MP-TvViewer 0.3 - Watch TV on your desktop (2010-01-30) (1 Viewer)

[DieBagger]

MP-TvViewer

is a lightweight tv player for the MediaPortal TV server that allows you to watch tv on your laptop or PC when you don't need a full MediaPortal installation. MP-TvViewer is inspired my Media Player Classic: portable, lightweight and easy to use.

Different Views
There are 3 different views:

• minimalistic (1)
• compact (2)
• normal (3)

Tools
There are also a few tools available:

• EPG: Shows the Program Guide of your TV channels with the option to record selected programs.
• Server Status: Shows the status of the tv cards (idle,timeshifting, recording). Timeshifting can be manually stopped.
• Schedules: Shows all scheduled recording and offers the posibility to add a new manual recording.

Different "on top" modes
There are 3 different "on top" modes:

• Always on top: Viewer will always stay on top of all programs (ctrl+a)
• While playing: Viewer will stay on top of all programs when playback is active (ctrl+w)
• Never: Program will not stay on top (ctrl+n)

Other features

• Change channels directly within player
• Pause/Resume
• Timeshifting (seek within the tv stream)
• Deinterlacing modes: Disabled, Blend, Bob, Discard, Linear, Mean, X (video looks far better when interlaced)
• Show/Hide "All channels" group
• RTSP buffer
• Default group
• Playback of local media
• Use internal vlc with full installation or a previously installed VLC with the full installation

Technical information
I'm using the WebServices plugin from gemx to connect to the server and a modified libvlc library for video playback. The tv is streamed via RTSP (not (yet) the transcoded video streaming option from webservices plugin).

How to use:

1. Make sure you have the WebServices plugin installed
2. Use the installer (full version includes vlc, with core version vlc must be installed) or extract the content of the "bin" zip file.
3. Start "TvViewer.exe", change settings to match your environment.
4. Watch TV

List of shortcuts:

• ctrl+a: always on top
• ctrl+n: never on top
• ctrl+w: on top while playing
• b: stop playback
• space: pause/resume
• 1: minimalistic view
• 2: compact view
• 3: normal view

Versions:

0.3:

• Improved installer (core and full)
• Added Volume Slider
• Added context menu (channel change)
• Added timeshifting and seeking
• Added better exception handling
• Updated to VLC 1.0
• Changed vlc lib to Vlc.DotNet
• Fixed: EPG is updated with timer (more responsive)
• Fixed: Channel tuned when same channel as before selected

Older versions:

Spoiler

0.2:

• Added project to google code (downloads and source code)
• Added full support for 3 views (minimal, compact, normal)
• Added Installer
• Added Tools (EPG, server status, schedules)
• Added Pause/Resume
• Added volume options
• Added option to automatically tune channel on select
• Added drag mode for minimalistic view
• Added options screen
• Added default group
• Added option to hide "all channels" group
• Added deinterlacing
• Added rtsp buffer option

0.1:

• Initial Release
• Proof of concept
• Portable app to watch tv

Links:

• Project Home
• Core Installer
• Full Installer
• Sources
• Zipped files

*hf*
DieBagger

 

[Mike Lowrey]

AW: MP-TvViewer - Watch TV on your desktop

Well done! I really like the idea
May be it is possible to implement a "mouse-over" effect for the control Buttons and information?

 

[CHli]

Re: MP-TvViewer - Watch TV on your desktop

Very good idea, I will probably use that on my the eepc to watch some TV in the kitchen.

At the moment I get a "could not connect to webservice" The webservice is running, there is a user/password but I don't know where to put that in the TvViewer.exe.config.

I'm using the latest version of the webservice (rc3) and the lastest SVN of the TV-Server (08-01-2010).


[Edit]The problem was on the WebService side. Working perfectly now !!! THANK YOU

It seems I don't get any de-interlacing done. I saw you're using the VLC plugin, is there any settings I can adjust ?

Do you plan to publish the source code ?

 

[Lolento]

Re: MP-TvViewer - Watch TV on your desktop

DieBagger,

Is it possible to implement this as a plugin for Vista Media Center or Win7 Media Center? (Like how Arcsoft has a plugin bluray player plugin for media center)

This would be an awesome solution to a third-party softsled.

 

[Mike Lowrey]

AW: MP-TvViewer - Watch TV on your desktop

Me and 3 other already develop an Windows 7 MC PlugIn...

 

[DieBagger]

Re: MP-TvViewer - Watch TV on your desktop

It seems I don't get any de-interlacing done. I saw you're using the VLC plugin, is there any settings I can adjust ?

The deinterlacing gave me some headaches as well but I got it working now

Do you plan to publish the source code ?

Yes of course, if you want it now drop me a pm

Well done! I really like the idea
May be it is possible to implement a "mouse-over" effect for the control Buttons and information?

That is the plan

DieBagger,

Is it possible to implement this as a plugin for Vista Media Center or Win7 Media Center? (Like how Arcsoft has a plugin bluray player plugin for media center)

This would be an awesome solution to a third-party softsled.

Afaik W7 Media Center supports RTSP so I think it would be possible to write such a plugin ... but as I'm not using W7 MediaCenter I have no interest in doing such a thing


I will post a new version within the next days that contains:

• Deinterlacing
• Pausing
• Seeking (if I get it working)
• Maybe scheduling of recordings

The version as it is now was mainly to see if what I was trying to do is even possible (using vlc), after I have implemented everything I want I'll try to come up with a nice looking UI...

DieBagger

 

[nachttier]

Re: MP-TvViewer - Watch TV on your desktop

Working great so far. I'm looking forward for the enhancements to come

Cheers
nachttier

 

[joz]

Re: MP-TvViewer - Watch TV on your desktop

works great over here too on win 7 pro x64.
a lot, and keep it up!

 

[Lolento]

Re: AW: MP-TvViewer - Watch TV on your desktop

Me and 3 other already develop an Windows 7 MC PlugIn...

Really?! I can't believe I haven't seen it before....please point me to it.

 

[KayDiefenthal]

AW: Re: AW: MP-TvViewer - Watch TV on your desktop

Me and 3 other already develop an Windows 7 MC PlugIn...

Really?! I can't believe I haven't seen it before....please point me to it.

hi lolento

the mce client is hostet on codeplex
and it is an sub project of hometvserver

at moment is there no offical test version
we want kill some bugs and add some features before we made test beta test

why i have said the hosting place is so you can see the status over sourcecontrol
if you want help us with coding can i add you as dev


@debagger can i have the source of your client ?


regards kay