HuLu/Netflix Queue as RSS Feed - Alpha release

[simonen]

UPDATED: 09/28/09 @ 7:05AM PST

Please use the method listed in this thread: http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44446




This is in it's alpha stage so there may be many changes as it evolves.

I have created a batch file and some VBscripts script that will take advantage of EvilPenguin's (upnp2podcast.exe) app. These files allow users to run a single file that will bring in the hulu and netflix users queues through PlayOn and turn them into rss feeds that they can add to SageTV and view the videos directly within the UI (server, client, extenders (HD100 and HD200) and placeshifter (even outside your network)).

Files located here: Expired Link

Instructions:
1.) Requires PlayOn version 2.59.3555 to be installed.
2.) Download the zip file and copy the enclosed "Playonsage" folder to your C:\ drive.
3.) Edit vbscripts (hulu and netflix) so that you replace "192.168.1.2" with your own servers IP address. I think these are only required for Windows 7 (not sure about Vista) users. If you are using XP, you likely do not need these vbscripts as it sets the right IP address (or so I have read). You can simply omit them from the "run.bat" file by editing it (edit out lines 3 and 6).
4.) I am currently using xampplite web server, so the vbscripts and run.bat file are set up to work with that. If you are using a different web server or your htdocs folder is in a different location, you will need to edit these files to your htdocs location.
5.) Running the run.bat file: I used windows task manager to execute this file every hour just to be safe. In addition I placed a shortcut to the file in my startup folder so that if I reboot, it will run the run.bat file automatically. You will need to run the run.bat file after every reboot and likely a few times a day at a minimum (not sure how often PlayOn updates their video links).

Running .bat file invisibly: If you are creating a task to run the run.bat file every few hours, you may not want to have the window pop up on your screen when it runs. Simply add "/c" argument when you set up the task and it will run invisibly. Example: c:\playonsage\run.bat /c


Note: Netflix may hang the first time you try to watch a movie and there are reports of audio sync issues (this is a PlayOn problem).

[matt91]

can't wait to try this tonight. thanks to you and EP for working on this.

Matt

[simonen]

Signed up for Netflix and it works after a minor update to the files. New ones are posted.

One annoying thing that I have noticed is that sometimes the hulu video will drop out as soon as it starts playing, but if you play it again, it is fine. Similar with netflix, it might hang in the buffering stage, but if you stop it and play it again, it is fine.

[bcjenkins]

Curious to know if your PHP files will run in the SageTV Jetty plugin using: http://docs.codehaus.org/display/JETTY/Jetty+and+PHP

B

[mayamaniac]

Is PlayOn software needed? If yes, then maybe you should mention it in the instructions.

[disco340]

Is there anything special that needs to be done on setting up XAMPP? Or is it as simple as just installing? I'm not sure what needs to be configured if any.

[Peter_h]

Sweet.

Will this work with SageMC? I think it should because I have a vague recollection of SageMC calling the default STV for the online video/RSS feeds but I'm not sure.

[Zippster]

Got it up and running on my HD100

Couple issues I am having, when I first load the show it does the Hulu thing as you described and closes, I reload and the show is there but only say 15 seconds or so then closes again, reload and more is there...rinse and repeat.

FF works but the Sage skip and skip2 reverts back to opening brought to you by Hulu.

@Disco, I simply followed the XAMPP on screen directions and up and working, no problems.


Great work, I have been waiting for this for along time.

[simonen]

Zippster, I am assuming this might be sage running into the end of the buffer too quickly (maybe transcoding speed or bandwidth). Try starting the show and pause it for a few seconds and see what happens before continuing.

I don't know enough about this, but maybe there is some kind of switch that can be specified at the end of the link to tell sage to buffer longer or something. Shot in the dark...I assume it likely doesn't work that way though.

[evilpenguin]

Unless you're figuring them out on your own, UPnP.exe isn't grabbing the size/length information for the files. But that's been fixed in UPnP2Podcast.exe. Without those Sage cant' configure the timebar correctly which leads to ffwd/rwd weirdness.

[disco340]

Could somebody give me an example of what the online feed entries are supposed to look like? I would assume I'm supposed to edit both the "CustomOnlineVideoUIText.properties" file and the "CustomOnlineVideoLinks.properties" file. I've never added my own online link so I'm a bit confused on how it's supposed to look. Thanks in advance.

