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PLEX as new competitor


Keyser

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Well, Plex just launched a DVR featured beta of their Media Server (HDHomerun Tuners only).

 

While they have yet to roll out scheduling and DVR features in their Native platform clients (it's currently in the web client only), it does present DVBViewer with a new and strong competitior.

 

I have used DVBViewer for years and are finally rather happy with it as it now supports - and it actually works - live streaming on IOS clients. But I have to admit that the lack of native IOS/Android clients, the "horrible" engineer software look of the webinterface and the rather complex setup with the regular DVBViewer Client to use Recording Service, does leave plex with one MAJOR advantage in terms of usabillty and wife acceptance factor.

 

If plex add's support for liveTv streaming to their clients i fear that DVBViewer could be in serious trouble.

 

PLEX - Like EyeTV - have a huge focus on ease of use and eyepleasing simple user interaces. That is the only gripe I have with DVBViewer. Is there any chance that DVBViewer will have an upgrade to 2016 standards?

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I dont see it as a competitor. Yet.

HDHomeRun has only DVB-T tuners. Yet.

 

I think the way HDHomeRun works, similar to the Recording Service, there should be a possible solution to integrate Recording Service into Plex DVR.

 

What Recording Service/DVBViewer can do, and what Plex DVR is still thousand of miles away:

  • DVB-S2
  • DVB-C
  • 4K
  • HbbTv/MHEG
  • Sophisticated recording engine
  • Support for MDAPI ;)

There are still a lot of "No's" in their faq:

https://www.silicondust.com/support/faq/

Edited by esackbauer
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Don't expect big changes in DVBViewer/RS. It will change step by step, like it has been done in the last 14 years.

https://web.archive.org/web/20021130073540/http://DVBViewer.com/

 

(currently the .ts/HLS "live" streaming client is the focus of development)

 

And in this time there was the other "competitor" Windows Media Center. So that is nothing new ;)

Mainly there are only two people developing. And they are not working full time on the DVBViewer.
Griga has his main job besides working on the DVBViewer/RS and Christian is working on other projects e.g. Sat>IP Viewer for iOS/Android as well.

 

And there is currently no developer who focusses on the GUI.

Everybody is welcome to help e.g. with the web interface:
http://www.DVBViewer.tv/forum/topic/58338-recording-service-web-interface-rework/

or the Android App https://github.com/RayBa82/DVBViewerController

and the developer of the iOS App/ iOS web interface hasn't been in the forum for a long time.

Or in other parts (wiki etc.).

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I both agree and understand. It'll take time for Plex to ever reach the "behind the scenes" sophistication of DVBViewer - it most likely probably never will. The trouble though is, that maybe that's not needed because people are willing to adapt if the software is far easier to use and more "unified".

The reason i think plex is going to gain popularity is because it does all of the other media server things SOOO well. And who would'nt wan't all our needed audio/media features packed into one universal application?

 

Unfortunately i'm not a developer, so I can't really help the design of a new Ui along.

 

Anyways, i'll stick with DVBViewer for the forseeable future but I have to say, i'm a happy plex user, and if it ever gets proper DVR integration in it's clients along with LiveTv streaming support, I might purchase me a New model HDhomerun and adapt to PLEX to gain the great userinterface and unified setup.

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And who would'nt wan't all our needed audio/media features packed into one universal application?

The problem is that needs a lot of effort. So you need many developers. But PC based home entertainment and live TV is a shrinking marked (that's mostly the reason why Microsoft discontinued the WMC). The direction is more cloud based (Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Youtube) and other platforms smartphone, tablet smart TV.

 

And most of the cloud services aren't interested in other clients, so they don't provide a open API (for other Apps to use) but rather provide own apps for there target platform. So trying to integrate them is really hard. Because you mostly need to relay on the web page. And adjust the integration every time they change something. And if a client gets a bigger market share it can get judicial problems (mostly it is not permitted to integrand such content in other apps).

 

Unfortunately i'm not a developer, so I can't really help the design of a new Ui along.

Improving, translating, writing or updating (read all changelog since the entry was up to date and look if something effects things described in the entry) documentation in the Wiki doesn't require developer skills. But is currently done by developers (if I don't find time to do it).

 

But a new revision of the will not happen in the foreseeable future. So you could look for places were smaller changes can improve the situation.

And describe the current behaviour and how it should work in the future. But without referring to other to other solutions e.g. PLEX. Or in other words don't expect that someone hast use a other software and knows how it behaves or has the time to install and try it.

 

And especially making the transformation from something you see and like to what exactly needs to be changed in the DVBViewer to get a similar effect can be quite complicated.

 

But there is no guaranty that such suggestions will be integrated. Sometimes they are complicated because of the way how existing things are realised, sometimes other things have a higher priority.

 

But small well defined and well-thought-out (which side effect can it have for other users with different priority) suggestion have a lot high chance to be realised the just suggesting it should be generally improved.

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I know, and I understand - TV as we know it is a dying market.

 

I have the utmost respect for you guys who keep DVBViewer alive - you truely deserve applause, and I perfectly understand why the UI has little focus. Given the situation you are making the right priorities. I'm sorry i'm unvilling to join the work, but I have ample work and family obligations to keep me occupied. And believe me, my comments was not meant as criticism :-)

 

I hope DVBViewer will live on and see new developers join the team in the future.

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TV as we know it is a dying market.

 

Watching TV and listening to radio is still the number one spare time activity in Germany:

 

http://www.freizeitmonitor.de/zahlen/daten/statistik/freizeit-aktivitaeten/2016/die-beliebtesten-freizeitaktivitaeten-der-deutschen.html

 

The "biggest loser" in the past 4 years is meeting friends (personally, not in social media!) and spending time with family members, particularly children.

 

http://www.freizeitmonitor.de/zahlen/daten/statistik/freizeit-aktivitaeten/2016/gewinner-und-verlierer.html

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Playing with the kids is on the fourth place under biggest loser. This makes me sad, typing on my smartphone while crawling under a pillow fortress :)

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I use DVBViewer more than six years, the function is good and stable. To be honest, I ever tried to seeking some other alternatives but finally still have to stick on DVBViewer. I think it is good to focus on making a native DVBViewer Client on iOS / Android system, this will make the whole product more completed and developer team can earn some money on the new app to support future development.

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