[mythtv-users] Programming remote button bindings (WAS: What major features are planned for 0.27?)

Simon Hobson linux at thehobsons.co.uk
Fri Nov 30 19:54:45 UTC 2012


Mike Perkins wrote:

>>For me, there are just too many options, too much stuff to
>>configure. I think this is a result of trying to be all things to all people,
>>but if that's the aim then good luck to you.
>>
>Yeah. When the user can choose TV, audio amp, motherboard, 
>processor, video card, tuner, remote, operating system and broadcast 
>provider from literally anywhere in the world, then mythtv has no 
>option but to be "all things to all people".
>
>That's the problem in a nutshell. In a previous existence I did the 
>usability thing as well but in almost all cases there is a narrow 
>range of hardware coupled with a limited range of user ability. 
>That's never going to happen with mythtv.

Indeed, as long as there is a variety of hardware to support, there 
will need to be the options required in order for it to work. Simple 
(and few options) is easy if you restrict options - so remotes (and 
the mapping of keys) would be no problem if (for example) the 
developers simply said they'll only support model X from vendor Y.

In the commercial world, they (or at least certain large vendors) 
deal with this by a simple process - they just forget stuff exists if 
they don't want to support it. If you are big enough, and have enough 
punters ready to splash out on today's new shiny gadget then you can 
get away with that. In the case of Apple, 2 OS versions ago they 
dropped support for an entire protocol (along with a lot of other 
stuff).
Of course, those same vendors seem to be getting away with stuff that 
is the antithesis of open, but that's a different debate.
-- 
Simon Hobson

Visit http://www.magpiesnestpublishing.co.uk/ for books by acclaimed
author Gladys Hobson. Novels - poetry - short stories - ideal as
Christmas stocking fillers. Some available as e-books.


More information about the mythtv-users mailing list