STV Import: NetFlix for SageMC (v2.1) 28-Feb-09

[brainbone]

IE6 must change the window title when in kiosk mode... I'll need to get a VM up and running with IE6 again.

Try the attached. I'm unable to test it fully without IE6, but hopefully it will detect the window with the changed title.

[aflat]

I copied the settings to the sage.properties, still no luck, nothing changed. What logging level can I go up to to get very verbose logging?

[brainbone]

After testing v2 test6 in a VM with IE6, I'm not sure if it's IE6 or the VM causing problems, but:

In Kiosk mode, netflix control attempts to stretch IE6 to full screen, but ends up with a back screen.

In non-kiosk mode, the stretched windows doesn't seem to make it to full screen.

Would requiring IE7 upset everyone?

[mikesm]

Originally Posted by brainbone

After testing v2 test6 in a VM with IE6, I'm not sure if it's IE6 or the VM causing problems, but:

In Kiosk mode, netflix control attempts to stretch IE6 to full screen, but ends up with a back screen.

In non-kiosk mode, the stretched windows doesn't seem to make it to full screen.

Would requiring IE7 upset everyone?

I'm ok with it. I think most IE6 users are XP based, and from my experience windows 7 will be good enough to get most to move over (and you'll get IE 8 actually with winows 7). Getting smooth playback on windows 7 was easier for me than on either XP or Vista.

[Morgan111]

Originally Posted by brainbone

After testing v2 test6 in a VM with IE6, I'm not sure if it's IE6 or the VM causing problems, but:

In Kiosk mode, netflix control attempts to stretch IE6 to full screen, but ends up with a back screen.

In non-kiosk mode, the stretched windows doesn't seem to make it to full screen.

Would requiring IE7 upset everyone?

If you meant to say it ended up with a black screen then that is what I saw as well.

I can go with IE7 myself. I'll give that a shot. I need to verify that I have not broken anything with the original WMP viewer before getting it out tonight. (and then stop the 2nd NF account for running either viewer!)

It does also work with Firefox, although the viewer does not use up the whole screen without a way to open in kiosk mode like IE. There are ways to make it do that, just no easy way with a simple command like option.

[Morgan111]

Originally Posted by aflat

I copied the settings to the sage.properties, still no luck, nothing changed. What logging level can I go up to to get very verbose logging?

After I get this update out I'll get you a test version to generate more info that may be pertinent.

[brainbone]

Originally Posted by Morgan111

It does also work with Firefox, although the viewer does not use up the whole screen without a way to open in kiosk mode like IE. There are ways to make it do that, just no easy way with a simple command like option.

The problem with IE6 and Firefox seems to be that when I grab the size of the Silverlight player, they report the size of the frame the player is contained in (your screen size for IE6 when in kiosk mode), or don't correctly update the reported size after resizing the window using SWP_NOSENDCHANGING. IE7 reports the actual size of the player correctly. In either case, I would need to come up with a different a method of finding the size of the player to use in calculating how much to stretch the window out -- though IE6 seems to have some other issues (black screen) as well.

Can anyone with IE8 report on compatibility with Netflix Control when opening a netflix player in Kiosk mode?

[Morgan111]

2/28/09 Update 2.1

• Add SilverLight player support (includes Brainbones NetFlix Silverlight control v2 test 6).
• Fix missing year info due to website changes.
• Fix actor movies search from actor list on details page due to website chanes.
• Add button to add video to Instant Queue from movie details page.
• Add 3 new channels for Watch Instantly to channel list.
• Add Watch Now icons to search results.
• Remove Download for Later command button when the selected player option is SilverLight player.

DOWNLOAD HERE

To use the silverlight player, select SilverLight as the player type on the options pop-up box in the movie details page.

You must be able to play a silverlight video directly from the netflix website before attempting to use it from Sage.

You must have Internet Explorer 7 or later installed.

The NetFlix plugin should be capable of playing a silverlight video from a server, client or extender (with loopback hack).

