LEDMatrix/NEWS_MANAGER_README.md

Sports News Manager

A comprehensive RSS feed ticker system for displaying sports news headlines with dynamic scrolling and intelligent rotation.

Features

🏈 Multiple Sports Feeds

• NFL: Latest NFL news and updates
• NCAA Football: College football news
• MLB: Major League Baseball news
• NBA: Basketball news and updates
• NHL: Hockey news
• NCAA Basketball: College basketball updates
• Big 10: Big Ten conference news
• Top Sports: General ESPN sports news
• Custom Feeds: Add your own RSS feeds

📺 Smart Display Features

• Dynamic Length Detection: Automatically calculates headline length and adjusts scroll timing
• Perfect Spacing: Ensures headlines don't cut off mid-text or loop unnecessarily
• Intelligent Rotation: Prevents repetitive content by rotating through different headlines
• Configurable Speed: Adjustable scroll speed and timing
• Visual Separators: Color-coded separators between different news sources

⚙️ Configuration Options

• Enable/disable individual sports feeds
• Set number of headlines per feed (1-5)
• Adjust scroll speed and timing
• Configure rotation behavior
• Customize fonts and colors
• Add custom RSS feeds

Default RSS Feeds

The system comes pre-configured with these ESPN RSS feeds:

MLB: http://espn.com/espn/rss/mlb/news
NFL: http://espn.go.com/espn/rss/nfl/news
NCAA FB: https://www.espn.com/espn/rss/ncf/news
NHL: https://www.espn.com/espn/rss/nhl/news
NBA: https://www.espn.com/espn/rss/nba/news
TOP SPORTS: https://www.espn.com/espn/rss/news
BIG10: https://www.espn.com/blog/feed?blog=bigten
NCAA: https://www.espn.com/espn/rss/ncaa/news
Other: https://www.coveringthecorner.com/rss/current.xml

Usage

Command Line Management

Use the enable_news_manager.py script to manage the news manager:

# Check current status
python3 enable_news_manager.py status

# Enable news manager
python3 enable_news_manager.py enable

# Disable news manager
python3 enable_news_manager.py disable

Web Interface

Access the news manager through the web interface:

1. Open your browser to http://your-display-ip:5000
2. Click on the "News Manager" tab
3. Configure your preferred settings:
   • Enable/disable the news manager
   • Select which sports feeds to display
   • Set headlines per feed (1-5)
   • Configure scroll speed and timing
   • Add custom RSS feeds
   • Enable/disable rotation

Configuration File

Direct configuration via config/config.json:

{
  "news_manager": {
    "enabled": true,
    "update_interval": 300,
    "scroll_speed": 2,
    "scroll_delay": 0.02,
    "headlines_per_feed": 2,
    "enabled_feeds": ["NFL", "NCAA FB"],
    "custom_feeds": {
      "My Team": "https://example.com/rss"
    },
    "rotation_enabled": true,
    "rotation_threshold": 3,
    "font_size": 12,
    "font_path": "/usr/share/fonts/truetype/dejavu/DejaVuSans-Bold.ttf",
    "text_color": [255, 255, 255],
    "separator_color": [255, 0, 0]
  }
}

How It Works

Dynamic Length Calculation

The system intelligently calculates the display time for each headline:

1. Text Measurement: Uses PIL to measure the exact pixel width of each headline
2. Scroll Distance: Calculates total distance needed (text width + display width)
3. Timing Calculation: Determines exact scroll time based on speed settings
4. Perfect Spacing: Ensures smooth transitions between headlines

Rotation Algorithm

Prevents repetitive content by:

1. Tracking Display Count: Monitors how many times each headline has been shown
2. Threshold Management: After a configured number of cycles, rotates to new content
3. Feed Balancing: Ensures even distribution across selected feeds
4. Freshness: Prioritizes newer headlines when available

Example Calculation

For a headline "Breaking: Major trade shakes up NFL draft prospects" (51 characters):

• Estimated Width: ~306 pixels (6 pixels per character average)
• Display Width: 128 pixels
• Total Scroll Distance: 306 + 128 = 434 pixels
• Scroll Speed: 2 pixels per frame
• Frame Delay: 0.02 seconds
• Total Time: (434 ÷ 2) × 0.02 = 4.34 seconds

Testing

RSS Feed Test

Test the RSS feeds directly:

python3 simple_news_test.py

This will:

• Test connectivity to ESPN RSS feeds
• Parse sample headlines
• Calculate scroll timing
• Demonstrate rotation logic

Integration Test

Test the full news manager without hardware dependencies:

python3 test_news_manager.py

API Endpoints

The system provides REST API endpoints for external control:

• GET /news_manager/status - Get current status and configuration
• POST /news_manager/update - Update configuration
• POST /news_manager/refresh - Force refresh of news data

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. RSS Feed Not Loading

   • Check internet connectivity
   • Verify RSS URL is valid
   • Check for rate limiting

2. Slow Performance

   • Reduce number of enabled feeds
   • Increase update interval
   • Check network latency

3. Text Not Displaying

   • Verify font path exists
   • Check text color settings
   • Ensure display dimensions are correct

Debug Mode

Enable debug logging by setting the log level:

import logging
logging.basicConfig(level=logging.DEBUG)

Customization

Adding Custom Feeds

Add your own RSS feeds through the web interface or configuration:

"custom_feeds": {
  "My Local Team": "https://myteam.com/rss",
  "Sports Blog": "https://sportsblog.com/feed"
}

Styling Options

Customize the appearance:

• Font Size: Adjust text size (8-24 pixels)
• Colors: RGB values for text and separators
• Font Path: Use different system fonts
• Scroll Speed: 1-10 pixels per frame
• Timing: 0.01-0.1 seconds per frame

Performance

The news manager is optimized for:

• Low Memory Usage: Efficient caching and cleanup
• Network Efficiency: Smart update intervals and retry logic
• Smooth Scrolling: Consistent frame rates
• Fast Loading: Parallel RSS feed processing

Future Enhancements

Planned features:

• Breaking news alerts
• Team-specific filtering
• Score integration
• Social media feeds
• Voice announcements
• Mobile app control

Support

For issues or questions:

1. Check the troubleshooting section
2. Review the logs for error messages
3. Test individual RSS feeds
4. Verify configuration settings