Requirements

Overview

This document should be read in conjunction with the design overview.

Basic needs

• See what is on
• Choose what to record
• See what has been recorded
• Play recorded programmes

Will need

Chose channels

This could be done by having the user wade through page upon page of channel names. On the other hand, given the large number of channels available, and the manner in which they are sold, it makes sense to allow the user to simply chose the packages they have subscribed to.

Fetch listings for chosen channels

Which will need a good source of structured listings. It is anticipated that structuring an available source will be necessary or desirable.

Search in listings and recordings

Preferably using an incremental search method, so that while the search term is typed, more refined results are displayed progressivley.

Attribute recordings with all available information

Potentially: time, date, first broadcast, genre, film, series name, episode name/number, subtitles broadcast with signal.

Storing this information obviously allows for more potent searching.

Desirable features

Scheduling prioritised recordings, and resolving conflicts intelligently

To cope with the potential clash of scheduled recordings properly. Clashes are all the more likely given No Click Recording.

No Click Recording

B-) Schedule for recording anything which, from historical information, looks as though it will be of interest.

Search in subtitles of recordings

Rather than simply finding the appropriate clip,

Pause live TV

Could be very hard, particularly in keeping up on modest hardware.

Control over the quality/space tradeoff

So that a recording can take an appropriate amount of space given the show, or squeeze a recording into whatever space may be left.

Offline storage

Preferably retaining the metadata, so that powerful, local, fast searching is still possible

Network effects

These are sufficiently distinct to warrant a discussion of their own. A number of things are possible, ranging from the relatively simple to the more complex or provoking.

Accepting requests via a (networked, and thus presumably web) interface to schedule recordings

This could be authenticated, implying some level of trust, or anonymous and scheduled with an appropriate priority.

Suggesting shows, programmes or series based on others' behaviour

Requesting the recording of a particular show from a neighbour

To cope with, say, recording two things at once with only one tuner. This is a step short of sharing everything across the network.

Broad sharing of whatever media between a number of neighbours

Could be via an existing peer-to-peer network, through a centralised point where the searching occurs, or with a bespoke scheme.

If you can think of other useful features for videdot please email them to features@videdot.com.