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Release LazyTV - an unwatched TV Show playlist generator
(2014-02-18, 18:37)blasty Wrote: One thing I cann't seem to find is how to choose what shows are included. When I ran the last version it prompted me which shows to include and which to skip. When I run the beta it just starts pulling from the entire library.

Hi Blasty, I removed the Select Shows function because it was actually superseded by the Smart Playlist function. It worked for the most basic use case, but any time you wanted to do something a little bit more complicated you would need to use a Smart Playlist.

You can create a Smart Playlist of TV Shows, add a new rule, and then click Browse to select the individual shows (assuming Title - Contains is selected by default, which it is for me). Then just include only the shows you want to watch. Jump back into LazyTV Settings, choose the option to Populate By Smart Playlist, then Choose a Default Playlist and select the one you just created.

You can then have multiple Smart Playlists, if you like. One for comedies or one dramas.

Do you think that is too convoluted or complicated a process? Maybe I can look to add back the basic show selector, and leave off the other stuff like Genre, Length and Rating.
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(2014-02-18, 17:18)Kib Wrote: I simply went to installed addons, located services, found lazytv and disabled and reenabled it and it was working.

I agree this is quite bumpy

Thanks Kib, it does look as if the service doesnt start when the addon is installed. Even if it says 'enabled'.

A restart of XBMC also fixes the problem.

Other services seem to start straight away though. Maybe I need to split the addon into an Addon and a Service?
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Turns out it was a simple fix.

Just had to swap the extension points in Addon.xml so that the service.py was first and the default.py was second.
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Is there any chance we can have two instances of LazyTV?

So I could add "LazyTV (New)" and "LazyTV (In Progress)" to my home screen.
One would create a playlist of new shows I haven't seen and the other would create a playlist of shows that I have started watching?
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Hmmm, I reckon you would need to pass the playlist as an argument to the addon. Which is possible, I think, but not written in to the code. Let me have a think about it.

I think the closest you could get right now is creating two smart playlists: one with InProgress = True and the other with it False. And then setting LazyTV to ask you at launch which playlist you want to use.

This might also work: copy the addon folder, rename it something else. Edit the addon.xml so that it matches the new name. Also remove the extension point referring to the service from the addon.xml. You dont need two services running.
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Turns out it wasnt a simple fix. The service starts straight after install, but the addon wont open from Home (possibly due to XBMC considering it a service).

So it looks like I will have to integrate the call for the addon into the service somehow, or split the service and addon into two different things (something I wanted to avoid).

Also, T800, a quick test showed that the copy of the addon trick will probably work. There is a branch called no_service on the github page with the addon.new I tested. You still have to create two different smart playlists, but it should launch from two different icons in Home.
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Thank you for replying about the playlist thing. Figured it out myself later on (like I said, brain not working, too much drain bamage, burned out toooo many brain cells).

Was wondering myself about adding more than one instance of the addon, maybe even several. Just might try it.
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Hey

There seems to be having a problem having a series show up in the next unwatched episode when you only have one episode present in your library. When I added a false episode 2 to the series the show appeared on the list and when I removed this episode 2 it disappeared from the list.

Any help is appreciated.

Also on this menu for the next unwatched episode is there any way of adding sorting options (i.e Alphabetically & By episodes left to watch)

Thanks
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Thanks for the testing mtoddster, that was very valuable info.

I was able to identify the '1' that needed to be a '0' and updated the beta branch with the fix if you want to grab it.

I will add the option to sort by name and episodes left (and maybe by episodes watched?) as well as by most recently watched, to the TODO list.
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Just FYI, this is the TODO list, in no particular order:
- split the service and addon into distinct modules (provide guide for creating two instances in Home)*
- make sure the addon works for double episodes and split episodes*
- allow more options for ordering
- include random episode show list
- include random "repeat" episode from played Shows
- optional function that will tell you when you are watching an episode that has an unplayed episode just before it
- multiple language support*
- automatic extension of the random playlist so it only exits when you press Stop
- improved strings*
(I use Amber skin which gives a lot of room for messages. I forgot Confluence is a bit stingy with space, hence the cut off messagesSmile)

The asterisks are the ones I want to get done for release. The others can be added soon after.

And on the wishlist is a custom skin for the list-view window and a better logo.
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Hi Karnagious, thanks for looking into that for me. I will hopefully be able to try it tonight.
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Hi all,

Thanks entirely to your feedback I have made some more changes to the Beta version.

