outmotoring Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 Control4 is great at a lot of things but one feature that would make it stand out FAR from the crowd would be a 'all in one' way to display all of my various digital movie content in one interface. For example I have 60+ digital movies on Vudu, 100+ on Amazon Prime, and 1,300+ on Plex. I even have some of the same movies on ALL 3 platforms, however some on my Plex library may be SD but maybe HD on the other platforms. I would love to have some sort of interface to browse that gathered all of my available 'owned' content in one place... Could this happen and would control4 be the company to do it will it take yet another app to be the 'one to rule them all'? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amr Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 Don’t think this will happen and if it will happen it’s not going to be C4! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMHarman Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 Control4 is great at a lot of things but one feature that would make it stand out FAR from the crowd would be a 'all in one' way to display all of my various digital movie content in one interface. For example I have 60+ digital movies on Vudu, 100+ on Amazon Prime, and 1,300+ on Plex. I even have some of the same movies on ALL 3 platforms, however some on my Plex library may be SD but maybe HD on the other platforms. I would love to have some sort of interface to browse that gathered all of my available 'owned' content in one place... Could this happen and would control4 be the company to do it will it take yet another app to be the 'one to rule them all'? Have you conected Amazon to Vudu through Movies Anywhere? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outmotoring Posted January 13, 2020 Author Share Posted January 13, 2020 2 minutes ago, SMHarman said: 12 minutes ago, outmotoring said: Control4 is great at a lot of things but one feature that would make it stand out FAR from the crowd would be a 'all in one' way to display all of my various digital movie content in one interface. For example I have 60+ digital movies on Vudu, 100+ on Amazon Prime, and 1,300+ on Plex. I even have some of the same movies on ALL 3 platforms, however some on my Plex library may be SD but maybe HD on the other platforms. I would love to have some sort of interface to browse that gathered all of my available 'owned' content in one place... Could this happen and would control4 be the company to do it will it take yet another app to be the 'one to rule them all'? Have you conected Amazon to Vudu through Movies Anywhere? I have linked these 2 services but what is strange is that I have more movies on Amazon than I do on Vudu as I think it is only a "one-way" connection. By default I tend to view my Amazon library first because of that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msgreenf Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 Its 2 way if it's distributed by both parties Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lippavisual Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 Won't happen until all of these companies include this info in their API's, which would then need a new driver created to utilize the API. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outmotoring Posted January 13, 2020 Author Share Posted January 13, 2020 I know I don't 'own' the data for the digital movies and I don't really have a file sitting on a server with any of the services so it should just a 'permission' to access a file I paid for. It seems like a company like control4 could approach the main 2-3 digital movie services and build a interface which uses the customers logins for each of the services, shows it (maybe along with the customers Plex content??) and pulls the data from their (the movie server/service) server (not C4). I would think this is the way the digital MOVIE revolution may need to move with nearly every movie nowadays coming with a digital version.... at what point will consumers get frustrated that their libraries are scattered around? I'm already there so I'm sure others are too. Control4 could then offer something that is even a bit more unique to the customer experience. Right now it seems that the plethora of smart devices on the market are biting at the heels of C4 and many consumers can get VERY close to a C4 "Smart home experience" with some of these devices. I KNOW that is not the case when you take into account IR control, the C4 interface, continuity, and multiple services being under one user interface as C4 does but this digital content library has to be a critical issue for consumers and will just get bigger. I imagine at some point VERY soon physical discs go away and all digital movie content is sold 100% as downloadable-- okay maybe you can opt to have a physical disc for $24.95 and the digital only version is $15.95 or something? It happened with music and with bandwidth, roku-like devices, smart TV's and such it has to be around the corner. Right now I'm deciding if I want to buy used blurays off Amazon withOUT the digital code (usually for 50% less) and rip them myself into my Plex library or buy the bluray/4K/Digital and have all 3 AND rip the bluray to my Plex server. Or is the next wave of digital movie content just a Spotify or Tidal like subscription service where for $19.95 a month you have watch up 45 movies a month or something (and a higher monthly fee gets you 100 movies)? Surely something like is already in the works as it's the natural progression based on what the music industry has done (but with less restriction to quantity of 'view's). