Improve the installation process (1 Viewer)

[kiwijunglist]

I think what is needed is for someone to make a new concept

You seems good in making concepts

Too many concepts from me, I already have 5 entries in the wiki under concepts.

 

[infinite.loop]

Hi guys
Recently I read a thread where @Kenneth Abbott was complaining about MP and how difficult it is to set up - https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/threads/im-glad-i-didnt-pay-for-this.119394/#post-999164 if you want to find the thread.

Kudos to @kiwijunglist for sorting - truly in the MP community spirit

This got me thinking however...

The installation process is the users first showing of MP and could do with some improvement, namely the setting up of some details which are a little buried in the MP config programs.

So, I'm opening the floor to suggestions of what needs to be included in the installation, hopefully to be included at a later date.

I would suggest that at some point (probably to be decided by the devs as there may be dependency issues), on a full install the installer asks:

• Check for latest MP versions - DL and install if necessary
• Should I download the 'essentials' plugins pack (to be decided, but would included the 'essentials', like TV series etc.)
• Check for latest Plugin versions - DL and install if necessary
• Location of media (TV series, Movies, Music and Pictures), this goes in to the DB as a global var
• Should I catalog the selected media now? (check boxes for the 4 media types)
• Basic settings for the TV server
• Do you want me to scan for TV channels now? (warning of the time it might take)
• Auto config for the EPG in local country
• Skin related questions (DL another skin), choose theme etc.

The main idea is that MP should give the users a basic start and a running system from the outset. Once the install is completed, run MP and stand with your mouth open, and eyes wide, mind blown, staring at the magnificence that is MP

Thoughts?

You know, when I was writing the MPEM concept, I had more than once the thought that it could be the management application for not just the Extensions, but also all the MP Products.

Means that MPEM and DeployTool would become one.
So you download and install the lightweight "MPEM" (would need a new name then like MediaPortal Manager) and it will download & install everything for you.
After the installation you can manage Extensions as well as update all your installed MediaPortal Products.

 

[SpudR]

That sounds like a great idea - isn't that the way Chrome and other software installs? DL a small installer then grab what it needs from t'internet...

 

[infinite.loop]

That sounds like a great idea - isn't that the way Chrome and other software installs? DL a small installer then grab what it needs from t'internet...

many work in such a way to ensure that you always start with the latest version, yes.

 

[mattjcurry]

I can't speak for everyone else, but I think the following 2 items are the hardest to setup:

1.) Hyprid cards - not intuitive unless you are looking at the wiki, we should automatically detect hybrids. Perhaps we have a built in test to figure it out for the user by trying to tune multiple cards at the same time.
2.) EPG mapping/Channel Scanning. I use schedules direct and after I do a channel scan, I have to go through every channel manually and rename it to represent the correct channel number and the correct call sign for the schedules direct plugin to pick it up. This takes a couple hours and is a huuuugggge pain.

In beyondtv this is how it worked (of course this is US specific, so we would need to tweak it):
1.) enter your zip code
2.) select your lineup
3.) scan for analog channels - automatically map them to EPG based on channel number.
4.) scan for digital channels
5.) show a list of non-encrypted channels, with a preview window, and a guide that shows each channel and what is currently on TV. To match the Channel to the EPG, double click on the guide channel that shows what is playing. Channel is mapped, removed from list of non-encrypted channels.

As for the setup of TV-Series, Movies, etc...I think that a few simple wizards could solve that issue. For the most part I found it pretty easy to setup.

 

[SpudR]

Perhaps one of the devs cold comment on the possible complexity of doing something like this?

 

[mm1352000]

1.) Hyprid cards - not intuitive unless you are looking at the wiki, we should automatically detect hybrids. Perhaps we have a built in test to figure it out for the user by trying to tune multiple cards at the same time.

This has been discussed before. For example:
https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/...taldevices-problem-with-dvb-c-t-cards.101656/

Previous suggestions revolved around checking the Windows device path (not possible) or having hard-coded product lists (possible but not maintainable => rejected).
Testing by simultaneous tuning is a novel idea.
Could you start a separate thread so we can tease this out and see if it can get somewhere.

2.) EPG mapping/Channel Scanning. I use schedules direct and after I do a channel scan, I have to go through every channel manually and rename it to represent the correct channel number and the correct call sign for the schedules direct plugin to pick it up. This takes a couple hours and is a huuuugggge pain.

I understand, but I don't know what we can do about it. The fundamental issue is the lack of channel metadata in the broadcast streams.

ATSC over-the-air should be okay because there are FCC rules mandating that certain metadata is carried. If the SD plugin isn't looking at the right fields to match up the channels... well, lets call the devs and have a group discussion about it @geoffstewart @cwchapma. Maybe there are things that MP can do to make life easier for the SD plugin.

Cable with a clear QAM tuner is a completely different story as there are no minimum metadata requirements. Cable providers can and do broadcast little if any in-band metadata. You're lucky if you get channel callsigns. The fundamental problem is that the metadata that the STBs use is transferred out-of-band in such a way that clear QAM tuners physically can't receive it. Silicondust have a really innovative solution that involves frame grabbing and crowd-sourced data. Maybe we could ask if we could use it in exchange for contributing to the data pool. In any case 90% of the channels are encrypted so you can't see 'em anyway. If MP could sort out the encrypted/not-encrypted detection then I think this would become a lot easier very quickly. Having 20 channels to deal with is much easier than 1000. Having said that, I'm not sure if it is worth the effort since even clear QAM channels are going to be encrypted in future. CableCARD support is the future. It changes everything because the OOB data is accessible. You'll see proper channel names and virtual channel numbers (LCNs) so SD should be able to match much easier. I'm inclined to say we should leave the clear QAM tuner problem alone and focus on CableCARD where we can make significant improvements with much less effort.

In beyondtv this is how it worked (of course this is US specific, so we would need to tweak it):

1.) enter your zip code

2.) select your lineup

3.) scan for analog channels - automatically map them to EPG based on channel number.

4.) scan for digital channels

5.) show a list of non-encrypted channels, with a preview window, and a guide that shows each channel and what is currently on TV. To match the Channel to the EPG, double click on the guide channel that shows what is playing. Channel is mapped, removed from list of non-encrypted channels.

The US is the only area that has this problem because the broadcast EPG is either non existent or not usable. From an outsider perspective, a better solution would be to dispense with the scanning entirely and just host lineups with MP tuning details and SD links. We could assume that the channels should be linked to all appropriate tuners that are available. The process is reduced to:
1. Select country and zip/post code.
2. Select lineup.