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 Elisa FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
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1) What are the principles of the Elisa Media Center project?

Elise aims at respecting the following principles:

- Be a universal solution, which allows browsing and watching videos,
  photos, music, and linked services easily.

- Be able to work on all types of computers (PC, Consoles, Internet tablets,
  etc.), to communicate with all types of devices (other computers, portable
  media players, etc.) and to read all types of media.

- Allow the users to browse a whole range of on-line services (video, music or
  photo sites, blogs, information, games, weather, etc) from a single unified
  and easy entry point.

- Be easy to install, to understand and to use.

- Respect the principles of free software by placing Elisa under a free license,
  the GNU GPL (General Public License), and creating an active community of
  developers and users.


2) What are your goals for Elisa?

- Be a credible and legal alternative for big companies like Apple and
  Microsoft.

- To have all persons in need of a Media Center to test Elisa and make it their
  default Media Center. The same way it happened with the web browser Mozilla
  Firefox.

- Form a community of several million users.


3) Can I use Elisa on my computer and/or television?

Elisa is meant to run on any computer connected to a monitor or a
television. Elisa has several interfaces adapted to the different types of
screens.


4) Is Elisa Media Center only intended for set-top boxes or the embedded market?

- No, Elisa's goal is to be universal. The software will function as well on
  desktops (PC, MAC, etc.), games consoles (PLAYSTATION 3, Xbox, etc.) and
  on embedded devices (portable video players, advanced GPS, PDAs, etc.).


5) Who can use Elisa?

Elisa is based on simplicity.

The first time user can easily install and use the default functions, without
any additional handling.

Elisa is also entirely modular, configurable and can be customized.
A more experienced user can adapt Elisa to his or her needs in a very detailed
way.


6) Which audio and video formats are supported?

Elisa supports a huge number of audio and video formats like MP3, AVI, DivX,
Ogg/Vorbis and Theora, Flash Video, Windows Media, etc.

Elisa is based on the multimedia framework GStreamer, which allows to use the
latest evolutions on radio and video formats.


7) Is Elisa Media Center compatible with my multimedia devices?

Elisa automatically detects the connection of all types of USB disks, photo
cameras or MP3 players.

Elisa supports a great number of network protocols (of which UPnP and DAAP) and
devices based on these different protocols.

Elisa integrates itself smoothly with the multimedia systems of different
platforms:

- Windows: SMB/CIFS shares, Windows Media Player, Zune, etc.

- Apple: ITunes, IPod, AppleTV, Frontrow, etc.

- Linux: Banshee, Rhythmbox, etc.

- Games consoles: X-box 360, Playstation 3, etc.

The list of supported devices is regularly evolving.


8) On which operating systems does Elisa run?

Today Elisa works on Linux and Windows (XP and Vista). A port on MacOS X is
planned.


9) Why is Elisa developed in Python?

Python was chosen to accelerate the development and to facilitate the
maintenance of the project.

On top of that Python allows all types of developers, from beginner to expert,
to add quickly and easily their own functionalities. Also, Elisa has a plugin
system to make that even more painless.

However, the parts of Elisa requiring most performance are written in C.


10) What is Pigment?

Pigment is a rendering and animation library used by Elisa to create its user
interfaces.

It has the following functionalities:

- Abstraction system allowing to carry out the rendering by using different 2D
  and 3D libraries. The OpenGL plugin allows to access the hardware acceleration
  on the graphics card to obtain a rendering of a great fluidity. A DirectFB 
  plugin is in preparation for end 2007.

- Animation system facilitating the creation of movements and transitions.

- Ability to create high quality interfaces working independently from the
  resolution thanks to the usage of SVG and vector rendering.

- Application of a broad scale of real time graphic effects to images and
  videos.

Pigment is written in C/GObject with a Python binding. For more information,
you can visit the Pigment development website:
https://core.fluendo.com/pigment/trac


11) What is a plugin for Elisa?

A plugin is a new functionality (games, media sharing, etc.) that you can add
directly from the Elisa interface. Elisa contains a plugin catalogue, which is
constantly updated.


12) Elisa is supported by a company, how will you finance the development?

Elisa Media Center is a freely distributed software.

On top of accessing multimedia content, the user will be able to access a
wide range of additional services. A free will be levied on these
services.

These services might be:

- Buying music and/or movies over the Internet
- Printing photos online
- Reservation of cinema tickets
- etc.


13) Why do you say that Elisa is network oriented?

Elisa has been created to be used in a network environment.

This means that:

- Elisa knows how to read and find the media available on the network.

- You can access your personal multimedia environment on any system with a
  Internet connection.

- Several Elisa sessions on different computers can communicate between themselves.

For example, it will be possible to:

- Control an Elisa from an other Elisa installed on another system situated
  whether on a local or a distant network. 

- Have your media available wherever you are.

- Install Elisa on a not so powerful machine which will use a powerful machine
  as a server to read movies.

- Share your media within your private network: the family network.

- Have an advanced remote control (PDA, IPhone, tablet PC, etc.) allowing the
  preview of movies.

- Synchronize the broadcasting of a film on 2 television screens.


14) When will television support be integrated in Elisa?

We are working hard on the integration of television and of personal video
recorder (PVR) functionalities within Elisa.

The planned features are:

- Time shifting: pausing a live broadcast

- Electronic program guide: an on-screen aid showing descriptions of
  planned programs that allows selection of current program and future
  recordings.

- Recording of programs

- Multi tuner support: recording one program while watching another
  one at the same time

We foresee that we will have a first usable version available between now and
the end of 2007.


15) I am a developer, why should I participate in Elisa?

The plugin system of Elisa allows to add functionalities quickly. We have for
instance created a plugin allowing to access videos online only within a few
hours. 

Elisa has been created in such a way that you do not have to understand the
integrality to be able to add a simple functionality.

The users can install the plugins developed everywhere in an easy way from the
Elisa interface. The best plugins will quickly obtain an important visibility.

It is always nice to know that one of your creations is being used by a great
number of users :-)
