# CED: 2006-03-29 - Active Content



## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

What can be done with the "Active" area of the R15


----------



## syphix (Jun 23, 2004)

- Better maps, radar (looping).
- Headlines from major news sources (I smell FoxNews sponsorship...)
- Account management (i.e., adding & removing packages/channels, payment, etc...Dish has this on their "active" channel)


----------



## Wolffpack (Jul 29, 2003)

Remembering your zip code...and anything else that may be added in the future. For example, stock quotes? Remember the stock symbols you enter.


----------



## Clint Lamor (Nov 15, 2005)

Could add some simple types of Games, like TiVo did. I used to play a couple of them now and then.

Along with that I would like to see them have a programming interface so users could come up with applications for others to use. Once again much like TiVo did.

lol I guess I am now officially the first one to turn this thread into a Lets add TiVo functionality post.


----------



## morgantown (Nov 16, 2005)

...dual buffers so you can use the active, pause a show you don't care enough to record, and then FF through the commercials   .


----------



## morgantown (Nov 16, 2005)

An Active XM channel so you can browse the XM channels with a GUI interface and see CD covers (or something similar) when selecting a channel and a song is played.


----------



## Wolffpack (Jul 29, 2003)

Clint Lamor said:


> Could add some simple types of Games, like TiVo did. I used to play a couple of them now and then.
> 
> Along with that I would like to see them have a programming interface so users could come up with applications for others to use. Once again much like TiVo did.
> 
> lol I guess I am now officially the first one to turn this thread into a Lets add TiVo functionality post.


Active Java addins, that's the ticket!!! :icon_bb:


----------



## ApK (Mar 6, 2006)

Earl Bonovich said:


> What can be done with the "Active" area of the R15


Get rid of it and use the memory space, processing power (and developer resources!) to fix the basic DVR functions. We don't need 'added features' until basic feaures like recording a show and watching TV work reliably.


----------



## Clint Lamor (Nov 15, 2005)

ApK said:


> Get rid of it and use the memory space, processing power (and developer resources!) to fix the basic DVR functions. We don't need 'added features' until basic feaures like recording a show and watching TV work reliably.


What memory and processor power is it using when it's not in use?


----------



## ApK (Mar 6, 2006)

Clint Lamor said:


> What memory and processor power is it using when it's not in use?


First, for the sake of truth in my statement, it's obviously using SOME resources when not in use, because it remembers the zip code but forgets it on a reset. And my point, which I thought was also pretty obvious, is that I feel ANY resources, even 5 bytes for a zip code, spent on such things are currently better spent elsewhere.

Second, I never said 'when not in use' and I don't want such things screwing up background operations when they ARE being used, either.

Third, without knowing the architecture in detail or seeing the source code, I can't be sure, but it seems reasonable that aspects of the Active stuff is resident and using cycles if for no other reason than to be able to respond to invokation requests, and it also seems reasonable that it's using some harddrive or flash memory space when not in use.

I don't want to think that DTV is working on a better weather report while I'm losing the first 5 minutes of the Simpsons and watching the last five minutes of every live show with a blue 'must change channels' box over half the screen, etc.


----------



## Fisben (Mar 28, 2006)

Being able to add my own channels to the active menu this way It could be used to store like a quick mini favorites list so you could quickly see whats on your favorites channels.

ps nice forum thanks.


----------



## Clint Lamor (Nov 15, 2005)

ApK said:


> First, for the sake of truth in my statement, it's obviously using SOME resources when not in use, because it remembers the zip code but forgets it on a reset. And my point, which I thought was also pretty obvious, is that I feel ANY resources, even 5 bytes for a zip code, spent on such things are currently better spent elsewhere.
> 
> Second, I never said 'when not in use' and I don't want such things screwing up background operations when they ARE being used, either.
> 
> ...


From what I have read they are working on issues and new features for the box.

The only time it should be spending any noticable amount of cpu cycles is when you start the program up. It's just like a program on any OS it sits there dormant until you run it then once you run it the program launches and does what it needs to do. One of the best ways to see this is when you hit the button it comes into a screen with almost zero info on it then over time it fills in everything. My uderstanding is that it does this because it actually has to pull the needed info from the sat stream.

I do agree I want all the normal features to work before worrying about new ones but then again this thread is about things we would like to see in there. Pretty much hear from all of users started by us users.


----------



## wohlfie (Dec 28, 2005)

ApK said:


> Get rid of it and use the memory space, processing power (and developer resources!) to fix the basic DVR functions. We don't need 'added features' until basic feaures like recording a show and watching TV work reliably.


Exactly!

