Hi folks,
Do you think it is possible for the HDR to be modded to enable remote access to the recording schedule? I am not thinking about access to content - rather the ability to add items to the list for recording, remotely. Would that be feasible?
Just wondering...
I think that would involve registration on a back-end database somewhere joining a (logged on) user to their registered HDR.
Sky and Virgin already have those databases in place with details of the equipment or rather smartcards owned as well as being ISP's so it's easier for them to implement.
It certainly is handy to be able to set up a recording remotely as I do with my Tivo if I've forgotten to set something but I think the logistics for setting it up on a system which lacks authentication at the unit would be prohibitive.
You could of course use a Slingbox.
If I were Sky and implementing a remote reservation system from scratch, i would use a central database. It would make integration with EPG easier. But clearly in our case we don't have that kind of infrastructure.
I imagine that access to the box itself is one challenge, but that is surmountable. With a combination of a broadband router allowing remote access and the Raydon software - we could get onto the HDR. That would get us to a web interface on the HDR. What we'd next need is to run a web app that could read/write to the onboard scheduling database (making the assumption it has one). If that could read from EPG, then all the better. If not - then just insterting dates/times and channels etc would do.
So simplistically and theoretically - it kinda hangs together. Whaddya reckon?
Such a possibility is not easy to achieve - Firsty it would need external fracilities such as a database and web interface as achieving a web interface with some form of intellegence (e.g. scripting) is not achievable in the space available on the HDR. A system where the HDR wakes up and checks at pre-defined times with an external system is a possability. I remember Bob-Cat saying he thought that would be the way to go (Not that Humax were thinking of doing it!) He also mentioned that research indicated that the frequency of checking for updates need not be that frequent.
Ben - 14 hours ago »
That would get us to a web interface on the HDR. What we'd next need is to run a web app that could read/write to the onboard scheduling database (making the assumption it has one). If that could read from EPG, then all the better. If not - then just insterting dates/times and channels etc would do.
So simplistically and theoretically - it kinda hangs together. Whaddya reckon?
There is work going on along exactly these lines on the terrestrial HDR FOX-T2. Best place to read what has been achieved (they have the web interface) is hummy.tv.
Thanks for your thoughts. Ah well... no harm kicking the idea around 
The infrastructure required to achieve all this could be backed by a subscription service, as is the case with Sky.
Sky's service relies on their STB being on and they broadcast the changes (That is my understanding anyway),
Martin Liddle - 2 days ago
There is work going on along exactly these lines on the terrestrial HDR FOX-T2. Best place to read what has been achieved (they have the web interface) is hummy.tv.
I would imagine that the work that's been done on the freeview HDR could be replicated on the foxsat HDR too. The change in endianess is the main obstacle, particularly with parsing the EPG data.
The web interface to the EPG is done for the freeview box and remote scheduling should be possible in the next few months. Two models are being considered - one which is through a web interface on the HDR itself, and another where it pulls scheduling changes from somewhere on the Internet. I suspect the final outcome will be that both are possible.
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