[mythtv] Brainstorming a new idea for the program guide

[Nasa]

> On Tue, Sep 22, 2009 at 12:51 AM, Simon Kenyon <simon at koala.ie>
> wrote:
> >
> > your question provoked a response. good for you.
> > i suggest you code up your solution and *then* we can have a debate
> about
> > bandwidth
> > --
> > simon
> 
> *sigh*
> 
> This is about the worst thing he could do.  This kind of "shoot first
> and ask questions later" sort of action would be a great way of
> putting our one and only open source of TV graphics out of commission
> for good.  A little context:
> 
> I have written every single line of non-grabber code currently in
> MythTV pertaining to TheTVDB artwork, fanart, and banners.  I have
> had
> discussions with the TVDB owners about the state of their bandwidth
> and have personally done all the work to integrate their site with
> myth over the past 10-12 months or so.  I figure if anyone knows how
> stretched-to-breaking they are, it's me.  What's more, I'm the one
> who
> will be writing the code to more completely integrate TheTVDB into
> our
> Watch Recordings screen for .23.
> 
> TheTVDB is practically unusable on weekends due to load.  I have
> real,
> grounded-in-experience fears about their ability to cope even with
> the
> amount of load we are about to put on them just for MythVideo and the
> Watch Recordings screen.  There is a real possibility that what we
> are
> *already* about to do to them will cause them real operational
> problems.  TheTVDB is not even covering their operating costs at the
> moment, in spite of Google ads and donations.  They are in real,
> legitimate danger.
> 
> If any code is written, it *must* be done with their endorsement and
> with a real solution worked out in advance, with them.  Armchair
> quarterback suggestions mentioned here by people who simply want to
> see someone else complete some code they would like are *not*
> adequate
> pre-planning.  Please, please, please (and now I am asking the OP
> with
> all sincerity) do *not* just write the code and then figure out
> whether it is feasible to get the data from the source.  Go, and talk
> to Scott over at TheTVDB.  I can say with some certainty that he will
> express to you what I have been attempting to-- that their site,
> which
> is already nearly buckling under the weight of the pre-Myth load,
> simply cannot manage what you are looking for.
> 
> So I am asking the OP not to listen to the peanut gallery, and if
> necessary, not even to listen to *my* opinion.  But I am begging that
> he not release code without a full, ringing endorsement from the
> source of data, as I am quite convinced that if that happens, we will
> end up with no source of data at all.
> 
I have a simple question, as I read through this thread, is there any reason
we couldn't put out a torrent package with banners/poster/etc that people
could use as a baseline?  Sure, it would give users a lot of images they would
never use -- but it would allow use to *share* the bandwidth requirements 
amongst our users and take a load of TheTVDB.  Or is this just crasy talk...

Nasa

BTW: couldn't that be done for the release of 0.22 -- not just tied to the 
idea which started this thread.