Confused about MP1 and MP2 ... (1 Viewer)

[JacobJust]

Hi

Im just getting confused about MP1 and MP2, and wanted to share my thoughts.

So we all are very exited about MP2 and have been so for the past few years i guess.

Looks like a great deal of efforts have been put into MP2 and i think it starts looking like something ready for some testing more publicly.

BUT i just don't get why so many hours are being put into MP1 when MP2 is comming along.

Wouldn't it be better for all of us if the efforts from developers where put into getting MP2 ready for some prime time?

I mean, i use MP1 each day. I love it and it works like a charm.

But isn't it time for getting MP2 some more attention and getting all the new feature possibilities available?

When MP2 is ready for use i think the community will start throwing resources at getting plugins and skins done for that instead for MP1.

Just my thoughts and frustrations coming out in the waiting hours for MP2...

Have i missed some info regarding this or am i totally of track here...?

Regards
Jacob

 

[Smeulf]

Hi Jocob,

First, thanks for your post.

I understand your frustration about MP2, as I am also frustrated, but the main question is : Should we stop all developements around MP1, wich as you said is very stable and totally focus on MP2, as MP2 is still suffering some majors bugs (IE : the videos still doesn't play correctly, there's an opened bug about it since ages, and unfortunately we didn't manage to solve it for now).

For now, the team took the option to keep working on MP1 as long as the core of MP2 is not stable.

Our goal is to deliver the best as possible. Of course we could benefit from more developers switching from MP1 to MP2, but it would be a lost for you, users : we want to keep moving forward and provide new versions and functionalities, for your entertainment.

Anyway, we need help. Developers, testers, documentalists, skinners... Everyone interested in MP2 can submit his work!

And remember, MP2 is open source. You can grab the sources here : https://github.com/MediaPortal/MediaPortal-2, there's a "zip" button to download the last version. You'll need a few pre-requisites and to build the sources, there are batches to use MSBuild, Visual Studio is not even needed, it's all included in windows 7, see here : Compiling - MediaPortal Wiki

So anyone can try and contribute.

Cheers.

Smeulf.

 

[Lyfesaver74]

Smeulf, pretty much summed it up.

In my opinion it is simple: We need more developers and testers. MediaPortal is growing, and fast. Any decent software project, commercial or open source, will always require X amount of devs & testers in relation to the size of the software project and what all the software can do. I would like to give an example: Let's say for MediaPortal, any major version... MP1, MP2 or even MediaPortal3 (i refuse to all it MP3), would require at minimum 15 active developers and 30 testers. Now I am not I-Loop, i have no idea if these number are even close to accurate, but they will serve their purpose all the same.

So let's say we have 15-20 developers active at any given moment for MP1 to keep it progressing as it should, as any release should. That leaves us with 2-5 active developers for MP2. Now, lets further speculate and say that we feel MP1 is "good" and we bring the MP1 guys over to MP2. Yes that will fix the slowness of MP2 development, but other issues would arise. For example:
Not every one is interested in MP2 as MP1 serves their needs (this is just the way some users are, and that is fine by me) so they would suffer.
Every software needs continued development and support if only for a short time after a new major release, some for years.
We would end up in the same situation for MediaPortal3, everyone will be busy with MP2, nothing really gets 'fixed'

We just need more developers contributing to the development and testers to help them along the way. We don't actually need another 15-20, as that would be in a perfect world, but just a handful of the RIGHT people.

Someone who can lend a hand for a week or two that is good with directshow, c++, maybe some extended .net, to help out with EVR, and it is possible that a relatively stable alpha release is weeks away.

I hope this helps in some way, but we see your frustration. I want you to know that we really are trying to find an acceptable solution to help speed up MP2, without having MP1 suffer.

I want to say this very, very clearly: Just one person (if they are the right person) can make a HUGE difference for MP2 at this point. While there are many issues to be resolved, it could be said that fixing the EVR is last and only show stopper. Just one little 'push' and it could all be downhill from there. =)


BTW, I am not a developer and everything I have stated is my opinion from my understanding of the facts that I have been able to gather.

 

[Smeulf]

Just as a side note : MP2 is only Windows 7 compatible, witch means even when MP2 will be released, MP1 will continue to be used.

