Netflix?

[sclamage]

I've been using the Netflix WMC plugin for this. I just used the customizable menu plugin to add an item to launch WMC straight to Netflix. When I'm done I just exit WMC and Sage pops back up. (I don't use WMC for anything else.)

The plugin looks great, and the quality is pretty good but the playback can be a little jerky sometimes - something that Netflix claims will be fixed in some future Silverlight update. Anyway, it's good enough for now, and much better than the Playon solution.

Of course, the big drawback to this is that it only works on my HTPC, and not the extenders, so it's not a viable approach for many people. I ended up putting a Sony Blu-Ray player with Netflix support in my living room (where my extender is), so I've managed to work around that for now. I'd still love to see this built into Sage too someday.

[OneOfMany]

sclamage,

I'm a little daft here. Which Customizable Menu plugin are you referring to?

Grant

[jm9843]

I use the Sage HD300 HDMI-out into a Logitech Revue with Google TV to supplement the Sage experience with Netflix and Web-sourced video. Being able to use the HD300 like you normally would while being able to call up Google TV with the press of a button is a somewhat expensive yet elegant solution to some of Sage's shortcomings.

Since the most recent Google TV update you can hit the Search key and type the name of a TV show or movie. In the search results there is an option that takes you to a specially formatted "TV Series" or "Movie" page in the Chrome browser. The page includes a list of sources that are available including upcoming showings in your programming guide data, Amazon VOD, or Netflix. Selecting the later automatically opens the Netflix app and takes you to the show or movie for instant streaming.

Imo, Sage would be better served cozying up to Google TV once the SDK/Android Market releases early next year than by tying up resources on native Netflix support. In that way they can focus on their core strengths of DVR - an area that will need to be served on whichever Smart TV platform takes hold.

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by jm9843

I use the Sage HD300 HDMI-out into a Logitech Revue with Google TV to supplement the Sage experience with Netflix and Web-sourced video. Being able to use the HD300 like you normally would while being able to call up Google TV with the press of a button is a somewhat expensive yet elegant solution to some of Sage's shortcomings.

Since the most recent Google TV update you can hit the Search key and type the name of a TV show or movie. In the search results there is an option that takes you to a specially formatted "TV Series" or "Movie" page in the Chrome browser. The page includes a list of sources that are available including upcoming showings in your programming guide data, Amazon VOD, or Netflix. Selecting the later automatically opens the Netflix app and takes you to the show or movie for instant streaming.

Imo, Sage would be better served cozying up to Google TV once the SDK/Android Market releases early next year than by tying up resources on native Netflix support. In that way they can focus on their core strengths of DVR - an area that will need to be served on whichever Smart TV platform takes hold.

Though at that cost (HD300 + Logitech Revue) you could have a very nice i3 based pc client, and get everything in one system as well - PLUS full bluray support.. ;-)

[stanger89]

And driver, decoder, and other PC issues

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by stanger89

And driver, decoder, and other PC issues

Man, that get's old... Windows 7 + sage7 + ffdshow... done. All formats, all working great... my latest i3 client went from empty box, to fully supporting everything in a hour and 15 minutes.. thats building, installing windows, installing drivers, updates, sagetv client, ffdshow, and TMT3. The longest part was sitting there programming in the remote codes...

[stanger89]

Well there was a in there. But that still doesn't get around issues like, lack of native output switching, inconsistent PC vs Video level output, etc. I loved my HTPC and defended it to the end, until I got my HD100, and then for some reason, my level of patience with an HTPC dropped to about 0.

[OneOfMany]

Agree with Fuzzy on this one. Two WHS boxes. 3 dedicated PC Clients running Win7 Pro64. One Atom mini-ITX, a E5200 w/intergated Cuda9300 graphics, and a E7500 w/ Radeon 5450. Just setup, installed ffdshow, Haali splitter and AC3filter. Gigabit LAN wired, giga switch. Plays everything.

Am even using a T7250 2Ghz Centrino laptop w/ nVidia 8400M graphics, wireless N, Win7 Pro (both Client and Placeshifter) and also have Client installed on my wife's old Toshiba Celeron 1.4Ghz with Radeon graphics laptop XP Pro SP3 (with an N card).

