Messages

1

SKIPPA / Anyone received a Skippa yet?

« on: August 27, 2015, 10:44:35 AM »

Last update I saw was about delivery this week.

Just wondering if anyone in the forum has received theirs yet?  If so, what shipping method was used?  (Just thinking about what will happen if no one is at home and the box can't be left (living in a high rise apartment).)

Thanks

2

SKIPPA / Re: Additional storage for Skippa

« on: August 11, 2015, 09:47:06 AM »

"For those shows you seem to think need to be stored forever, there is an option to save them to an external drive which you can lock away and never look at again."

I also believe it is a great pity that the Skippa does not use a 3.5 inch HDD.

However, the issue I raised was not about the ability or inability to export to an external drive - in my book, that has to be a given, otherwise the machine is a not worth considering.  (Imagine the situation where you have more than one person in the household making recordings across multiple channels using three tuners, some recordings in HD, with substantial amounts of space wasted due to pre- and post-content padding which cannot be edited out - the internal HDD *will* fill up.)

The real concern I raised is the potential lack of meta-data for the exported content - so that several items on the internal HDD which are listed as, say:

David Attenborough in Africa - Episode 1 - Elephants
David Attenborough in Africa - Episode 2 - Big Cats
Q & A - 10-Aug-15
Insight - 11-Aug-15

become, after export, listed as:

3845gdnef.mp4
375534egq.mp4
427043e73.mp4
264400000.mp4

This is a simplified, hypothetical example (not the actual format of the meta-data or the file names, just an example).  Other meta-data, such as summary information, might also be lost).

Presumably the auto-skip function depends on meta-data, so that may also not be available for exported content...?

Initially Dave at IceTV said he though that no meta-data was exported to external storage, then there seemed to be a suggestion that some of it *is* exported, but that some of the meta-data files are in fact empty.

I'd find it amazing if this degree of functionality were lost for exported content - and really hope we can get some clarity on this soon (please!).

3

SKIPPA / * Showstopper / Dealbreaker? * Re: Additional storage for Skippa

« on: August 10, 2015, 04:33:21 PM »

Hi Dave and Leon

I'm getting a bit concerned by the lack of further info on this.

I think it has already been established that:

i) Skippa will not allow wasted space from padding to be edited out
ii) this will use significant amounts of disc space
iii) the user guide states that the internal 1TB drive must not be allowed to become more than 95% full
iv) with these factors and multi-channel record capabilities, it is likely that the internal HDD may become full within a matter of weeks for some users
v) many users will then wish to 'export' program content to an external USB hard drive or some other external storage / server.

No real problem so far... except that it was suggested a few weeks ago by Dave that content meta-data may not be included in the exported files - and that this means that simple things like reading program content title, synopsis, summary (timing, original broadcast channel) may not be accessible for exported content.

Presumably, the auto-skip function may also not be available for exported content...?

If the above is correct, then this would appear to be a pretty fundamental shortcoming in the product - a bit of a showstopper, in fact.

I hope that there turns out to be no issue here...but, as I mentioned, I'm concerned by the lack of further information.

What does the design spec for the product say with regard to this, and what have your tests revealed?  Please provide an update - or at least, say what is happening to investigate this.

Thaanks

4

SKIPPA / Re: Additional storage for Skippa

« on: August 03, 2015, 02:53:16 PM »

Hi Dave

Don't want to bug you on this, but it's such a fundamental aspect of the unit's operation that I'm hoping we can get an answer quite soon.  Any idea when that might be?

Cheers

5

SKIPPA / Re: Additional storage for Skippa

« on: July 31, 2015, 11:31:49 AM »

Thanks, Dave.

Given that the provision of meta-data (program summary, synopsis etc.) for exported content is such a fundamental and essential requirement, any idea of when you will have more info on this?

6

SKIPPA / Re: Specification Documents for reference by Ice TV staff?

« on: July 30, 2015, 06:38:59 PM »

I agree, Dave and Leon are giving excellent customer service, especially in terms of responsiveness and willingness to 'go the extra mile' to try things out in the search for information.

Was just a bit surprised that they haven't been given more access to detailed specs - but, as you say, maybe Ice TV was not involved in the detailed specs.

7

SKIPPA / Specification Documents for reference by Ice TV staff?

« on: July 30, 2015, 03:47:41 PM »

It seems like we're all learning more and more abut how Skippa operates (e.g. how it supports external storage, what functionality is retained..and many other aspects).

Something I don't understand in all this... 

IceTV has exclusivity on the Skippa. It's 'your' product, right?  (even if it's based on an existing product from another manufacturer).

While the technical development and manufacturing was outsourced, there must surely have been some sort of detailed technical spec documents (functional / software specs) which passed between Ice TV and the actual designers.  Do these not lay down exactly how the box is supposed to work in just about every respect - rather than the operation of Skippa being (it seems) a bit of an unknown quantity, with 'discovery' testing being required at Ice TV HQ to find out what it does?

Just curious...

Thanks.

8

SKIPPA / Re: Additional storage for Skippa

« on: July 30, 2015, 10:06:52 AM »

"v)  Will any functionality be lost if content is stored on the external USB HDD rather than the internal 1 GB HDD?  (e.g. will ad skipping still work?  full program meta data still retained?)

Currently, yes, meta data, resume points, bookmarks and auto skip points are not moved to the USB drive with the recording. These extra files (or at least 2 of them) are moved with the recording to the USB drive but they are 0 bytes. I believe this will be changed in a future firmware update but I need to confirm this."


If the exported content (i.e. moved from the Skippa internal HDD to other storage) loses the ability to show program summary, synopsis etc., that is a real concern.  Factors which make this even more problematic are the relatively small size of the internal HDD (1 TB), the amount of storage space wasted by pre- and post- padding, and the stated requirement that the HDD should not become more than 95% full. 

Even my ancient T-Box is able to show the meta-data from exported content.  (Ideally, autoskip functionality should also be retained for content exported from the Skippa.)

This could be a deal-breaker.  Any more news on this, Dave? 

Thanks.

9

SKIPPA / Re: Additional storage for Skippa

« on: July 26, 2015, 08:24:43 AM »

Thanks, Dave.

Any info on max ext drive / partition size, and also file size per hour of recoded content?

10

SKIPPA / Re: Skippa Reviews by Journo's

« on: July 24, 2015, 12:59:30 PM »

I'd also be very interested to read independent reviews of the device - is this likely to happen any time soon?

11

SKIPPA / Re: Additional storage for Skippa

« on: July 24, 2015, 12:56:44 PM »

A few questions on this:

i) What will be the largest external USB Hard drive supported?

ii) File system?  (FAT 32?)

iii) Will the external HDD need to be divided into multiple partitions, and what will be the max partition size?

iv) To search through a listing of all the content on the external HDD, will the user have to manually switch from one partition to another?

v)  Will any functionality be lost if content is stored on the external USB HDD rather than the internal 1 GB HDD?  (e.g. will ad skipping still work?  full program meta data still retained?)

vi) Same questions, but applied to content moved from the Skippa internal HDD to external network storage or media PC.  Will exported via WiFi be feasible?

Thanks

12

SKIPPA / Re: Skippa manual

« on: July 24, 2015, 12:40:33 PM »

Trying to be very patient here...

Please provide an update on:

i)  Availability of manual

ii) Expected first shipping date (and what will be the phasing of the shipping - i.e. batches of X units over Y weeks)

Thanks