Testbuilds for Native MP2 TV - Updated for 10th AE Update 1 (2014-09-13)! (1 Viewer)

[Arnax]

If I were recommending settings for a person new to MediaPortal that likes to fiddle with settings but doesn't have all day to learn what everything means from first principles I'd say:
1. Default <filesize> (256 MB) should be fine unless free space is an issue (eg. RAM disk or SSD). Otherwise maybe reduce to 100 MB.

how about several global settings levels based on user type - beginner, expert...?

Most thing are obvious, once you know the answer. But most people don't even have the terminology required for understanding that screen, and even if they do, they want to install an HTPC and not pass a minor math exam in the process.

The tool already does this (it shows estimated HD/SD recording times). The formula is the same, you simply swap which variable the user enters.

as we can see it here, buy maybe is easier for user to enter min % of free space on any drive

 

[mnmr]

how about several global settings levels based on user type - beginner, expert...?

That'd work, although the labels should probably not be based on technical knowledge - something like "space saver", "default", "space waster" would be more appropriate.

as we can see it here, buy maybe is easier for user to enter min % of free space on any drive

That is a common choice, and the upside is that it keeps things relatively simple. The downside is that it's not entirely transparent what % you should choose (e.g. I have a 24TB NAS and would like 5-10 hours of buffer.. the tool would certainly need to help users with that).

In my mind there are really only two good options: size or time. I'd be willing to bet that if you ask 10 (less technical) people what the most natural unit for specifying recording limits are they'd pick time, which (to me) makes it the obvious choice of input.

 

[mm1352000]

Thank you for your suggestions.

Sorry I haven't had time to reply yet, and unfortunately I don't have time to reply in full now either.

The only point I really wanted to respond to now is the suggestion to use time for units. If you choose to use time as the unit then to some people that would imply MP would adjust the size of the buffer depending on the channel being viewed. In other words, it implies TsWriter would detect the bitrate of the channel and set the buffer size corresponding to the requested number of minutes. Such an implementation might sound really cool at first thought for some people... but I think more consideration is required.

One aspect that should be considered is the complexity. Even the "little" things like figuring out the bitrate are not so straightforward because most channels are VBR; one SD channel does not have the same bitrate as another (and same for HD).

My own opinion is that using time would actually defeat the purpose of having the settings. The settings are provided to constrain HDD space use for people like me who only have 8 GB free to play with and want to absolutely constrain the buffer size to 6 GB. I don't want the buffer size to in any way depend on the channel I'm watching (ie. time based). I want to get the most out of the 6 GB I have available. Yes, maybe I'm the minority these days due to cheap HDD space availability (I've used all my space for recordings ).

So, having a time estimate is good and helpful, but I think we have to be careful how much further we take it...

Thanks again for the feedback. It certainly makes me think and reconsider assumptions.

 

[mnmr]

The only point I really wanted to respond to now is the suggestion to use time for units. If you choose to use time as the unit then to some people that would imply MP would adjust the size of the buffer depending on the channel being viewed.

That is a good point, and worth considering before anybody makes any changes.

However, as MP cannot predict what channels you'll be recording, it seems reasonable that it would show worst-case scenarios (i.e. calculated disk usage based on that). If you then watch a channel that takes less space than was allocated, MP could either stick to the time limits given or expand to use the remaining space (probably a more sensible default). In either case you need to keep the space free on your disk, so you're not really saving anything (regardless of the unit being used to configure things).

Thanks again for the feedback. It certainly makes me think and reconsider assumptions.

Thinking is good, I've always wanted to try that

 

[MrTechno]

Presumably it would function like a satnav ETA, so the closer you get to the limit the more accurate the time estimate is going to be. If MP thinks the buffer is good for 300 minutes I doubt anyone is going to notice if it only manages 290.

 

[Valk]

Personally I'd want the option to set a time limit, buffer size limit or both so it works based on whichever triggers first. Keeps it simple for people who want a 90 minute buffer or those with space issues. In both cases don't need to know the bitrate but we can put in a link to the wiki for a detailed explanation.

 

[ge2301]

I followed the instruction, but the SlimTV plugin does not start in MP2. Attached you find the log file.

Edit:
I tried to install once again, but Problem remains. TV-Server configuration was done and SAT channels were detected.
The Monitors says, that the Connection between Server and Client is fine.
I also attached the Client log: It says, that "no TV-Provider available yet". Any idea?

 

[jehe]

Hi ge2301,
I suspect you have two TV providers, use only native TV provider

 

[ge2301]

Thanks for the feedback.
I deactivated the MP1 tv-server in first step ans then even deinstalled it.
I also deactivated the wintv tv-server. What else can it be?

 

[jehe]

Thanks for the feedback.
I deactivated the MP1 tv-server in first step ans then even deinstalled it.
I also deactivated the wintv tv-server. What else can it be?

Under program files/ teammediaportal/mp2-client/plugins/
only slimtvclient and slimtvnativeprovider