[mythtv] Video Sources - time to call them what they are?

Sid Boyce sboyce at blueyonder.co.uk
Wed Nov 21 23:55:46 UTC 2007


Justin Hornsby wrote:
> Michael T. Dean wrote:
>> On 11/21/2007 09:07 AM, Craig Treleaven wrote:
>>   
>>> At 8:21 AM -0500 11/21/07, R. G. Newbury wrote:
>>>   
>>>     
>>>>> Would anybody object to this ['TV Guide data sources' or something similar]?
>>>>>       
>>>>>         
>>>> Yes. 'TV Guide data sources' sounds like what Schedules Direct offers.
>>>>
>>>> Something like 'TV Channel Groups' might be more descriptive of the
>>>> things which are contained in that container. A 'Channel Group' is
>>>> clearly a collection of TV channels which, as it happens, can be
>>>> captured by one type of defined capture card.
>>>>     
>>>>       
>>> From a user perspective, this setup screen is how we tell Myth where to get guide data.  If there is a vote, I'd say it ought to be titled 'TV Listings source' or 'Guide data source'.  I don't know if one works better internationally than another.
>>>     
>> How do you connect a TV listings source to an input on your capture card
>> (think Input Connections)?  Personally, I connected an RG-6 cable from
>> my antenna to the capture card.  This cable happens to be the source of
>> the video my capture cards capture.
>>
>> Since the video source uses the US broadcast frequency table--which I
>> had previously configured as the default for my Myth setup--I also
>> specified that information in the video source configuration.  And, of
>> course, I gave it a nice descriptive name, "OTA", that I could use to
>> refer back to the video source when connecting inputs to my capture cards.
>>
>> If I also had a cable TV subscription, I would have a separate video
>> source provided over a different RG-6 cable connected to the cable
>> company's network.  That video source would use the same listings
>> source, Schedules Direct, that's used by my OTA source.  However, I
>> would specify a different lineup within that listings source. 
>> Similarly, in other parts of the world, multiple video sources may need
>> to be configured to use the same listings source (XMLTV data provided
>> from whatever web site).
>>
>> And, now that the Schedules Direct code supports using a single
>> Schedules Direct lineup with multiple video source, calling a "video
>> source" a "TV listings source" or whatever would be even farther from
>> reality.  The same cable from the cable company may carry analog
>> channels and unencrypted digital channels and channels that are only
>> accessible through an STB (via either firewire output or analog
>> output).  In that case, Myth requires the user create multiple video
>> sources--a fact that would be lost in calling the video source a "TV
>> listings source" since they all may use the same Schedules Direct
>> account and lineup (OK, this only applies in the US, but if someone were
>> to write some caching support into XMLTV and update mythfilldatabase to
>> support it...).
>>
>> To me, the term "Video sources", seems to be about right.  The one case
>> where it's not necessarily accurate is when a cable company or satellite
>> company may provide audio only channels (i.e. "digital radio"). 
>> However, in most (if not all) cases I've seen, there is actually a video
>> signal, too--though recording it may be a waste.
>>
>> Apologies to Bruce for any places where I may have butchered the true
>> meaning/reasoning behind these terms, but I think this view of a video
>> source is much truer than the "listings source" view.
>>
>> Even "channel group" doesn't seem right (though, probably closer)--after
>> all, if I were to list my favorite channels, they would be a group of
>> channels, but it's meaningless in configuring Myth (i.e. "channel
>> groups" sounds more like something to be used to separate out channels
>> for various views--i.e. favorites, Science and History, News, etc.--on
>> the frontend)  Perhaps, "Groups of channels that are available through a
>> particular video source using a particular capture card input with a
>> particular frequency table and/or channel change command."  Maybe we
>> could find one or two words in that description to use to
>> shorten/approximate the meaning.  ;)
>>
>> In other words, I think these terminology changes may be
>> over-simplifications.  But, that's just my $0.02 (which is less valuable
>> than it would have been a couple of years ago since the dollar is weak.
>>
>> Mike
>>   
> I've personally never seen the name 'video sources' as particularly 
> accurate or logical.  I just got on with it & muddled through.  MythTV 
> is reaching a level of exposure in its maturity where concerns about the 
> 'average' new user have to be addressed IMHO.
> 
> Do me a favour.  Ask a friend who doesn't know anything about mythtv 
> what meaning 'Video Sources' would imply to them.
> 
> Justin

Confusion, "Video Sources", doesn't ring any bells. When setting up 
mythtv, there are a number of things you just make wild guesses at until 
it works, so stuff should be more descriptive of what it does. Either a 
name change or help text to explain.
Regards
Sid.
-- 
Sid Boyce ... Hamradio License G3VBV, Licensed Private Pilot
Emeritus IBM/Amdahl Mainframes and Sun/Fujitsu Servers Tech Support 
Specialist, Cricket Coach
Microsoft Windows Free Zone - Linux used for all Computing Tasks



More information about the mythtv-dev mailing list