It pains me to think that one second of Dtv's effort is/was being spent on Horoscopes when the most basic DVR functions need help.

First learn to differentiate (sp?) between repeats and first-runs...THEN tell me its a good day for me to embark on a new adventure.....


----------



## cabanaboy1977 (Nov 16, 2005)

-Games would be nice
-Way to disable the active button or warning(confirmation) if you hit the active button

ApK, I hope this isn't what is affecting the recording but it's a good thought.


----------



## Wolffpack (Jul 29, 2003)

Horoscopes: Does anyone know the R15's date of birth? Maybe that would give us a clue what to expect.


----------



## Clint Lamor (Nov 15, 2005)

Ok guys this isn't a complaint thread, we have plenty of those. Back on topic please.


----------



## laceyd (Mar 6, 2006)

How about flight times at an airport, entered via the three letter airport code? As someone who doesn't have cable/DSL, and is fed up with lengthy phone menus to check arrival times, I think this would be very useful.


----------



## Melquiades (Feb 19, 2006)

Doppler radar for the local weather would be awesome. That way I'd know when my signal is about to drop off.


----------



## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

This is just a discussion for the sake of discussion.

None of the topics I select for these CED's come from DirecTV...

We are trying this way to keep conversation going between releases and other things. 

Just because it is a topic for discussion, doesn't mean they are going to do anything with it.


----------



## cabanaboy1977 (Nov 16, 2005)

Earl Bonovich said:


> Just because it is a topic for discussion, doesn't mean they are going to do anything with it.


But they are still looking at it right?


----------



## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

Yes, they still look at the threads.


----------



## Fisben (Mar 28, 2006)

Another one of the features that I like best about the active menu is the lottery picks this is a really cool feature it makes life so much simpler to know that I don't have to hover around the TV at that time of drawing and interrupt the show I was watching just to see if my numbers was drawn, now I can wake up in the morning drink my coffee and see if I need to go into work or not.


----------



## laceyd (Mar 6, 2006)

As a MLB EI sub (with no mix channel or recap channel), it would be nice to have scores/stats I could look at - maybe game summaries, box scores etc. Just as I can personalize the weather by Zip, it would be nice to be able to choose which teams I want results for.


----------



## carl6 (Nov 16, 2005)

Interstate highway status reports - road surface conditions due to weather, major construction, other closures. On a state or regional basis like you currently use to select "other cities" for weather.

Carl


----------



## Palsgraf99 (Mar 17, 2006)

I'd like to see a sports section (like Dish has on its interactive channel). On Dish I could save my favorite teams and quickly access their latest scores and schedules. That was always quicker than going to ESPN and waiting on the ticker to go by, especially with college football scores. 

I would also like to see a news section with maybe the top AP stories for the day. (Also a Dish interactive feature, IIRC.)


----------



## dodge boy (Mar 31, 2006)

For football and basketball season I would like to be able to enter my picks, and my lines and have a "running tally" of my winnings & losses. That would be usefull! Hey why not TVG you can bet on Horse Races or at least you could on my old C-Band dish (B.U.D.)


----------



## cabanaboy1977 (Nov 16, 2005)

dodge boy said:


> For football and basketball season I would like to be able to enter my picks, and my lines and have a "running tally" of my winnings & losses. That would be usefull! Hey why not TVG you can bet on Horse Races or at least you could on my old C-Band dish (B.U.D.)


I don't watch sports but someone else posted that there was an active content for entering brackets, which is what I think your talking about.


----------



## cobaltblue (Feb 22, 2006)

I think being able to get sports scores and schedules would be great. If we can access it by favorite or local teams, even better.


----------



## alorarosalyn (Mar 31, 2006)

Radar for the local weather would be awesome.


----------



## Xram (Nov 19, 2005)

Definately would like the local radar too.


----------



## qwerty (Feb 19, 2006)

How about user customizable? I get to pick the 6 channels displayed.


----------



## Wolffpack (Jul 29, 2003)

qwerty said:


> How about user customizable? I get to pick the 6 channels displayed.


And every time you RESET you can enter them again. 

Sorry, couldn't resist it.


----------



## General_Zod (Apr 3, 2006)

From the active menu, when I selected "Best Bets" .. I wasn't able to actually press the record button. Instead I had to go search for it in the guide. Wouldn't this be something they would obviously want to allow people to do? I'd say if anything else, this should be a priority.

It would be nice also if the active menu could have an area where it would explain new features since the last update. What's the point in having us "guess" what the new update does?

-Zod


----------



## walters (Nov 18, 2005)

Open it up to third party developers, so instead of talking about cool ideas, we can implement them (yet another "learn from TiVo" opportunity).


----------

