[mythtv-users] simultaneous viewing

[Michael T. Dean]

On 04/13/2012 05:16 AM, Simon Hobson wrote:
> Nick Rout wrote:
>> I am struggling to see the use case here.
> ...
>> These conversations come up regularly on this list, and I am yet to
>> see a use case that really makes sense in the mythtv context.
>
> One that comes up regularly is someone who moves around between rooms 
> - eg popping into the kitchen to get snacks/drinks etc. They can have 
> the TV on in the kitchen so they don't miss out while sorting out the 
> 'catering' for their guests.
>
> Taking your example, you've a house full of guests to watch the rugby, 
> and as a good host you'd be expected to keep them adequately supplied 
> with food and drink. You **may** be able to just have a third telly on 
> in the kitchen also showing live TV, but for many people, they don't 
> get signals they can tune into with their telly (for example, 
> satellite or cable where they need a provider supplied receiver for 
> each device). Unless they've shelled out to pipe video around the 
> house, they may be reliant on Myth to connect to the receiver and pipe 
> it around via IP.

FWIW, what I'd do is record the show, use as many frontends as desired 
to watch the recording in progress.

> So the use case for your example is :
> The rugby is only available on <pay TV, satellite, cable, whatever>.
> You don't have enough receivers, or enough in the right places, or 
> enough with the right subscriptions to show the game live on all the 
> TVs you want to.
> You don't want to miss out while in the kitchen being a good host.
> You *do* have
>
> I've heard this IP stuff is the way of the future, can't see it 
> catching on myself :D

And, especially for something like a sporting event, you can easily just 
mute the volume on all the other frontends--at least those within 
"earshot" of the main frontend/speakers.  For those out of earshot, 
explicit syncrhonization of playback is not necessary--and, indeed, is 
likely undesirable (as foregoing synchronization allows the gang that's 
hanging out in the kitchen to pause/rew/ffwd/... the session they're 
watching independently of the gang in the main viewing room).

That said, if someone thinks it's useful and comes up with the code and 
it's a clean implementation of a useful (ideally somewhat "standard") 
protocol, we'd be happy to have it.

Mike