Remote Potato 2014 Edition for iOS7

carlosp_uk

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Remote Potato 2014 Edition for iOS7

#1

Post by carlosp_uk » Tue Oct 15, 2013 5:20 pm

I'm really pleased to announce that Remote Potato 2014 Edition is now available in the App Store. If you're an iPhone or iPad owner running iOS7, the app's been extensively re-written to take advantage of Apple's stunning new operating system. (and fully backwards compatible with iOS6 too)

Image Image Image

Key Features:
  • Re-built and re-designed for iOS7 - faster, smoother, stunning visuals
  • Stream music, pictures and videos from a home PC to iPhone or iPad - anywhere.
  • Browse the TV Guide and schedule recordings.
  • Manage existing recordings
  • Watch previously recorded TV shows.
  • Use an AppleTV as an extender to watch recorded TV shows
  • Most major video formats supported; streamed in near-HD quality
  • Universal app for both iPhone and iPad - no need to purchase multiple copies.
  • Browse your home music library, listen to songs streamed direct from your PC.
  • View your home photo library; download or email pictures to friends.
  • Sync up albums and songs for offline access.
  • AirPlay support – stream your stuff directly to a television via Apple TV.
More info & screenshots at http://www.remotepotato.com or download from the App Store.

I'll also deal with what I imagine will be a common question: "why is this not a free upgrade", especially considering that I no longer have the time to actively develop/support the free server software.

The answer is part-financial, part-technical. The existing app has, historically, been upgraded for previous new versions of iOS; to date I have ensured compatibility with iOS4, iOS5 and iOS6.  Unfortunately, providing free lifetime upgrades would not be an economically viable option for me. There are also some technical limitations that would make it very hard for me to maintain support for the older versions of iOS while simultaneously taking advantage of the new features of iOS7.

I know that won't please everybody, but there you go! I hope that users who do choose to go ahead enjoy the new app.


Carlos

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makryger

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#2

Post by makryger » Tue Oct 15, 2013 6:48 pm

You forgot the next most common question that your bound to get: any love for us android users? :)
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soccerdad

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#3

Post by soccerdad » Tue Oct 15, 2013 11:28 pm

I see that it will stream your recorded TV (obviously not copy protected content). Will it stream live tv? Or can you start a recording, then watch it in progress?

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STC

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#4

Post by STC » Wed Oct 16, 2013 12:14 am

carlosp_uk wrote:Use an AppleTV as an extender to watch recorded TV shows
This caught my attention.
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richard1980

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#5

Post by richard1980 » Wed Oct 16, 2013 12:55 am

Yeah, I think "as an extender" is the wrong phrase, since it's not really an extender at all. It would have some extender-like capabilities, but that doesn't make it an extender. Perhaps a better way to phrase it would be "Use an AppleTV to watch recorded TV shows."

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#6

Post by STC » Wed Oct 16, 2013 1:35 am

Hmm, perhaps you're right. Although I knew exactly what it meant, others with little MC experience may not.
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#7

Post by volfan6415 » Wed Oct 16, 2013 3:47 am

STC wrote:Hmm, perhaps you're right. Although I knew exactly what it meant, others with little MC experience may not.
But for some this might be a pretty good stop gap...

You get the Apple TV experience for all your Netflix extra apps goodness and then you can easily manage your recorded tv content...add knew shows to record and watch ones that have already recorded with the cavet of corse that there is no copy protected access

The only thing lacking would be "live tv" which for certain alternate TVs this might be acceptable.

carlosp_uk

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#8

Post by carlosp_uk » Wed Oct 16, 2013 7:56 am

makryger wrote:You forgot the next most common question that your bound to get: any love for us android users? :)
Ahhhh yes, as much as I wish I had the time to create a fully-fledged Android app, sadly I don't - but there are already some good Android apps out there that support Remote Potato.
richard1980 wrote:Yeah, I think "as an extender" is the wrong phrase, since it's not really an extender at all. It would have some extender-like capabilities, but that doesn't make it an extender. Perhaps a better way to phrase it would be "Use an AppleTV to watch recorded TV shows."
Agreed - to clarify: it's not a fully fledged extender, this was a reference to being able to watch your recorded TV shows, video library and listen to your music via an Apple TV, or Airplay Speakers. You would still need to get your phone or iPad out to use the extender-like functionality. (it's still very cool to be able to do this, though! I sometimes sit at my mate's house and stream my music from home to his Airplay speakers over 3G)