Then support and bugfixes might be required for both versions, and take the double of time to the developers and the testers...

 

[Lyfesaver74]

Just as a side note : MP2 is only Windows 7 compatible, witch means even when MP2 will be released, MP1 will continue to be used.

Then support and bugfixes might be required for both versions, and take the double of time to the developers and the testers...

Another good point.

 

[Mike Lowrey]

Should we stop all developements around MP1, wich as you said is very stable and totally focus on MP2, as MP2 is still suffering some majors bugs (IE : the videos still doesn't play correctly, there's an opened bug about it since ages, and unfortunately we didn't manage to solve it for now).

Why is that the question? The team don't have to dump MP1 but mainly switch it's focus.

 

[JacobJust]

Thank you all for you're answers to my frustration about MP1 and MP2.

I do not hope i started to much of a discussion or making it a "MP1 vs. MP2" situation.

I sincerely hope that MP2 soon see some more attention and we all can benefit from the new code done by the brave people behind it.

As you might have guessed I'm no good with writing code nor programming plugins. I have tried making my own "theme" on existing skins, but it ends up with just another image for background or a different color for buttons.

My only way of contributing have so far been donating. The only way i see i can help, with my personal skills.

But i also hear people asking for different possibilities in MP1 that get the answer, that it is too hard or to risky to do in the code behind MP1. It also takes a long time because when the code is tampered with, something else is broken.

Wouldn't we all benefit from moving away from this "old" code and use the resources from the "hard to do coding" in getting MP2 in shape?

I really love my MP1 and it is used in my living room, kitchen, bedroom and 2 kids room.

But when i see the possibilities with the engine behind MP2 with the looks and feels of the future, i am very exited.

To bad to hear about the video engine not ready with not playing correctly. I understand that focus can not be shifted to MP2 when the engine is not ready.

But could the remaining issued then be "highlighted" in any way so that all can see exactly what is remaining to be done.

Maybe a post regarding this with the issues listed with a "wanted" sign on the remaining issues, noted that the people behind MP2 cannot resolve them themselves.

Looking forward to MP1.3 with the new features, but personally i could wait since MP1.2 is working nicely in its state for me.



Im longing to see MP2 with basic Video, Music, Pictures, Live TV and weather working.

I also think Live TV is essential in a MP2 release since a lot of other software is coming along, but misses out on the LiveTV.

My personal thought is that one of the main reasons MP1 is so successful right now is because it also have LiveTV.



So now i also lifted my personal thought on MP2 unintentionally.

Guess its time for donating once more for the team behind MP1 and MP2.

Thank you all behind MP1, MP2 and plugins.

 

[Smeulf]

But could the remaining issued then be "highlighted" in any way so that all can see exactly what is remaining to be done.

Here you can find the main things that need to be done before Alpha :

https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/general-529/upcoming-mp2-alpha-release-todo-list-95975/

https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/general-529/bug-todo-list-mp2-99141/

Optional but nice to have for translations : https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/general-529/globalization-string-management-tool-90310/

For the record, LiveTV is still not planned to be included in the Alpha, as far as I know.

We will also have a lot of work around a new powerfull TV Server, there are internal discussions about how to do it technically speaking.

Thanks for your support!

Cheers.

Smeulf

 

[Hetfield]

I also hope MP2 with the basic functionality would be released stable as soon as it's possible (TV, MP3, Videos, Picturs, Weather).

MP1 is good, but it's getting old, and XBMC is developing fast. TV really is necessary to have in MP2 when it's released. Otherwise there are equal or better competitors available, for example XBMC. I tried the following last weekend:

OpenELEC 1.0 released | XBMC

It was good, easy to install, and very light to boot, no windows licences, or any coded/etc related tuning needed. But TV client was much worse than in MP1, and video playback with fastly scrolling news banner was a bit strange looking. I believe MP2 has much better opportunities to develop a same quality TV client than any of the (cross platform) competitors. And I trust on Microsoft .NET Framework and other related stuff a lot. Windows 8 will also be good I think.

But thanks to everyone who has been developing MP2, and we hope it will be a successfull story!

 

[JacobJust]

Hi everyone

I just compiled MP2 and i must say WOW.

There seems to happen more on it than it seems like in the forums.

THANKS. Looking VERY promising.

Regards
Jacob