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Author Topic: Feature Request: Add "TV Guide" view  (Read 3805 times)

cebalaw

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Feature Request: Add "TV Guide" view
« on: August 01, 2015, 05:09:07 pm »

I have requested before without success, but am trying again.

My library consists of thousands of movies and TV shows, making it a challenge to decide on something to watch. It would be nice if all of my media content (tv, movies, videos) could be placed in a mock "TV Guide" so that my media is organized into "channels"; the "channels" are just already existing Playlists. In a sense, this TV Guide is just another folder in Theater View giving an alternative to listing all titles by name, genre, etc.

To make it a bit more like a real TV Guide, there should be a setting for the "start time", e.g. Aug 1 2015, 12:00 am. Each playlist would have started at that time (theoretically) with each media within the list playing in order, and then repeated. So, I create a playlist (channel) with 50 episodes of "Family Guy" (we'll say 30 minutes each for simplicity). If I open the TV Guide on Aug 1st at 9:05 am, it shows the Family Guy channel to be currently "playing" the 19th episode. I may select to tune in at the "mock" time (5 minutes into the 19th episode), or start from the beginning, or select any upcoming episode or previous. Once playing the channel, it will continue to play all videos in the playlist consecutively.
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kstuart

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Re: Feature Request: Add "TV Guide" view
« Reply #1 on: August 02, 2015, 11:29:35 am »

This can be tricky as "TV Guide" owns a bunch of patents and trademarks.

Dish Network's DVRs were forced by law to change how they displayed their EPG.

RoderickGI

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Re: Feature Request: Add "TV Guide" view
« Reply #2 on: August 05, 2015, 06:38:47 am »

So you want to duplicate most of the worse aspects of broadcaster driven TV in MC?  ?

Ah, no. Just no.

If you can't decide what to watch, have someone tell you. That would have the same effect as this request.

Or, use the brilliant search and display capabilities in MC to explore your collection and decide for yourself what to watch.
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What specific version of MC you are running:MC27.0.27 @ Oct 27, 2020 and updating regularly Jim!                        MC Release Notes: https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Release_Notes
What OS(s) and Version you are running:     Windows 10 Pro 64bit Version 2004 (OS Build 19041.572).
The JRMark score of the PC with an issue:    JRMark (version 26.0.52 64 bit): 3419
Important relevant info about your environment:     
  Using the HTPC as a MC Server & a Workstation as a MC Client plus some DLNA clients.
  Running JRiver for Android, JRemote2, Gizmo, & MO 4Media on a Sony Xperia XZ Premium Android 9.
  Playing video out to a Sony 65" TV connected via HDMI, playing digital audio out via motherboard sound card, PCIe TV tuner

cebalaw

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Re: Feature Request: Add "TV Guide" view
« Reply #3 on: August 11, 2015, 04:25:46 pm »

Quote
So you want to duplicate most of the worse aspects of broadcaster driven TV in MC?
Huh? What does that even mean, besides demonstrating your narrow thinking? Broadcast TV is a fixed schedule of shows that the network thinks you want; the feature request to show my shows, based on my playlists. Try to read (and think) before posting.

Quote
use the brilliant search and display capabilities in MC to explore your collection and decide for yourself what to watch.
The HTPC concept has been dying thanks to thinking like this. Those of us stilling trying to keep it going use a remote control to navigate media browsing programs and attempt to use the keyboard as infrequently as possible. The feature request was to allow another way to navigate the library. Maybe instead of trying to be as ignorant as possible in your post replies, you could devote some of that supposed "5-star rating" to actually improve JRiver for those of us wanting a media browser to not require a degree in CS.
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cebalaw

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Re: Feature Request: Add "TV Guide" view
« Reply #4 on: August 11, 2015, 05:00:43 pm »

In case any others were interested in pursuing this request, it is intended to be similiar (but simpler) to the plugin for Kodi called PseudoTV Live. Another similar concept was also available at one time for WMC using Media Browser (Emby).
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RoderickGI

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Re: Feature Request: Add "TV Guide" view
« Reply #5 on: August 11, 2015, 09:14:15 pm »

 :o :o :o Insults! You've mortally wounded me! No, . . . wait, . . . wait, . . . no, you missed me altogether.  ;D

Now before I go on, yes, I do use sarcasm sometimes, but I don't insult people on forums. I don't know you well enough for that, and you don't know who I am.  ;) But I am pretty good at insults, so we could go at it for all we are worth. But that would just get us both put on an involuntary holiday from the forum, or banned. So cut it out.

