[mythtv-users] [RFC] Proposed settings rework

[R. G. Newbury]

Mike Perkins wrote:
> nospam312 wrote:
>>
>> You generally only install MythTV once.  If an option you want is not
>> enabled by default (or is disabled by default) just choose the best
>> option from the menu above and adjust your settings accordingly.
>>
> Ha HA HA Ha. OMG that hurt. "You only generally install MythTV once". 
> Perhaps. Maybe. But, before you do that, you often have to install it 
> any number of times to sort out motherboards, tuners, video cards, 
> storage groups, permissions, remotes, SD/xmltv feeds, OS tweaks/bugs... 
> the list is endless.
> 
> Until you get it just so, and by that I mean what the wife considers 
> "just so", it's usually necessary to spend a fair amount of time 
> tweaking options you personally wouldn't have bothered with.
> 
> You may have a point regarding a user new to Myth, but I suspect it's 
> not going to work. For example, look at the way Ubuntu tries to set up a 
> decent environment for Myth and then look at the posts we've had here 
> over the last few months where the allegedly safe Ubuntu defaults don't 
> work.

Hah! I laughed at the 'only once' bit too!

But the underlying point that maybe the settings could be handled by a 
template is a good idea.
With a template there could be usable default setups for using Myth on a 
TV (640x480) and on HD (1920x1080) with most of the settings optimized. 
The vast majority of settings could then be set to a useful default.

Another idea posted recently was the 'context-sensitive' exit which 
returns you to 'where you were' when you entered 'Settings'. This could 
work easily with a template structure if the settings relevant to the 
source page are grouped within the template.

Also a template structure could make better use of screen space. There 
is no reason why the template could not show up to 50 settings lines on 
a 1920x1080 screen and only 20 lines on a TV screen.

Geoff




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