New Guide Coming - HTML5 Motorola 'DreamGallery' Software - Page 2 - Canadian TV, Computing and Home Theatre Forums

Viper550 · 2011-11-19, 12:48 AM

This kinda reminds me of how SaskTel's EPG used to be (i.e. using HTML pages to construct the interface). However, unlike that, its clear that we won't be using Windows CE Internet Explorer for it.

Kent · 2011-11-20, 06:59 PM

This is all well and good but the guide will still only be as accurate as the info received from the broadcasters. I'm not unhappy with my Logitech remote but I am unhappy with the inaccurate descriptions causing multiple recordings of the same show. I can't get too excited about using my smartphone for this purpose.

Hopesmore · 2011-11-21, 10:29 AM

A fancy new interface to the Guide still isn't going to fix the problem of programs (esp. movies) starting late and ending even later so that recordings miss the end of the movie.

I know, I know: "extend the length of the recording when you set it up." However, why should I be a slave to a content provider which can't properly manage its content delivery?

Shaw needs to lean on its content providers, and not dismiss this issue as (a) "not our [Shaw's] problem" and (b) "nothing we [Shaw] can do about it" as I was told recently by a Shaw CSR.

I pay Shaw handsomely for content: ensuring its correct and timely delivery IS their problem.

[My wife still wonders how two recent movies ended after investing two hours watching the plot unfold. She is NOT happy.]

GumboKing · 2011-11-21, 06:49 PM

Hopesmore, I think that is mostly Movie Central/HBO Canada that is doing that on a somewhat regular basis. I always extend all recordings on MC by 30 minutes. HBO Canada seems to have the additional problem of not marking new stuff as new.

I had tried to record the George Harrison 2 part bio twice and still do not have it. The first time part one ran over 30 minutes long the second time it started earlier than it was supposed to.

This is not really Shaw's fault and I have complained to Movie Central a few times. I would suggest everyone else also complain to them.

To bring it back on topic, I agree that a new system won't help unless the info it is given is correct. I would also suspect it will only be a way to through more ads on the screen. Considering I am still experiencing other botched recordings I shudder to think what new guide software might do.

Nixxo · 2011-11-22, 12:41 PM

One thing that is nice about the new software is it looks like updates can happen easily and quickly so that may alleviate some update issues. Currently the guide software is slow to update when a change is made.

Sakic · 2011-11-27, 08:25 PM

any idea on a timeline for this?

I'm sick of our old one, have been for ages

Shaw Champ · 2011-11-29, 03:24 AM

^ hi there it's in testing phase at the moment. Unfortunately, can't commit to a timeline right now. You see, depending on how that goes affects tentative deployment release dates coupled with competitive advantages with the new tech, so things can shift around a bit. When we do have something more concrete here we will definately share it. Just want to be honest.

Regarding developments on the tech front, when tidbits come up we will share too. We may see more from the CES show not too far away and Motorola Mobility may share more as more providers jump on this innovate new tech.

DIGITALEight · 2011-12-19, 07:54 PM

Any updates? Can we expect this before the new year?

Shaw Champ · 2011-12-19, 07:59 PM

^ Currently we are still in a testing phase with many hundreds of employee. At this time we do not have a tentative or confirmed date for deployment. From our perspective it is not just about the guide but also about the other abilities of the software so we want to be in a position were we can use those assets to the best we can.

verd · 2011-12-20, 05:50 PM

Out of curiosity, what devices are you guys currently testing it on (if you're allowed to say)?

Shaw Champ · 2011-12-20, 08:27 PM

^ Thanks for the question Verd, but sorry we can not say at this time due to competitive reasons.

JasonB · 2011-12-24, 05:21 AM

Who writes these press releases? Take a drink every time you read a buzzword (empower, innovate, intuitive, etc)

It's unfortunate that the video doesn't have more examples of the consumer-side interface, but it looks interesting. Not sure how I feel about the UX of the companion device / guide interaction shown in the video, but wasn't really enough to get a good impression. Also unfortunate that this middleware technology only enables devices to act as remotes / browsers and not video terminals. I wonder (to myself) where the demark between the STB and the cloud-based services is with the HTML5/SVG guide. Will reliability be affected by real-time factors outside of the STB? The current system seems to provide some buffer for short downtime by storing much of the guide info locally.

