Utility: SageTV Remote Control

[shadeblue.com]

Melloware,

Ok, that sounds like it would work pretty well for SageTV users!

I can provide the list of all the RESTful HTTP calls if you want them.

---
To be fair to you and your time investment, I just want to disclose that I am also considering an iPhone AJAX-based HTTP remote control web page for SageTV. I do not know at this time if I will actually start this project or when I would have the time to complete it, but I just wanted you to know up front. I also don't know how responsive it would perform in comparison to an actual app running on the iPhone. My guess is that an app installed on the iPhone could have a significantly better performance.

Thanks,
shadeBlue

[Melloware]

Hey no problem. I am just a one man show and I try and be as friendly to the user community like SageTV as possible because they are my main customer base. I have NO problem with you building your own iPhone Ajax version of SageTV!

A couple of notes:

1. The HTTP Restful calls and code will be helpful to I think more than SageTV users so its a good enhancement for Intelliremote in general. I think more and more apps have Restful web service calls so it will come in handy down the line I am sure.

2. I would love it if you wouldn't mind BETA testing once I add the code? The iPhone app is FREE and the PC Side is 30 day trial ware for your to figure out if the solution really fits your need or not. If it doesn't then at least it didn't cost you anything.

3. What I have found is that for some of my apps for the iPhone that have a web based Ajax equivalent people prefer the native app because its more responsive and custom tuned to their needs. In this case maybe not so much since i will basically be making the same HTTP call you would from the web app the performance difference might not be so great but for most functions a native app will always be faster. Where Intelliremote will really come in handy and shine is if you use your remote for SageTV and ANY other windows application like Itunes, Winamp, MediaMonkey or whatever.

Looking forward to getting this working! I am on vacation for the next couple of days but hopefully will have something for you to beta test in the next 4-6 days.

[shadeblue.com]

delgross,

Would you be available for BETA testing Intelliremote with your extenders?

To get this working we are discussing the use of RESTful HTTP calls to the SageTV server to control the extenders. This will require that you install Stuckless's sagex.api plugin to your SageTV server. Or if you have already installed my Flash version of SageTV Remote Control, then you already have Stuckless's sagex.api. He has updated to a new version, and I need to go back and update SageTV Remote Control to work with his latest version. Maybe I can get that done over this holiday weekend :-)

Thanks,
shadeBlue

[shadeblue.com]

Originally Posted by Melloware

1. The HTTP Restful calls and code will be helpful ...

Melloware, I have uploaded a document to the file downloads area that lists all the HTTP control queries.

SageTV Remote Control HTTP Query Listing

Thanks,
shadeBlue

[Melloware]

Excellent! Let me look this over. Also I am assuming all of these calls are HTTP POST's and not HTTP GET's?

[shadeblue.com]

Originally Posted by Melloware

Excellent! Let me look this over. Also I am assuming all of these calls are HTTP POST's and not HTTP GET's?

I think they are just basic GETs, although you don't have to worry about the response data. You can copy the URL into a web browser's address bar and just hit ENTER and they work fine.

[Melloware]

This will be a piece of cake then. I have to say its very well done by both plugin implementors for SageTV as it makes it extremely easy for 3rd parties like myself to add support for extenders. Everything knows how to speak HTTP.

I will just add some browserless HTTP code that execute whatever URL you pass to it. I have been meaning to do this for a while now as I know Winamp and Vista Media Center both have similar HTTP plugins but this is finally the push I needed to add that feature.

[shadeblue.com]

Originally Posted by Melloware

This will be a piece of cake then. I have to say its very well done by both plugin implementors for SageTV as it makes it extremely easy for 3rd parties like myself to add support for extenders. Everything knows how to speak HTTP.

I will just add some browserless HTTP code that execute whatever URL you pass to it. I have been meaning to do this for a while now as I know Winamp and Vista Media Center both have similar HTTP plugins but this is finally the push I needed to add that feature.

