ebr 14921 Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 This would not implement everything that was in the previous version (at least not at first) but, as I said above, I could probably make it so it wouldn't take over the home screen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Latchmor 584 Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 Hi @@ebr I know this may not be top of the list of a new MB Plus plugin but did you say you could probably incorporate the TV Guide from ServerWMC? This would be cool if it gave us a shared guide to schedule recordings on the WMC PC with the tuners. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebr 14921 Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 Possibly but no commitment. One problem with trying to use our LiveTV implementation inside MBC is the fact that we don't seem to be able to stream anything successfully through our server to WMC (except trailers). I know you just asked about guide data and scheduling recordings but, I think as soon as we implement any portion of the Live TV interface, people will expect it all to be there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pretter 1 Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 I'm a bit late... mbplus not being available for mb3 is the only reason I haven't moved on from Mediabrowser 2... and one of the reasons I haven't been checking this forum quite as often as I used to - seeing all the great new developments with mb3 but being resigned to not upgrading until there is a replacement for mbplus was slightly frustrating :-). I can't exaggerate how great it would be to have this implemented for mbc and/or mbt. It really enhances the way I choose what to watch next and with the smart channels I've setup I rarely need to delve in to my libraries looking for something to watch. mbplus for mb3 = awesome! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebr 14921 Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 Still not 100% sure this has enough demand to support the effort of building and maintaining it but I've decided to take a little different tack with it to see if that has more interest. I would re-design the interface to be based around categories (like some of the other client apps). Then it would present you with the suggestions (as channels) as well as quick access to newest un-watched items and then different views like all, by genre, by actor, by decade, etc. Then, to satisfy media folder browsing capabilities, it would allow you to attach any media folder defined into your system as one of the tile groups in any category (or even more than one category). For example, I have a media folder of my music concert DVDs and BluRays. These are movies to MB, but not to me. I want them handled on their own where I can quickly view and select one. So, I have a Media Folder set up for them separate from my other movies. I could attach this media folder to the Movies and/or Music categories and then it would show up there with the other items: Then, eventually, you could have the custom channel capability that was in the MB2 version and show those in the categories as well. This basically gives you a ton of "smart playlist" like functionality in MBC. Fully developing this plug-in would take an awful lot of effort so I'm still up in the air with it. Most of the response here has been from former MBPlus users from MB2. I haven't seen a lot of new interest so I would probably have to make it so that I wouldn't give credit to previous purchasers. I don't like that but, with the amount of time it would take to do this, I just don't think I could do it any other way. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheesegeezer 3087 Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 I understand what you are saying but MBPlus is really designed to be a partial theme of its own. The EHS is really the whole nut so presenting that as the main screen is the only way it works the way it is designed. It is highly-customizable visually to try to account for this but it won't mesh with all themes perfectly. I'm getting very comfortable with mcml now, would you consider exposing the methods you use to theme devs and allow them to integrate a mbplus skin if the dll is install, we could then allow your default layout or use integrated skin. Something along the lines of (you would have a function in your apputil) Get NextEpisodes(){ get return some other method} You could the create a list for themers to integrate these methods. Probably most of them would follow a quick list style to generate the items. Just a thought 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mentasm 43 Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 I'm a little more interested after seeing those screenshots. I'm pretty cemented into using the unwatched EHS view in chocolate at the moment, but this stuff looks workable. I'd really need to have a play with it to know if it could work for me and if the WAF is high enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebr 14921 Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 I'm getting very comfortable with mcml now, would you consider exposing the methods you use to theme devs and allow them to integrate a mbplus skin if the dll is install, we could then allow your default layout or use integrated skin. Something along the lines of (you would have a function in your apputil) Get NextEpisodes(){ get return some other method} You could the create a list for themers to integrate these methods. Probably most of them would follow a quick list style to generate the items. Just a thought Two comments: 1) Since i made that post I have stated that it could also run in a mode where it didn't take over the EHS. 2) The MBPlus server plug-in has its own API. I would help any theme dev that wanted to integrate those API calls into their theme. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebr 14921 Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 I'm a little more interested after seeing those screenshots. I'm pretty cemented into using the unwatched EHS view in chocolate at the moment, but this stuff looks workable. I'd really need to have a play with it to know if it could work for me and if the WAF is high enough. If you run out of the recently added unwatched list right now, this would be right up your alley as it is basically that concept on steroids. I have used this interface in my setup for a couple of years now as it puts all the TV Series I'm currently watching right up front with the next episodes all queued up and ready to go. So, if you use MB to watch several TV series at once, it really makes doing that very easy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mentasm 43 Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 Will take a look if/when MBplus gets released. Test will be when it gets presented to the significant other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yardameus 220 Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 I'd wonder how popular it would be on mobile devices. I would think it could be very useful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulcdb 5 Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 I'd say yes if it was a section, maybe a seperate section like "My Cinema" in the top menu bar. For example... My Cinema | Movies | TV | Live TV | Music I'm not sure id like a complete replacement though, but that's purely based on not having used it yet so could well change my mind! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbguy 38 Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 A BIG vote from me for MBPlus! @@ebr you're a genius for designing this plugin! I'm missing MBPlus so much on MB3 that I'm even considering switching back to MB2. In my opinions and personal preference only, MB3 is basically unusable without MBPlus. I love Chocolate theme to death, but it's so non-intuitive and doesn't take into account TV and Movie watching behaviors. I mean, come on, after I finished a TV episodes, it bounces me back to Season 1 Episode 1, so I have to click my remote a dozen times back to to Season 7 Episode 22. MBPlus had none of these problems, plus its benefits are endless. I'd pay for MBPlus3 if it just one feature, ie. listing all the show that I'm currently following and watching on the Home Screen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebr 14921 Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 I love Chocolate theme to death, but it's so non-intuitive and doesn't take into account TV and Movie watching behaviors. I mean, come on, after I finished a TV episodes, it bounces me back to Season 1 Episode 1, so I have to click my remote a dozen times back to to Season 7 Episode 22. Are you entering a detail page to play the item via the special TV view? Do you have "Default to First Unplayed Item" selected in the config? If you play the episode directly out of the list of episodes in the TV view (just hit the 'Play' button on your remote) you will come right back to that episode after playback. And, if you have the above option selected, it should take you right to the next unplayed episode even if you do go into the detail page. Or, you could just select "Next" from the detail page after playback. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logos302 86 Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 Wouldn't it make more sense for this to be part of the server and not a plugin, and allow the theme makers to use it how they please?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebr 14921 Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 Wouldn't it make more sense for this to be part of the server and not a plugin, and allow the theme makers to use it how they please?? Server plug-ins are a part of the server... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logos302 86 Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 I meant part of the core . that way it can be expected and then used or not used by all clients/themes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gcw07 347 Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 I meant part of the core . that way it can be expected and then used or not used by all clients/themes. I believe pretty much everything within MB Plus is in the core. At least the basic functionality. MB Plus is basically just another theme (though just really a replacement for the EHS) that displays it a certain way. So it would still all be on the client side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logos302 86 Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 I believe pretty much everything within MB Plus is in the core. At least the basic functionality. MB Plus is basically just another theme (though just really a replacement for the EHS) that displays it a certain way. So it would still all be on the client side. I only mentioned it/suggested it as ebr said there would be a Server plugin and a client side pluging. And having it part of the core would be better for dev and users I think (more options). Course this really depends on what the Server Plug-in adds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebr 14921 Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 The server plug-in does add quite a bit of functionality (the concept of "channels" for instance). But, to answer your question in a couple of parts: 1) Why not just have the clients utilize the MBPlus functionality? This would be possible but, if you look at the screen shots, you should see that MBPlus is, mostly, an interface. It is all about putting what you are most likely to want to get to right up front where you can find it quickly. So, while I'd be happy to help theme devs integrate with the back-end functionality if they wanted, I have a very specific goal for presentation so that is why there is a client-side component. You can think of MBPlus as a smart home-screen for your favorite theme. 2) Why not just build all the back end functions into the core? Partly because this adds things to the core functionality that maybe not everyone will want but frankly, this is mostly a matter of economics. I am producing a ton of software right now for free and I simply cannot provide everything with no cost . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logos302 86 Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 The server plug-in does add quite a bit of functionality (the concept of "channels" for instance). But, to answer your question in a couple of parts: 1) Why not just have the clients utilize the MBPlus functionality? This would be possible but, if you look at the screen shots, you should see that MBPlus is, mostly, an interface. It is all about putting what you are most likely to want to get to right up front where you can find it quickly. So, while I'd be happy to help theme devs integrate with the back-end functionality if they wanted, I have a very specific goal for presentation so that is why there is a client-side component. You can think of MBPlus as a smart home-screen for your favorite theme. 2) Why not just build all the back end functions into the core? Partly because this adds things to the core functionality that maybe not everyone will want but frankly, this is mostly a matter of economics. I am producing a ton of software right now for free and I simply cannot provide everything with no cost . 1. Fair, just thought it might be easier if it was part of the core for dev as they wouldn't have to write code to check to see if MBplus server plugin is installed it would just be there. 2. Why not you don't need to eat do you . I can understand the amount of work that you all put into each and all of the projects. I just thought it would be nice to have it part of the core features. Thank you for hearing me out. I really do hope that you get enough support to make this a reality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelmino 17 Posted February 22, 2014 Share Posted February 22, 2014 I'd be really interested in something like this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mboehler 94 Posted February 22, 2014 Share Posted February 22, 2014 I just saw this topic as well. I am absolutely interested in this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebr 14921 Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 Here's where it could get even more interesting... The first group under "Views" is a number of standard slice-and-dice type views you could select to see for a given category. The next group under "Custom" is where you could create your own channels (or smart playlists if you like) based on criteria you choose. For instance: - Movies with a metascore > 80 - All movies directed by your favorite directors or written by your favorite writers - All Action Movies with Tom Cruise in them (I guess that just eliminates "Jerry MaGuire" ) - All Movies with genres you choose ... 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Latchmor 584 Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 Hmmmm, your teasing is getting me more interested! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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