[PATCH]Teletext readability improvement (1 Viewer)

[pilehave]

Attached is also a zipfile containing the updated TvPlugin.dll for testing purposes.

Hi!

I really like the attempt of making something useful out of teletext - but when i try to use the attached new dll, my MediaPortal crashes with some TV-Database error?

I'm using 1.0.0.0, but do I need to use the SVN or am I missing something?

The crash occurs on load, not even when trying to watch teletext.

 

[misterd]

A similar modification was added to SVN. The images have now an aspect ratio of 4:3, but it is up to the skin designers now to set the correct size and aspect ratio in the skin file.

The reason for this different modification was that according to your sample picture the top text/ fast text line is missing, because there is not enough space. It is also better to not have a fixed image size as a big size could cause stuttering on slow machines. And finally you will loose quality when the generated image has to be resized.

Thanks for the hint.

MisterD

 

[Helios61]

Issue with the new TvPlugin.dll - TV-recordings disappeared!

Hi jblomb!

Using the new TvPlugin.dll, all TV-recordings disappeared! Changing back to the original, all works fine!

Best regards
Helios

 

[jblomb]

A similar modification was added to SVN.

Thanks.
That was the whole idea.

The reason why i used a fixed size is that i could adjust font size/spacing to match perfectly. I don't use 4/3 but more like 3.4/3 as aspect ratio to make the character spacing more correct. It is true that i lose quality when i resize the pic, but on my TV I can't notice it even if i try. I DO notice some stuttering of the background video when the page is updated. On my computer it's a fraction of a second, but i can imagine on a slower computer it will be more noticable.

I am really looking forward to these modification since I am normally using teletext quite often (but not in mediaportal).

Thanks again Misterd

Using the new TvPlugin.dll, all TV-recordings disappeared!

I noticed that too - didn't know it was my modification tho. Thanks.

I'm using 1.0.0.0, but do I need to use the SVN or am I missing something?

Yes, you need SVN for this to work. But it's better to wait for the next SVN build.

 

[xvffx]

Hi,

I have no use to teletext (just not from where I am tho) but I would like to know how this works ? how does one turn it on in MP from the remote ? or is this added as a post processing and it stays on when watching TV ?

Vff

 

[bermag]

Great news! The bad looking teletext has been one reason for not replacing ordinary tv with MP. I am not using Teletext much but wife does.

There are some other issues (or missing features compared to ordinary tv) with Teletext which I hope will be addressed in the future:

- It is pretty slow (especially when first activating, guess it is because MP get all pages? frist). Better to display first page and get other pages in background process.

- Clock does not get updated (time on normal tv is displayed continously). Looks to me like MP take a copy of a page because if you go back to a screen you looked at before it will show you the same time as before.

- I want to be able to use arrows (on remote) to display next page. Using channel would work fine if it isetad of only showing next/prev sub page but it would be more useful if "next page" would go to next sub page (if any) and if no more sub pages go to next page.

- If I don't remember wrong after closing teletext and then starting again it will reset to showing first page again. I would like to whow the previous teletext page.

- Display teletext with transparent background on top of tv picture.

- Less important (and probably only useful on large widescreen displays) but nice (I like that feature on my tv and is readable on my 50" tv) to split screen with half screen showing tv and the other teletext (would be necessary to scale fonts though).

- At least on 4:3 the teletext page is not covering whole screen and leaving a small frame of tv picture around teletext. That is of no use so better use whole screen.

 

[catavolt]

+1

 

[misterd]

- It is pretty slow (especially when first activating, guess it is because MP get all pages? frist). Better to display first page and get other pages in background process.

This is by design, as the client request an update every ~15 seconds or if a slower interval is detected faster. A solution is on the roadmap, but there are other things to do before this can be done.

- Clock does not get updated (time on normal tv is displayed continously). Looks to me like MP take a copy of a page because if you go back to a screen you looked at before it will show you the same time as before.

MP creates only a new page on each update to avoid stuttering as this is a cpu intensive process.

- I want to be able to use arrows (on remote) to display next page. Using channel would work fine if it isetad of only showing next/prev sub page but it would be more useful if "next page" would go to next sub page (if any) and if no more sub pages go to next page.

This is already possible. You only need to assign the correct actions to the keys you want:
- ACTION_NEXT_TELETEXTPAGE (F8)
- ACTION_PREV_TELETEXTPAGE (F7)
- ACTION_REMOTE_SUBPAGE_UP (F6)
- ACTION_REMOTE_SUBPAGE_DOWN (F5)

- If I don't remember wrong after closing teletext and then starting again it will reset to showing first page again. I would like to whow the previous teletext page.

I think this is a personal taste as I know normal tv that do it his way and others that do it like MP. Also too many options could confuse the users.

- Display teletext with transparent background on top of tv picture.

This is already possible. You can configure the transparent mode in Configuration and you can switch between transparent and non-transparent mode within MP. The action is called: ACTION_SWITCH_TELETEXT_TRANSPARENT (T).

- Less important (and probably only useful on large widescreen displays) but nice (I like that feature on my tv and is readable on my 50" tv) to split screen with half screen showing tv and the other teletext (would be necessary to scale fonts though).

The problem isn't scaling the fonts, it is more the way how MP handles the teletext which makes it very complicated to implement such a mode.

- At least on 4:3 the teletext page is not covering whole screen and leaving a small frame of tv picture around teletext. That is of no use so better use whole screen.

The teletext is 4:3, but the skin isn't and MP is resizing it

I hope that helped.

MisterD

 

[jblomb]

This is by design, as the client request an update every ~15 seconds or if a slower interval is detected faster. A solution is on the roadmap, but there are other things to do before this can be done.

I have been looking into a way to get the teletext on client side instead of server side. Is this what you mean, MisterD?

/Blomman

 

[misterd]

Yes, but therefor the teletext has to be in the timeshift files, which isn't the case for analog cards. I already started coding for this, but it needs time.

MisterD