Channels DVR - A change in my TV viewing

I've written in the past about different systems that I've tried out to find the perfect system for recording and watching TV. The last system I wrote about was MythTV and it was working pretty well. However, it was a bit fragile. When Plex announced their DVR, I decided to give it a try. Once I found scripts to skip commercials and transcode the video to play well on my Apple TV, I thought I had found the system for us. Unfortuantely there were a few pieces that annoyed me to no end. It basically boiled down to the system would sometimes strip too much of a show when it removed commercials and the audio kept becoming out of sync with the video. If you'ever ever watched a show this way, you know that it degrades the viewing experience.

Last year when Channels released their Apple TV app, I was hooked. The app let us watch TV on the Apple TV; while this sounds almost useless, the Apple TV became the only device we used and the remote could control the TV, sound bar, and Apple TV. The folks behind Channels said that they were working on a DVR. If they could combine the Apple TV app with a DVR, it could be the next great solution for me.

About a month ago, Channels released their DVR into a public beta. At first, the $8 per month fee seemed a bit high as TiVo is around $13 per month and could Channels be as good as the gold standard? Breaking down the fee, there is about $2 per month for the guide data (based on what I've paid for the data in the past) and $6 for the application; that made it more palatable to me. I decided to give it a try. The DVR portion runs on my Mac Pro and does all the recording pieces and commercial detection (the fact that it has ComSkip built in for detection is a huge win for it). The Apple TV app has a decent interface and makes it easy to play back videos. When videos are playing, double clicking the right side of the remote skips the commercials that ComSkip marked. While my old system didn't require me to manually skip commercials, this system means that if the commercial detection isn't perfect, I can rewind and see what I missed.

The playback is excellent and we haven't experienced any audio sync issues. The Channels team wrote their own player to playback the MPEG transport streams that come off the HDHomeRun. One downside of this is that you don't get the built in Siri controls like "what did he say" that rewinds, turns on closed captioning, and then plays the video. However, by playing back the raw video instead of transcoding like I had before, I can turn on subtitles and read what I missed; not as convenient, but it works.

The team behind the app is constantly working on the app and making nice enhancements and fixing bugs. There have been some hiccups with some releases, but they have been quickly fixed.

WIth all the different systems I've tried, people may ask why I just don't spend the money and get a TiVo with one of the best interfaces around. I really don't want another box and I like the flexibility of running a DVR on my media center.

I obviously can't say that this is the be all, end all system for my TV viewing, but at the moment, it is the best option for me.

Curing home Internet problems with UniFi gear

For as many years as I can remember, I've been the goto person for my family when they have tech problems. Anyone that is in this situation knows that this gets old pretty fast! At the beginning of January, my father started having problems with his Internet connection where he said it kept going out. I told him to call the cable company and get them to come out. He wasn't quite convinced that it was the cable company, so he spent about a week testing out his router/access point (Apple TimeCapsule) and my sister's router (similar device). (My dad and sister live in separate houses on the same property.)

After no real change in the stability of the connection, my dad started the game of contacting his provider. He also told me that he wanted the same router and access points that I have. Initially I said absolutely not as I didn't want to have to walk him through configuring the UniFi devices. While the UniFi controller is pretty easy to use, it isn't aimed at consumers. I thought about this for a day and told my dad that I'd set him up with a new router and access points on the condition that I managed all of it remotely. Once the UniFi gear is setup, there is very little management needed.

I purchased 2 UniFi UAP AC LR Access Points, a UniFi CloudKey, and a UniFi USG. I had an old Netgear PoE switch that I threw into the mix.

Setup of the pieces was pretty easy. I put all the pieces on my floor, connected them, and then hooked my MacBook Pro up to the USG to create a separate network. In addition to configuring the devices, I labeled everything and put "DO NOT UNPLUG" on the devices as power cycling seems to be a popular way to "troubleshoot" Internet connections. As I hadn't used the CloudKey before, I was slightly confused that I had to goto the web interface of the CloudKey as well as the web interface for the USG for initial setup. I don't remember the exact steps, but it only took a few minutes to get things running.

I setup the UniFi Controller on the CloudKey to use my UniFi login so that I could remotely manage it.

My dad and I installed the USG, switch and 1 access point next to the cable modem which took a little while to make everything look neat. The USG and the switch have those dumb slots for screws that I can never get right on the first or second try. The access point, however, has a removable base that made it a snap to install in the closet where all the equipment lives.

