Getting my Wife to give MP another try

gonesailing · 2007-10-23, 22:21

TV-Server Version:
MediaPortal Version: 0.2.3 RC3 SVN 16330
MediaPortal Skin: X-FACE 1.2
Windows Version: XP MCE 2005 SP2 all updates
CPU Type: AMD ATHLON X2 4200+
HDD: 2X WD Caviar 500gb
Memory: 4 x 1 GB DDR
Motherboard:
Motherboard Chipset: Nforce 4
Motherboard Bios:
Video Card: NVidia 6600GT
Video Card Driver:
Sound Card:
Sound Card AC3: HDA X-Plosion
Sound Card Driver:
[TV - HTPC Connection: S-Video

Good Evening MediaPortal Team and Fellow users.

I would like to relate a story about MediaPortal and my experience today with WAF. First of all I REALLY LIKE MediaPortal. There are some limitations and some way to go, but it is Open Source, and hey!, all I need is to figure out how to write plugins and I can help.

However, My household will still use Windows MCE for a little while....

Let's go back in time two weeks. My Primary system HDD went bad. Some data lost but no big deal (of course the projector lamp went out at the same time but that is not really relavent...except I am running at a lower resolution which might be a clue)
OK, I am rebuilding the system and decide to go to MediaPortal with the XFACE Skin. Wonderful! Beautiful! The Music collection is back. All the ID3 Tags are right. Last Night/This Morning I apply all the latest SVNs and the new version of XFACE. I test it out and...Every thing works!!

I give my wife the remote and about 10 minutes of training to play music and come to My Lyrics. She tells me "I understand. I can do that"

Now this evening I come home. The CD player is playing an album I know is on the computer and I ask " Did you have a problem with the computer?"
Answer: "THAT F*&%$@^G PROGRAM!!!" (and she's russian so using english curse words is a big step for her)

I Still have some checking to do. But apparently the program kept freezing. And then would bring her to the wrong page....I disable My TV from Configuration, but she specifically mentioned seeing My TV. She didn't even know MP had a TV function since we don't have a TV tuner in the machine right now.

I am still confident about the power of MediaPortal and will still be using it. But how do I get the wife to adopt it. We will keep trying...but even though MCE is a pain and isn't customizable and doesn't do too much. At least my wife can use it without cussing in a foreign (to her) language.

If I come across any specific bugs I will post them. For now this is simply a story about the day to day usability of the program in a Release Candidate phase.

mzemina · 2007-10-23, 23:10

I think you have come up with a big reason some users have jumped ship in the past - using non-stable code for family use! I think it is always bad to use non-stable code for family/friend use and expect it to work without any problems. When anyone uses a RC or SVN then that is bleeding edge software when the developers are looking for bug reports. Yes it often has some "nice features" but on the negative side it is not stable!

Please provide bug report(s) so the issue can be addressed.

JackTramiel · 2007-10-24, 15:50

I know exactly what you are talking about. Cant count the times my gf was complaining about the system.
Funnywise 3 of 10 times it was her mistake, eg. no sound because she pressed mute and did not notice it.
Beside the WAF point i myself get dissapointet with the problems.
Yesterday the pc shutdown during movie playback 3 times - stopped it after i rebootet the system manually.
There are probably some mp issues, but i also blame others like ATI drivers for a lot ot problems.

2007-10-23, 22:21	#1 (permalink)
gonesailing Portal Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Age: 34 Posts: 8 Thanks: 1 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Getting my Wife to give MP another try TV-Server Version: MediaPortal Version: 0.2.3 RC3 SVN 16330 MediaPortal Skin: X-FACE 1.2 Windows Version: XP MCE 2005 SP2 all updates CPU Type: AMD ATHLON X2 4200+ HDD: 2X WD Caviar 500gb Memory: 4 x 1 GB DDR Motherboard: Motherboard Chipset: Nforce 4 Motherboard Bios: Video Card: NVidia 6600GT Video Card Driver: Sound Card: Sound Card AC3: HDA X-Plosion Sound Card Driver: [TV - HTPC Connection: S-Video Good Evening MediaPortal Team and Fellow users. I would like to relate a story about MediaPortal and my experience today with WAF. First of all I REALLY LIKE MediaPortal. There are some limitations and some way to go, but it is Open Source, and hey!, all I need is to figure out how to write plugins and I can help. However, My household will still use Windows MCE for a little while.... Let's go back in time two weeks. My Primary system HDD went bad. Some data lost but no big deal (of course the projector lamp went out at the same time but that is not really relavent...except I am running at a lower resolution which might be a clue) OK, I am rebuilding the system and decide to go to MediaPortal with the XFACE Skin. Wonderful! Beautiful! The Music collection is back. All the ID3 Tags are right. Last Night/This Morning I apply all the latest SVNs and the new version of XFACE. I test it out and...Every thing works!! I give my wife the remote and about 10 minutes of training to play music and come to My Lyrics. She tells me "I understand. I can do that" Now this evening I come home. The CD player is playing an album I know is on the computer and I ask " Did you have a problem with the computer?" Answer: "THAT F*&%$@^G PROGRAM!!!" (and she's russian so using english curse words is a big step for her) I Still have some checking to do. But apparently the program kept freezing. And then would bring her to the wrong page....I disable My TV from Configuration, but she specifically mentioned seeing My TV. She didn't even know MP had a TV function since we don't have a TV tuner in the machine right now. I am still confident about the power of MediaPortal and will still be using it. But how do I get the wife to adopt it. We will keep trying...but even though MCE is a pain and isn't customizable and doesn't do too much. At least my wife can use it without cussing in a foreign (to her) language. If I come across any specific bugs I will post them. For now this is simply a story about the day to day usability of the program in a Release Candidate phase.

2007-10-23, 23:10	#2 (permalink)
mzemina Retired Team Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Ft Smith, AR Posts: 2,045 Thanks: 36 Thanked 12 Times in 12 Posts Country:	I think you have come up with a big reason some users have jumped ship in the past - using non-stable code for family use! I think it is always bad to use non-stable code for family/friend use and expect it to work without any problems. When anyone uses a RC or SVN then that is bleeding edge software when the developers are looking for bug reports. Yes it often has some "nice features" but on the negative side it is not stable! Please provide bug report(s) so the issue can be addressed. __________________

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2007-10-24, 15:50	#3 (permalink)
JackTramiel Portal Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Age: 30 Posts: 454 Thanks: 24 Thanked 8 Times in 8 Posts Country: My System	I know exactly what you are talking about. Cant count the times my gf was complaining about the system. Funnywise 3 of 10 times it was her mistake, eg. no sound because she pressed mute and did not notice it. Beside the WAF point i myself get dissapointet with the problems. Yesterday the pc shutdown during movie playback 3 times - stopped it after i rebootet the system manually. There are probably some mp issues, but i also blame others like ATI drivers for a lot ot problems.