[mythtv] MythMusic Redux Proposals WAS: Proposed Change to MythMusic

[Colin Guthrie]

Steven Adeff wrote:
>> If there is to be a MythMusic rewrite (or reimplementation as MythTunes
>> perhaps?)
> 
> MythTunes! perhaps renaming it to that as a separate project is a good idea?

Perhaps. That way no-one is stepping on each other's toes and taking
things in different direction. Perhaps what a full featured MythMusic
and a (lighterweight?) MythTunes set out to achieve are different enough
to warrant this?

>> then i think it could lead the way to building on such a
>> backend. I really hope that media applications will go this way - even
>> if it means doing work on other projects ot get there. I dream of the
>> day I can use Amarok, or RhythmBox or MythTunes and they all share the
>> same Meta database, same static playlists, and even the same dynamic
>> playlists (some sort of Stored Procedure but for a search index? No idea
>> if this exists, but it would be neat!).
> 
> I agree, I think it would be great if Amarok and MythTunes shared a db
> (I have mySQL running a db for Amarok and MythTV right now anyway) ,
> but I don't know if the Amarok db holds enough track/id3 information
> to do what is needed. At least thats the impression i get when i look
> at the track properties dialog in Amarok. Someone would need to look
> at this, and perhaps approach the Amarok team about such a sharing of
> databases.
> 
> Perhaps a better method would be for there to be a "server" part of
> MythTunes that integrates with Amarok in some fashion (amongst other
> things it could do, like daap, etc?). Anyway, thats off topic...

Yeah! I remember I talked about exactly that setup a few years ago... I
still strongly believe that this is the way to go. Even if it's just for
Metadata and the actual file access is left to the app. That would still
be good, tho' it would seem daft not to implement some form of daap-like
capability in the server :)


Now would actually be a very good time to raise this question on the
Amarok mailing list as they look forward to KDE4 and Amarok 2.0.

I'll see if I can write up a short(ish) email on the database
backend/abstraction design in Amarok 2 and see if we can perhaps form a
common base, perhaps using Strigi (or better Xesam), that can be
factored into a shared library that both projects can use. If the
library can be kept as clean Qt rather than KDEed up then alls the
better. Even better than that, just plain C with C++ wrapper (or the
other way round) to make it even more accessable for other projects like
RhythmBox etc.

>> Those of you who know me know this is not a new bugbear for me! So I'm
>> just seizing the opportunity to do exactly what Justin predicted :p
> 
> I believe many of the previous discussions about this were you and I
> bantering back and forth with a few others as no one paid attention =D

Yup I think so :)

> Oh, I looked at the links you sent. I'm trying to integrate ideas from
> all these sources, including iTunes, AppleTV's interface, etc.
> 
> I see perhaps an "iTunes" style interface that is more utilitarian
> than pretty, 

Incidentally, when I mentioned iTunes interface before I actually meant
the GL flippy CD covers bit of it rather than the playlist, buttons etc.

Also I saw this control on MacSlow's (cool GL programming dude) Blog:
http://macslow.thepimp.net/clips/grid_view-screencast-1.ogg
(21Megs Ogg/Theora).

The screen capture doesn't look as smooth as he'd like but I'm sure this
kind of interface could prove in some way useful.... could easily be
really confusing too tho' :)

You can see the rest of his blog here: http://macslow.thepimp.net/

He's mostly a Gnome dude, so this may not be overly helpful for Qt
programmers but I always like reading up on what he's doing. Nice guy to
chat to too.

> a "JukeBox" style which is more pretty than utilitarian,
> and then a version of each for HD and SD. This along with proper a
> MythWeb module (which seems to be going well right now from what I've
> seen) and it should cover all the ways to manage music. I've got some
> drawings on my desk at work I'll continue to work on....

Great. Look forward to seeing them :)

Col



-- 

+------------------------+
|     Colin Guthrie      |
+------------------------+
| myth(at)colin.guthr.ie |
| http://colin.guthr.ie/ |
+------------------------+