Once I powered everything on, it just worked as I setup the wireless networks with the same SSIDs and passwords that were already used. The only slight problem was that I had to turn off WiFi on the Time Capsules as devices were connecting to the wrong access point.

The UniFi iOS app has come a long way since Ubiquiti started it. The app now has everything I need to remotely monitor and manage the network. Ubiquiti uses a protocol for remote management that works in Chrome (on the desktop), but currently not Safari, so using the iOS app is the only way to look at the remote setup from my iPad.

While my dad's Internet connection has been up and down over the last 12 days, the USG and access points have been rock solid. The cable modem has been rebooted a number of times, but none of the UniFi gear has been touched.

This type of setup isn't cheap, but it seems to be on par with some of the newer mesh systems.

Pros

• USG, CloudKey, and UAP AC LR are easy to setup for networking savvy people.
• Mobile app can handle most of the monitoring and configuration.
• UniFi Controller with the USG shows traffic statistics in pretty pictures!
• Remote access works well.
• Very stable.
• Access points provide good coverage.

Cons

• UAP AC LR uses passive 24V PoE. The PoE switch I installed is 802.3af which means that I had to use a power injector to power the access point (I could have bought an adapter from Ubiquiti to conver the 24V to 802.3af).
• Average consumer cannot easily setup the equipment.
• USG is missing some features such as GUI configuration for IPv6, static DNS entries, DHCP reservations (before device is seen on network).
• Default guest network configuration uses client isolation such that guests can't connect to other devices on the network, but the guests can scan for other devices. I changed the configuration to use a separate VLAN and give out IP addresses in a separate range for guests. I think that this may be a better setup for an out of the box configuration when the wizard asks if you want a guest network.
• When I inserted the micro SD card into the CloudKey, it got stuck. I basically had to destroy the card to get it out. I'm not sure if this was a design issue or a manufacturing issue, but I put a new micro SD card in there and everything works fine.

Summary

While I was hesitant to set my dad up with the same networking equipment I have. I now believe that this will be the best long term strategy to supporting him. If he or my sister blame the router and access points for Internet problems, I can show them that it isn't. Being able to remotely monitor and configure the devices (including performing upgrades) is a great benefit to anyone having to deal with someone's Internet issues.

I hadn't played much with the USG prior to this install as I use the EdgeRouter Lite. However, based on this and the periodic updates to the firmware and controller, I'm definitely going to be switching over to the USG in the near future (there are a few items on Ubiquiti's roadmap that I want).

With Apple exiting the router market, people are looking for alternate solutions. If you are savvy with networking, I think the USG, UniFi Access Points, and CloudKey (unless you have an always on machine to run the controller) are a great combination. For a home setup, it may seem like a lot of money, but how much is my time worth?

Note: The USG was sent to me by Ubiquiti as a review unit. It has been sitting on my shelf for a year now simply because the controller software wasn't exactly what I wanted at the time. The controller software has come a long way and if I had to choose between the Edge Router Lite and the USG, the USG would now be my choice.

CarPlay, a month later

Now that I've been using CarPlay in my Subaru Impreza for about a month, here's a mini review.

After waiting years to get a new car, the number one feature for me was a nice infotainment system, in particular CarPlay. Until using CarPlay, I didn't realize how bad the interfaces for many car infotainment systems were. Apple's minimalist design is exactly what is needed in a car; too much information and it is just a distraction.

While some may say that CarPlay is a gimmick, it has really become second nature to me to use it. When I get in the car, I plug in my phone and see Maps. This may seem like a minor thing as I usually know where I'm going, but it also shows traffic and ETA to my destination which are very convenient. I'm not a huge user of the phone or listening to my own music (I mostly just listen to the radio), but both of those can easily be controlled using the touchscreen or Siri. Sending and receiving text messages is virtually identical to other systems using Siri except that you can start a conversation from the touchscreen; I don't find that this is helpful. CarPlay will not show you the text messages on the screen; it only reads them.

Pros

• Seamless integration; I start the car and my next destination appears on the screen ready to navigate or at least just tell me the ETA.
• Clean user interface; there is very little clutter to take my eyes off the road.
• Everything you can do with Siri Eyes Free, you can do with CarPlay with visual feedback.

