Skip to main content

Media Portals

Media Portals are complete, self-contained add-ons that provide all the information needed to display and play content in EMET Surf. Think of them as comprehensive content providers that give users access to entire libraries of media.

What are Media Portals?​

Media Portals are add-ons that implement all three core resources required for a complete media experience:

  • Catalogs: Collections of content organized by type (movies, series, etc.)
  • Metadata: Detailed information about each piece of content
  • Streams: The actual playable sources for the content

When a user activates a Media Portal in EMET Surf, it appears in the "Web Sites and Media Portals" section, making it easily discoverable alongside other content sources.

Media Portal Requirements​

To be considered a Media Portal, your add-on must provide:

1. At least one catalog​

Your add-on must provide at least one catalog that users can browse. This could be:

  • A movie catalog with the latest releases
  • A series catalog with TV shows
  • Multiple specialized catalogs (Action movies, Drama series, etc.)

2. Metadata for all items​

Every piece of content in your catalogs must have corresponding metadata that includes:

  • Detailed descriptions
  • Ratings
  • Release dates and runtime
  • Posters and background images

3. Streams for all items​

Every piece of content must have at least one playable stream, which could be:

  • Direct video URLs
  • Torrent files

Complete Implementation Example​

Here's what a complete Media Portal manifest looks like:

{
    "id": "com.example.mediaportal",
    "version": "1.0.0",
    "name": "Example Media Portal",
    "description": "A comprehensive media portal with movies, series, and documentaries",
    "logo": "https://example.com/logo-256.png",
    "resources": [
        "catalog",
        "meta",
        "stream"
    ],
    "types": ["movie", "series"],
    "catalogs": [
        {
            "id": "latestMovies",
            "type": "movie",
            "name": "Latest Movies",
            "genreIds": [28, 12, 35]
        },
        {
            "id": "popularSeries",
            "type": "series",
            "name": "Popular TV Shows",
            "genreIds": [18, 80, 10751]
        }
    ],
    "genres": [
        {
            "id": 28,
            "localizedName": {
                "en": "Action",
                "es": "Acción",
                "ru": "Боевик"
            },
            "name": "Action"
        },
        {
            "id": 12,
            "localizedName": {
                "en": "Adventure",
                "es": "Aventura",
                "ru": "Приключения"
            },
            "name": "Adventure"
        }
    ]
}

File Structure​

A complete Media Portal should have this file structure:

my-media-portal/
├── manifest.json
├── catalog/
│   ├── movie/
│   │   ├── latestMovies.json
│   │   └── actionMovies.json
│   └── series/
│       └── popularSeries.json
├── meta/
│   ├── movie/
│   │   ├── example_movie1.json
│   │   └── example_movie2.json
│   └── series/
│       ├── example_series1.json
│       └── example_series2.json
└── stream/
    ├── movie/
    │   ├── example_movie1.json
    │   └── example_movie2.json
    └── series/
        ├── example_series1:1:1.json
        ├── example_series1:1:2.json
        └── example_series2:1:1.json

Content Quality Standards​

For a Media Portal to be useful, it should provide:

High-Quality Metadata​

  • Accurate and detailed descriptions
  • Proper genre categorization
  • High-resolution posters and backgrounds
  • Accurate release dates and ratings

Reliable Streams​

  • Multiple quality options when possible
  • Working links that don't expire quickly
  • Clear stream titles indicating quality and format
  • Fallback options for different user preferences

Comprehensive Catalogs​

  • Regular updates with new content
  • Logical organization and categorization
  • Search and filtering capabilities
  • Pagination for large catalogs

User Experience​

When users activate a Media Portal:

  1. Discovery: The portal appears in "Web Sites and Media Portals"
  2. Browsing: Users can browse catalogs by content type and genre
  3. Search: Users can search for specific content within the portal
  4. Details: Users can view comprehensive information about each item
  5. Playback: Users can choose from available streams and start watching

Best Practices​

Content Management​

  • Keep catalogs updated with new releases
  • Remove or update broken streams
  • Maintain accurate metadata
  • Provide multiple stream options when possible

Performance​

  • Optimize catalog responses for fast loading
  • Use efficient image sizes for posters
  • Implement proper caching strategies
  • Handle large catalogs with pagination

User Experience​

  • Use clear, descriptive catalog names
  • Provide comprehensive genre coverage
  • Include content in multiple languages when possible
  • Offer various quality options for streams

Media Portal vs. Regular Add-ons​

Media Portals are complete content providers that:

  • Provide all three core resources (catalog, meta, stream)
  • Appear in the "Web Sites and Media Portals" section
  • Offer comprehensive content libraries
  • Are designed for end-user consumption

Regular Add-ons might:

  • Provide only specific resources (e.g., just catalogs)
  • Focus on specific content types or niches
  • Be used for specialized purposes
  • Require other add-ons for complete functionality

What's next?​

You now understand what Media Portals are and what they require. In the final step, we'll cover deployment - making your Media Portal available to users worldwide.

Summary​

  • Media Portals are complete add-ons that provide catalogs, metadata, and streams
  • They must implement all three core resources for every piece of content
  • They appear in the "Web Sites and Media Portals" section when activated
  • They provide comprehensive content libraries for users to browse and watch
  • Quality and reliability are essential for a good user experience