Is XLobby 3 lost in the shadows?

[Aaron]

It has been since early Sept since we've seen any updates... and the forum activity is nearly non-existent.

Any ETA on a new build release? After such a long lapse I'm hoping there are some huge leaps forward?

I'd really like a slick MultiZone Audio system and have been waiting for V3. I have a $1k PC sitting here doing nothing but losing value.

[vaporhat]

'Twas the night before V3.0, when all through the forum
not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The threads were posed in the forum with care,
In hopes that St. XL soon would be there;
The members were nestled all snug by their HTPC's,
While visions of sugar-features danced in their heads;

Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,
When out on the RSS feed there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the computer I flew like a flash,
Tore open my web browser and threw up the cache.

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But more open threads waiting for V3.0 share.

But I heard XL exclaim, as they drove out of sight,
"Happy Coding to All, and to all a good-night."

[jji666]

I heard that it's currently in beta testing with a focus group of sasquatch at Area 51.

[Jay]

It was previewed at CES. Hang in there

[Aaron]

Previewed at CES is nice and all, if you were at CES but...

for those of us that have been using XL since pre 2 days and have many outstanding usability issues it would be nice to have a new build and more frequent communications, and more activity to know that XL is still active. There are MANY good competitors (XBMC, Media Portal, MCE Linux, MS MCE + plugins, MeediOS, Girder/NetRemote, Homeseer+Plugins, etc) now and the ones that have the most active communities (members, developers, plugins, skins, hardware support, etc) are likely to win out over any others. I'd like to support XL but it is difficult to under the current circumstances. I want to switch to a single solid platform: I currently use Homeseer and XBOX Media Center. The XBMC port to Linux (which will be open source) is coming along quickly and very well. If it continues that way it will be ready to use before XL3 unless XLS has made some huge leaps forward recently. I think they each have equal promise but there are many factors in adoption...

Calrad,
Help us support you

[n2graphix]

I went by the Calrad booth at CES and it seemed that in order to get XLobby they want you to buy their HTPC and hardware.

I have to agree with Aaron There are a lot of very good programs currently availabe. I started with Media Portal and am also making the switch to XBMC.

There are MANY good competitors (XBMC, Media Portal, MCE Linux, MS MCE + plugins, MeediOS, Girder/NetRemote, Homeseer+Plugins, etc) now and the ones that have the most active communities (members, developers, plugins, skins, hardware support, etc)

The coolest new products that I saw at CES 2008 was Pinnacle Systems PCTV HD ultimate stick and the video transfer unit.

http://www.pinnaclesys.com/ces08/

With the PCTV HD stick if you don't need to have an HTPC. You plug the stick into any computers USB port and you can watch and record TV to your hard drive or the internal 2 Gig flash memory built into the stick. This turns any computer or laptop into an HTPC with pvr capability. It also comes with an IR remote control which is about the size of a pack of gum, a dongle for pluging in external video souces and doing video capture and a RF antenna for TV and off air HD broadcast.

The video transfer unit allows you to send any video source to your video iPod or PSP with out having to have a PC or active sync.

[samgreco]

I went by the Calrad booth at CES and it seemed that in order to get XLobby they want you to buy their HTPC and hardware.

I have to agree with Aaron There are a lot of very good programs currently availabe. I started with Media Portal and am also making the switch to XBMC.

There are MANY good competitors (XBMC, Media Portal, MCE Linux, MS MCE + plugins, MeediOS, Girder/NetRemote, Homeseer+Plugins, etc) now and the ones that have the most active communities (members, developers, plugins, skins, hardware support, etc)

I think for the "old-timers" here, we tend to see Xlobby as the front-end it started as. But that is not where Calrad seems to want to take it. So most of the programs you mention above are not where the competition lies, except for maybe Girder/Netremote and possibly Homeseer. The competition is actually stuff like Charmed Quark, MainLobby, LifeWare, etc. And those products are really meant for the custom installer martket. Even though CQC and MainLobby are sold to the DIY.

So the XBMCs and MediaPortals may have been competitors once, but not anymore. At least that's the way I see it.

And the fact that you say that you got the impression at CES that they only want to sell it as part of their hardware confirms that in my eyes.

I think that those of us that bought in during the special offer may be the only DIYers that Xlobby will ever see again. Just my 2 cents.

[Aaron]

Sam,
I'm not sure what you are basing your conclusion on... actual usage of the products you dismiss or conjecture? I've used many of the products I mention, and use XBMC daily have have for years. XBMC does everything most of the software we mention does except PVR... and it already ties into a few other PVRs... XBMC is already working on Linux and is branched to OSX (not sure the state) and will easily have closer PVR and Home Automation ties at that point.

You mention custom installer market... no big deal. Homeseer was being used by the custom market WAY before it was stable. I know, I owned and used it back then. And most of the plug-in at that time were free and home-grown and supported on a best effort basis.