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#9

Post by wally007 » Wed Oct 16, 2013 9:31 am

Since I bought original Remote Potato and never used it due to unstable nature I hope my questions are not taken as offense but :
1, Is application going to be supported for at least foreeable future ?
2, Is EPG guide not as slow as molasses ? Can we get to see video in action with actual device to see if there's any improvement over original Remote Potato ?
3, Is Live TV streaming coming in future updates ? At least for those of us using DVBlink ( DVBlink has API for live TV streaming for their Connect Server! Product )
4, While I like purple theme like a next guy :-) , is there a hope for more universal Black/grey theme ?

carlosp_uk

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#10

Post by carlosp_uk » Wed Oct 16, 2013 10:14 am

This isn't going to be a support thread, but I spotted your questions and am happy to answer, no offence taken.
wally007 wrote: 1, Is application going to be supported for at least foreeable future ?
Yes, any reported bugs will be flagged and investigated.
wally007 wrote: 2, Is EPG guide not as slow as molasses ? Can we get to see video in action with actual device to see if there's any improvement over original Remote Potato ?
In addition to visually optimising the EPG to appear native to iOS7, there have been several performance enhancements made to the EPG guide; in particular it now uses Core Data background threading, and has better support in general for multi-threaded operation between the separate components, along with various other under-the-hood optimisations brought by the iOS7 SDK.

All the code is now compiled against the ARMV7 instruction set too, whereas the old app was ARMV6 only - this in itself brings general performance improvements throughout.

I'll try to get a video up if possible, but I'm seeing 20-30% time improvements on my iPhone 5 over the last version. iPad will be always be slower compared to iPhone as there are more shows on-screen at once. There is still a small delay between dragging the EPG and shows appearing. I hope to add Background Fetch in a future update too, which will get and parse the EPG data while you're using other apps (if desired).

One quick tip - I believe the EPG is significantly faster if you only display favourite channels; some users have literally hundreds of channels and this can be quite a mission for a mobile device CPU.
wally007 wrote: 3, Is Live TV streaming coming in future updates ? At least for those of us using DVBlink ( DVBlink has API for live TV streaming for their Connect Server! Product )
4, While I like purple theme like a next guy :-) , is there a hope for more universal Black/grey theme ?
Live TV Streaming isn't supported by the server. The app is pretty much as feature complete as it's going to get, except for the possibility of some neat enhancements, like notifications and reminders for shows, that kind of thing.

I'm afraid you may have to learn to love purple, as it's the Remote Potato colour!

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#11

Post by Mike_TV » Wed Oct 16, 2013 11:19 am

Thank you for the update. I purchased several copies for iPod, iPhone and iPad and I'm still using the server 1.0.6 after a few years now. Look forward to trying out the new version.

soccerdad

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#12

Post by soccerdad » Wed Oct 16, 2013 5:23 pm

Since live TV streaming is not supported, can you start a recording and then watch the recorded file while the recording is still in progress?

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#13

Post by volfan6415 » Wed Oct 16, 2013 5:27 pm

soccerdad wrote:Since live TV streaming is not supported, can you start a recording and then watch the recorded file while the recording is still in progress?
I was able to do this with the old app with some success. Isn't wasn't always the most stable solution.

If you have a infinitv4 or had Homerun prime there is a much better solution using remoteceton that works really well. I know I got the install instruction off of here but on my phone so can't find them right now.

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#14

Post by giggitygoo » Fri Oct 18, 2013 9:24 pm

Does anyone else who bought both the iPhone and iPad version of the original app and shelled out $14 feel ripped off now that we're faced with paying another $7 for what essentially is just an app update to work with the new iOS? I mean, you couldn't even offer the people who paid you thinking they would at least have a usable app for more than a couple months a discount on the new app? Maybe it's just me, but I can't bring myself to spend any more money on a developer that treats his customers like crap.

