Is mediaportal going to survive the new xbmc (1 Viewer)

[Dadeo]

Having plugins such as TV Series and Moving Pictures as addons means that their development cycle and times are not tied to MediaPortal Releases. It would be nice to be able to install plugins from within MediaPortal, and say, to be alerted to updates (like where you can add or remove components in Windows and be alerted to Windows updates). I guess this may be possible in MediaPortal 2 and I assume the respositories (for plugins, skins etc.) on the redesigned web site might aid this.

Mew

Can you explain Mew? I can already install, update, and even configure plugins AND skins from within MP using the Extensions plugin (companion to MPEI). Of course, it only works for plugins and skins that support MPEI but most do already and IIRC, TV Series soon will. So far, I still need to reload MP for the new extension/update/conifg to take effect, but I believe Dukus is working on that! Also, there is an Update Control plugin that can track Windows Updates for you and alert you. I am not sure about add/remove components in Windows, but I doubt it.

I don't think we will ever see plugins like Mov Pics and TV Series included in MP, even in MP 2. As you said, it gives them much more freedom if they are not. We get many more features more quickly when they are separate. Besides, I have never heard of any of those developers wishing or requesting to become part of MP.

IMO what we need is a way to install extensions as part of the MP installation process - a kind of front end for MPEI that fits into our installer. In fact all we really lack to do this now is a GUI interface for MPEI that could fit into the Installer. But I don't know if that will happen for MP 1.

 

[Mew]

Hi Dadeo

Despite logging onto the forums most days in the last 4 years I completely missed the fact this already existed.

I would however say that it seems a bit odd to have to install the Extension Plugin to be able to install plugins (within MediaPortal). With MPEI and the Extension plugin, I guess these might be the exceptions where it would be easier for the user to have them integrated so they are available to extend MediaPortal after it is installed with optional extras. MPEI as part of the MediaPortal Configuration (possibly as a tab in the Plugins section) and the Extension Plugin installed as one of the default plugins in the MediaPortal plugin menu. I guess the fact these are not as mature as MP1 means this has not happened and with MP2 being developed it would be better to concentrate effort there rather than develop MP1 to do this.

My comment about Windows components and Windows Updates was more about a comparison about how MediaPortal components (plugins) and updates (plugin updates) could work. I guess MPEI does do this (I am not sure it can notify of an update and give the option to install or not) but I haven't noticed because the main plugins I install (Moving Pictures and TV Series) are not MPEI and have to be checked manually for a new version and manually installed.

I obviously need to pay more attention to some of the developments


Mew

 

[Dadeo]

I obviously need to pay more attention to some of the developments

LOL well if you manage to keep track you are a better man than I am! The pace of MP development these days is so fast I really cannot keep up with it all!

You are right on all counts imo. The extensions plugin was left separate so that Dukus could develop it further without being tied to MP release cycle. I think probably because it was barely done when 1.1.0 was released. And it has come a long way since, so I think that was probably a good decision, at least for now. But it really should be all integrated eventually as you said.

Even though MPEI is not perfect yet imo, it is hugely popular. I can tell you that aMPed skin downloads have increased exponentially since I provided an MPEI version, even though aMPed had an installer previously.

I still believe we should be improving MP config and extension installation in MP 1 so that we know exactly what works and doesn't for MP 2. But I gotta be realistic, there is only so much blood we can take from our developers!

 

[kiwijunglist]

I think MP needs a wizard setup more than it needs a plugin installer. I think most new users get stuck on configuration and find it more difficult than adding plugin. or perhaps even a 3rd party wizard setup that you could run after you install mediaportal. I could see such a thing being integrated into streamedmp installer package, maybe integrating SAF as was as an optional extra.

 

[mat123]

For anyone that wants to watch TV in XBMC with MediPortal TVServer, look here:

XBMC MediaPortal PVR client documentation

XBMC extensions

I use it for some days and it works really good (live tv, EPG, recording, timeshift), just channel switching was slower than in MP.
I like MP, but the skin engine is just too slow when you play a video (especialy HD) in the background and browse through MP
at the same time.

