Re: xAP-Media Schema

[Kevin Hawkins <yahoogroupskh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

An interesting idea...  We have previously discussed an inheritance
type
model for schema either to create subsets or supersets. There is also a
need for some versioning control / identification in schema definitions.

Whilst talking with a lot of commercial developers there are two types
of devices that they typically always want to be able to control - the
basic I/O devices (well served by BSC) and then AV/media players. As a
third I often see lighting featuring but that is fairly well served by BSC.

Essentially one of the great advantages to the developer of such a
media schema is that then they could support just one media player (a
xAP one) then they get a lot more for free.  Probably they would support
UPnP directly too. Obviously this requires a number of xAP conduits
being available and all interoperable. .  Thus I feel this is the other
'key' schema for xAP - something that if we get right then we boost the
takeup of xAP by commercial developers.  Worth spending some time on ,
and trying to break into manageable sections.  It's great Glenn is
reviving this, adding some bits that are absent and hopefully we can
come up with a solid way forward for the extra aspects.

Kevin

mick@xxxxxxx wrote:
>
> Interesting thoughts Kevin.  Perhaps this indicates a need (or
> potential need) for a fundamental change to the xAP schema.  If the
> schema format allowed for the inclusion of "sub-schemas"
then ww could
> have a xAP-Media Schema that would have as a child any of the
following:
>
>     - xAP-Media-Audio
>
>     - xAP-Media-Video, etc
>
> Then the smaller parts would be more manageable and could be added as
> needed without having to republish the "parent" schema.
>
>
> Just an idea...
>
>
> Mick Davis
>
>
> Quoting Kevin Hawkins :
>
>     Hi Glenn,
>
>     I'll have a peruse and send you some thoughts - this type of
schema
>     is always one that can grow to encompass all sorts of areas which
can
>     make it really difficult to define. There are a few things that
>     immediately spring to mind (eg cover art, record, source / zone
>     control
>     , zone linking/synching, streaming source selection etc ) but I'll
>     have
>     a think before I respond.
>
>     Lots of people will have a different take on this as they have
>     different devices . I mainly use Sonos for my music nowadays that
I
>     have kludged xAP control onto using the older schema but it mainly
>     suffices for transport and status reporting . I have nice
touchscreen
>     designs that control this and link in with the general AV
>     switching. I
>     have ignored playlist management to date as I use it surprisingly
>     little
>     although I do use some simple 'queue' management which is much the
>     same. I hope that the people using SlimServer and other systems
input
>     their thoughts. Since Sonos I do use SlimServer a little but not
>     as much
>     as I used to... the new Jive remote may change that though,
>     especially
>     if it had some HA integration.
>
>     One feature I use extensively though is searching for music either
>     within my existing library or on one of the 'on demand' services (
>     Rhapsody, Napster etc) and also selection of 'themed' streaming
>     sources
>     like Pandora, LastFM. I suppose playing by 'genre' from a library
>     is a
>     similar idea - with things like MusicMatch making this even
tighter -
>     the 'more music like this' type of thing..
>
>     When playing from a streaming type source like internet radio I
>     have a button on the touchscreen (or IR remote) to store details
>     of the
>     current playing track for later use. I often hear something I like
>     and
>     then use Napster or Rhapsody to explore more from that artist and
>     augment my library, or buy a CD. I am finding increasingly that
these
>     on demand type services are much more useful than my own libaries
>     and I
>     can see them becoming the norm for people. I would like the xAP
>     schema
>     to fully embrace these external music sources.
>
>     One last thing - this schema by definition is quite wide in terms
of
>     media . Audio, video, images...etc. As such maybe it should take
in
>     recording aspects and even envelop the video recorder ? I have
long
>     wanted to integrate xAP TV with my Tivo or Topfield and being able
to
>     pass record requests to a PVR in a formal way would be ideal (as
>     well as
>     manage the playback of existing material). This gets into the
record
>     by time/program name/channel scenario ...and overlap with internet
>     radio too for the recording of broadcasts and the BBC type listen
>     again
>     services. .
>
>     This whole area possibly isn't of interest to you within what
>     you're trying to do with MediaNet and I think would likely be best
>     addressed as a separate but co-ordinated proposal - but ensuring
it
>     dovetails within the existing schema. Many a schema has floundered
>     because to be complete is just too much work to get it right. I
would
>     far rather see small aspects addressed - and features augmented
>     later.
>     What we do need to consider from the start though is making the
>     general
>     approach flexible and inkeeping to allow these features to be
>     dropped in
>     seamlessly later. What do people think about this ?
>
>     cheers Kevin
>
>     Sullivan, Glenn wrote:
>     > Attached please find a proposed schema for generic Media
Devices,
>     > designed to supplement/replace the existing xAP-Audio schema.
>     >
>     > I am open to comments... This will be a living document for a
>     while, so
>     > if you have suggestions for additions/subtractions/changes,
>     please let
>     > me know.
>     >
>     > Thanks,
>     >
>     > Glenn
>     >
>     >
>     >
>     > Yahoo! Groups Links
>     >
>     >
>     >
>     >
>