A few of the more significant features:

1) included a way to set specific TV shows to play in random order. This means that shows that dont have a story arch that crosses over episodes, like cartoons or documentaries, will have a random episode included in the view list and random player. This is done by selecting them one by one in the Addon Settings. At the moment this may require a restart to take effect, but I am working on having it automatic.

2) added a function to the service that warns you if you are beginning to watch a TV episode that has an unwatched episode before it. This isnt an issue when using LazyTV's list view or random player, but is if you are selecting a show from a widget (latest added) or from the library.

3) added in a clone function that copies the LazyTV front-end to a new stand-alone addon (using a name you supply). You can then assign different settings for LazyTV Main and your Clone; i.e. different default playlists, different default functions, etc. You can also add both the Main and Clone to the Home menu for easier access. Some settings are specific to the LazyTV Service and so can only be changed in the LazyTV Main.


Other changes include:
- fixed a bug which ignored the first episode of unwatched series
- worked around the XBMC bug that doesnt start the Service on first installation until after a reboot
- implemented handling of multiple episodes
- fixed a bug affecting the last episode of a series


Still to do:
- option to include random unwatched episode from a series with no "on deck" episodes
- option to include random watched episode of watched series in the random player function
- option to exclude random episodes from show list
- automate random ep show list update
- if you guys want it I can add in a method to select a default list of specific shows to include from within the Addon Settings, in addition to the current Smart Playlist option. So let me know.

I have also updated the README, so hopefully the benefits of the addon are more apparent to non-users Smile I have included it below.


You have a huge library of TV shows and you havent viewed half of it. So why does it feel like such a chore to sit down and watch something?

You know you want to watch TV, so why do you also have to decide what specifically to watch?

LazyTV is here to free you from your battles with indecision, instead letting you lean back and soak up content.
With one click you can be channel-surfing your own library, or have what you probably want to watch pop up in a single window.

Unlike a smart playlist or skin widget, LazyTV doesnt just provide the first unwatched episode of a TV show. It provides the first unwatched episode AFTER the last watched one in your library. A small, but important, distinction.

LazyTV offers two main functions:
The first creates and launches a randomised playlist of the TV episodes. And not just any episodes, but the next episode it thinks you would want to watch. You also have the option to blend in your movies (both the watched and the unwatched) to complete the channel-surfing experience.
The second main function populates a window with the next available episode for each of your TV Shows. One click and your viewing menu is there, immediately.

Combine either of the main functions with a playlist of preselected shows to customise your experience even further.
Some TV shows, like cartoons or skit shows, can be viewed out of episodic order. So LazyTV gives you the ability to identify these shows and treat them differently. Those shows will be played in a random order.

LazyTV also offers two minor functions that extend beyond the addon itself:
The first is an option to be notified if you are about to watch an episode that has an unwatched episode before it. This function excludes the TV shows identified as able to be watched out of order.
The second option posts a notification when you finish watching a TV episode telling you that the next show is available and asks if you want to view it now.


LazyTV contains a service that stores the next episodes' information and monitors your player to pre-empt database changes. This is my attempt to make the addon more responsive on my Raspberry Pi. The Pi still takes a while to "warm-up"; a full refresh of the episode data (which occurs at start-up and on a library update) takes about 30 seconds for my ~100 show library*. However, the show list window opens and the random player starts in less than 2 seconds.

*The same update takes 2 seconds on my laptop with its i5 processor.
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Sound pretty cool. Will install it and test it tomorrow night.

One question. What does this mean:

Quote:- if you guys want it I can add in a method to select a default list of specific shows to include from within the Addon Settings, in addition to the current Smart Playlist option. So let me know.

Does that refer to my question about choosing shows when starting the add on (post # 120). If so, I think it would be helpful to new users of XBMC. When I first started, I didn't know a thing about smartplaylists, didn't even touch them until I read an article on another website about setting up your own "channel" in XBMC. Now I'm getting pretty good at it, but I can imagine lots of users who don't use smartplaylists would have lots of trouble. Others might avoid the addon entirely if they had to learn how to make the correct type of playlist to accomplish what they want. Having the addon do it for you would make the whole thing more appealing.

Just my two cents.

Thank you for your hard work.
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Good points, I will add it back in / recreate it.
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OK, added the selector back in, as well as the option to exclude random-play shows from the playlist.

And thats it I think. The other things may be added later, but I want to get this into the official repo soon.

I would really appreciate someone putting it through its paces. I have tested it every way I can with my library, but I dont have any .strm files.
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