And most SageTV users already have the Nielm Webserver plugin installed, it is the most popular SageTV plugin :-)

Thanks!
shadeBlue

[shadeblue.com]

NEW RELEASE 1.0.1 is now available.

Download Here

This release addresses the crossdomain security issue that was preventing this plugin from working for some users. Please visit the download page and read the updated installation instructions for information on the crossdomain.xml file included in the new package.

Release 1.0.1 (2008-11-28 - BETA RELEASE)

• fixed config.xml file to load every time and not get cached
• added detailed error information for communication failures
• added crossdomain.xml file to resolve security issues
• updated to support sagex.api-6.4.8-6
• added support to run on JettyStarter plugin
• added preview selected server URL below server listing
• added preview selected UI context ID below UI context listing

____________________________________________________________

To install this web application on jreichen's JettyStarter web server instead of Nielms web server, you would extract the contents of the zip file to a folder named "remote" under the

C:\Program Files\SageTV\SageTV\jetty\webapps\remote

Next, you need to copy this file:

C:\Program Files\SageTV\SageTV\jetty\webapps\remote\sageremotecontrol-jetty-config.xml

to this location:

C:\Program Files\SageTV\SageTV\jetty\contexts\sageremotecontrol-jetty-config.xml


Please following the remaining installation and configuration instructions on the download page.

[shadeblue.com]

Originally Posted by jreichen

Got it up and running!

I had one weird problem but it was easy enough to work around. I loaded the remote before customizing the server url in the xml file so the app showed the default servers. I then updated the xml but the default servers were still displayed after I refreshed the web page. I watched the headers in Firefox using Live Http Headers and it showed a request for the swf and the response showed that it was cached, but there wasn't a request at all for the xml. After clearing the browser cache both files were downloaded again. I would assume the ActionScript in the swf does the request for the xml file so maybe it's not happening in the right place?? Just a guess.

Once I got that working, I then updated the extender names in the xml and they showed up in the remote after refreshing the web page. Strange, but like I said, it's working and wasn't too hard to get running.

Fixed in release 1.0.1

[shadeblue.com]

Originally Posted by nyplayer

I tried 3 different browsers same problem. Also I was able to access the clients webserver home page from the server so there is no problem there. I also do not have any firewall between my clients and the server.

I guess I am the only one that still uses clients :-) and not extenders.

Thanks for your help if you think of anything or want me to try something...let me know.

Time for some NFL :-)

Hi nyplayer,

I think the problem you were experiencing was due to a cross-domain security policy that Flash (as of version 9) has implemented. Basically the Flash player will prevent access to a remote server if the Flash application is not being hosted by that server. The easiest way to get around the issue is to install a crossdomain.xml file to each web server instance on each SageTV server/client. This file will allow you to override the default security policy and extend permission for the Flash application to access each remote server. Please download the latest version (1.0.1) and look at the updated instructions for the crossdomain.xml file included in this new package.

FYI, the defaulf crossdomain.xml file included just opens this security gate wide open, so if you are publicly hosting your web pages for SageTV server on the Internet, you may want to research Flash crossdomain.xml and specify a tighter security policy by defining only the entry points that you want to allow.

If it turns out not to be a crossdomain problem ... I have included additional error information in the display for communication errors.

Thank You,
shadeBlue

[nyplayer]

shadeblue.com,

That works great thank you.

[shadeblue.com]

Originally Posted by nyplayer

shadeblue.com,

That works great thank you.

Excellent, glad to hear it!

Thanks for the update,
shadeBlue

[jreichen]

I had a chance to try out the config.xml fix over the holiday and had mixed results. I could see the request for config.xml being made (seems like once or twice it didn't make it though) but the response from the server was 304 Not Modified so essentially from the user's perspective the same problem still exists. I made sure to update the timestamp on the xml file and refresh the browser page but still got a 304.

[shadeblue.com]

Originally Posted by jreichen

I had a chance to try out the config.xml fix over the holiday and had mixed results. I could see the request for config.xml being made (seems like once or twice it didn't make it though) but the response from the server was 304 Not Modified so essentially from the user's perspective the same problem still exists. I made sure to update the timestamp on the xml file and refresh the browser page but still got a 304.

