[bry]

@learningit will you have your own repo anytime soon? I need to subscribe to your user account. You are a machine

[learningit]

@learningit will you have your own repo anytime soon?

Most everything I write goes into the kodi.org repo under my author name t1m, it's built-in to Kodi and easy to access:

http://addons.kodi.tv/author/t1m/

[learningit]

I took a glance at your code. You seem to have found the relevant xml. You probably already know that there is a "show-level" (all episodes of a show) xml version and an "episode-level" xml version. Your code is using hls, did you choose that over the http mp4 progressive versions for some reason? I don't know how to test for all available qualities other than doing a 404 check starting at _1.mp4 through _6.mp4. Note also that scripps announced the diy website re-design is coming in May, with a move to theplatform - much like scripps has already done for their other networks.

toejam is right. All the problems described above are gone. Life is good with theplatform.

New version 1.0.3 which actually works correctly in the kodi.org repo.

You may want to double check the SD/HD setting in the addon settings. Most videos are 720p in HD, a few are 576. HD may be too demanding for folks with a slow connection so I added SD.

[Eye in the sky]

Works well now in Germany, thanks.

[jmh2002]

Yes, quick test and its working well here in France too, thanks

[toejam]

Nice work, learningit.

v 1.0.3. very nice, super-fun. Glad that there is substantial episodic content, although not so obvious or intuitive on the website itself. Hopefully the site will settle down and continue to add episodes, even if not the newest ones. They are much more miserly with episodes on foodnetwork.

[learningit]

Updated version adds subtitles, metadata and fixes for views.

V1.0.5 in my git:
https://github.com/learningit/plugin.video.diy

[jmh2002]

Can we please have the ability to set views from the Addon settings? With multiple categories inside the Addon it's not very user friendly to have to set views for every Category, on multiple devices.

Also, I notice that the Media Info view in CCM Helix (Confluence Custom Mod) works correctly in DIY Network (the Media Image is the Video Thumbnail) when I am at Videos level, but I can't seem to set this same Media Info view or Media Info 3 View at Category level?

For information I can say that the Media Info view and Media Info 3 are available at Categories level in your HGTV, PBS, and GQ Addons (but they don't necessarily show relevant information).

I also posted similar questions for some of your other AddOns. GQ, PBS, HGTV, and DIY Network are the ones I use, but maybe similar issues exist for your other Addons too? Each one works slightly differently as far as the views are concerned.

THANKS

[learningit]

Can we please have the ability to set views from the Addon settings? With multiple categories inside the Addon it's not very user friendly to have to set views for every Category, on multiple devices.

Also, I notice that the Media Info view in CCM Helix (Confluence Custom Mod) works correctly in DIY Network (the Media Image is the Video Thumbnail) when I am at Videos level, but I can't seem to set this same Media Info view or Media Info 3 View at Category level?

For information I can say that the Media Info view and Media Info 3 are available at Categories level in your HGTV, PBS, and GQ Addons (but they don't necessarily show relevant information).

I also posted similar questions for some of your other AddOns. GQ, PBS, HGTV, and DIY Network are the ones I use, but maybe similar issues exist for your other Addons too? Each one works slightly differently as far as the views are concerned.

THANKS

The changes that were made in the DIY network addon reflect a conversation with skinners about addon developers using the correctly dimensioned image with the correct content type so that various skins can handle the image correctly and display the correct metadata. HGTV, PBS and GQ have not been modified to reflect that yet.

I was/am a huge offender in messing up images under some skins. Previously I was pretty much using a single content type through the whole addon which is why you see the wrong metadata at some "levels" and had the same view types at different "levels". It caused additional problems with image stretching or clipping on some skins, as certain content types expect certain aspect ratios for images. I didn't particularly notice it at the time because I standardly use a skin (Transparency) which resizes the image in different views and many of my addons have limited metadata beyond name and description anyway.

So far I've modified the Bravo, DIY, Esquire, Oxygen, Sprout and Syfy addons to select the appropriate content types and flesh out the metadata as much as I can. The fleshing out of metadata is going to piss off some folks because it lengths the load time. I will get to the my remaining addons as time allows, some are already correct, others need work. There will be differences between some addons as some source websites have limited image/metdata availability.

The most visible change in my addons is: I often don't have poster images for TV Shows which means that I will either set no content type at all, or use the content type 'files' for the level that you are calling "categories" which will use a square or thumbnail image, rather than stretch to a poster.

The views that are available for a given content type are set by the skin, not the addon so far as I know, so I don't think I can do what you're asking.

It is very possible that I implemented this incorrectly, but most of the addons that I have modified a much improved appearance after going back and selecting the correct image and content type.

You can view the developer thread on this at:
227179 (thread)

BTW, I'm not going to reply to all the other posts that you made on this issue, use this thread to discuss this issue.

[jmh2002]

Thanks, Ill try to cover the points that you raised:

- If you are working your way through your addons fixing the issue regarding metadata/images then that is great, thank you

In the first instance it would be nice if for the Media Info View, at Episode/Video level, the Media Image can be the Video Thumbnail - like it is for your DIY Network Addon.

