Teletext subtitles

[KoktGrus]

Is there any teletext subtitle support in the TVE3??

[Throt]

There is, unfortunately it causes stuttering when active. Mistered hopefully has some ideas to fix them.

[misterd]

I have ideas to fix the problem, but I haven't much time at the moment. The main problem is that I have to find a balance between performance and a good design.
I will try to find some time next week, but I can't promise anything.

MisterD

[PsyDuck]

Anything we can do to help?

[misterd]

At the moment only be patient and wait. But you all can and should test the modification when it's done. Because we haven't much programmes with subtitles in Germany. Hopefully then the patch also will be sooner committed to svn.

MisterD

[misterd]

I have worked on the stuttering problem the last days and I think that I have fixed it. You have only a small stuttering when you activate the teletext and the first page appears. The stuttering when the first page appears could also be removed, if I reintegrate the logo page from TVE2.
But I have still some other things on my to do list for the teletext module of the plugin:
- Update of the page renderer for a better support of boxed teletext pages like subtitles and newsflashs
- Remove duplicate code and other cleanups
- Add comments to the code
- Change from keycode to internal actions
- Possibility to change between transparent and non transparent mode
- Better initial image, because with PM III you only see a strange black image.

If you have any other suggestions post it here.

MisterD

[Throt]

Thank you Misterd!

That sounds great, can't wait to check it out!

Cheers

[J-B-N]

Originally Posted by misterd

If you have any other suggestions post it here.

This might be a bit of topic since it is not about teletext subtitles but rather teletext itself.

Before I started to use MP I usually used teletext everyday (often many times), these days I don't. The main reason for this is the slow startup, it takes a few seconds for the first page to display. From what I have seen in the code that would be during a caching phase? Because after the initial wait it is fast, very fast I gather. Is there someway to cache the start page (page 100) when you first enter a new channel? From a user perspective I guess that when you press the teletext button you will then see page 100 right away and then have to wait a few seconds for all the rest. That is at least from my prespective a good tradeoff.

There is of course one tiny detail more, the default mapping on the MCE remote doesn't have a page+1 and page-1 button (or have I missed something). Ie I want to press a button, arrow up or channel up or something for page+1. In the beginning I used to add that mapping by hand with every new install of MP but because of issue 1 I have stopped doing that.

Thanks for any help, all your good work is really appriciated!

[misterd]

Originally Posted by J-B-N

This might be a bit of topic since it is not about teletext subtitles but rather teletext itself.

I'm trying to improve the whole teletext module. Not only the subtitle part.

Originally Posted by J-B-N

Before I started to use MP I usually used teletext everyday (often many times), these days I don't. The main reason for this is the slow startup, it takes a few seconds for the first page to display. From what I have seen in the code that would be during a caching phase? Because after the initial wait it is fast, very fast I gather. Is there someway to cache the start page (page 100) when you first enter a new channel? From a user perspective I guess that when you press the teletext button you will then see page 100 right away and then have to wait a few seconds for all the rest. That is at least from my prespective a good tradeoff.

The TVServer uses a cache for all pages including all subpages. The main problem of the slow startup is that the TVServer only starts to cache the pages, when you start the teletext module. If you have started it and don't change the channel the TVServer still grabs all pages. If you change to a new channel then you have to start the teletext module before the caching process starts again.
I don't know why the server doesn't start this caching process when you start watching a channel. Since this must be done somewhere in the TVServer, I can't promise anything.

Originally Posted by J-B-N

There is of course one tiny detail more, the default mapping on the MCE remote doesn't have a page+1 and page-1 button (or have I missed something). Ie I want to press a button, arrow up or channel up or something for page+1. In the beginning I used to add that mapping by hand with every new install of MP but because of issue 1 I have stopped doing that.

This is why I'm want to change from the keycodes to the internal ACTIONS. They can be better used by remotes etc. I want to create an action for every operation you can do in the teletext, e.g. subpage up/down, next/prev page.

MisterD

[J-B-N]

It is very good to hear you are planning to improve the entire teletext module!

Originally Posted by misterd

The TVServer uses a cache for all pages including all subpages. The main problem of the slow startup is that the TVServer only starts to cache the pages, when you start the teletext module. If you have started it and don't change the channel the TVServer still grabs all pages. If you change to a new channel then you have to start the teletext module before the caching process starts again.
I don't know why the server doesn't start this caching process when you start watching a channel. Since this must be done somewhere in the TVServer, I can't promise anything.

It would naturally be very good to have the teletext caching start directly (soon) after a channel change. I don't know the CPU requirements and the potential impact of having the chaching start during the channel change but just after playback has started a chaching should be able to run with minimal impact on system performance.

Why is the chache built as a memory bound parameter? Ie why not store the cache in the database? From my experience a teletext page doesn't change that often, and if you zap between two channels you don't need to rebuild the entire chache. Storing the teletext chache in a database would cost some harddisk but all things considered not that much and there would be a fraction higher latancy to retrieve the pages.

Anyhow just something I have been thinking about.

Originally Posted by misterd

This is why I'm want to change from the keycodes to the internal ACTIONS. They can be better used by remotes etc.

Oh, I see, excellent!