I'm not sure what to do about that, I am not running a servlet or anything, just static content files being served up from the web container/server. Did you try this on the Tiny web server or on Jetty?

Either way, this should be a fairly minor issue, I would think that you would rarely have to modify this file.

thanks, SB

[jreichen]

Originally Posted by shadeblue.com

I'm not sure what to do about that, I am not running a servlet or anything, just static content files being served up from the web container/server. Did you try this on the Tiny web server or on Jetty?

Jetty.

Originally Posted by shadeblue.com

Either way, this should be a fairly minor issue, I would think that you would rarely have to modify this file.

You're right, plus the workaround is simple (clear the browser cache). It's probably worth making a note in the installation instructions so you won't have to answer it over and over.

Great work!

[shadeblue.com]

Originally Posted by jreichen

Jetty.

You're right, plus the workaround is simple (clear the browser cache). It's probably worth making a note in the installation instructions so you won't have to answer it over and over.

Great work!

I did add the note. Thank you for your help!

-SB

[Bacon2002]

Hi,

I am trying to configure the Remote plugin but I am having some problems, I have tried to follow the instruction as follows:-

1) Webserver installed and tested as working fine

2) Installed the sagex.api - I downloaded the "sagex.api-6.4.8-9" file and copied it to the following directory:-

"c:\Program Files (x86)\SageTV\SageTV\JARs\sagex.api-6.4.8-9"

then I added the following lines of text to the C:\Program Files (X86)
\SageTV\SageTV\webserver\servlet.properties file:-

"# Sage RPC Api
servlet./sagex.code=sagex.remote.SagexServlet"

3) I renamed the existing webremote.html file to webremote.old and copied over the new webremote.html

4) I then amended the config.xml file as follows:-

</server>
-->
<server name="Main SageTV System" url="http://sage_server:8080" >
<ui name="Bedroom Extender" context="0085c53c60a" />
<ui name="Living Room Extender" context="001e40b5a19c" />
</server>
<server name="Media Room SageTV Client" url="http://sage_client:8080" >
<ui name="Local Instance" context="SAGETV_PROCESS_LOCAL_UI" />
</server>
</servers>

5) Restarted the SageTV service

When I access the webserver and select a remote the new webremote comes up and works fine.

If however I enter "http://192.168.0.2:8080/sage/remote/" into a web browser (my SageTV server is on 192.168.0.2) from a PC connected to my network I get the first webremote screen come up, but I do not get the option to select any of my extenders (Bedroom or Living Room).

If I select one of the available options "Main SageTV System" or "Media Room SageTV Client" then I get the following error message:-

"Error encountered communicating with SageTV server:

Please make sure that you have the Nielm Webserver plugin and the Stuckless Remote API (sagex.api) installed and configured properly on the SageTV server.


faultCode:Channel.Security.Error faultString:'Security error accessing url' faultDetail:'Destination: DefaultHTTP'

null"

All I want to be able to do is use the extenders remotely, I am somewhat confused as to what I need to do in order to correct this?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

David

[jreichen]

Is "http://sage_server:8080" the right URL, or should it be "http://192.168.0.2:8080"?

Clear your browser's cache and try the remote again. In my experience, I need to do this any time I change config.xml.

If that doesn't work, please post your sagetv_0.txt file and the latest file from the webserver/log folder.

[shadeblue.com]

When you access your Neilms web server pages, do you have to logon with a username and password? By default the web server requires user authentication. If this is the case, try disabling the user authentication.

Also, this could be the same crossdomain problem seen by nyplayer.

"Basically the Flash player will prevent access to a remote server if the Flash application is not being hosted by that server. The easiest way to get around the issue is to install a crossdomain.xml file to each web server instance on each SageTV server/client. This file will allow you to override the default security policy and extend permission for the Flash application to access each remote server. Please download the latest version (1.0.1) and look at the updated instructions for the crossdomain.xml file included in this new package."

-SB