I'm very interested in how rapidly this industry is now shifting. Some of this is inhouse (check out Motorola's DCX3600M - competitor to Arris' Gateway...) and some is imported (think acquisitions: Motorola, Dreampark, SetJam, Google, SageTV). I just got lost for a couple hours surfing some of the industry sites to see how big an emphasis is being placed on in-home IP-based services, multi-screen access (smartphone / tablet), etc.

It has to be hard for Shaw to make strategic decisions in this environment, knowing the choices they make for deployment a year or more in the future could easily be disrupted.

antonk · 2011-12-31, 06:05 PM

I wonder if it's worth waiting for this rather than jumping on the Gateway. I wouldn't be too surprised if this eventually brought about some new Motorola hardware, or just took really good advantage of the DCX3200 and 3400s and perhaps their MOCA potential.

organone · 2012-01-02, 04:49 PM

The present Guide Data for the Motorola boxes is supplied by Rovi. The Guide Data for the Gateway is supplied by Tribune Media Service. The data supplied by Tribune Media Service is significantly more accurate than Rovi, but even the TMS guide needs more accurate/detailed information.

Regarding the "DreamGallery", if the 'improvements' are merely prettier graphics, and not a significant improvement in the guide data (and the ability to search the data) it will not improve the user experience.

Like others, I continue to be VERY frustrated that the "NEW/REPEAT" feature in series record will never work correctly as long as the guide data is inaccurate. I have to manually delete far to many "New" episodes that are actually repeats.

Like another user above, I would like to be able to get an M-Card to use with other hardware. I did this with another service provider and it worked flawlessly...and the guide data was significantly better. I really enjoyed service with good quality and reliability. I cannot say that about the present service.

ssbtech · 2012-01-02, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by organone

Like another user above, I would like to be able to get an M-Card to use with other hardware.

That will never happen in Canada.

2011-11-21, 10:29 AM	#18
Hopesmore Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Victoria, BC Posts: 14	A fancy new interface to the Guide still isn't going to fix the problem of programs (esp. movies) starting late and ending even later so that recordings miss the end of the movie. I know, I know: "extend the length of the recording when you set it up." However, why should I be a slave to a content provider which can't properly manage its content delivery? Shaw needs to lean on its content providers, and not dismiss this issue as (a) "not our [Shaw's] problem" and (b) "nothing we [Shaw] can do about it" as I was told recently by a Shaw CSR. I pay Shaw handsomely for content: ensuring its correct and timely delivery IS their problem. [My wife still wonders how two recent movies ended after investing two hours watching the plot unfold. She is NOT happy.]

2011-11-22, 12:41 PM	#20
Nixxo Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Nanaimo Posts: 71	Ability to update quickly One thing that is nice about the new software is it looks like updates can happen easily and quickly so that may alleviate some update issues. Currently the guide software is slow to update when a change is made.

2011-11-29, 03:24 AM	#22
Shaw Champ Join Date: May 2010 Location: AB. LG47"LE5500/Toshiba 32E200U /BDC6500/ Shaw Gateway Posts: 828	^ hi there it's in testing phase at the moment. Unfortunately, can't commit to a timeline right now. You see, depending on how that goes affects tentative deployment release dates coupled with competitive advantages with the new tech, so things can shift around a bit. When we do have something more concrete here we will definately share it. Just want to be honest. Regarding developments on the tech front, when tidbits come up we will share too. We may see more from the CES show not too far away and Motorola Mobility may share more as more providers jump on this innovate new tech. __________________ Shaw Employee, Opinions are my own unless otherwise stated.

2011-12-19, 07:54 PM	#23
DIGITALEight Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 387	Any updates? Can we expect this before the new year? __________________ In HD, even the commercials are enjoyable!

2011-12-19, 07:59 PM	#24
Shaw Champ Join Date: May 2010 Location: AB. LG47"LE5500/Toshiba 32E200U /BDC6500/ Shaw Gateway Posts: 828	^ Currently we are still in a testing phase with many hundreds of employee. At this time we do not have a tentative or confirmed date for deployment. From our perspective it is not just about the guide but also about the other abilities of the software so we want to be in a position were we can use those assets to the best we can. __________________ Shaw Employee, Opinions are my own unless otherwise stated.

2011-11-19, 12:48 AM	#16
Viper550 Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 169	This kinda reminds me of how SaskTel's EPG used to be (i.e. using HTML pages to construct the interface). However, unlike that, its clear that we won't be using Windows CE Internet Explorer for it.