So, I see many of the free options to possibly be BETTER for ANY MARKET due to the factors already stated. Homeseer, a pay solution, is far more mature, has a 100x size community, and already has a ton of free and pay plug-ins. I'm no Homeseer fanboy, I will not buy HS at this point due to business practice issues I have with the company, but my point is they are so far ahead I doubt XLobby could catch up. NetRemote/Girder (I used NR in pre version 1 days) is a distant second to Homeseer and CQC even more distant 3rd. This is based on community size, community activity, avail plug-ins, etc.

I'm still watching XL and would love to see it blossom as it has tons of potential but watching XL vs other apps is like watching a snail race against leopard. At this point XL essentially looks to be frozen in time while it competitors are racing to the future... I'd love to be proven wrong, we'd all benefit!

[samgreco]

Aaron,

My points were based on the types of integration. What I mean is that if you look at the types of products that are "linked" in those applications you see what I mean. Look at the drivers areas on the forums for those products.

With CQC, etc., you will see the installers connecting to things like Elk security panels, Leviton wired lighting controllers, HAI, Russound, Nuvo, Elan and the like. That is not what you typically see with all of the applications previously mentioned. And that is a much smaller DIY crowd that would use those products.

I am not trying to dismiss that market (XBMC, MediaPortal, etc.) at all. In fact, I think that Xlobby moving away from it may be a bad move. But I think that is exactly what they are doing.

I hope that you are more right than I am, but I think not. Although I have to say that I personally am moving in more of a direction like CQC, Mainlobby type of app in my setup. So for me it's actually good. I just feel like Calrad views us DIYers as an annoyance and would rather we go away. Again, I hope I'm wrong.

EDIT: Also, if you take into consideration the way that the pricing model was for the introductory offer made to us on the forums, that is NOT a price category for they DIY frontend market. That would put Xlobby decidely into the higher end brackets.

[Aaron]

Sam,
Those are good points when looking mainly at a mid-2-high end DIY HA project... Homeseer has most of the same drivers ML & CQC have too. Again, no HS fan here, I'd choose the others over HS.

I think that once XBMC matures on Linux/OSX the DIY HA apps (and/or app integrations) will follow like bears to honey. This will give the 'bigger boys' a huge run for the $.

IMO... XBMC has the #1 Media Center out, at any cost. I've used MANY on my quest. Even all the HTPCs cannot compare at this point. Add PVR & HA to the mix and it will take over the DIY market, and possibly the CI market... since it is free. We'll have to wait and see.

Anyway, I really wish XL would release something ground breaking... but at the current release rate what is ground breaking today will not be in 6 months.

[samgreco]

Has there been any move towards multizone audio support in XBMC?

That's what's stopped me in my tracks many times with all of the other software out there. Let alone using hardware based multizone.

[fletch]

I went by the Calrad booth at CES and it seemed that in order to get XLobby they want you to buy their HTPC and hardware.

Does any one currently think that xLobby will be available as a stand alone product again? At this point was was assuming that it would only be available as a complete hardware and software package? When Steven posted the offer to buy a license for the Pre-Release/Version 3, I understood it as being a 1 time offer. See the post here;
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=5985

Before I detail the arrangement I would first like to say that this is not how we envisioned things unfolding. We are going to be blunt about this, as of right now our original intentions of serving both the installer market and the DIY (do-it-yourself) market are being called into question from a business stand point...
...If you have been using xlobby for a while now and enjoy it I would suggest taking this offer as you may never see the full version of xlobby3 for sale like this again.

In fact these were some of the very reasons I didn't buy a license for the new version. I wasn't interested in buying a license to an orphaned product that at the time wasn't complete. How much interest is there going to be to fix an issue that doesn't effect Calrad's standard installation? I love to hear that my assumptions are incorrect and eventually the software will be available stand alone again, but I suspect it won't.

Aaron

[Aaron]

[quote="samgreco"]Has there been any move towards multizone audio support in XBMC?

That's what's stopped me in my tracks many times with all of the other software out there. Let alone using hardware based multizone.[/quote]

I know a few people have worked on this... the problem is the XBOX architecture... This will be addressed when the Linux/OSX version are closer to being caught up to the XBOX version. Multi-Zone Audio is a BIG deal to me too!

[samgreco]

In fact these were some of the very reasons I didn't buy a license for the new version. I wasn't interested in buying a license to an orphaned product that at the time wasn't complete. How much interest is there going to be to fix an issue that doesn't effect Calrad's standard installation? I love to hear that my assumptions are incorrect and eventually the software will be available stand alone again, but I suspect it won't.

Aaron

This is a question that I would love to see addressed. But I suspect that you may be spot-on.

[samgreco]

Also, if anyone feels that they need a place to discuss things that is unattached to this site, please feel free to come over to MediaPC Forums (in my sig). It hasn't really been "officially" released to the masses yet, but it is ready to go.