Media Center suggestions?

[Snowhog]

@kenj70

My current topic is named "Medi Center suggestions?" and I changed it to read "Website TV browsing in the Living Room" but the topic listings under What's New? and My Threads still show the former name. I think the old name is misleading and the new one might attract more views. Thanks.

Yeah, that's just how things work. I don't know of any way to affect the What's New title names when the thread title is subsequently changed. But, did you go back to the original post (#1) and change the title there? You click on Edit and then on the Go Advanced button to be allowed to change the title.

[kenj70]

@kenj70

Yeah, that's just how things work. I don't know of any way to affect the What's New title names when the thread title is subsequently changed. But, did you go back to the original post (#1) and change the title there? You click on Edit and then on the Go Advanced button to be allowed to change the title.

Sure did. And, if you will look at my #1 post it is changed. It just doesn't show up anywhere else that way. Thanks for looking into this for me.
-=Ken=-

[kenj70]

PHP Desktop as a Possible Web TV Interface

Well, I had to bite on this project, even though I am NOT a programmer. Looking into it further I find that it is a currently supported project with current web technologies. It has a multitude of support pages on github and even has a dedicated forum! I downloaded the Linux package and ran "phpdesktop" and it gave me a 800x600 Chromium web browser window that looked just like the SSB that was revealed earlier. I was able to edit the "settings.json" file and make the browser 1800x900. I edited the "style.css" file and changed the font size from 13px to 18px. I ran the "html5-video.php" file and selected the included link to a YouTube video. It ran just fine. So far, so good!



There is documentation galore and there may even be some folks that could help. Here are some links:

https://github.com/cztomczak/phpdesk...ag/linux-v72.0 Linux package released 1st part of March.
https://github.com/cztomczak/phpdesktop/wiki PHP Desktop Home page
https://github.com/cztomczak/phpdesk...Knowledge-Base Knowledge base
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/phpdesktop PHP Desktop Forum
https://phpocean.com/index.php?url=t...-php-desktop/4 3rd party tutorial

This shows some promise. If I can figure out how configure some of the other Chromium attributes I will be on my way. Watch this space! And feel free to join me.

-=Ken=-

[shag00]

@Ken,

my understanding of your desire is to use your PC to watch TV and have displayed on the screen a launcher for about a dozen internet TV stations, in addition you have some issues with excessive buffering for 1080p content.

I do not live in the US so there may be some differences but the basics of just watching all your TV on a large screen via the internet is the same. I have my own video library and recently upgraded my system to play HDR UHD video at up to 100 MB/s, prior to that my system was optimised for 1080p. I am also retired and about 10 years younger than you so I think I understand the issues. Following is my suggested hardware requirements for 1080p which I know work well:
1/ CPU Intel 2600 (around 2012/13)
2/ Video card is not necessary
3/ RAM 8 GB is plenty
4/ Internet connection suggested 100 MB/s
5/ Motherboard with HDMI output ( I used a Z77 chipset)

For a menu I just use Firefox bookmarks as a sidebar which is quite readable to me from my lounge (with my specs on).

For remote control I would suggest either KDE Connect or VNC.

Regarding buffering, I would normally expect initial buffering of 5-10 seconds for 1080p and then smooth play from then on. If you have the minimum hardware or better the buffering is likely due to causes outside your PC. Also some sites have their own sites and also stream the same content via You Tube, You Tube is almost always the better bet.

I have looked at Kodi and Plex and find that they only add a layer of potential problems. I used a set top box many years ago but now find them unnecessary and more trouble than they are worth.

[kenj70]

Hi shag00,

As an elder geek and PC builder for over 30 years I know it is best to properly define your requirements on a project before you start. Unfortunately, I still do not always get things right in the beginning and the refining of those requirements is seen in my changing the topic header. I probably should add that I enjoy this process - having built my own and my wife's desktop PCs for a long time. It's even better if I can collaborate and share my project with other like-minded techies as well.