[simonen]

You are right. I have not gotten to that yet. I tried running the new app you uploaded, and I must say this is a much nicer way to go. definitely reduces a lot of steps than what I have.

I am not getting the correct duration for the video files with upnp2podcast.exe, it gives me random times and is different each time I play the video.

Also, maybe you have already thought of this, but the localhost needs to be replaced with the network IP or else the extenders won't work with it.

[Zippster]

Originally Posted by disco340

Could somebody give me an example of what the online feed entries are supposed to look like? I would assume I'm supposed to edit both the "CustomOnlineVideoUIText.properties" file and the "CustomOnlineVideoLinks.properties" file. I've never added my own online link so I'm a bit confused on how it's supposed to look. Thanks in advance.

Sticky at the top of this section.

http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32735

[evilpenguin]

Hmm, the durations in the RSS files are constant, so then I guess we need to figure out where Sage is figuring out the duration of the video.

    <item>
      <title>Amok Time</title>
      <description>Season 02 Episode 01 - Spock undergoes the Vulcan mating ceremony</description>
      <pubDate></pubDate>
      <itunes:subtitle>Season 02 Episode 01 - Spock undergoes the Vulcan mating ceremony</itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:duration>0:50:30.0</itunes:duration>
      <enclosure url="http://10.0.1.2:63478/cbs-dddd24cc-efd2-4a36-882e-9fb8891dd1c0/1-cbs-dddd24cc-efd2-4a36-882e-9fb8891dd1c0.mpg" length="
    </item>

I actually have a lot of questions for Sage about what tags they are using and how to best format the RSS file for maximum compatibility. To many guess's right now.

[simonen]

It looks like the video dropping out is definitely the source of the duration issue. Whenever it says the video is 0:00 long, it immediately quits. If it says that it is 45 seconds long, it quits after 45 seconds. So either the duration tags are not being used correctly or sage is ignoring them for some reason.

I looked at the NBC nightly news feed and they do not use any leading or trailing zeros in their itunes.duration. I will edit the rss file produced from upnp2podcast and see what effect that has. Another shot in the dark...

[disco340]

Originally Posted by simonen

It looks like the video dropping out is definitely the source of the duration issue. Whenever it says the video is 0:00 long, it immediately quits. If it says that it is 45 seconds long, it quits after 45 seconds. So either the duration tags are not being used correctly or sage is ignoring them for some reason.

I looked at the NBC nightly news feed and they do not use any leading or trailing zeros in their itunes.duration. I will edit the rss file produced from upnp2podcast and see what effect that has. Another shot in the dark...

Not sure if you noticed this or not. When you first play the video, like you said it will imediately drop. If you wait about a minute and play the same video the time code increases, wait another minute and it increases even more. Could this be because of the way Playon proccess the video? I remeber at one time or another that playon would continue to process the whole video until done regardless if you watch the whole thing or not.

[simonen]

I just edited the rss file to remove the leading and trailing zeros from the itunes.duration and it showed the correct duration right from the first time I tried to play the video and it didn't drop out.

[Zippster]

Originally Posted by simonen

I just edited the rss file to remove the leading and trailing zeros from the itunes.duration and it showed the correct duration right from the first time I tried to play the video and it didn't drop out.

Sounds like progress.

I was just going to post more of my observations, my player always starts paused. I had the same short time issues as posted, but now it shows all zeros and no time at all. ( videos play, just never get a time )

One other thing, I think the updates from Hulu may have to be quite often as it was only about 30 minutes since I ran the bat file before my extender wasnt finding them and had to manually run it again.

[simonen]

Did you restart playon or your server? I think that it is playon that is mixing them up, not hulu.

[pjpjpjpj]

I've never looked into PlayOn before, and admittedly have not followed the "quest for hulu" here much, but this has my interest piqued.

I checked out the PlayOn site and saw this quote:

PlayOn lets you watch Netflix, Hulu, CBS, YouTube, CNN, ESPN and more on your TV

Does this mean that this plug-in opens the door (potentially) to getting CBS, CNN, ESPN, etc., streaming web video as well as the aforementioned hulu and netflix?