[mythtv-users] OT: XBMC frontend use?

[Greg Thompson]

> On May 7, 2014, at 8:55 AM, Craig Treleaven <ctreleaven at cogeco.ca> wrote:
> 
> At 12:57 PM +1000 5/7/14, Phill Edwards wrote:
>> I for one love mythfrontend and have never found a reason to replace it with XBMC.
>> 
>> But I accept they do different things and there is definitely scope for them to sit side by side on the same machine.
> 
> The MythTV developers are providing a sanctioned way to write alternate frontends for Myth:  the Services API. There are at least three more frontends out there now:  MythTV-Android-Frontend, MythExpress and Torc.
> 
> http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/Services_API
> 
> https://github.com/MythTV-Clients
> 
> https://github.com/Torc/torc
> 
> In addition, one of the developers is working on a wholesale web-based Myth frontend using the Services API.  (Eating his own dogfood, so to speak.)  The big deal here is that they want to modify the backend and extend the Services API such that Myth's setup and configuration can be done this way.
> 
> Which would be huge.  Especially if they can move to an embedded database.  As I see it, the biggest thing holding Myth back is the complexity of setting it up.  I've run into a number of folks who got stuck on one of the steps of installing, configuring or initializing MySQL and/or configuring Myth.  Lots more look at the work involved and flee in panic.  Myth may never be a 'one-click' install but it can be a lot easier.  Any steps in this direction are a big win.
> 
> XBMC can easily be another Myth frontend but they ought to convert to the approved methodology and embrace the Services API.
> 
> Craig
> 
The current API has no way to start watching live tv. Additionally I have found The documentation wrong in some cases and not complete in others. It's hard to build a complete frontend on the API in its current state. 

Greg