After spending time with media center software I realized that cataloging and organizing my commercial videos, my personal photos and music collection is NOT the goal since any notion of being entertained by all that is far less interesting than staying up with the current world news - and commentary from, shall we say, journalists that are not mainstream. For instance, there is man named James Corbett (Corbett Report) living in Japan that has posted many videos in recent years on YouTube but with the recent censorship going on there he has started posting the more controversial videos on Bitchute.com. This struggle for journalistic freedom has been going on for a very long time; a symptom of the human condition I'm sorry to say. How do you watch videos like these on the living room large screen TV? Not without some difficulty - and having the wife use a wireless keyboard, after having the simple Roku remote, is a non-starter! But, this sounds like a "fun" project to me! And another interesting challenge as well.



Regarding hardware, I have been looking at the Raspberry Pi series of tiny set top computers and marvelling at how well they perform despite the meager horsepower they have. They even play 4K video! We are content with my seven year old Vizio 1080p set. Since I only want to browse the Web, search for videos and select a video to watch from the couch or easy chair, how difficult could this be? You can see the specs of my most recent desktop PC build in my signature. It is modest, befitting a retirement budget, but I can edit family videos smoothly with this rig. So, the appearance of the used Small Form Factor PC in my local repair shop intrigued me. It would likely be enough to do the job and run quietly behind the TV. Alas, it wasn't quite up to the job. But, it has a couple expansion slots!

Sure, I can fix this. And, I have already invested good money in the new (old) rig. Next time I'll know better to get something with a little more "horsepower." I already upgraded the SATA controller - and the video card and RAM are on the way. That should do it.

You mentioned KDE Connect and VNC. We have iPhones here and I don't think KDE Connect supports anything other than Android. The ultimate objective is to use a wife friendly, candy bar size air mouse remote.

Thanks for your contribution here.

-=Ken=-

EDIT: BTW, how can I make the Firefox bookmarks bigger? They don't respond to a large font size setting.

[kenj70]

Design Criteria for Web Video TV Browser

But before I get started... Inquiring minds want to know:

1. Videos on websites are “media.” So,why don’t “media centers” support searching and displaying web based videos?
2. If the little SoC set top box computers can stream 4K video, why can’t a similarly powerful desktop PC do the same?

-----------------------------

1. The interface must show a set of large tiles generated by the user to show the website/channel containing videos of current interest, such as “Linus Tech Tips” channel on YouTube or “the Corbett Report” on both Youtube and Bitchute sorted by date.
2. It should support saved video searches. A bonus function would be to present a date sorted list of the most recent videos across all websites/channels currently on the system.
3. When a video is selected it should automatically assume full screen playback, utilizing air mouse playback/pause/scrub controls and utilize the “Back”function to return the the previous selection screen. Roku and similar tiny, stick computers do this. Trouble is, I don’t know how to do this.

I can code a little in HTML because I used SGML before the former became dominant. CSS was supposed to simplify things but it only made things more complicated for me. I looked at the code in KDE Plasma MCE and it is way beyond me. Looking at the code in PHP Desktop looks far more understandable. It may be because it simply doesn’t support all the browser functionality I will need. It doesn't support extensions like 'Auto Zoom' and 'Zoom Page WE' for instance. At least not yet.

It is a work in progress.

So, is there any real interest in this project? Or am I voice crying in the wilderness?

-=Ken=-

[shag00]

Ken,

some bookmark extensions for Firefox.

Re your project I have a low to medium interest mainly as a result of having tried so many alternatives for the problems you have highlighted, that have proved somewhat less than stellar that I have grown accustomed to my own more manual system.

[dequire]

Hello. Just out of curiosity - have you tried looking at MythTV? There's a NetVision plugin that may be of interest. I think the way you want to use your TV, you may get away with only the MythTV Frontend, so it'd be pretty light. I've used it in the past, and know the interface is in line with what you are looking for. https://www.mythtv.org/wiki/MythNetvision

[kenj70]

@shag00, thanks to you I have been looking at Firefox plugins and I found an interesting bookmark website named myMark.me which allows quite a bit of customization. It will bookmark saved searches and you can set it to open in the same window rather than opening a new window or tab. Here is my customization from this evening:



@dequire, thanks for the suggestion to look at MythNetvision. I looked at MythWeb and discovered it was a remote PC controller for a "backend." Not exactly what I wanted. I overlooked MythNetvision at the time, thinking it wasn't pertinent. I even went to the Myth TV Forum and asked for help and the only one responding to my query said NO, Myth TV can't do that! So, I'll take another look. So far I see references to installing a bunch of dependencies and a Flash plugin - no mention of HTML 5 - too old maybe.