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David100 Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 I would like to see c4 just add these “video” services (amazon, netflix, plex etc) to there product offering as part of there natural progression, like they offer the music counterparts all ready. Maybe on the next line of controllers, EAV1,3,5 etc lol. Perhaps if they could get here it would help getting all these favourites in one place, navigator can display media library’s allready! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMHarman Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 I would like to see c4 just add these “video” services (amazon, netflix, plex etc) to there product offering as part of there natural progression, like they offer the music counterparts all ready. Maybe on the next line of controllers, EAV1,3,5 etc lol. Perhaps if they could get here it would help getting all these favourites in one place, navigator can display media library’s allready! But put a Roku stick in a spare HDMI port of your TV and do this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LollerAgent Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 1 minute ago, SMHarman said: But put a Roku stick in a spare HDMI port of your TV and do this. Ok - I have to ask.. what is with that background?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMHarman Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 Ok - I have to ask.. what is with that background?!It's one of the default C4 backgrounds. Mrs SMH complained about having a picture of the room so I swapped for this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David100 Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 3 minutes ago, SMHarman said: But put a Roku stick in a spare HDMI port of your TV and do this. 3 minutes ago, SMHarman said: But put a Roku stick in a spare HDMI port of your TV and do this. I guess the advantages i see having native services built in, is reliability, not having to rely on third part integrations with various other manufacturers players, less video switching going on if using on screen to navigate services, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMHarman Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 I guess the advantages i see having native services built in, is reliability, not having to rely on third part integrations with various other manufacturers players, less video switching going on if using on screen to navigate services, True but Roku being product agnostic have no skin in the break things game. The have just been getting better from OS 2.3 when I started this on an HC250 to now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyknight Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 On 1/13/2020 at 1:24 PM, outmotoring said: at what point will consumers get frustrated that their libraries are scattered around? I'm already there so I'm sure others are too. This is EXACTLY what was commented on years ago now and most scoffed at or said they'll all work together soon. It's the one great downside ALL of these services have - instead of having two media to watch things on (your cable/sat etc for all your TV channels, and your DVD/Bluray collection for your movies) it's scattered all over. Now you need services for Hulu, Vudu, Netflix, Disney, Amazon, AppleTV, Crave, Acorn, Discovery, HBO, ....carry on, to get all your 'fixins' - in teh end you're just paying a different 'giant' for you content, and it's even more scattered. I'd love to see some sort of mechanism that incorporates a searchable database to view everything across all of them, but I don't see it happen. Sure, there is some of this now by adding sub-subscriptions to things like Amazon - but as long as there are multiple big players in the field, it'll never be everything. And if there was one big player, it would be a Monopoly, and we'd be worse off than back when there was only one Cable company in your area that had a lock-down... Understand that I'm NOT saying streaming services are a bad thing at all, but it never was going to be the 'utopia' that some thought it would be. 4 hours ago, David100 said: I would like to see c4 just add these “video” services Just huh. Tokead 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMHarman Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 Just huh. Have you tried https://www.justwatch.com/us Time2Jet 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unsocialtoaster Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 7 hours ago, Cyknight said: This is EXACTLY what was commented on years ago now and most scoffed at or said they'll all work together soon. It's the one great downside ALL of these services have - instead of having two media to watch things on (your cable/sat etc for all your TV channels, and your DVD/Bluray collection for your movies) it's scattered all over. Now you need services for Hulu, Vudu, Netflix, Disney, Amazon, AppleTV, Crave, Acorn, Discovery, HBO, ....carry on, to get all your 'fixins' - in teh end you're just paying a different 'giant' for you content, and it's even more scattered. I'd love to see some sort of mechanism that incorporates a searchable database to view everything across all of them, but I don't see it happen. I THINK (and haven't used it enough to be sure) that this is what Apple's TV app is trying to do. It can show me shows from BBC iPlayer, Netflix, All4, and I assume ITV and Channel5, maybe Amazon video too, as well as Apple's own AppleTV+ service. I've only used it once, but I found a show in Apple TV, then when I went to play it (on