<page xmlns="http://projectmallard.org/1.0/"
type="guide"
id="introduction">
<info>
<link type="guide" xref="index"/>
<desc>Basic usage instructions. Selecting a channel, category, and playing a radio.</desc>
</info>
<title>Introduction</title>
<p>Streamtuner2 is a simple browser for internet radios. It aquires its radio lists
from various directory services. These are represented as "channel" tabs in the main
window. Below are the category/genre lists (left) and the stations for a genre (right).</p>
<media src="img/mainwindow2.svg" type="image" mime="image/svg+xml" />
<section id="play">
<title>How to select and play a radio.</title>
<steps>
<item><p>Select a channel tab, like <code>Shoutcast</code>.</p></item>
<item><p>Click one of the genres in the left pane. For example <code>Classic</code>.</p></item>
<item><p>Now the right pane loads a radio list.</p></item>
<item><p>Double click one of the radio streams or use the <key>play</key> toolbar button.</p></item>
</steps>
<p>Note that some categories can and should be exanded. In a few plugins (modarchive),
the expandable genre/category brings up no station list on its own, while in Shoutcast
and most others it's a valid genre in itself.</p>
<p>Some radio stations cannot be played, because they just have a homepage. (That's the
case for all listings in the Google Stations channel.)</p>
</section>
<section id="actions">
<title>What else can you do?</title>
<p>Double clicking an entry row in the radio list starts your audio player. But there are
other functions available. Either go to the <guiseq><gui/><gui>Station</gui></guiseq> menu,
or access the context menu with a right click.</p>
<table shade="rows" rules="rows cols">
<tr><td>Play</td><td>Starts the radio in a configured audio player</td></tr>
<tr><td>Record</td><td>Opens a terminal window and streamripper, which cuts the radio broadcast into individual mp3 songs.</td></tr>
<tr><td>Bookmarks</td><td>Copy radio entry over into the <gui>bookmarks</gui> channel.</td></tr>
<tr><td>Homepage</td><td>Most radio stations have a homepage. Open this in a web browser.</td></tr>
<tr><td>Saving</td><td>A radio entry can be exported as .m3u or .pls file.</td></tr>
<tr><td>Extensions<guiseq><gui/><gui/></guiseq></td><td>Some plugins add other features in this submenu.</td></tr>
<tr><td>Editing</td><td>This command is in the <gui>Edit</gui> and context menu, allows to inspect and modify radio descriptions.</td></tr>
<tr><td>Searching</td><td>You can get a radio list according to search criteria.</td></tr>
</table>
<p> Play, Record and Homepage also have buttons in the toolbar.</p>
</section>
<section>
<title>Radio lists get stale</title>
<p>After some time, stream informations become obsolete. Therefore you should regularily
refresh the lists. The <gui>Reload</gui> button in the toolbar (or <key>F5</key>) is your friend. You can
also update the category lists with <guiseq><gui>Channel</gui> <gui>Reload Category Tree</gui></guiseq>
and load favicons using <guiseq><gui>Channel</gui> <gui>Update favicons..</gui></guiseq>.</p>
</section>
<section>
<note style="tip"><p>You should only select radio stations and genres that you like.</p></note>
</section>
</page>