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Adam B.
2009-09-29, 22:05
XBMC Channel Surfer Planning/Progress Thread

Description

An Electronic Program Guide for XBMC that uses your existing TV Shows and Movies to create virtual channels.

Use Cases

You are unsure of what TV show or movie you want to watch. You don't want to go through the effort to pick a specific episode of a specific show, and would rather just watch "what's on". Instead of leaving XBMC to watch TV on your Cable or Satellite, you can launch XBMC Channel Surfer.

How does it work

The Script runs and queries your TV and Movie Database
A virtual channel is created for network available in your TV database (ABC, NBC, USA, Discovery, Etc.)

A random sampling of TV Shows are selected for each network.
Any Network with more than 4(?) shows associated with it will generate a second channel. (So if you have 9 TV series that air on SciFi, 3 SciFi channels will be created)
Each TV Show is given a time slot to start at the end of the previous random show.
Networks that only have 1 or 2 shows associated can go into a "Generic" channel.

X Number of "Movie" channels are created.
These could be a random sampling based genres, date released, studio, MPAA Rating, etc.
Program Guide is displayed giving a list of all channels and episodes with air times.
Selecting an episode with create a playlist with the selected episode and all following episodes included.
Going back to the guide and selecting an episode from a different channel with clear the playlist and refill it with selected and following episodes.

Progress

Currently Doing Research

UI Design Ideas
Reuse Existing EPG Code/Designs
Generic EPG (http://www.henningpingel.de/fileadmin/henning/vdr/xbmc_program_guide.png)
EPG with Network Art, Episode Info and "Currently Playing" window (Is this possible in XBMC?). (http://www.linuxnewbieguide.org/images/mythtv.png)




I'd appreciate any comments or feedback. I'm trying to solve the "Thousands of Episodes, but nothing to watch" problem.

This post will be updated with script development progress.
psike
2009-09-30, 02:32
So if you see something you like on the EPG when you select the channel the episode airing will start at the beginning or in the middle somehow like real TV?

What will be nice is if this EPG will show only the episodes you haven't watched yet, and probably in order. Then you get TV with no re-runs (someone need to invent this thing for real :)).
Adam B.
2009-09-30, 14:53
So if you see something you like on the EPG when you select the channel the episode airing will start at the beginning or in the middle somehow like real TV?

What will be nice is if this EPG will show only the episodes you haven't watched yet, and probably in order. Then you get TV with no re-runs (someone need to invent this thing for real :)).

Good ideas and questions.

I'm sure both of those scenarios are possible. I've been pondering the first question myself. I think it would be easier to just start at the beginning.

I could probably build an option for the second idea...
MPauley73
2009-09-30, 15:04
Good idea, should be interesting...
psike
2009-09-30, 17:53
Good ideas and questions.

I'm sure both of those scenarios are possible. I've been pondering the first question myself. I think it would be easier to just start at the beginning.

I could probably build an option for the second idea...

Who wants to see a movie in the middle anyway...

Here another idea:
How about instead of channels by their network you could let the user to make his own custom channels. Everyone got their own idea for their dream channel.

For me Discovery, NBC channel is pointless it's not something I would like to see. But a channel for all my vampires movies will be nice :), you get the idea.
Basically it's a new way for watching your smart playlists.
godane
2009-11-05, 06:02
@Adam B

I was thinking of the same thing that you are.

http://xbmc.org/forum/showthread.php?p=422384 (http://xbmc.org/forum/showthread.php?p=422384)

I believe that the idea is more of multipliable random playlist based on meta tags on the video files. You have to have memory of the channels that you pasted. Thats why it would be best to put the random play as playlist for at least current use.