2011-11-20, 06:59 PM	#17
Kent Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: North Vancouver, BC Posts: 70	This is all well and good but the guide will still only be as accurate as the info received from the broadcasters. I'm not unhappy with my Logitech remote but I am unhappy with the inaccurate descriptions causing multiple recordings of the same show. I can't get too excited about using my smartphone for this purpose.

2011-11-21, 06:49 PM	#19
GumboKing Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 159	Hopesmore, I think that is mostly Movie Central/HBO Canada that is doing that on a somewhat regular basis. I always extend all recordings on MC by 30 minutes. HBO Canada seems to have the additional problem of not marking new stuff as new. I had tried to record the George Harrison 2 part bio twice and still do not have it. The first time part one ran over 30 minutes long the second time it started earlier than it was supposed to. This is not really Shaw's fault and I have complained to Movie Central a few times. I would suggest everyone else also complain to them. To bring it back on topic, I agree that a new system won't help unless the info it is given is correct. I would also suspect it will only be a way to through more ads on the screen. Considering I am still experiencing other botched recordings I shudder to think what new guide software might do.

2011-11-27, 08:25 PM	#21
Sakic Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Calgary, Alberta Posts: 122	any idea on a timeline for this? I'm sick of our old one, have been for ages

2011-12-20, 05:50 PM	#25
verd Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 150	Out of curiosity, what devices are you guys currently testing it on (if you're allowed to say)?

2011-12-20, 08:27 PM	#26
Shaw Champ Join Date: May 2010 Location: AB. LG47"LE5500/Toshiba 32E200U /BDC6500/ Shaw Gateway Posts: 828	^ Thanks for the question Verd, but sorry we can not say at this time due to competitive reasons. __________________ Shaw Employee, Opinions are my own unless otherwise stated.

2011-12-24, 05:21 AM	#27
JasonB Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Vancouver Island Posts: 174	Who writes these press releases? Take a drink every time you read a buzzword (empower, innovate, intuitive, etc) It's unfortunate that the video doesn't have more examples of the consumer-side interface, but it looks interesting. Not sure how I feel about the UX of the companion device / guide interaction shown in the video, but wasn't really enough to get a good impression. Also unfortunate that this middleware technology only enables devices to act as remotes / browsers and not video terminals. I wonder (to myself) where the demark between the STB and the cloud-based services is with the HTML5/SVG guide. Will reliability be affected by real-time factors outside of the STB? The current system seems to provide some buffer for short downtime by storing much of the guide info locally. I'm very interested in how rapidly this industry is now shifting. Some of this is inhouse (check out Motorola's DCX3600M - competitor to Arris' Gateway...) and some is imported (think acquisitions: Motorola, Dreampark, SetJam, Google, SageTV). I just got lost for a couple hours surfing some of the industry sites to see how big an emphasis is being placed on in-home IP-based services, multi-screen access (smartphone / tablet), etc. It has to be hard for Shaw to make strategic decisions in this environment, knowing the choices they make for deployment a year or more in the future could easily be disrupted.

2011-12-31, 06:05 PM	#28
antonk Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Victoria, BC Posts: 222	I wonder if it's worth waiting for this rather than jumping on the Gateway. I wouldn't be too surprised if this eventually brought about some new Motorola hardware, or just took really good advantage of the DCX3200 and 3400s and perhaps their MOCA potential.

2012-01-02, 04:49 PM	#29
organone Rookie Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 16	The present Guide Data for the Motorola boxes is supplied by Rovi. The Guide Data for the Gateway is supplied by Tribune Media Service. The data supplied by Tribune Media Service is significantly more accurate than Rovi, but even the TMS guide needs more accurate/detailed information. Regarding the "DreamGallery", if the 'improvements' are merely prettier graphics, and not a significant improvement in the guide data (and the ability to search the data) it will not improve the user experience. Like others, I continue to be VERY frustrated that the "NEW/REPEAT" feature in series record will never work correctly as long as the guide data is inaccurate. I have to manually delete far to many "New" episodes that are actually repeats. Like another user above, I would like to be able to get an M-Card to use with other hardware. I did this with another service provider and it worked flawlessly...and the guide data was significantly better. I really enjoyed service with good quality and reliability. I cannot say that about the present service.

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