Short Summary
SageTV is a cross-platform networked DVR and media management system.
I have been a user and add-on developer for SageTV since 2005 and have produced numerous plugins including a dynamic menu system (ADM). A major development effort and improvement to SageTV has been the Gemstone UI replacement where I was one of the main developers (along with a great small team) as well as a contributor to the Phoenix services for SageTV. Now that SageTV has become an Open Source project, there are even more opportunities and challenges available.
Windows Installer: An important part of any project is ensuring new and current users can get up and running quickly and safely... therefore the need for a Windows Installer is high on my priority list. This is key to the success of this Open Source project in order to bring on new users.
Gemstone 2.0: As existing users and new users ramp up their use of the Open Source SageTV, we need a solid and fresh UI that brings on new features, becomes mobile/tablet friendly and resolves any remaining issues raised from previous releases.
This project is Open Source so your contribution will go towards building a good testing and development environment to ensure the installer and Gemstone UI function well under numerous environments.
What We Need & What You Get
The major need for this project is my time and effort, however there are always investments to be made in hardware to assist in testing various scenarios for the installer and user interface changes.
Your contributions will help towards acquiring various hardware such as a HDHomeRun unit as well as various other devices for testing (small TV/Monitor, touch screen devices/tablets, Android Devices, etc.).
Any remaining funds will be used as incentive to keep building a better SageTV Open Source product.
Along with your contribution suggest a special feature/function that you would like to see and I will do my best to move it up the priority list.
If the goal is not reached then I will use the funding to acquire hardware and keep working through my priorities as well as users suggestions to make the product better.
The Impact
SageTV is a solid yet highly customizable DVR solution that needs an even larger Community behind it. Growth of the user base and community can only come from investing time and your contributions into a solid installer and a great user interface. My commitment to this great product will only be made stronger by your support and contributions.
Risks & Challenges
Building a Windows Installer certainly has it's challenges with limitations by the toolsets available as well as the large number of existing SageTV installs with different hardware and OS versions. My previous experience in this space is limited so I will commit to resolving issues as they are raised through the community to get a solid solution in place for installing SageTV on Windows.
The user interface as well can be challenging however this is an area where I have proven experience with a large group of existing users on the SageTV forum to attest to a great experience. Changes to the UI to work better on tablets and other touch interfaces may require core changes as well that could be beyond my level of experience however this would just be another challenge to make the task more interesting.
Other Ways You Can Help
For those who cannot contribute financially you can still help out through testing and suggesting features on the SageTV user forums as well as getting your friends and families to jump on the SageTV Open Source bandwagon.
