Hi all,
The record_client/server interface is at a point now where I think Freevo main should be using it. The server has been rock solid for me (and others) and I _never_ miss recordings. Of course it also comes with some nice features. Just to refresh:
-record_server is a persistant process that can be started with an rc style boot script or run from inittab - a seperate process from Freevo main.
-it is network aware, listening for client connections. The client and server communicate via XML-RPC.
-record_client.py is an importable module for communicating with the server in another process. You can build other apps and easily have them get info from the server. For example Mike Ruelle has been experimenting with a desktop app. The web interface and my Freevo main files use this.
-favorites: configurable favorites. Record shows whenever they appear, or only on specific days, channels, timeslots, or a combination of these. This area could still use some attention and I expect that people will chip in once everyone is using it. ;) For example favorites claim to support priority of one favorite over another but this has no affect now.
-record_server keeps its persistant data as a pickle file in xml format. This is a real python object pickled to a file so you have an object oriented interface to your data. Because the file is in xml format you can easily open it in an editor and muck with it if you wish.
-new tv / recording screens in Freevo main, see: http://ettin.danicar.net/freevo/thumb0.html for details. These shots are a bit out of date. Notice the search interface? ;)
-record_server uses the plugin interface for recording. Right now there are two recording plugins, generic_record and ivtv_record. generic_record is the default and it uses VCR_CMD the same way record_daemon does. ivtv_record is a recording plugin made for the WinTV PVR-250/350 cards and it handles the actual recording itself. I have seen some requests for DVB card support... I think these cards behave similarly to ivtv cards so I don't think it would be a big deal to build a plugin for those cards as well.
Among the features I would like to have added to record_server:
-The ability to control an in progress recording. You should be able to stop recording at the click of a button and it would be nice to be able to extend a running recording.... lets say your favorite sports event is running overtime and you don't want the end to be chopped off.
-have record_server be able to talk to Freevo main. For example if you are watching TV through Freevo and record_server wants to record then it should let you know and give you a choice of what to do. Right now it just works the other way around - if you are recording it won't let you watch TV.
-polish off favorites support.
-handle the task of grabbing XMLTV listings.
-leverage the power of sqlite! All kinds of possibilities here.
OK, so to my point here. :)
Right now in CVS there are two files on a branch tag (new_record), src/tv.py and src/tvguide.py. These files are needed to have Freevo main talk to record_server. I would like to merge these files to the head and have this the default recording interface. If there are any concerns or suggestions I would like to hear them, also it is possible there is something that I have missed.
Oh yeah, I will also write a how-to document for users and developers for record_client/server.
Thanks, -Rob
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