[mythtv] [mythtv-users] Small, low cost MythTV clients...

stuart stuart at xnet.com
Sat May 12 15:21:17 UTC 2007


Hi Todd...

Todd Ferris wrote:
> On 5/11/07, *stuart* <stuart at xnet.com <mailto:stuart at xnet.com>> wrote:
> 
> 
>     Sorry for the slow 4 day turn around.  I just started considering mythtv
>     development and re-did some of my myth e-mail filters.
> 
>     Time (and trying to do many thing (it's all good)) is eating at me as
>     well.  I still haven't been able to cobbled together a SVN version of
>     mythtv.
> 
>     So, my hopes that UPnP Remote was in wide spread use are not true?  That
>     is, the protocol WizD implements is just a special Sigma Designs /
>     Syabas protocol.
> 
>     It looks like SwissCenter is another Sigma Design specific server, just
>     like WizD.  I have only tried WizD so I can't compare.  If by PHP you
>     mean Python - well, I'm not much of a Python developer.
> 
>     In general, you are interested in adding support (programming) to the
>     MythTV back end to support Sigma Design based "media extenders" or "thin
>     clients", do I have that right?  Just checking.
> 
>     ...thanks
> 
> 
> I know about the lack of time.  I am still running a .19 SVN despite 
> having a HDHR waiting for me to compile a newer SVN.
> 
> I really can't answer the UPnP remote protocol question...  From my 
> quick look at WizD and SwissCenter, it *looks* like they use a custom 
> control API to communicate with the mediaplayer.
> 
> My suggestion (again, only based my limited looking at WizD and 
> SwissCenter) is that it appears either of these solutions could be 
> customized so that they run on and interact directly with your 
> mythbackend.  They would then produce a myth specific UI on the 
> mediaplayer.
> 
> I see a few ways to accomplish this. 1) a standalone component that 
> interacts with mythconverg mysql database and directly reads video from 
> the filesystem and streams it to the mediaplayer.  2) a standalone 
> component that interacts with the mythbackend via the control protocol 
> and behaves just like a mythfrontend, potentially with the backend 
> streaming the data to the mediaplayer. 3) integrate the project into 
> myth so that a mythbackend directly supports the mediaplayer.
> 
> It would seem that #1 would be a quick way to determine feasibility and 
> interest in the project.  There are several other projects that already 
> "leech" from the mythdatabase and allow direct viewing, which could be a 
> good starting point.
> 
> I am going to checkout the SwissCenter SVN and start looking through 
> it.  I don't have a compatible mediaplayer, anyone interested in testing?
> 
> Thanks
> Todd
> 

I am going to cross post this (so let's be careful which post you follow 
up on) in an effort to move it from the MythTV's users list to the 
developers list as this discussion is more technical now.

I appreciate all the input everyone has had.  It has changed my 
perspective as to what may be the best way to approach what I think I 
and others would like to see in MythTV - which are small, low cost (and 
silent, and HD capable) clients.

I started out thinking the best solution would be to port efforts like 
mvpmc.org (a thin client which already works natively w/MythTV) to newer 
HD capable thin clients (or are these more commonly referred to as 
"media extenders"?).

Now I am also thinking about MythTV using other protocols such as 
UPnP-Remote-User-Interface (suggested by, I think, the author of the 
current MythTV UPnP software):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Plug_and_Play#UPnP_AV_components

...and, what I believe is a proprietary interface (so I wonder how open 
it is) that is used in, I believe WizD:
http://wizd.sourceforge.net/
...and (as Todd pointed out) swisscenter:
http://www.swisscenter.co.uk/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/

I have been a mythTV user for a while but new to development (I haven't 
even gotten my mythTV SVN up and running yet).  As I am still planning a 
strategy, any suggestions regarding how to approach this would be 
appreciated.

Hey, before I post this, let's ask 1 direct question:
How wide spread is the UPnP-Remote-User-Interface?








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