Radio and TV - why so different? (2 Viewers)

[Poikilotherm]

I agree with having two plugins: one for radio, one for tv.

The thing is, if we mix it up, the clear and easy structure is lost.

Right now it is absolutly clear were to find what.
If we mix it, you will have to make the TV menu even more complicated than it is right now.

I also asked my parents about this.
They both wanted to have two different menus, because it would be too much for them in one menu. (They both are 50+)
I think, if we want MediaPortal to be used by a wider community, we also have to respect the older people...

Uli321, of course from a technical view it is all the same...
But it has to differ from a tv menu because of the different priority of the things, buttons, controls and views that are used in the radio and the tv menu.

For example, I would prefer a static volume view in the radio plugin, while it would be useless in the tv screen.

Of course, you could just make the skin morphing, but this is once again a thing of structure... (as above mentioned)

Another thing is, that some people perhaps just don't want to have radio or tv activated, because they don't use it! if you put radio and tv together, it won't be so easy to see and find that you have to config this in a special config menu... it is more easy just to deactivate a plugin in the plugins menu...

But another question: while I'm actually on the development of the radio plugin (firmly recording and epg by dvb), is there anyone out there, who would be interested in taking part in development???? I could use some help...

 

[marshall]

I am wondering how the new TV engine will change the radio plugin. If Frodo is changing it to a client/server setup for the TV, it seems like the same will have to happen for radio (if I am not mistaken, most of the radio people listen to comes through the tuner card as well).

As for radio not being as popular, that might be true, but it is fighting back with satellite and digital broadcasts (along with radio), so I think it is far from dead. This also makes it especially important that these types of broadcasts are supported by MP.

 

[Lars E.]

Poikilotherm,
Please don't get me wrong here, my main point is that My Radio should have much of the same features as My TV. Bringing the UIs together isn't important at all.

Marshall,
You're right, radio isn't dead at all. It fills a different need than video based content.

 

[tomtom21000]

Things I miss in radio section

# group stations like pop, dance, oldies like in tv
# record radio
# show song info of internet streams (not possible with wmp?)

don´t need timeshift

tomtom

 

[zombiepig]

Things I miss in radio section

# group stations like pop, dance, oldies like in tv

i'd really like to see this too!

 

[Uli321]

Poikilotherm: Since I really enjoy MP every day, I would like to contribute to MP development, however at the moment I am a bit busy in my job and I know only how to develop in VB.NET. However, I can offer you to develop small (and not that complex) things or test things on my dvb-s installation. I am thinking of adapting my channel-management toolset for MP but stopped because of the different databases and structures (as mentioned above) for TV and radio.

Just give me a hint, how I can support you with the radio plugin.

Uli

 

[Bingle]

Things I miss in radio section
# record radio
# show song info of internet streams (not possible with wmp?)

These two features (especially showing the song info - it shows up in Winamp!) would be really great to have.

 

[eagle]

I think, if we want MediaPortal to be used by a wider community, we also have to respect the older people...

Thank you for taking care of me and my contemporaries :wink:

I agree to have radio and tv seperated. But I would like to have timeshift. It makes sence when your are listening to a radio-play e. g.

Recording mode supported by power-scheduler or pvr-scheduler would be very nice.

I don't know whether it is possible to scan RDS-Data (where does it exist? Only in Germany or in other countries too?) for displaying on the screen.

eagle

 

[onkl]

Things I miss in radio section
# record radio
# show song info of internet streams (not possible with wmp?)

These two features (especially showing the song info - it shows up in Winamp!) would be really great to have.

Ahhh... yes... And then save the individual MP3's in the relevant folder.... :twisted: Great idea, though we might touch some legality issues here

 

[Lars E.]

eagle,
I believe RDS is all over Europe. I know that it is in all Scandinavian countries and Germany as you mentioned.
I have even seen it in the states, but I do not think it is very common over there. RDS doesn't make much sense in a stationary system, but I'm seeing more and more people talking about carputers.

A little off-topic, but I've been driving quite a lot in Germany, and since I don't speak German I have a hard time understanding the traffic announcements. Since I speak a closely related language I might have understood it if I could timeshift it a couple of times .

Lars E.