Remote Access via smart phone app

Chris Green

Chris Green

Member
I'm thinking of getting an 'ex-BT' HDR T1000 or 1010 from e-bay to compliment my existing HDR-FOX T2, mainly 'cos it's got all the mainstream catch-ups. I'm running the custom software in my existing Hummy and make quite a bit of use of the remote scheduling.

This got me thinking about how the YouView box works with a remote app.

As I understand it, any new timers set on the RS for the HDR-FOX T2 have to wait for the soonest of either the early morning wake-up timer or the first time it comes out of standby to record something, before the timer gets set. Only drawback being that it can be up to 24 hours before a timer gets set, which in some cases is too late.

Is this the same for the YouView box, or does it poll a remote server more often than that to allow timers to be set nearer to the actual time wanted?

Anyone doing it yet? I see there's now an Android version of the app, not just iPhone.
 
The methods for the HDR-FOX are crippled by the way its official firmware handles the recording schedule database. The custom RS doesn't "push", so the HDR-FOX rs package has to poll the RS site periodically for new instructions, and then having downloaded a new schedule entry the HDR-FOX has to go through a boot in order for the item to be added to the schedule. Only then can the item be acted on.

If the YouView system has that kind of facility built in from the start, it will no doubt be much more streamlined.
 
I don't know exactly how the YouView implementation works but it does require that the YouView box is effectively left on all the time (low-eco mode is a pre-requisite). It may poll very frequently or hold open a connection to a server in order to receive push notifications. It will be able to modify the schedule without a restart since the remote scheduling is a native feature.

It's a real shame that the Humax software on the T2 isn't dynamically linked to the sqlite3 library, otherwise it should have been fairly straightforward to circumvent the current reboot requirement. It may still be possible but it needs a fair number of tuits and I haven't been able to find time yet.
 
Yeah, those 'square tuits' are a real block on progress aren't they? Yes, I figure it either has to be a) frequent polling initiated by the box, or a permanent connection enabling pushing down from the server - it's the only logical explanation as most of us can't have a fixed IP address. Having said that, mine's been the same for 18 months or so, which has been useful in the past on my T2, as long as I know from RS when it's next going to be 'on'. Been deleting Christmas recordings that I watched live anyway directly on the box whilst away for home.

Presumably, if I wanted 'aerial pass-through' on the YouView box, I'd need 'low-eco' mode anyway?
 
Having now picked up a BT-badged box for £159.99 from Currys, I can see the logic of both methods. On the one hand, you've got the T2 with custom software, which 'calls in for its messages at least one a day', which could preclude you from putting in an urgent request to set a timer, but at least it comes out of standby to do this, and then you've got the Humax DTR T1000 which lets you set timers as and when you want them from a snazzy app on a smartphone/tablet, but in doing so isn't exactly doing the planet any favours in its profligate use of 'lecky'. In the case of the latter, I think I'm only going to use it for two week holidays, and stick to 'max eco' mode most of the time.
 
Chris Green said:
In the case of the latter, I think I'm only going to use it for two week holidays, and stick to 'max eco' mode most of the time.
Click to expand...

And when switching on, you not only have time to make a cuppa, but also to make a meal as well. :D

Is this the worst box Humax make? I would happily nominate it for slowest, least efficient and with the worst method of editing the channel list. Navigation of the channel list is pathetic.

Did they not do any customer testing on this box??? :p
 
I think the Youview software, which is outside of Humax's control, runs in a virtual machine. It explains the day but doesn't make it acceptable.
 
Yes not much of a choice is it? Wait all day for it to boot up or have it rack up a profligate amount of electricity.
 
af123 said:
I think the Youview software, which is outside of Humax's control, runs in a virtual machine.
Click to expand...

It also indicates that Youview had no testing phase, or they would have seen that navigation round the programme guide is ponderous. There is no way of skipping back a couple of hours is there? The button the other Humax boxes use has been commandeered to skip back one day. Any testers would have pointed out that users might want to keep a favorites list excluding the junk channels, too, and be able to add and subtract channels from it, not just an all-or-nothing pruned list where you can remove a channel or two but can only add back all excluded channels.

As for navigating recordings, how did they ever come across such a bad solution as that? Did nobody give any feedback? Where were all the beta testers?
 
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