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Hi CyberSimian


I have done a fair bit of testing off MP2. I had to abandon it because the user interface is a bit primitive in its functionality. Namely, the MP2 guide does not scroll perpetually; i.e. when you scroll up and reach BBC1 the scrolling stops. So, to get to the programmes immediately before BBC1, you have to scroll down through the entire channel list. MP1 scrolls perpetually. To me, this is a deal breaker and I cannot use MP2 as I constantly scroll through the channels in both directions.


When I pointed this out, this was the reply:


"Try Channel+/Channel- to jump one screen up/down. Much faster this way.


In that case we regret, but this is something that won't change. Otherwise the controls on the top of this screen cannot be reached with a remote.


The mediaportalsdir.xml is an unofficial feature, which, when in doubt, is unsupported. I found myself victim to this when bringing to the team's attention something that wouldn't work anymore. I would need to search for the exact posting but the response was probably what pushed me to abandon MP1."


Now, MP1 can reach the top of the screen by moving control to the channel name then moving up. If MP1 can do this, then I cannot see why MP 2 cannot.


The last point is the other deal breaker. MP2 cannot share configurations as MP1 does by using mediaportalsdir.xml. I often have needed to make configuration changes to the client that I need to extend to all clients. MP1 allows this to be done by using mediaportalsdir.xml.


The inflexibility in this reply suggests to me that MP2 will have limited application and that is why I am staying with MP1 and have developed several add-ons to enhance it:


1)  A backup facility that backs up the SQL Server database, the configuration and all of the SQLite databases;

2) A multi-user synchronizing function that ensures that you can watch a program on one client and resume watching it from another client at the same place;

3) A management facility that allows key words to be removed from program names, like 'New: ' and extracts episode data from the program description and places them in the episode fields.


These features make my user experience of MP1 as good as, if not better, than Media Center. That is why I try to bring bugs to your attention because I think that fixing these bugs will encourage current and future users to keep working with MP.


I hope you agree and that MP developers out there will feel encouraged to keep up the good work.


Tony


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