New Plugin - Random TV

[23skidoo]

[ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND]


A static screenshot just can't do it justice. Imagine hundreds of TV show titles flashing on the screen at dizzying speeds. Press "OK" on your remote, and a show is selected. But...which one? :-)

This is a tiny little plugin, really. Just more explorations of this quirky (in the best sense of the word) HTPC system. This plugin really just draws random (currently playing) show titles, one after the other; whichever one you click, that's what plays. It's more fun than you might think.

I learned a couple of things from this undertaking (please correct my ignorance; I'm all ears!):

[INDENT]1. Apparently you have to close down the video player if you want your (IMenuTask plugin) display to refresh periodically. sub already identified this as a bug slated for squishing in the next release. In the meantime I put this code in my IMenuTask.Activate():

IVideoPlayer vpTemp = PluginHelperFactory.getPluginHelper().GetActiveVideoPlayer();

if (vpTemp != null)
vpTemp.shutdown();

2. I noticed how now that everyone has a camcorder, no one talks about seeing UFOs like they used to.

3. This little snippet (placed strategically in your IMenuTask.Deactivate() implementation) will make sure that the little inset window on the main menu screen gets blanked out; no leftover clipped plugin display:

SendKeys.SendWait(Keys.Escape.ToString());

4. In your code for IMenuTask.render(), setting requiresMoreRendering to true is dangerous. All other (application) messages are blocked. When Random TV is running, it's only when the show titles slow down (I set requiresMoreRendering to false for ~5 seconds) that the system will actually process a keyboard click.[/INDENT]

I posted the source code, in case anyone's interested. Nothing exciting, but it could be helpful to some, I suppose: [ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND]

And finally, I'll paste in the readme.txt, for posterity:

[INDENT]==================
=== RANDOM TV ====
==================
-> 9-20-06
-> This is the first release. Version 1.0.0. Which implies there'll be future versions.

WHAT IS IT?
----------------------------------------
Imagine hundreds of TV show titles flashing on the screen at dizzying speeds. Press "OK" on your remote, and a show is selected. But...which one? :-)

MANUAL INSTALLATION
----------------------------------------
This one's a serious no-brainer. Put the DLL in your plugins directory. No skin files or supporting images at all. Just the wee little DLL.

USAGE INSTRUCTIONS
----------------------------------------
Click Random TV. After a minute or so of "Ooooh!" and "Ahhh!," click OK. The show who's title is currently displayed on the screen will be launched.

KNOWN ISSUES
----------------------------------------
Seems to work fine. I can think of a boatload of enhancements.

DISCLAIMER
----------
Global Thermonuclear War is a distinct possibility. And I'm not entirely sober at the moment.[/INDENT]

[23skidoo]

And oh my Lord, it looks like the wiki's back up! lol

[23skidoo]

Durn it. As soon as I click the Edit link here, the whole thing locks up.

[23skidoo]

Ahh, but it's back up. It's been over 10 minutes! :-)

[sub]

2. I noticed how now that everyone has a camcorder, no one talks about seeing UFOs like they used to.

lol

[sub]

I am aware of the server problems over the last few days that have been affecting the wiki. I'm looking into it.

[McBainUK]

lol

Maybe the aliens just don't like being filmed

[23skidoo]

Maybe the aliens just don't like being filmed

Damn papparazzi.

[Ted the Penguin]

2. I noticed how now that everyone has a camcorder, no one talks about seeing UFOs like they used to.

I guess you ran across some history channel UFO shows, since they seem to have them on all the friggn time, or at least on the reserves schedule one weekend a month plus two weeks a year

[4zm4r3d02]

I noticed how now that everyone has a camcorder, no one talks about seeing UFOs like they used to.

It's very difficult to get extraterrestrials to sign the necessary release forms.