RSS News ticker/scroller (1 Viewer)

[scythelt]

While I like the "My News" plugin, I think it could be improved on.

I have an improvement suggestion for a plugin that places a news "ticker" along the bottom or top of the MP main screen, that is fed from an RSS feed (or more than one).

Think CNN style news ticker, side scrolling across the screen with the headlines from each item in an rss feed; or scrolling an item at a time vertically.

IMO this makes up-to-date news or weather more accessible and visible, without having to specifically go into a plugin to view a news item.

I'm sure half the work has been done already through the various RSS plugins floating around - I don't have any C# skills unfortunately, so is anybody interested in having a crack at this plugin?

Edit: Here's a quick mock-up of what I'm thinking of:

 

[Nightmare77]

oooh sweet i like that idea, i hope someone can make a plugin of this and if the weather plugin could be in there that would be awesome. perhaps have it just on a few screens it may be to much to have it on the tv plugin for instance, maybe just on the home screen so whenever you go back there you can see what is scrolling at the bottom?

 

[NickName]

That would be very cool
You could even have a checkbox for each main screen (Music, DVD, TV, Pictures, etc) in the setup program so that users could decide which screen they'd like it displayed on by simply checking the box for that screen.

 

[J-B-N]

Since we are in the wishing phase thus far: I would also like a feature to allow the ticker to be shown on the full screens, ie like live-tv.
Naturally best would be to be able to activate/deactivate the feature through the context menu.

Well, just an idea...

 

[Nightmare77]

hehe now we just need to find a dev who can do it, i'm happy to test as i have zero programming skills sorry

 

[dukus]

I do a try,
Wait more opinion ...

 

[Spragleknas]

This would be EXCELLENT!

Any chance that there could be some further development on the News-plugin? It gives me 16p of garbage before the actual news is listed...

 

[scythelt]

Any chance that there could be some further development on the News-plugin? It gives me 16p of garbage before the actual news is listed...

Yeah in its current state the News plugin is a little rough and incomplete IMO. The aim of this "news ticker" plugin is to try and take the good work that's been started on the existing news plugin and try and add some polish by integrating it more neatly into the MP interface.

Thanks to dukus for taking up the challenge! Let us know what further information you need to get started.

 

[dukus]

This is an example it isn't full working use setting from my News plugin. I need some skining idea.

To install mpi files or rename to zip the extension mpi or download mpinstaller from http://dukus.extra.hu

 

[scythelt]

Brilliant dukus, works very nicely for a first up release!

Attached is a zip with support for the bluetwo-wide skin.

Thanks so much for your efforts so far!!

Suggestions for improvement:

• Selectable news items to display content
• Adjustable scroll speed
• Marker indicating when one rss feed starts and a new one begins
• Weather integrated?
• Loop start of feed to continue off at the end of the scrolling feed - so there is no blank line at the end and a fade in when the ticker starts again
• Option to only display ticker on MP home