On Wed, 23 Feb 2005 12:30:56 -0800, Brad Templeton <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > However, if you want to help the surfers, here is something you could > code. > > People are making the mistake that channel surfing has to be LIVE. It > might not be. So write a program that uses all available tuners to > grab snippets from a set of channels -- short snippets from all channels, > longer from favourite channels and even longer from adjacent channels in > the surf list. Use the listings data to assure the snippit is from the > same program that is on now. > > Do this constantly, be constantly grabbing snippets, updating them if they > get too old. > > When the user wants to surf, surf the snippets (which always start with > a key frame) When he actually changes channels move into an even > more agressive snippet grabbing mode that tries to update nearby channels > if it can. Use all available tuners for the given video source. >
In theory I think this is an excellent idea. However, the biggest problem I see is lack of sufficient tuners to support this feature. I currently have a single tuner system which means that if I'm watching live TV there is no way for me to grab snippets from another channel without changing what I'm currently watching. Even in a 2 tuner system, if you're watching live TV and there is one program being recorded you're in the same boat. Let's assume a 2 tuner system with no current recordings. One tuner would obviously be used for whatever channel the user is currently viewing. This leaves the other tuner to hop around gathering snippets from other channels. Assuming each snippet is 30 seconds long that means that you'd have to stay on each channel for at least 30 seconds or risk "catching up" to the snippet grabbing and being stuck with the typical black screen again. I don't know about you, but back in my "channel surfing" days it was rare for me to stay on any one channel for more than 5-10 seconds unless it looked interesting by that point. It seems to me that to make this a feasible option you'd need a system with at least 4 tuners per video source. At that rate, for a system than only supports analog cable, you're looking at $400+ just for tuners in the system. You might as well just go out and buy a standard TV and use that for channel surfing. Brad
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