[mythtv-users] Sell mythtv "set-top" boxes

[Ben Bucksch]

Mark Cooper wrote:

>>    * Video encoding bitrate
>
> This is in the database already. 

No, I found only "codec quality", which I take as the codec-specific 
settings, not the bitrate, at least giving MythTV's UI wording. Most 
people didn't enter the bitrate there, and it's essential for how well 
the system works.

>>    * How good the encoded video is - are there framedrops, artifacts,
>>      lagging pictures, "half-pictures", in which circumstances (camera
>>      moves, dark scenes, 2 recordings at the same time, ...)
>>    * Similar for audio - noticable stereo, washed out or clear etc.
>>    * CPU load (give instructions how to determine it) per recording,
>>      for live tv. anything special, e.g. does it get worse out of
>>      proportion when they are combined, i.e. |cpuload(2 recordings and
>>      livetv) > 2 * cpuload(1recording) + cpuload(livetv)|?
>>    * TV model and type of connection/cables used
>>    * tv out settings - resolution/settings used, overlay, xfree config
>>    * How good the video output (tvout) is - overlay, sharpness,
>>      flickering, maybe deinterlacing and jitter, are the relevant
>>      features enabled in the frontend / driver?, anything odd like
>>      green borders
>>    * Similar for audio
>
> This all falls under the rating and comments section I think. 

I disagree. This is essential information, in fact exactly the kind of 
information I would expect from such a database (what's the use to know 
that somebody uses an Duron 800 for encoding, if he has serious quality 
problems which I don't want to tolerate? How could I know?), and 
explicitly asking for it makes people fill it out, while they may not 
even think of it in the comments section.

In fact, many or most comments are completely empty.

>>    * Which software was used - distro, drivers, xfree, mythtv, version
>>      of each
>
> Already in the database.

No, not in that detail. It doesn't even say, if MythTV or FreeVo was 
used, much less the xfree version. Most have just "tuner driver: bttv, 
gfx driver: nvidia, Audio driver: alsa". That's not very helpful, 
because the gotchas are in the details.

>>    * which config used (linux kernel config, modules.conf, xfree
>>      config, any other compile parameters, anything else in /etc/)
>
> This is outside the spec of something you can put in database fields 
> and is what the comments section is intended for.

Look at the actual comments made. Nothing.

You *can* provide fields for "relevant modules.conf lines", "relevant 
kernel config options necessary (if you compiled your own kernel)", 
"device driver section of /etc/X11/XF86Config" etc.

>> I didn't know that you're listening at all, much less willing to 
>> improve it.
>
> Where did you get that impression??

I didn't have any impression at all. It was just a random site on the 
internet for me, which happens to be linked.

> The database is only going to be as good as the information people put 
> in it.

But you can "guide" people and maybe "frame" them (requiring certain 
information).

> While I would love to see more information being captured in the 
> database, its a case of how to capture it in a consistant and reliable 
> manner.

I just made many suggestions on how to structure ("consistent") 
information important for people looking to buy and set up a system, and 
you refered them almost all to the free-form, non-structured comments 
section. People entering data there don't even *know* they should enter 
that information, so they don't. "Comments" is more like "anything else 
you feel like telling us", not for important information.

> BTW I don't see your config(s) in the database? 

Mainly for said reasons.