Silverlight player controls available through remote:
Pause
Play
FF
REW
Vol up dn
Channel up dn (for changing episodes)
Stop (close player and return to Sage)

[mbowe]

Morgan, what would be your recommended approach to upgrade an existing working environment? Do we need to go back to a SageMC STV pre your Netflix add-on, or can we some how lay on top?

[Morgan111]

Originally Posted by mbowe

Morgan, what would be your recommended approach to upgrade an existing working environment? Do we need to go back to a SageMC STV pre your Netflix add-on, or can we some how lay on top?

You need to eithergo back to an STV revision before NetFlix was installed, or load a clean SageMC STV then import NetFlix and any others that had been imported before.

[brainbone]

I must be doing something wrong:

I reverted to a clean SageMC STV. Copied over and imported Netflix STVi v2.1. Set the STVi to use "Silverlight".

Now, when opening a watch now title, IE does open, but the netflixviewer window opens and takes focus. netflix_silverlight_control.exe never appears to launch. Pressing stop a few times, gets a blue "netflix player is open" message that flickers for a while and finally sagetv come back in focus, but IE is still running.

Also, in case it helps point out where my error is, when browsing titles I don't see any difference in the way watch now titles are marked (still a "*").

[Morgan111]

Brainbone, you obviously have the new import xml since you have the option to select the SilverLight player. You will still see a "*" to indicate Watch Instantly unless you are in list view, where it shows a TV icon. I guess I was planning to indicate those better in poster view (different background or something). I'll put that in the next update.

Check the version of NetflixViewer.exe in your SageTv/SageTv directory. It should have a 2/27 date. The Netflix.jar file in the JARs directory should have a 2/28 date.

[brainbone]

NetflixViewer.exe has a creation date of 2/27, and netflix.jar is 2/28.

(This is on Vista with UAC off, in case that matters)

[Morgan111]

Ug, UAC. I'm not sure haw some things are handled with UAC off, but check the virtualstore...../sagetv path and see if you have an old copy of the player, jar file or xml file there. I know I have had problems before where changes I made to something didn't seem to do anything and then find I have a copy in each directory and it is using the old version.

[brainbone]

Unfortunately, virtualstore doesn't seem to be the problem (no SageTV folder under the virtualstore program files).

[Morgan111]

My Mistake. My last changes to the viewer to fix usage as a custom player broke the operation when silverlight is used. I'm looking at that now and will re-post the download.

[Morgan111]

OK. Updated the download file with a corrected netflixviewer.exe. If anyone already installed the new import files since last night, you can just update with this corrected viewer attachment to the sagetv/sagetv folder.

[lovingHDTV]

Very nice, I like seen the watch now icons.

How do I remove a move from the instatn queue? I don't see the instant queue under My Queue, am I missing something?

thanks,

[mkanet]

Morgan thanks so much!!!! I have two questions:

1) How do I switch to Silverlight as my player in Internet Explorer?
Edit: I found out: www.netflix.com/silverlightoptin

2) Now that we're using Silverlight, would it be easier for you to allowing the option toggle between full screen and window mode?

[Morgan111]

Originally Posted by mkanet

Morgan thanks so much!!!! I have two questions:

1) How do I switch to Silverlight as my player in Internet Explorer?
Edit: I found out: www.netflix.com/silverlightoptin

2) Now that we're using Silverlight, would it be easier for you to allowing the option toggle between full screen and window mode?

I think I may stick with the WMP verson at least for a while. I seem to get a much better picture than the silverlight. Maybe that has to do with the bitrate it picks, but bandwidth should not be a problem for me. Plus I stull have the option of downloading to watch as I want or just from the regular WMP which works out better sometimes when I am working at the computer.

Windowed mode will probably not work out with the silverlight version since there would be a problem detecting the on-screen controls and the inputs all go to the sage player and would prevent you from doing much else on other windows. Correct me if I am wrong there Brainbone or if there may be some options there.