[mythtv] Annoyance/Suggestion with thumbnails display on recording in progress

[gad at jetcom.org]

Now I know that a lot of work has gone into "fixing" the thumbnail 
display on the frontend, but I have to think that it could be better 
than it is.

Especially on a remote frontend, it's very annoying to try to scroll 
through the listing while there is a recording or two(or more) in 
progress. For each item, it tries to get the png from the backend, 
which hasn't been created yet, so then the backend goes and very nicely 
creates the png, and refreshes the screen.  This process works great 
now, but takes a long time, especially if this isn't even the recording 
that you wanted to watch. So then you wait again.

Wouldn't it be more efficient to either: 1) realize that the recording 
is in progress, and the png most likely isn't created yet and skip the 
thumbnail.. and when the recording finishes it nicely refreshes like it 
does in other cases.

Or

2) Try once to get the image, let the backend do it's thing and create 
it.. but don't wait for it, or try 12 times to get the image.

If there is no image available now, lets jsut put nothing up. This 
makes sense to me, and would greatly improve the useability of the FE, 
especially when scrolling through multiple recordings in progress.

Any comments/suggestions?
--Glen