Despite that I like this app's interface better, I guess I'll just use Plex to watch my recorded TV.

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#15

Post by volfan6415 » Fri Oct 18, 2013 10:01 pm

I don't at all. The release for this version is the first major release since the app was launched and Carlos has provided free updates since then. I have never understood why people are completely ok with paying for new major versions of software in every other arena (operating systems, computer software and console video games) yet become outraged that an app update on a phone would act the same way with a new major release. There is a significant difference between getting minor updates and a new version.

For what it is worth the old version still works on IOS7 and you don't have to buy the new optimized version if you don't want to. I for one am more than willing to shell out 7 dollars or the price of a few beers to support a developer who has provided a wonderful service for the HTPC community. Despite the fact that the server side is no longer being regularly updated, :cry: it is still hands down the best WMC streaming app out there. Yes there are other streaming apps that might work better, but they only work on a particular device and don't have near the wide spread compatibility and integration that remote potato has.

Remote potato is still the best at filling in the gap to make our HTPC's truly shine, its your media where ever you want it. And until something better comes out I will continue to use and support it.

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#16

Post by rfc195 » Sat Oct 19, 2013 12:39 pm

Bought this for my ipad with iOS 7 but does not work, the stat screen flashes and then disappears and I see my home page again. Hopefully an update will fix this....

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#17

Post by wally007 » Sat Oct 19, 2013 1:14 pm

While I think 7$ is peanuts and mostly agree with volfan6415, I do not like Remote Potato (old or new) and I do not like how 'old' version went on hiatus for two years.
New version: guide is still slow, much slower than EyeTV iOS or DVBLink iOS (all got same ~ 100 channels), color is terrible (raise your hand who has purple skin on their HTPC ?), interface is geeky ( my kid,gf dont want to see transcoding options, make that global setting).

I wish someone would make Plex like experience for Live-TV. (and make a product out of it , like Plex dev's did with Plex Pass - where again I do not mind paying for the effort but my dollar went much further than with Remote Potato (even though it was 10 x times more expensive).

To anyone who HAS BEEN using Remote Potato - upgrade is no brainer. To anyone who hasnt been using Remote Potato before - not much has changed to make it all of the sudden the app you've been waiting for.

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#18

Post by IT Troll » Wed Oct 23, 2013 9:28 pm

Really great to see an update to this app after such a long period of silence. Especially good to see that it is now a universal app. I actually bought the old version three times (1 iPhone and 2 iPads) and so I would like to check if the following bugs/limitations have been addressed in the new version before I go ahead and purchase this once again.

Song List Blank

Certain albums show no tracks when you browse to them in the app. This is because there is a bug which limits the Artist and Album ID tags to 48 characters. A good example of this is from Coldplay;

Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends (8 + 41 = 49; tracks not displayed)
Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friend (8 + 40 = 48; tracks displayed)

Obviously the workaround is to shorten the tags were required but this is not ideal.

Unable to exit Picture Browsing

After browsing through your pictures you cannot return back to the main Remote Potato screen. Pressing the "Done" button, or indeed the other two buttons has no effect.

This bug only manifests when the iPad is in the landscape orientation. If you rotate into the portrait orientation the buttons will work and you can exit the picture browser.

Music Download Limitations

Tracks must be less than ~20 MB in size. Which rules out long podcasts and audiobooks.

Refreshing the library deletes any downloaded content. So if I refresh to add a new album I have go through and redownload all my tracks again.

If these are fixed you have another sale!
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#19

Post by caseyd » Tue Oct 29, 2013 2:31 pm

Drat, its a shame 100% of my tv channels are copy protected.

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#20

Post by voltaire10 » Mon Nov 04, 2013 5:36 pm

To follow-up on what IT Troll said in post #18, +1 on the "Song List Blank" issue. This appears to persist in the new version. I would like to ditch moving music to my iDevices using iTunes altogether and just use RP to stream, but so many albums' songs don't appear due to album name length - particularly with Deluxe and Remaster editions. I would download the tracks inside RP, but just like IT Troll I'm constantly refreshing the app to recognize new content. Can there not be an option to keep downloaded content on library refreshes, Carlos? Otherwise, great product! My whole family uses it...I can live with the purple coloring!

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