[Karnagious]

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 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.