[mythtv] Discussion: make playback available in all UI screens

[Tyler Drake]

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>-----Original Message-----
>From: mythtv-dev-bounces at mythtv.org 
>[mailto:mythtv-dev-bounces at mythtv.org] On Behalf Of Joseph A. Caputo
>Sent: Monday, March 22, 2004 3:11 PM
>To: Development of mythtv
>Subject: [mythtv] Discussion: make playback available in all UI
>screens  
>
>I thought I'd start a thread to discuss ways in which the 
>following might be implemented: when any media playback is 
>initiated (using a Myth internally-supported playback 
>mechanism; i.e., not mplayer), the playback process will be a 
>daemon, and the output should be available no matter where in 
>the UI you are.

I like the idea. I have even had the idea myself.  See below.

>
>Now, before everybody jumps on me, I do know about the new mfd 
>stuff Thor's been working on, and that's a step in the right 
>direction.  
>However, I'm thinking more along the lines of LiveTV or 
>WatchingRecording... what if the video playback in Myth was 
>also part of mfd (or some other daemon process)?  Then the 
>playback could continue even if you switch to a different 
>menu.  Kind of like the EPG is now in LiveTV.  Any theme that 

Agreed.

>wanted to could contain a "black hole" UI element that would 

I will use MCE as an example. MCE does this.  So does ShowShifter and
SnapStream (now BeyondTV 3), as do many others.  I like the way
Microsoft (did I just say 'I like' and 'Microsoft' in the same
sentence?) did this.  A theme, and then a "hole" where the media
goes.  I'll post a link to a PNG and a JPG (whatever format you
prefer...) showing my ideas about this.

>contain any currently-playing video.  If there was no video 
>currently playing, then the "black hole" would not be 

Agreed.

>displayed.  A jump point or global keybinding could take us 
>back to full-screen mode.  For any screen that did not have a 
>black hole, the playback would continue, but the video would 
>be redirected to a null device, or behind the window, or 
>whatever.  You'd still get audio.

Good idea. Or Myth could just 'cut' a hole in the theme, but I like
your idea better.

>
>Basically, the idea is that once a media playback event is 
>initiated in Myth, it should only be stopped by:
>
>- user explicit action to stop it
>- reached end of playback
>- Myth requires the resource (i.e., LiveTV & Myth needs tuner 
>for scheduled recording)

All valid points.

>
>This seems relatively easy for audio media w/ the new mfd 
>client module; it can obviously keep the audio output device 
>open regardless of what you're doing in the UI; it's just the 
>video/black hole stuff that requires thought.

Exactly.  I may be able to help code this after I get a bit better
with C =)

>
>So, anybody else have thoughts on this?
>
>-JAC

- --Tyler 


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