Cons

• There are some quirks either with CarPlay or the Subaru integration. For example, I've had to factory reset the head unit twice to get it working again (it wouldn't show up as an option).
• Limited number of apps available for CarPlay. In particular, I'm looking for Navigon for the times when I don't have cellular coverage or to reduce my data usage.
• I have to remember to plug in my phone each time I get in the car. The car has all the components to do wireless CarPlay (Bluetooth and WiFi), but it hasn't been implemented.

Summary

The infotainment system apparently is a gateway for car manufacturers to get people to buy more services. I've been reading a number of articles lately about companies not wanting Apple and Google to monopolize the system as they are losing revenue and are banding together on an alternative. While that may sound great to them, as long as CarPlay (and possibly Android Auto) is an option, I think it will win out over whatever is developed mainly due to the integration with the phone.

To me, CarPlay is not a game changer, but a really, really nice feature to have in a car. Going forward, my future cars will have tight integration with whatever phone I'm using. If I had to use some other infotainment system, I'm sure I'd be really disappointed. It is unfortunate that the rollout of CarPlay by car manufacturers is so slow; it should be an option on every car not only for convenience, but I believe that if people are accustomed to using Siri for communication, it may help with some distracted driving (yes, even Siri is a distraction).

First Impressions: 2017 Subaru Impreza

For the last year and half, I've been looking for a new car. My 2003 Toyota Highlander has been starting to show its age. It has low mileage, but I've had to do some maintenance on it. In addition, the only tech I have on it is a radio I installed about 2 years ago with Bluetooth. One of the features I've really wanted is Apple's CarPlay as it would allow me to have a familiar interface in the car for navigation, media, and phone. While the number of cars with CarPlay available has been increasing, most haven't been cars that I'd want to own.

In July, I happened to look at Apple's CarPlay site and saw that the 2017 Subaru Impreza would have CarPlay. I looked online at the car and it looked like it could fit the bill. However, it wasn't going to be available until the end of the year, so I'd have to wait. In the last few weeks, I started looking at inventory at the local dealers and saw that cars were in transit. I picked the color and options and used a car buying service to negotiate the price for me. Last Thursday was the day for me to test drive it and see if it really was the car.

Going from an SUV to a small car was definitely going to be a change, but I don't really need an SUV (helpful a few times a year). Fuel economy was going to improve and a smaller car might be more fun to drive.

When I first got in the car, besides being much lower than my Highlander, I found that the side and rearview mirrors were larger than I expected. Last year I test drove an Audi A3 e-tron and the mirrors on that thing were tiny. I was worried that the smaller car wasn't going to be able to accelerate on the freeway, but was pleasantly surprised how well it did. The tech, at first, was a bit distracting. There are 3 displays! One is behind the steering wheel, one is the center display for radio, maps, phone, and the third is an info display that can be used for radio info, weather, MPG, etc.

After the test drive, I was ready to buy; I promised my wife that I wouldn't buy a car without her seeing it. We went back the next day and I left with a new car.

I've driven it for 3 days now on city streets and highways and have gotten a pretty good feel for the car. While I've tried to go through the manuals, there is far too much information in them for me to consume right now. I chose the Impreza 5 Door Limited with EyeSight. I'm a tech guy and not a car guy, so I picked the car based on the tech and specifications. The fact that it was pleasant to drive was almost a bonus!

My impressions are in no particular order.

Pros

• Backup camera has lines showing where the car will go.
• Blind spot detection; can be annoying at times as it lights up almost constantly on the freeway as people are passing.
• Rear cross traffic alert. Getting out of a parking space at SeaWorld is a nightmare. This and the backup camera (and of course looking with my eyes), got me out of a space safely.
• Impressive turning radius. Specs say less than 18'; my Highlander appears to have been about 38'!
• CarPlay. Enough can't be said about this. When I've gotten in the car, it knows where I'm going (based on my calendar) and offers to navigate. Phone integration is great and so is music. Controlling everything with Siri works well (better than Siri on my Bluetooth radio in my old car). One thing to be cautious about is if you use maps all the time, you're going to use up some of your cellular data. After a few hours of driving, I used almost 12 MB of data for Maps alone. I'm going to keep an eye on this; even at 10 MB of data per day on maps, that won't be a problem on my current plan. (I pay for 2 GB, buy AT&T has given me 2 GB bonus per month plus I have rollover. At a minimum I have 4 GB per month and the most I've used is 3 GB.) If someone streams music and uses Maps all the time, this could be costly.

