Netflix Plugin

[DwarF]

I am interested in a netflix plugin ala Meedio. If someone has already started this plugin, please let me know, I don't want to waste time duplicating effort. I have been a developer for about 8 years now, so I am pretty sure I can handle the work. My concerns are more about time. I read through the API and the Studio manual today, so I am getting excited about stating this project.

Cheers,
DwarF

[jagee23]

I think that would be a great idea. I would love to use it!

[sleonard]

I'll use it as well and help test it if you need that. So, when will you have this available? Monday would be great for me

[jlabrue]

Sounds like it could be a cool plugin, what would it feature?

[lotusvball]

I would like this also. I kinda already do this somewhat. I use the RSSnews plugin to get to my quene.

[DwarF]

lotusvball, It would be similar to that. If you goto "My Account" on netflix, down at the bottom menu, there is an "RSS" link.

From there you can get the site features, other than search:
My Queue
Recent Activity
Top 100
New Arrivals
and tops for each genre, such as SciFi, Sports, Romance, etc

I would like an STVi that allows you to navigate these easily, including:
adding to queue (from any of the screens other than recent activity and my queue)
removing from queue
moving up/down in queue
voting
Viewing trailer (for those that have it provided)

I will not have anything by Monday. I am thinking of waiting a little bit before I even get started in earnest, to make sure nobody has already started one. I don't want to compete in burning the midnight oil. If Stanger89 or Opus4 could say that to their knowledge this is a unique effort, I would provide "something" pretty soon.

DwarF

[sleonard]

Just in case, the Monday thing was in jest

[Humanzee]

I have been watching these threads for a while and have never seen anybody say that they are working on a netflix plug-in. However, it has been requested a number of times.

I use netflix and eagerly await your progress reports.

There has also been talk recently about wanting local movie listings.
Check this thread
http://forums.freytechnologies.com/f...ad.php?t=15526
I could see that these ideas might be closely related enough to persue both.

Another idea that I always though would be good to integrate ,if possible, is the data from http://movielens.umn.edu It is a movie rating site that makes personal movie recommendations based on your particualr taste. I.e. You rank a bunch of movies, and it gives you suggestions based on the ratings other people with your same taste have made.

I have been playin with movielens for about 5 years, and have always been impressed with its predictions. I'd say they are always within 1/2 star of what I would actually rate a movie after seeing it. I always check out a new movie before investing in a box office ticket. I think it is more accurate than the netflix recommendations.

The site also has links for each movie to the related IMDB page, so this could feasably be linked into the existing imdb plugin.

Imagine this, use a movielens plugin to get recomended a film, use the imdb plugin to read the plot outline, use the upcoming netflix plugin to add it to your cue. Watch the DVD through SAGE, rank the film and get a new recommendation.

Now if the mailman would deliver to my couch I'd be set.

[DwarF]

quick update:

I have the configuration done, thanks to Opus4's help, and I have the beginings of a jar that retrieves and parses the RSS feed into various xml files representing the channles (queue, recomendations, recent activity, top 100, top 25 of each genre and new arrivals). Now I have to put them together to have a view of those files and I will have something you can download to see.

It will be a wee bit longer to add the functionality in the following order:
add to queue (top 100, new arrivals, top 25 by genre)
move in queue (queue)
rate (recent activity)
view trailer (queue, top 100, new arrivals, top 25 by genre)

cheers,
DwarF