Re: xPLMediaNet xPL Schema Development

["Malcolm Lansell" <mlansell@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tony Tofts" <tony@xxxxxxx>
To: <ukha_xpl@xxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, March 11, 2005 8:57 AM
Subject: [ukha_xpl] xPLMediaNet xPL Schema Development



> Do we:
>
> A) get the xpl code to say, well I have 2 sources that provide artist
> information - I'll ask both
>
> B) explicitly have to specify a source e.g. extended=source music,
> extended=artist blondie
>
> 'A' seems like a good idea, but it's not I think. This is due to the
fact
> that the 2 (or more) sources may provide incompatible music sources
(e.g.
> 1
> may supply filenames, the other may be some sort of stream)
>
> Please note that as streams never end it's not appropriate to queue
them
> like tracks, hence the issue with 'A'
>
> I think 'B' (or a variant) is the only way to go, with the option that
if
> a
> source isn't specified then choose the first match


I'd say B - even though two sources might supply an item of the same name,
it does not necessarily follow that they are the same file.  It would be
preferable to select the source to be clear.


>
> My suggestion is that, like xplrionet, the xpl schema is a script of
> commands e.g.
>
> Source=music <-- specify current source
>
> Artist=blondie <-- get artist blondie from music
>
> Volume=10 <-- set volume
>
> Command=play <-- start playing
>
> Album=my album <-- queue an album from same source
>
> Source=other <-- change source
>
> Artist=mad% <-- queue all artists starting mad
>

Doesn't that get quite message-intensive?
How about separating media-selection and transport

A media selection message would be something like

command=queue
source=mediasource
artists="blondie"
album="parallel lines"
track="*"

or

command=queue
souce=filebrowser
file="e:"
file="music"
file="rock-pop"
file="blondie"
file="parallel lines"
file="*.mp3"

Presumably this file method would be used to specify stream URLs (like web
radio)

The other stuff, play, stop, pause, volume, balance etc would be handled
with individual commands (like a remote control would do), but there would
be less of these, so not so much traffic.


> My first thoughts for the command schema (needs expanding) for music
are:
>
> Command=play
> Command=stop
> Command=pause
> Command=skip
> Command=back
> Command=mute and mute on/off
> Command=random and random on/off
> Command=clear
> Command=reboot
> Command=power on/off
> Source=n
> Artist=<%>n<%>
> Album=<%>n<%>
> Genre=<%>n<%>
> Track=<%>n<%> (streams would be controlled as tracks)
> Playlist=<%>n<%>
> Query=<%>n<%>
> Volume=n and +/-n and >/<n
> Balance=n and +/-n and >/<n
> Treble=n and +/-n and >/<n
> Pitch=n and +/-n and >/<n
> Loundness=on/off and n and +/-n and >/<n
> Scan=<source>
> Announce=<voice\>text
> Announce=volume n
> Announce=speed n
> Annouce=scale n
>
> Obviously some commands are only supported by some devices
>
> Items of the type command= will produce an xpl-trig when actioned
>
> When a track changes etc then an xpl-stat is generated
>
> Status=power on / power off / playing / next
> For Playing / Next it also supplies various details
>
> Mal, I think you wanted some other stuff? Though I think these fall
into
> the
> video section?

Also needed

Bass= +/ - or level (or maybe treble & bass should just be generalised
to
two bands of a graphic eq)
Command=record

For Video, especially DVDs, there is a need for

Chapter=+,-,num
Title=+,-,num
Seek= +seconds, -seconds
Volume=channel: +, -, num (to support for multichannel sound)





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