- December 18, 2009
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New Zealand
I just finished installing MediaPortal 1.0.2 for the third time after a mix of inconvenient events which in a way have been good, because if I didn't just so happen to have to format due to a corrupt OS, I would have given up on MP for another media center a while ago. But since I managed to get it working in the end and MediaPortal is so outstandingly fantastic and does everything that I wanted in the end and I am a poor 18 year old without a cent to donate, I will contribute instead.
I installed MediaPortal, had to do a series of system restores and every time I tried to reinstall MediaPortal the un-packer insta-crashed on me and caused a great deal of frustration (due to the fact it was working just 5 minutes ago) Any who, that is a different development request for another post.
I have to say the questions I was asked upon finally being able to get past the bit where all the files rush before my eyes during unpacking (and seeing that cute little...thing, with eyes) went from simple to confusing to "I don't know where to go from here, so I will just click one of them buttons and hope it gets me to where I want to go."
If you haven't already noticed I'm pretty much software retarded (to some extent) and I think that the installation instructions/questions asked at the beginning could be improved. I wouldn't usually do this for a company that charges for the software because A: They charge you for it and B: They don't listen anyway! (AKA: WinTV)
Here goes nothing,
I'm not sure why the question "Do you want to watch HD content" would influence whether or not you want to install the TV-Server as well as MediaPortal or just MediaPortal with the Inbuilt TV plugin (maybe it is because HD content requires a ridiculous amount of processing power you need a separate TV server the size of a warehouse to watch it, I'm not sure). What confuses me more is that selecting either "I don't know what HD content is" and "No I won't be using MediaPortal to watch HD content" take you to exactly the same place. There is no definition of HD content. When I selected that I kinda' expected an explanation (even though I already knew what it was)
I also found the description of the selection I actually wanted a tad confusing to some extent. For example:
"Which TV-Engine would you like to use?"
Radio Button: Inbuild TV-Plugin of MediaPortal
Radio Button: MediaPortal TV-server 1.0
"Difference between TV-Server 1.0 and inbuild TV plugin of MediaPortal"
*Listed differences between the TV Server and the built-in TV plugin for MediaPortal*
Besides the interesting choice of wording, the description of both the TV-Server and the plug-in for MediaPortal don't change. The description actually confused me more as to what a TV-Server is, what it does and what the difference is between the two options because I don't know which one supports what or has which functions. (I do now, but that is beside the point)
- EDIT: Upon further inspection I worked out why a + and - sign was used and that the only description for the TV server is at the very bottom of the screen, however the description seems incorrect to me as I am asked to configure more things I don't have and missing the capture card function in the configuration file.
I think it would be best if each function that differed was listed under each radio button instead of in one big list below both buttons. Or the more complicated approach would be to list the functions of each option under both radio buttons but have a separate list for both. For example: Upon clicking "Inbuild TV plug-in" it displayed the functions for that separate to those of the TV-Server option. I hope I'm making sense.
Grammar (although not that important) requires tweaking. For example: Inbuild TV-Plugin of MediaPortal would be better written as: Built-in TV Plug-in for MediaPortal.
That is all I have for now...Please comment! I hope I have made my points clear. Do with them what you wish.
I installed MediaPortal, had to do a series of system restores and every time I tried to reinstall MediaPortal the un-packer insta-crashed on me and caused a great deal of frustration (due to the fact it was working just 5 minutes ago) Any who, that is a different development request for another post.
I have to say the questions I was asked upon finally being able to get past the bit where all the files rush before my eyes during unpacking (and seeing that cute little...thing, with eyes) went from simple to confusing to "I don't know where to go from here, so I will just click one of them buttons and hope it gets me to where I want to go."
If you haven't already noticed I'm pretty much software retarded (to some extent) and I think that the installation instructions/questions asked at the beginning could be improved. I wouldn't usually do this for a company that charges for the software because A: They charge you for it and B: They don't listen anyway! (AKA: WinTV)
Here goes nothing,
I'm not sure why the question "Do you want to watch HD content" would influence whether or not you want to install the TV-Server as well as MediaPortal or just MediaPortal with the Inbuilt TV plugin (maybe it is because HD content requires a ridiculous amount of processing power you need a separate TV server the size of a warehouse to watch it, I'm not sure). What confuses me more is that selecting either "I don't know what HD content is" and "No I won't be using MediaPortal to watch HD content" take you to exactly the same place. There is no definition of HD content. When I selected that I kinda' expected an explanation (even though I already knew what it was)
I also found the description of the selection I actually wanted a tad confusing to some extent. For example:
"Which TV-Engine would you like to use?"
Radio Button: Inbuild TV-Plugin of MediaPortal
Radio Button: MediaPortal TV-server 1.0
"Difference between TV-Server 1.0 and inbuild TV plugin of MediaPortal"
*Listed differences between the TV Server and the built-in TV plugin for MediaPortal*
Besides the interesting choice of wording, the description of both the TV-Server and the plug-in for MediaPortal don't change. The description actually confused me more as to what a TV-Server is, what it does and what the difference is between the two options because I don't know which one supports what or has which functions. (I do now, but that is beside the point)
- EDIT: Upon further inspection I worked out why a + and - sign was used and that the only description for the TV server is at the very bottom of the screen, however the description seems incorrect to me as I am asked to configure more things I don't have and missing the capture card function in the configuration file.
I think it would be best if each function that differed was listed under each radio button instead of in one big list below both buttons. Or the more complicated approach would be to list the functions of each option under both radio buttons but have a separate list for both. For example: Upon clicking "Inbuild TV plug-in" it displayed the functions for that separate to those of the TV-Server option. I hope I'm making sense.
Grammar (although not that important) requires tweaking. For example: Inbuild TV-Plugin of MediaPortal would be better written as: Built-in TV Plug-in for MediaPortal.
That is all I have for now...Please comment! I hope I have made my points clear. Do with them what you wish.