my iphone) it opened the iPlayer app and played in there. It's not quite there yet because it had to open another app for the playback, but being able to search across multiple services is a start at least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msgreenf Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 Roku universal search does this Time2Jet 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaphod Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 Why don't the C4 controllers have built-in Roku, Android TV or Fire TV? Surely the time has come that this shouldn't add much incremental cost. Look at the FireTV cube, why couldn't that act as kind of an EA-1 with the added benefit of giving you access to streaming content? It has IR blasters, I guess all it is lacking is serial but it might even be able to do that via USB. I guess you could install the C4 Navigator as an app. And you might even be able to do that as a sideloaded app as the Fire OS is a fork of Android. Maybe this is a potential slight change in strategy for C4 - integrate 3rd party boxes, like the FireTV cube, as low end controllers rather than having devices like an EA1? And one of the senior guys at C4 came from AMZN. But still require an EA5 or EA3 as your main controller? What business is C4 in these days? Hardware? Software? HAAAS (Home Automation As A Service) with a monthly fee? I am guessing that they are moving more towards the latter so why not offload a lot of the hardware business to third parties? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAV Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 29 minutes ago, zaphod said: Why don't the C4 controllers have built-in Roku, Android TV or Fire TV? Surely the time has come that this shouldn't add much incremental cost. Look at the FireTV cube, why couldn't that act as kind of an EA-1 with the added benefit of giving you access to streaming content? It has IR blasters, I guess all it is lacking is serial but it might even be able to do that via USB. I guess you could install the C4 Navigator as an app. And you might even be able to do that as a sideloaded app as the Fire OS is a fork of Android. Maybe this is a potential slight change in strategy for C4 - integrate 3rd party boxes, like the FireTV cube, as low end controllers rather than having devices like an EA1? And one of the senior guys at C4 came from AMZN. But still require an EA5 or EA3 as your main controller? What business is C4 in these days? Hardware? Software? HAAAS (Home Automation As A Service) with a monthly fee? I am guessing that they are moving more towards the latter so why not offload a lot of the hardware business to third parties? Cause stuff changes. For instance, AppleTV pre and post 4K. Or legacy Roku controllers no longer being updated. (Or Sonos, or HC controllers, or.....) Built in will just create a headache in 2 years, and it's only $100 or less for a Roku. msgreenf 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAV Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 How about a Mini app for Roku search? That would be nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msgreenf Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 How about a Mini app for Roku search? That would be nice.I think there is one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMHarman Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 Cause stuff changes. For instance, AppleTV pre and post 4K. Or legacy Roku controllers no longer being updated. (Or Sonos, or HC controllers, or.....) Built in will just create a headache in 2 years, and it's only $100 or less for a Roku. Legacy Roku controllers no longer being updated! The depreciated Roku are about as old as an HC300/500/1000. Just checked. The standard size devices are all about 6 years old or more. The youngest streaming stick 3420X was in the wild around October 2012, about 7 years. Roku and C4 have similar hardware longevity Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eggzlot Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 at the speed of release for C4 controllers I think I am ok with getting a streaming stick for under $100 Off the top of my head, to get streaming audio services to C4 is not a cost under $100. Yes you can do an echo dot or a chromcast audio device or something, but I mean to go into your app/touchscreen and be able to select pandora, siriusxm, radio, spotify, deezer, etc and get a premium experience. To see the apps and be able to navigate that way - you need a Sonos Connect ($300-$400 for just ONE Stream) or VSSL or Nuvo or something like those devices. Not a $40-$100 streaming stick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaphod Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 52 minutes ago, RAV said: Cause stuff changes. For instance, AppleTV pre and post 4K. Or legacy Roku controllers no longer being updated. (Or Sonos, or HC controllers, or.....) Built in will just create a headache in 2 years, and it's only $100 or less for a Roku. Why should it be any more than $150 for a C4 controller/ FireTV. Even if you replace it every two years that is cheaper than what you pay for an EA-1 today plus a Roku. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eggzlot Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 1 minute ago, zaphod said: Why should it be any more than $150 for a C4 controller/ FireTV. Even if you replace it every two years that is cheaper than what you pay for an EA-1 today plus a Roku. what controller without FireTV is near $150? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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