HTML, Browser Component Support

[blackfox123]

For a few days now i have been developing an HTML5 app, that works fantastic - for a rollout on many displays in my network only to find that the built in HTML component doesnt support most of CS3, or some other JQuery libs etc etc.. SO i've been advised for the alternative to use the browser component, which in turns look exceptionally terrible at loading up, with a webkit logo appearing and a poorly animated apperance on screen.. then to be advised my other alternative is a firefox addon, whilst this is OK for one display, a roll-out on x amount of screens is a logisitical nightmare..

It seems that the 'firefox' add on is basically to support the growing demand of HTML5, and stronger applications to be supported - in otherwords, the HTML component is rubbish and doesnt support much so use the alternative.

I've been reading a lot on here regarding the HTML component, Browser support etc and it seems that i am not the only customer experiecing the growing demand of a DECENT component that will fully support all functionality within HTML5, CS3 and whatever more technologies that are growing in popularity.

This needs to happen. As of now i am forced to choose another provider for my upcoming digital signage projects, that can fully support my requirements of including a HTML5, CS3 web-app. I really hope there is some space for developing OLD components further rather than throwing new fancy social media components and the rest at us, which will probably in the end result in them failing in the future becuase of a poorly planned rollout period of component development and maintenance program.

Listen to your users mediasigange, your HTML component doesnt support what we need, the browser component lacks a decent loading method and the firefox 'trick' is way too complicated to be used effeciantly.

</rant over>

[blackfox123]

here is a lovely video of the browser component starting up.. on a brand new intel NUC, 8GB RAM. Windows 7 POS Ready..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3qgCXuV8Ok

As you can see, it's not pretty.

[teethstraight]

Thanks for posting @blackfox123. Glad to know I'm not the only one experiencing these troubles and frustrations.

I agree that focusing developing efforts on a stable HTML5 component is far more valuable than providing tons of gimmicky, sort-of-work apps. I had my own social media integration apps developed before mediasignage released theirs, whic I use through the HTML component. The capabilities of what I had developed are far greater than what mediasignage offers in their own apps, but they are severely crippled by the limitations of the current HTML component, and are not reliable through the inefficiency and instability of the browser component/webkit.

Stop trying to sway us with hundreds of features and just provide a clean, simple, reliable platform. That's how mediasignage started, but in the past years it's deteriorated by trying to do too much instead of focusing on doing a few things perfectly.

[teethstraight]

@blackfox123, can you message me the name of the other provider you are going with?
richardinbenin(at)gmail(dot)com
Thanks

[blackfox123]

Will any of the official ops care to comment on this? 

[admin]

To give you a quick heads up, at one point we were debating to move many of the components to HTML format but found some technical limitations on what we could deliver. Instead, we opted to go for a JSON base class in AIR runtime that is now the core basis for all of the new social components (facebook, twitter, world weather, 500px etc...)
And so we shifted our efforts from the node base components to native AIR components as this gives many more benefits including and not limited to:

- GPU and native performance through AIR
- support for the new Touch based system coming later in 2016
- support for the new mediaADNET (coming in next 2 months)
- native integration with current component (events, filters, effects etc)
- a much simpler user interface
- streamlined behavior for cross OS

and so to re-cap, while the node solution was nice in theory, we found we could deliver a much better user experience with the native JSON component. So node is now more of an experimental solution that anyone is free to play with, but we have shifted our focus towards the native components (i.e.: that we delivered over 20+ in the past few months and will continue to do so...).

hope this explains thing.

regards

[teethstraight]

So there's still no way to make use of HTML5 built apps?

[admin]

a few options, like the Firefox extension in Windows, and in Android it's ALWAYS native browser, i.e.: latest browser which ships with the device you use...

[teethstraight]

I just don't understand why you can't upgrade your native HTML component to support HTML5. The Firefox hack is so messy.

I've tried upgrading to Internet Explorer 11 in the vain hope that would make some difference, because I know the HTML component uses some kind of Internet Explorer framework. But still, my HTML 5 apps are limited in their functionality due to the limitations of the HTML Component.

This is so frustrating because your software has the potential to be 1000 times more versatile if you did have HTML5 support. If you're trying to market it as 'open-source digital signage', don't you think the majority of people aiming to use your software would be the self-sufficient types who are likely developing their own apps already?

[admin]

the reason is because it's embedded in AIR, so it's up to Adobe.
We have posted few times and waiting on them.
see here: https://forums.adobe.com/message/8187302#8187302

now you understand?

[teethstraight]

I do understand. Thank you for the transparency. Always appreciated.

What do you make of Adobe's choice to rename Flash? They're clearly trying to push it out and get people to stop using it. What would that mean for the future of the Signage platform running in AIR?

[admin]

Flash is on the way out, no question...
We recognized this many years ago and switched to AIR / Native.

That is why on a release due on 1st quarter of 2016 you will see that we no longer do live previews in the browser, but instead do it inside AIR or Native StudioPro. In other words, between StudioLite and native (exe, dmg, apk etc) we have removed our dependency on Flash and moved completely into native per OS; as well as AIR based solution. Adobe is pushing very hard on AIR (it's a beautiful cross OS technology) and so are we, Flash in the browser is no longer a dependency or requirement for us, however we will continue and offer Web Studio and Web Preview since we get it for FREE when we compile to AIR... so it's a no brainer for us.

We are also pushing hard on StudioLite (which may get a new name as it's not that Lite anymore), a new release with a ton of new features coming in a few weeks in Lite (https://github.com/born2net/signagestudio_web-lite). Also, MsGetStarted is also HTML based and will continue and improve tooling around it (customer order manager etc...), which Enterpriser's will enjoy (https://github.com/born2net/msgetstarted).


So is Flash dying? well as far as we are concerned, it's already Dead!!!

[blackfox123]

the reason is because it's embedded in AIR, so it's up to Adobe.
We have posted few times and waiting on them.
see here: https://forums.adobe.com/message/8187302#8187302

now you understand?

Thanks for the update. I'l be keeping a close eye on this too.

[blackfox123]

still no real headway on this.. is there something in the roadmap for a better work-around for this problem? I do believe in being patient.. but this is getting silly.