[mythtv-users] Parser for MythStream

[Josh]

On Dec 6, 2007 4:08 PM, Ben Dailey <ben at inspiredtechs.com> wrote:

> On Dec 6, 2007 3:55 PM, Josh <TwoOneSix at thatclothingco.com> wrote:
>
> > On Dec 6, 2007 3:34 PM, Matt Emmott <memmott at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > >
> > >
> > > On Dec 6, 2007 2:40 PM, Josh <TwoOneSix at thatclothingco.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > > I wrote a parser for MythStream that gives you access to the
> > > > streaming media on www.clevelandbrowns.com so if there are any
> > > > Cleveland Browns fans reading this list, let me know and I'd be happy to
> > > > post my parser for you to use. I might be able to adapt this parser for some
> > > > other teams if they offer streaming media from there site... let me know.
> > > >
> > > > Josh
> > > > TwoOneSix at thatclothingco.com
> > > >
> > > > _______________________________________________
> > > >
> > >
> > > Off topic, there are a TON of scripts for XBMC that let me stream
> > > different sites to my xbox.... Why do so few exist for myth? Is it harder to
> > > implement than XBMC (which uses Python scripts)? Is it just a lack of
> > > interest, perhaps, or worst case, are there copyright issues? Josh, was it
> > > difficult for you to write that parser?
> > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > mythtv-users mailing list
> > > mythtv-users at mythtv.org
> > > http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
> > >
> > > It only took me about 20 minutes to write the parser (they are written
> > in perl). I think the biggest thing is that on 9.5/10 sites if you
> > "scrape" the stream URL from the content of the site you're violating the
> > ToS or T&C (Terms & Conditions). On the contrary, sites that provide an API
> > for there streaming content ( http://youtube.com/dev) are permitted.
> >
> > You bring up a good point for general conversation... why is it that
> > when I go to my girlfriends Uncle's house where he runs on Windows Media
> > Center he has like 100 plug-ins for it that enables everything he could ask
> > except one to flush his commode (
> > http://thegreenbutton.com/forums/thread/20347.aspx). Is there a reason
> > there is so much interest in writing plug-ins for MCE over Myth? IMHO MythTV
> > beats out MCE on all phases of what someone should expect from a Media
> > Center... I evaluated both (including BeyondTV and SageTV) for months before
> > I finally settled on Myth (little over 2 years ago).
> >
> > Josh
> >
>
> Do you think that there is any correlation to the lack of  "interest" in
> mythstream because it is not an official plugin?
>
> Ben
>
> _______________________________________________
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> mythtv-users at mythtv.org
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>
>
To my point, I was referring to plug-ins in general, not just MythStream
specifically, but I think there is enough "buzz" about MythStream
 that people can find and install it without too much trouble. Pretty much
every page I could find showing "Unofficial Plug-ins" had it listed. There
COULD be a simple case of people just not understanding exactly what the
plug-in does... or, like me, they install it and then try to use it and find
it to be "choppy", hard to navigate, and not much use OTB. I removed it
shortly after installing it the first time and THEN I read the documentation
about parsers and now I wrote 3 or 4 of them and I find the plug-in to be
almost priceless. I still have a piece of paper near the TV (for my
girlfriend) that have instructions on how to navigate the streams in the
interface... it's very hard to get used to using but priceless once you got
it down.

Here is what the developer (Eric Giesselbach) says in the README for
mythstream:
======================================
MythStream in MythTV integration issue
======================================
The reason for MythStream's "unofficial" status is that MythTV's lead
developer believes
a separate stream plugin like MythStream shouldn't exist. Streaming should
be integrated
in MythMusic*. This MythMusic integration was the most important original
requirement
for MythStream code to make it to official status, and I haven't heard of a
change in
requirements since. (*reference:
http://mythtv.beirdo.ca/ircLog/channel/1/2005-10-08)

Although I would be happy to see MythStream code integrated in MythMusic,
that action
alone can't replace MythStream. Internet streaming is about more than
playing music, and
about more than playing my favorite radio station.

When I listen to music, I don't care where the music comes from, as long as
it just plays
with acceptable quality. When I stream news or a documentary I *do* care
where it comes
from, most of the time I searched for it explicitly, and I wouldn't like to
miss it solely
based on the fact that it happened to be a video stream instead of audio
only. And if the
content is good enough, I can live with less than 100% stream reliability.

I also don't expect my music player to be a browser for unknown content.
Some presets are
good enough. But if I want to enjoy the huge and ever changing world of
streams I need a
tuning dial. This way I don't have to bring my stream url's to MythStream. I
turn the dial,
and MythStream delivers the streams.

What I would like to do is to adapt MythStream to label reliable Internet
streams for usage
in MythMusic or MythVideo. These plugins can then be changed to simply play
these "preset"
streams. It might even be possible to add streams with schedule information
to the existing
TV channels. It's *a* good way to use streaming content, and I would be
happy to help make
that possible.

But I will still need that tuning dial. And I don't have the answer where to
put it other
than the place it's now. I believe the proper solution starts with an effort
to integrate
MythStream functionallity into MythTV. Starting with the claim that
MythStream is useless
as a plugin and then see if some of it's functionallity can land in
MythMusic is not a
project where I want to devote time to.
======================================

Josh
TwoOneSix at thatclothingco.com
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