It's also frustrating to configure almost everything outside MP.

And I have a 3.4 GHz dualcore, so it's not hardware related.
I'll try MP 2 when it's out, but until then it's XBMC for me.

 

[wonkyd]

I don't understand why so many people keep saying they have stability problems with MP.

I've been using MP for three years now and, yeah, things were flaky in the pre1.0 days but since then the devs have really worked hard and I would say MP is 99% stable now. If you can name me a program that is 100% stable be my guest. If you have problems with MP it's more then likely caused by some interfering plug-in, driver or another program then anything else.

I've used XBMC and it was OK, I even had problems with it booting me back to the desktop if it encountered something it didn't like, but it was the lack of TV brought be straight back to MP. To say will XBMC supporting TV will kill MP is ridiculous, especially if one of the back ends being used is MP TV Server! To me it's going to have two, maybe three outcomes:

1. People will come looking for MP TV server for XMBC, increasing popularity/awareness
2. People come looking for MP TV server but like what they see with MP and switch
3. People find a bug or missing feature in MP TV Server and develop patches for it

Any way you look at it there something positive for MP

 

[AgeOfPanic]

I don't think MovingPictures and TvSeries need to be a part of MP2. If MP2 can give us a nice stable framework, I think we got enough skilled guys and girls out there to create really cool things. We would however need to make access to these plugins easier, ie the addon system in XBMC. I hadn't heard about the extension plugin either. I will have a look and see how it works.

 

[matejdro]

Yeah, speed and lack of ten foot configuration interface are biggest drawbacks of MP2. But on the other hand, i think MP have a lot more configuration options than XBMC do.

So for TV, can XBMC do pause? Last time i tested it out, pause was broken and TV branch was not updated for a long time

I don't think MovingPictures and TvSeries need to be a part of MP2

If i understand correctly, MP2 would contain basic functions and strong plugin framework, so basically everything will be based on plugins. So yes, we need MoPi and TVSeries.

 

[JB72]

AW: Is mediaportal going to survive the new xbmc

I use xbmc already some years on the Xbox1 and yes XBMC is really fast and simple to use. On my ASROCK 330 the live-linux version is quicker to install and to use than any windows system: Plugin the CD install and go. The skin Confluence looks great and is fast and smooth on the ASROCK 330.

The ASROCK 330 with W7 and MP with an skin like StreamedMP, is directly comparable slow. The switch from Plugins like TVSeries to the main screen takes 5-8 seconds. Starting an movie takes longer as on XBMC ... I still prefer to use MP because it is more flexible for me and how i use it in my home but i hope the skinengine will be faster in the future (when i look into the change log, than it sounds they have some performance improvements in the 1.2.0).

On Windows, mp still the first choice of all the mediacenters and has an powerfull developer and user community. I must be honest, who needs not necessarily live tv or a tvserver with streaming functionality ... xbmc is really a very good choise.

 

[publicENEMY]

i do hate when when all the hard work were not appreciated and gone to waste. although i change to xbmc from years of media portal(previously xbmc does not dxva), i do really hope the best future for mediaportal. for years it has serve me good, good community and developer support. i do hope people here give constructive critism as these people(mp developer) have given lots of love and sacrifices for mp.

my take on xbmc feature that are better than current version of mp
1. fast response. navigation is quite clunky. sometimes when you navigate, mp doesnt navigate. it doesnt even tell you that you had already press a button, making you press navigation button couple times before mp starts responding navigates away that your intention.
2. fast loading. loading movie cover and navigation is extremely fast. i do mean extreme.
3. nice skins. this is quite subjective. but i found xbmc confluence skin is very high standard. the problem with mp is that some skins doesnt support certain plugin making the experience less consistent.
4. do everything on the main windows. for example, in mp, to configure, you have to go to configure menu. this is not a problem if the user is familiar with computer, but given to old people who just want to watch tv, this is a mistake.

nevertheless, mp is still great.