You actually described what you want pretty well in your first post. I understood what you wanted. I just don't like the idea.

Huh? What does that even mean, besides demonstrating your narrow thinking? Broadcast TV is a fixed schedule of shows that the network thinks you want; the feature request to show my shows, based on my playlists. Try to read (and think) before posting.
Well, it means I don't like the idea. You may be beginning to understand that. A Playlist is a predefined sequence of media items, movies, TV programs, and videos in this case. The media items are of known duration. Therefore, the Playlist you are asking for is "a fixed schedule of shows", they just aren't the ones that a broadcaster wants you to watch. They are your programs. However, you want the Playlist to have a start time, and it should "run" even if you aren't watching it. So any time you sit down to watch this Playlist/Channel, you could get any random episode, and if the media is a TV series, it is highly likely that you have missed episodes, and may therefore have missed important parts of a storyline. Just like on broadcast TV. The episode will also repeat. Just like on broadcast TV. The episode that is "running" when you sit down to watch TV may be one that you don't want to watch. Just like on broadcast TV.

Like I said, you appear to want to duplicate most of the worse aspects of broadcaster driven TV in MC? Okay, maybe it is only some of the worse aspects of broadcaster driven TV. But why? MC is so much better than that.

I love being able to record OTA TV series, often waiting for a whole season to be recorded, then sitting down and watching the season in the correct sequence, with no repeats. That is what MC TV is good for.


The HTPC concept has been dying thanks to thinking like this. Those of us stilling trying to keep it going use a remote control to navigate media browsing programs and attempt to use the keyboard as infrequently as possible. The feature request was to allow another way to navigate the library. Maybe instead of trying to be as ignorant as possible in your post replies, you could devote some of that supposed "5-star rating" to actually improve JRiver
for those of us wanting a media browser to not require a degree in CS.
Well I agree that the HTPC concept is under severe pressures, mostly due to the pursuit of copyright owners, and the creation of almost good enough media streaming services. But definitely not because it doesn't replicate broadcast OTA and Cable TV services. The HTPC concept cannot remain static and survive. In fact it has already moved on, and MC is what its name says; A Media Center, which includes much more than just a Home Theatre.

I do use a small Bluetooth keyboard with track pad in addition to a Harmony remote. The keyboard does make searches easier. But in MC you and I can do searches using the remote control, in Theatre View. The number buttons also provide the ability to enter letters, just like mobile phones do (you know, the simple ones that aren't smart phones), so a search term can be keyed in from a remote. You have assumed that my suggestion to use the search functions in MC meant you had to use a keyboard. It does not. When deciding what series to watch, with a screen full of TV series displayed I often press a one button to jump directly to a series or group of series, starting with a letter in the alphabet. For example, pressing 4 twice will send an "H" to MC, which will then quickly scroll to the first program being with "H", in my case, Helix. Pressing 4 twice, followed quickly by 6 three times, will send "HO" to MC, which will jump me to Homeland. That works in displays of movies and other media as well. Then there is the Search function in Theatre View of MC, by default under the Gadgets item in the menu, which provides a little onscreen keypad for entering searches as well.

Perhaps it is you who have a narrow view of the possibilities, or may be ignorant of the capabilities of MC?

In case any others were interested in pursuing this request, it is intended to be similiar (but simpler) to the plugin for Kodi called PseudoTV Live. Another similar concept was also available at one time for WMC using Media Browser (Emby).

And here we have the truth of it. You want a function similar to something called PseudoTV Live. So you do want to replicate the broadcast TV experience in MC.

Well, you have every right to ask for it. All I did was disagree that it was a good idea. Carry on.
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What specific version of MC you are running:MC27.0.27 @ Oct 27, 2020 and updating regularly Jim!                        MC Release Notes: https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Release_Notes
What OS(s) and Version you are running:     Windows 10 Pro 64bit Version 2004 (OS Build 19041.572).
The JRMark score of the PC with an issue:    JRMark (version 26.0.52 64 bit): 3419
Important relevant info about your environment:     
  Using the HTPC as a MC Server & a Workstation as a MC Client plus some DLNA clients.
  Running JRiver for Android, JRemote2, Gizmo, & MO 4Media on a Sony Xperia XZ Premium Android 9.
  Playing video out to a Sony 65" TV connected via HDMI, playing digital audio out via motherboard sound card, PCIe TV tuner

InsaneRC

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Re: Feature Request: Add "TV Guide" view
« Reply #6 on: August 11, 2015, 10:14:04 pm »

If JRiver could simulate PseudoTV Live I might be able to move it to my living room.
So put me down for this.
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