DVD (disk) playback from extender?

[popechild]

Is it possible to playback a disk that's loaded in the server tray from the extender (HD100)? I can go into the Videos section and choose "play other file" and play a specific .vob that way, but I'd like to be able to play the entire disk structure if possible.

This would especially be helpful for rentals that I don't want to have to rip before I'm able to watch them on the extender.

And ideally, it'd be nice to be able to use the "DVD" option on the main menu to kick off playback.

Anyone know if this is possible?

[MeInMaui]

Put a DVD in the drive and then add the drive as a library import directory. When you do an import scan, Video_ts will show up as a new item in the video library, allowing you to play DVD discs directly. I use this all the time.

Aloha,
Mike

[popechild]

Interesting. So would that mean you that have to do a rescan every time you want a new disk to show up and then again whenever you're done to remove it? What happens when you don't have a disk in there - do automatic scans basically "remove" the video_ts from the video library, or does it still show up but now it's empty?

I've got so many videos in so many different UNC folders that a scan typically takes me a good 10 minutes or so, but if automatically removes the folder on the next scan after I remove the disk, then I'll only have to manually do the scan when I'm adding a disk back in, right? Maybe that wouldn't be too bad.

Any idea what it's looking for when I select DVD from the main menu on the extender? The screen turns black for a while like it's going to try to play something, but then it just throws an error eventually.

[popechild]

Err... just tried this, and I got a really weird problem. Instead of an item in my video library showing up named video_ts, I got two new items - both other dvds that I have in other import directories. Except they're showing up at the top level instead of in the folders they should be in. ("Boys Don't Cry" and "Goldeneye") The DVD I have in the tray is a home burnt dvd of home movie footage.

Even weirder: if I try to play Boy's Don't Cry, it plays fine (even though it's showing up in the wrong place). If I try to play Goldeneye, it actually plays the DVD I have in the tray.

Any ideas?

[scott2020]

Originally Posted by MeInMaui

Put a DVD in the drive and then add the drive as a library import directory. When you do an import scan, Video_ts will show up as a new item in the video library, allowing you to play DVD discs directly. I use this all the time.

Aloha,
Mike

Do you do this while the extender is in stand-alone mode or while connected to the SageTV server? Every time I try I get a playback exception, and I thought it was due to the fact that encrypted DVD's can't be played over an extender? I set up the video import directory and see the VIDEO_TS but it doesn't play a regular rented DVD.

Scott

[stanger89]

Correct, encrypted DVDs can't be played by the extenders.

[gianpieroizzo]

I usually play encrypted DVDs on the extender using DVD43 on the server. It normally works fine.

Gian Piero

[CollinR]

He was giving the company line, he very well knows there are hacks that allow all sorts of stuff.

[stanger89]

It's a factual statement. The Sage extenders can't play Encypted DVDs. It's as simple as that. There are ways to make encrypted DVD appear to be unencrypted, but discussion of that is not terribly well tollerated here.

[popechild]

Originally Posted by gianpieroizzo

I usually play encrypted DVDs on the extender using DVD43 on the server. It normally works fine.

Gian Piero

Do you also set the drive as an import directory and do a scan of it when you put in a new disk?