Bling - making NextPVR pretty

[sub]

I've discussed this "bling" question on these forums in the past and have tried a number of solutions. IMO NPVR will never be as pretty as apps like XBMC, MP, MCE etc. without a database solution such as they use (this could be via a plugin such as Videos+ which imilne has promised).

NextPVR is probably never going to be as pretty as XBMC, but not because of reasons like file based vs database based. The reality is that you can just as easily store any info in files as you can in a database.

The real reason it's not as pretty is that I'm a development team of one, so I can only justify spending so much time on these aspects. I've also got to spread available time across everything else in the app, and spend a lot of time doing support. I can assure you, there is a ton more people working on development of XBMC, MP and MCE.

[mvallevand]

Have you tried imageGrabLite to get your tv series meta information? It should provide equal or better success for getting this information when a file is recorded as any automated tool you can find. The SeriesName_date.ts format doesn't provide a lot to go on. I can probably tweak the RT EPG data to use S#E# format a little better.

My only regret about the bling is sub didn't want to support banners and I think they would make the Recording screen look much more modern. I find fanart slows NextPVR too much, it already is slower than PVRx2 and probably should be left to a database app. imilne wrote he t really want to do a db so I don't see how it can speed things up.

Martin

[b00sfuk]

The real reason it's not as pretty is that I'm a development team of one, so I can only justify spending so much time on these aspects. I've also got to spread available time across everything else in the app, and spend a lot of time doing support. I can assure you, there is a ton more people working on development of XBMC, MP and MCE.

Which was exactly the reason for my point as we cannot expect it to be provided as base function (though perhaps I should have been clearer and I hope you did not read any criticism in it). It is up to us a users to find ways through plugins, external complimentary apps etc. to help in this process. I love NPVR for its recording features, rock solid stability & ease of use and it will always be at the core of any HTPC I have. I would want your limited time to be focused on this core function and NOT be distracted by the bling features being discussed here. I'm also being driven (as I guess are others) by our users, our family members, as their heads are being turned when they see the glitz of some other solutions.

[b00sfuk]

Have you tried imageGrabLite to get your tv series meta information? It should provide equal or better success for getting this information when a file is recorded as any automated tool you can find. The SeriesName_date.ts format doesn't provide a lot to go on. I can probably tweak the RT EPG data to use S#E# format a little better.
Martin

I'll have a look thanks, had missed imageGrabLite as I had (mistakenly) linked it with SearchLite as something for embellishing the EPG. I use Digiguide (in the UK) as my EPG source and that is very good at providing the S#E# format for recordings. I assume imageGrabLite helps here for recordings but not sure if it helps with videos from other sources?

[mvallevand]

No point in doing anything for the Video Library, since Ember and Thumbgen as stand alone programs already do everything that you could want based on the filename. imageGrabLite's with access the npvr.db3 EPG information can go a little finer and by renaming to S#E# or Film (year) notation, it can enhance the XBMC or Plex experience too.

Martin

[imilne]

My only regret about the bling is sub didn't want to support banners and I think they would make the Recording screen look much more modern. I find fanart slows NextPVR too much, it already is slower than PVRx2 and probably should be left to a database app. imilne wrote he t really want to do a db so I don't see how it can speed things up.

A DB would speed up directory searches, but would it make much difference for displaying fanart? Ultimately they're big (1920x1080) images and zipping through a list quickly is going to cause a ton of them to try and load in quick succession. You probably can't cache too many of them either without eating up loads of memory.

My reasons for not going with a DB are basically the same as sub's - I'm only one person

As for bling... it's all about the fanart anyway. I think NPVR has a pretty good default skin as it is.

The plan for Videos+ is several different views; some with details, some with just images. The only one I've done so far is this one:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]32863[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]32864[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]32865[/ATTACH]

But it's only actually had about 4 weeks development time spent on it (in its current form), and hasn't been touched since August! Vapourware I believe they call it

Iain

[mvallevand]

The reason I see a db being faster is the number of FileExist() type searches for all the media data, especially across shares. A db scan could resolve the many locations much faster or you allowing you to be as versatile as sub is.

Martin

[imilne]

The reason I see a db being faster is the number of FileExist() type searches for all the media data, especially across shares. A db scan could resolve the many locations much faster or you allowing you to be as versatile as sub is.

Can you fix that last sentence so I don't misunderstand you?

I've tried to minimize file calls because of the network latency issues. It didn't help that I was only testing things locally or over gigabit ethernet for a long time too. In most cases, I do just a single call to get the list of files/folders, then keep that cached while sorting out what metadata exists and so on. Where it gets problematic is situations with folders within a folder. Sub just ignores them, doing nothing until you go into them. I'd like Videos+ to know that - for example - a sub folder only holds a single video which could be listed alongside all the others one level up, or that the sub folder is actually a DVD or blu-ray rip and selecting it plays it straight away rather than going into it and making you find the .dvd file. Those screenshots actually show multiple DVD rip folders, but all presented together at the same level.

What bugs me is I *know* a DB solution will be the most powerful (tho not without its problems), so I am trying (or was anyway) to design things so I could slowly drop more DB functionality into it over time. I'd already starting messing about with a simple folder-type cache that went in a DB, but was reluctant to go all the way and start databasing the metadata. I didn't want to rebuild IMDB!

Iain

[mvallevand]

How about, A db scan could resolve the many possible meta file locations and names at scan time, allowing you to be as versatile as sub is.

Look at your plan, having to open up 100's or even 1000's of the various supported nfo files and xml files is going to be a burden plus you wrote one time that you will be running mediainfo etc to get some extra info. With MB4 I found that I could only cache 100 images the memory can get out of control and that was without fanart.

Sub already shows "outer" folder art and meta data for the single folders when it is in Media\Show that is one reason everything in imageGrabLite goes there.

Martin

[imilne]

Look at your plan, having to open up 100's or even 1000's of the various supported nfo files and xml files is going to be a burden

It only opens the ones for files that are currently on screen though (in the list), so it's actually very fast.

plus you wrote one time that you will be running mediainfo etc to get some extra info.

I did? Hmm, yes... vague memory returning to me now

I don't actually disagree with anything you say, and the more you shoot holes in my plans the more I can see it moving to a DB solution (which is what scb147 wanted when he was still involved too) but I'm not great with databases at the best of times. I also have a lot of "dynamic" video watching going on in my household - get a video, watch it, delete it, and I can see the wife getting annoyed with constantly having to rescan folders to keep them up to date. That might need some clever thinking to work around...

Iain