup to do this? if so mediaportal would be a better choice because it's free. also, i read somewhere that the live tv portion of mediaportal wasn't to great. i haven't tried it because i have beyondtv so this isn't my opinion it's just what i have read.
Gamester17
2004-10-31, 19:07
not sure why everyone wants to integrate with ss when it would most likely be easier to integreate with mediaportal since frodo obviously knows how both work. *it would be awesome to see xbmc be able to schedule recordings, stream live tv. *this would allow for a low cost solution vs putting computers with every tv.
around
does mediaportal have the api call setup to do this? if so mediaportal would be a better choice because it's free. also, i read somewhere that the live tv portion of mediaportal wasn't to great. i haven't tried it because i have beyondtv so this isn't my opinion it's just what i have read.
off-topic for this specific thread, please keep all discussion on other pc pvr apps in their respective existing thread, ex => mediaportal (link) (http://www.xboxmediaplayer.de/cgi-bin/forums/ikonboard.pl?act=st;f=4;t=5937)