How to use your fonts in MCML without installing them

In one of my current projects I did need to use a few custom fonts to represent the customers corporate ID. Usually I  would alter my setup script to install the font to %windir%\fonts and use it inside my MCML code like any other pre-installed system font.

But what if you are not allowed to install to the fonts-directory because your customer doesn’t want his fonts to show up in other applications like Word or Fireworks? The solution is easy – simply create an instance of the PrivateFontCollection-class (System.Drawing.Text), call AddFileFont and pass in the full path to the font file.

  PrivateFontCollection privateFonts = null;

  private void AddPrivateFonts()
  {
      privateFonts = new PrivateFontCollection();
      privateFonts.AddFontFile(@”c:\Tags.ttf”);
  }

As soon as you add your font to the collection, it will be available inside your application – just like any other font that is installed.

  <Text Color=”White” Font=”TagsFont, 155″ Content=”MCML rocks!” />

Output:

moreTV: remote recording – all facts

In August, I was in Brasov (Romania) to held a two day session on Windows Media Center development at the moreTV office. moreTV was developing a Windows Media Center client for their remote record service that already was available for STBs at that time. A few weeks later, moreTV presented their solution at the IFA consumer trade show in Berlin (Germany). So whoever didn’t have the chance to take a look at this at the IFA, here are the facts.

Scope of functionality

moreTV application for Microsoft Vista Media Center offers TV-centric services for Media Center users, who use their PC as TV or PVR device. moreTV offers a number of services that enhance the TV experience using the MS Vista Media Center.

The main services that are offered are

Electronic Program Guide (EPG)

• 14-day EPG using Premium Data featuring genre filter, list view, etc
• Personalized and Editorial Recommendations moreTV recommends for each user the highlights of the day and personalized recommendations
• Search Buddy
• All shows related to a user-defined keyword are automatically recorded.
• Remote Recording: Schedule recordings from anywhere in the world using an Internet-PC or an iPhone
  2 Electronic Program Guide (EPG)
• 14-day Premium EPG for all german channels
• Advanced filter and search options
• Series recording assistants
• Advanced overview screen
• including thumbnail
• Rich metadata information, like genre and description
• Detail screen

Recommendations


moreTV is the navigator through the jungle of hundreds of TV stations. To give the user the overview over the TV shows that might be interesting for him, moreTV features a multi-level recommendation engine, that includes Editorial, User-based and personalized recommendations. 

Editorial Tipps

Based on Editorial Tipps from one of Germanys best TV-listings publisher, moreTV offers the TV Highlights of the day for a variety of genres. The user is informed about the highlights of the day, 14 days in advance.

Personal Recommendations

moreTV offers the user TV shows that match his viewing preferences. Based on his viewing habits, moreTV records automatically what the user likes to watch.

Top 10

For each day, moreTV shows the user, the 10 most popular TV shows amongst all moreTV users, based on the number of sche Search Buddy.

Search Buddy

Whatever the user likes, a certain actor, or director or a specific topic, with moreTV search buddy he can define a keyword-based search buddy, which will automatically record all matching TV shows.

Remote Recording

Users can schedule recordings for the MS Vista Media Center remotely from anywhere in the world. moreTV remote recording supports mainly german channels with some additional channels from neighbouring countries. moreTV remote recording can be used via browser-based moreTV webEPG and via iPhone.

Web EPG

Web-optimized version of Premium EPG data featuring:

• 14 days of data
• Editorial Tipps
• Complete Set of German channels including Premiere PayTV + most important channels from neighbouring countries.

Url: http://epg.more.tv

iPhone mobileEPG

• mobile Edition of moreTV EPG
• optimised for mobile news
• Editorial Tipps of the Day
• Direct link to “now on TV” and prime-time shows
• Recording options for all shows

As far as I know, there will be a public version available “soon” – details on possible fees and terms of use in general will follow as soon as I get more details.