-=Ken=-

[shag00]

Ken,

lol, I just looked at the link I posted for you to look at and discovered I forgot to include the link, apologies. In any case it appears you have found, what appears to be a good add-on, so good in fact I have downloaded it myself.

Only 1 thing spoils it for me. I use popup blocker ultimate and when I click an icon or right click > open in new tab, I always get the Firefox message: Firefox prevented this site from opening a new window...

[kenj70]

@shag00, I am not familiar with the pop-up blocker you are using but I vaguely remember using one in the past - having an exception list. If it doesn't support that then you may have to search for a more accommodating pop up blocker.

I have been experimenting with all sorts of Firefox extensions lately. I tried "start.me" and Atavi.com bookmark managers before finding "myMark.me." It has a few bugs but I was able to put together the screen I posted. I am now using "Zoom Page WE" instead of "Auto Zoom" because it seems to be working better. I was looking for an utility that would automatically make a video full screen when selected. The only extension I have found so far is called "Full Screen Video for YouTube and more" but I haven't gotten it to work yet. On Roku when you select a video from a screen full of videos it opens up the video full screen. Our browsers don't do that. The extension has a tweak so I will play with that soon. I am testing the cobbled web TV interface with my regular rig.

Both Chromium and Firefox support F11 Full Screen mode but Firefox will reveal the top portion controls when you move the mouse to the top border. This is a very cool feature. It worked just like auto-hide on the desktop toolbar.

@dequire, I have had quite a time dealing with MythTV. I found it in Discover so I installed the "Frontend," the "Backend" and MythNetvision. BTW, the docs tell you what the Backend and Frontend components/functions are but there seems to be the assumption that everyone will want them both. Since I am only looking for a TV interface can I make use of just the Frontend - without the Backend? No clue from the docs.

I started up the Backend, assuming that portion should be configured first. The interface asked me for my PC name instead of just "localhost." It would not accept anything I put in - and the interface completely took over the screen. I had to cycle the power to get out of it! Thankfully Linux restarts from such incidents with no hitches.

Reading more of the docs I found that the latest stable release is 30, or 0.30 and Discover has only 29.1. So I removed from Discover and used apt-get to download the newer Backend, Frontend, all the Addons and MythNetvision, which seemed to be a completely separate addon. Whew! What a bunch of code! I added the ppa and Discover soon provided me with updates. Great!

I just started the Backend and it has that same configuration screen again. I exited quick! This project is obviously not for novices. All I want to do is watch web videos on my living room TV! I am obviously stumbling around.

-=Ken=-

EDIT: @dequire, I just visited the MythTV Forums and found this quote inquiring about MythNetvision - -

Unfortunately the maintainer of MythNetVision seems to have abandoned it so it is slowly bit-rotting so parts of it are now failing.
It will still make it into v30 due shortly but I wouldn't be surprised if it was removed for the next release unless someone takes the time to fix it.
Volunteers always welcome

You need a custom "grabber" for each website you want to watch and if there isn't one you will have to code it yourself! Also the Frontend keeps crashing on me. I think it is now toast. It always helps to check these things out fully. Thanks again.

[shag00]

@Ken, and right you are, there is a whitelist.

[dequire]

Ken,

lol, I just looked at the link I posted for you to look at and discovered I forgot to include the link, apologies. In any case it appears you have found, what appears to be a good add-on, so good in fact I have downloaded it myself.

Only 1 thing spoils it for me. I use popup blocker ultimate and when I click an icon or right click > open in new tab, I always get the Firefox message: Firefox prevented this site from opening a new window...

Why not just whitelist those domains you wish to connect to in the pop-up blocker? They may well be needed for some functionality, or I doubt they would be there. Just a thought.

[dequire]

@Ken, and right you are, there is a whitelist.

OOps - it appears my suggestion was a little late

[dequire]

@dequire, I just visited the MythTV Forums and found this quote inquiring about MythNetvision - -
You need a custom "grabber" for each website you want to watch and if there isn't one you will have to code it yourself! Also the Frontend keeps crashing on me. I think it is now toast. It always helps to check these things out fully. Thanks again.

It appears then that perhaps MythTV is getting a little long in the tooth. Sorry about that - it used to work great back in the day.