Queue - Premium HTPC Launcher

A Roku-inspired, elegant launcher for Windows streaming apps and HTPC media centers. Queue provides a beautiful, customizable interface to manage and launch your favorite streaming services and applications.

Features

🎨 Beautiful Interface

• Roku-inspired design with sleek, modern aesthetics
• Customizable backgrounds - choose from included images or use your own
• Four tile sizes - Small, Medium, Large, Extra Large
• Auto-scaling - Adapts to any screen resolution (1080p to 4K)
• Dark theme optimized for viewing at a distance

🚀 Smart App Detection

• Automatic Windows Store app scanning - Finds your installed streaming apps
• UWP app support with multi-tier launch fallback
• Custom app management - Add, edit, or remove apps
• Auto-detection of popular services:
  • Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Prime Video
  • Apple TV, Spotify, Twitch, Pandora
  • Pluto TV, Tubi, Kodi, ESPN, and more

🎮 Remote-Friendly Navigation

• Keyboard/controller support - Navigate with arrow keys or gamepad
• Auto-hiding cursor - Clean, distraction-free experience
• Settings tile - Customize your launcher appearance and behavior
• Exit confirmation - Prevent accidental closures

⚙️ Extensive Customization

• Custom backgrounds - Gradient or image backgrounds
• Tile size adjustment - Four sizes with automatic scaling
• Clock format - 12-hour or 24-hour display
• App-specific icons - Customize tile images for each app
• Color themes - Brand-accurate colors for each service

Installation

Requirements

• Python 3.8 or higher
• Windows 10/11 (Windows Store app support requires Windows)

Setup

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/Queue.git
   cd Queue

2. Install dependencies:

   pip install PyQt6

3. Run the launcher:

   python Queue.py

Project Structure

Queue/
├── Queue.py              # Main entry point
├── main_window.py        # Core UI and window management
├── app_launcher.py       # Application launching logic
├── app_scanner.py        # Windows Store app detection
├── config_manager.py     # Configuration persistence
├── constants.py          # App definitions and styling
├── dialogs.py            # Settings and dialogs
├── widgets.py            # Custom UI components
├── logger.py             # Logging utilities
├── tiles/                # App tile images
├── backgrounds/          # Background images
└── agents/               # AI agent specifications

Usage

First Launch

On first run, Queue will:

1. Scan for installed Windows Store apps
2. Create a grid layout with detected apps
3. Add a Settings tile for customization

Navigation

• Arrow Keys / D-Pad - Navigate between tiles
• Enter / Start - Launch selected app
• Esc / Back - Open exit confirmation

Settings

Press Enter on the Settings tile to access:

• UI Settings - Background image, tile size, clock format
• Windows Apps - View, edit, or remove installed apps
• Add Apps - Scan for and add Windows Store apps

Adding Apps

1. Navigate to Settings → Add Apps
2. Choose "Auto Search" to scan all apps
3. Select apps to add and click "Add Selected Apps"

Custom Backgrounds

1. Place images in the backgrounds/ folder
2. Go to Settings → UI Settings → Background
3. Select your custom image

Supported formats: .jpg, .png, .webp

Customization

Tile Images

For best results, use:

• Format: PNG with transparency (recommended) or SVG
• Size: 900 × 504px (2× Extra Large for high-DPI)
• Aspect Ratio: 16:9

See TILE_IMAGE_GUIDELINES.md for detailed specifications.

Configuration File

Settings are saved in queue_config.json:

{
    "background_image": "backgrounds/Custom.jpg",
    "tile_size": "Medium",
    "clock_format": "12-hour",
    "custom_apps": [
        {
            "name": "Netflix",
            "path": "shell:AppsFolder\\4DF9E0F8.Netflix_mcm4njqhnhss8!Netflix",
            "color": "#e50914",
            "icon_path": "netflix.png"
        }
    ]
}

Supported Apps

Queue automatically detects and supports these streaming services:

• Netflix
• Disney+
• Hulu
• Amazon Prime Video
• Apple TV
• Spotify
• Twitch
• Pandora
• Pluto TV
• Tubi
• Kodi
• ESPN
• NBC Sports
• Crunchyroll
• Amazon Music
• Classic Movies
• And many more!

Development

Architecture

Queue uses a modular architecture:

• Queue.py - Entry point and app initialization
• main_window.py - UI layout and navigation
• app_launcher.py - Launch logic for UWP and Win32 apps
• app_scanner.py - PowerShell-based app detection
• config_manager.py - JSON configuration handling
• constants.py - Centralized app definitions and styling

Adding New Services

To add support for a new streaming service:

1. Edit constants.py:

   TARGET_APPS = {
       "Your Service": {
           "patterns": [r"YourServicePattern"],
           "color": "#YourColor"
       }
   }

2. Add a tile image to tiles/ folder

Logging

Logs are saved in the logs/ directory with timestamps:

• Application startup
• App scanning results
• Launch attempts
• Error messages

Roadmap

• Media file playback support
• Game ROM launcher
• Theme marketplace
• Multi-monitor support
• Advanced search functionality

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/AmazingFeature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some AmazingFeature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/AmazingFeature)
5. Open a Pull Request

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Credits

• Inspired by Roku's elegant interface
• Built with PyQt6
• Designed for HTPC enthusiasts

Support

For issues, questions, or feature requests, please open an issue on GitHub.

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Made with ❤️ for HTPC enthusiasts