• Speed adjusted volume. There is a setting to make the sound louder when the car is going faster. This is great for freeway driving. I'm still playing with the setting as I think the max setting is a little high as the volume increases even at lower speeds.
• While not documented, it appears that there is a separate volume level for the radio, for navigation (using CarPlay), and for phone. If you adjust the volume while the navigation is speaking, there is a different icon on the display. This is great as I don't need it really loud.
• The keyless entry allows me to leave the key in my pocket. This is really neat and convenient. In addition, since the key uses proximity for unlocking, you have to be pretty close to the car to unlock it. While I can still push the button on the remote, I think the proximity is more convenient and potentially safer due to a potential replay attack.
• Handling is good; while I haven't gone zipping around that many curves, I like how it handles.
• Acceleration is much better than I expected. Coming from a larger engine, I was worried about being able to get up to speed in traffic. I haven't found that to be a problem.
• Quiet. I know this is subjective, but it seems like the ride is quieter.
• Lane departure warning; this feature is one that I hope to never use, but have already heard it beep when I was driving due to 2 lanes merging and I was slightly over the line. The system that actually keeps the car in the lane has to be turned on separately (it isn't automatic).
• While not specific to this car, Subaru put all the manuals in PDF on their website. Unfortunately they separated the manuals into 20 parts. It took me awhile to grab all the pieces and put it back together; I'd rather a 50 MB PDF than 20 smaller ones that are harder to search.

Cons

• The STARLINK multimedia apps (not the system that gets help in an emergency) is a bit outdated for a system that supports CarPlay. With CarPlay, there is no reason (that I can think of) to use Subaru's app. The whole system is truly a piece of crap. The iPhone app looks like iOS 3 or 4; the display in the car isn't much better. The apps take forever to load (we're talking 30 seconds) and the second time I tried the system, I couldn't get the apps to come up (tried for about 20 minutes). Frankly I wish there was an option to completely hide it. This is NOT a selling point for the car. If the navigation system is anywhere near as bad as this, I'd steer clear of it. It appears that this system was designed by Clarion. I'll be removing the app from my phone (it is required for the head unit piece to work). Even though CarPlay is limited (I'd like to see Navigon on it), the interface is well thought out and looks good.

• No lumbar support in seat.
• Too many settings in too many places. Each of the 3 displays has a way to change settings.
• It's low to the ground. I'm not used to this and right now I'll call it a con.
• There are all kinds of warnings about cleaning the inside of the windshield to protect the cameras for the EyeSight system. The instructions say to use a piece of copy printer taped over the cameras when cleaning. Subaru should have provided a rubber boot that fits the system; this would have been less error prone and would have protected the camera better.
• No good place to put my phone in the car. In order to use CarPlay, I have to plug in my phone to USB; the USB plugs are in the center console and allow me to route the cord outside of the console. For now, I leave my phone upside down in the cup holder. I'd love a dock (with Lightning connector) like I have on my desk (it would have to be a bit more secure, though).
• Less cargo space. This is pretty obvious as I came from a larger vehicle. I think the only time I'll have a problem is when we go camping. I'll have to get a roof box for those few times a year.
• No ability to remove some options from the multimedia menu. I just want CarPlay, radio, and settings to show up.
• The button to lock all the doors is hard to find by touch. This could have been mitigated by an option to lock all the doors when the car is put in drive, but that doesn't appear to exist.
• Too much information can be distracting. I'm trying to find the settings I like that keep distractions down.
• One of the information displays is right behind the steering wheel causing the analog speedometer to be moved to the right; this is partially obscured and I have found that I have to use the digital speedometer in the display in order to easily see my speed.
• Not specific to the car, the mysubaru.com app and site don't let you do an initial login on a phone as the page is too long to fit an iPhone 6s screen and it doesn't screen. Also the app appears to just be the mobile website.

Things that would have been nice

• Dual front climate control (manual talks about this, but didn't appear to be an option).

Summary

I'm truly amazed at how many things this car got right. It has all the safety features I want, all the tech I want, and the price didn't break the bank. In fact, I read an article that indicates the average selling price for a car is over $34,000! I'm not sure how people afford these cars or what they get for more money, but my Subaru came in at under this. I'm enjoying driving the car and I hope the fun continues.

Feel free to ask questions!