Full Screen Video in Background (1 Viewer)

[WileECoyote]

A while back a few XBMC developers started working on a PVR plugin that interfaces with the MP TV Server. So I gave it a whirl and fell in love with the XBMC GUI (Confluence Skin specifically.) I mainly liked it because the skins/animations seem better on XBMC. To me XBMC seems to flow smoother and have other 'features' I have not found in MediaPortal. There are a few gaps that I can't fill with XBMC and I would like to stick with MediaPortal mainly because I am a c# programmer and have developed a few plugins for MP, and I see more potential with MP. So.... I have been thinking about what I like most about XBMC and would like to try to design/build a skin that can rival XBMC within MediaPortal.

One of the biggest features I like about XBMC is the video plays fullscreen in the background when you are navigating. For example if I am watching a video and hit the 'home' button it will take me back to the main menu and show the video full screen in the background, overlayed by the menu blade on the left side and other items (weather, now playing info, etc...)

So my questions...

1. Is it possible to have full screen video in the background and overlay menus/graphics/etc?
2. If #1 is possible, with the current skin engine would it be horrifically slow?
3. Are the new skin changes in 1.2 going to make animations smoother?
4. I am looking to build the XBMC Confluence skin, is there anyone else that would like to team up? I am currently working on a rewrite of the My Netflix plugin so progress could be slow.

If this is possible I will ditch my XBMC efforts and stick soley with MP.

Wile E.

 

[zicoz]

This has been possible as long as I can remember. Not sure if all the skins support it, but B3W does atleast. There might be other ways to activate it, but here is one:

- Start your video
- Go back to nonbasic homescreen
- Press the 2nd of the 4 buttons on above your plugin list.

You should now have your video as the "wallpaper", and I can't say I'm noticing any difference in the speed with or without the video wallpaper, but then again I don't normally use it.

 

[WileECoyote]

This has been possible as long as I can remember. Not sure if all the skins support it, but B3W does atleast. There might be other ways to activate it, but here is one:

- Start your video
- Go back to nonbasic homescreen
- Press the 2nd of the 4 buttons on above your plugin list.

You should now have your video as the "wallpaper", and I can't say I'm noticing any difference in the speed with or without the video wallpaper, but then again I don't normally use it.

Hmmm... Very interesting, thank you for the response. I have very rarely used the Blue 3 or Blue 3 wide skin, so I probably would have never noticed the buttons. I will definently try it tonight, but it sounds like a good starting point.

 

[catavolt]

AW: Full Screen Video in Background

In my PVHD skins this is standard since the beginning

 

[WileECoyote]

Re: AW: Full Screen Video in Background

In my PVHD skins this is standard since the beginning

Nice... I'm sorry I have not tried your skins Catavolt.

From the start I used XFace, then MediaStream, then StreamedMP (only for a short while) and finally Maya. Im not sure how many of those skins have the ability to play full screen video in the background.

Okay, I have another stupid question... Is there a way to make the default behavior to have the video in the background? (without having to click the icon everytime you start a video.)

 

[catavolt]

AW: Full Screen Video in Background

No.

 

[macardi]

Re: AW: Full Screen Video in Background

Okay, I have another stupid question... Is there a way to make the default behavior to have the video in the background? (without having to click the icon everytime you start a video.)

Yepp there is. Try this plugin: MEDIAPORTAL - Video Background Auto Switcher

 

[WileECoyote]

Re: AW: Full Screen Video in Background

Okay, I have another stupid question... Is there a way to make the default behavior to have the video in the background? (without having to click the icon everytime you start a video.)

Yepp there is. Try this plugin: MEDIAPORTAL - Video Background Auto Switcher

Thanks Marcardi!!!

This plugin is exactly the key to my new skin. This weekend I started the development of the Confluence skin. I can see why it takes soooo long to create a skin from scratch. My hats off to you skinners out there, there is a lot of work that goes into skinning.

The only issue Im running into now is the fonts. Im trying to use a few larger fonts, but when I add them to the fonts.xml file they are not available (yes I have cleared the cache .) I will scower the forums when I have time to try to figure it out...

 

[kkozma]

Woops! Replied to the wrong thread somehow.