- Regarding what images are available, I realise these are 'lite' addons, and Im not asking for more, Im only asking if what is already there on the other addons can be displayed correctly, which seems to be the case now with DIY Network, thank you

- Regarding the views available being set by the skin, well all I can say is that GQ, HGTV, and PBS have all the available views, but DIY Network doesnt. So I guess something is different in DIY Network, and hopefully this can be fixed.

- Also, many other Addons have an option to Override Views in their settings, so this is definitely possible. The Bromix YouTube addon is a good example in that it has an option to Override and Set both a Default and an Episode View. I think this would be very helpful for your addons where there are several levels to drill down through until reaching episodes/videos.

eg: HGTV presents 12 different categories when first opened. To set views manually this needs to be done in each of the 12 categories, across multiple different devices at home. PBS is much more difficult in that respect, with even more layers to go through. It would be very nice if this can simply be set by the user in the settings, based on whatever skin is being used.

PS: I replied in each thread so that you could see the specific differences for each of your addons, because I went through and tested each one before posting. I wasnt trying to spam all your threads. Sorry if it came across like that.

THANKS for you great addons

[learningit]

I could and should add a setting for a default view for a given "content type" (as Bromix does in YT) or a given "level" in the addon (as in US TVVod).
In my opinion, Bromix implemented this more correctly by making the user input the view "value", instead of assuming a value for for a given view type like US TVVod does. Apparently there is no standardization of values between skins for view types, though default (50) looks like it is supported by all.

I will probably implement the selection of view for a given level in the addon to give the user more control, but I do like the elegance of Bromix's approach using "content types", I'm just not sure that users will understand what I use and where.

Now for the bad news, I think you still won't be able to do what you want to do because the skin only supports a set of views per "content type". When I select "files" or none as the "content type" in the highest levels the skin (at least Confluence) does not support Media Info 3 as an available view. I have no idea what the skin will do if you select an unavailable view by entering an unsupported view "value", my guess is that it will use the "default view". In the past I was using the "tvshows" content type, but that assumes poster size images which I generally don't have and the image gets distorted - which brings us back to where the skinners were asking how to fix the image problem.

Don't know when I'll get to this, probably next weekend as there are a number of addons to do and I want to think this through more.

[jmh2002]

Yes, it would be great if you could add a user selectable setting for views, thank you. I do agree that its unfortunate that there is no standard, but that's life, and users can always look up their views in the MyVideoNav.xml file. In all the addons that I have with this option its always necessary for the user to input the view value.

Whether it be by level or content type is generally not so important, but in the case of your addons they seem to have multiple levels, so yes i agree that by level may be more useful in this case (but still user selectable).

Im confused about what it is that you think I can't do as far as views and your addons, because between the 4 of them I'm already doing what I need, only that all the possibilities are not yet in all of the addons.

eg: DIY network shows correct images in the Media Info view at video/episode level, but it doesn't allow Media Info 3 at the first view upon entering the addon (what i was calling category level). On the contrary, HGTV, GQ, and PBS all allow Media Info 3 at the first view, but dont show the images correctly in the Media Info view at video/episode level.

So Im guessing there is difference in the coding of these addons which can be corrected/standardised. Reading what you wrote about Skins only supporting a set of views per "content type", I can only ask:

- is the DIY Network "content type" different from HGTV, GQ, and PBS? Im guessing it somehow is if Media Info 3 is allowed in those 3, but not in DIY Network? If DIY Network is set the same as the other 3, Media Info 3 should be allowed shouldnt it?

Im not so hung up on using Media Info 3, and its not so nice upon entering PBS because of the current images and icons (List view looks good here), but its useful for deeper in PBS, and it looks nice in HGTV and probably can also look nice in the others too with the correct images.

THANKS again

[learningit]

You don't seem to understand what I'm telling you:
DIY is coded correctly according to the dev thread. The others are not. I can't solve the problem in the dev thread without making this change.
There will not be Media Info 3 as a view choice unless the skinner puts in the "content type" of "files" or None.
You see it because the "content type" set in the other addons is still, rightly or wrongly to "tvshows".
I cannot use "tvshows" because I do not have poster size images that should be used with "tvshows". On some skins this causes the image to be clipped or stretched and looks like hell, which is what that dev thread is all about.

HGTV, GQ, PBS and all my other addons, to the extent possible, will be recoded to behave the same as DIY currently does.

[jmh2002]

Ah, got it You're right, I didn't understand what you were telling me

In any case the view at episode/video level is way more important to me, and that is now perfect in DIY Network
If all the other addons end up like this then I will happily trade off Media Info 3 for it

THANKS for your patience and hard work. Ill look forward to the changes filtering through in due course.

[learningit]

UPDATE Version 1.0.7 adds User Selectable Views in addon settings and sort methods.

in my git: https://github.com/learningit/plugin.video.diy/

This is how it will function in all my addons when they get updated.
Let me know if this what you are looking for.