[Fuzzy]

I have native output switching, using ReClock... at least for framerates... I prefer to send 1080p to my set, as it's older, and doesn't scale as well as my PC client does. Though I've had to disable it for my BluRay's, since for some stupid reason my tv won't enable 3D mode at 24Hz, only 60Hz... strange, and frustrating...

[SteveD]

Originally Posted by ranger

Maybe it's just me but I don't understand something. If it costs money or a commitment of X number of users to get a Netflix plugin approved, how did the guy that wrote the Netflix viewer noted in Steve's post manage it? I don't see where he could have possibly met any conditions like that. On the other hand, the viewer is a bit clumsy, especially when it comes to downloading information from Netflix (failed or took too long). I don't really use it anymore since I got a TV that has a NetFlix viewer built in.

I use PC clients because of the flexibility that the HD playback devices don't offer. The Netflix viewer database has been getting better and faster with the later releases. It is clumsy, I have to remember what keys on the remote do what to use the remote, but I manage the queue on my laptop maybe once a week and just playback through the application. You can fast forward/rewind. I believe someone who is a good eventghost programmer could create keyboard macros that could automate some of the fast forward rewind steps ( can't be in fullscreen to do either). and make navigating the application better.

I have a lifetime for playon also, but stopped using it because of issues described earlier.

The pc is the ultimate entertainment client for me, Sagetv can't do it all, innovative programmers create plugins that extend it capabilities to a point. Then we have to seek other applications to bring us the rest of the way. When I can load software on an extender to make it meet a need, I will buy one. The MVP taught me that lesson, threw them all out to play HD without transcoding. Just my observations.

Example
Squeezebox - slimplayer plugin
Mymovies- sagemymovies plugin
Huludesktop - native app
Netflix tx viewer - independent developer

[SteveD]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

Man, that get's old... Windows 7 + sage7 + ffdshow... done. All formats, all working great... my latest i3 client went from empty box, to fully supporting everything in a hour and 15 minutes.. thats building, installing windows, installing drivers, updates, sagetv client, ffdshow, and TMT3. The longest part was sitting there programming in the remote codes...

Agreed, 3 pc clients without the latest and greatest processors,video cards that I built, and they work great. see signature.

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

I have native output switching, using ReClock... at least for framerates...

Last time I tried that it required restarting PowerDVD every time the resolution switched because PowerDVD couldn't handle it and died. And TMT would not run on my hardware period. And the HD100 played a lot of my Dish recordings smoother than the PC ever did. I used to be in your position, saying HTPCs were great and easy to set up, and argued with people who said they were hard. Let's just say I've grown to sympathize with those who find HTPCs for video playback troublesome.

[jptheripper]

Man i am seriously considering doing a Netflix plugin ( i do alot of javascript/java development with REST, which looks like it is exactly what the netflix API is), but think I would be in way over my head as my "first" studio project..

decisions..

[Fuzzy]

All a netflix plugin would really need to do is present the video library, and get the 'ID' from it. Then launch a web page for the video using the ID. It's control of the web page that has the problems, and what even the netflix tx viewer can't do well (things like not working full screen is silly - and a netflix limitation).

[panteragstk]

Originally Posted by SteveD

I believe someone who is a good eventghost programmer could create keyboard macros that could automate some of the fast forward rewind steps ( can't be in fullscreen to do either). and make navigating the application better.

I have an eventghost plugin and some automatic scripts that do exactly what you want. Would you like them?

Man i am seriously considering doing a Netflix plugin ( i do alot of javascript/java development with REST, which looks like it is exactly what the netflix API is), but think I would be in way over my head as my "first" studio project..

decisions..

Needless to say you would be the hero of the day. I've never used studio and I'm attempting to tackle the music ui.

[jptheripper]

I'd love to chat off-forum and get your impressions about studio as a noob. Just need to know what i am in for.

Originally Posted by panteragstk

Needless to say you would be the hero of the day. I've never used studio and I'm attempting to tackle the music ui.

[SteveD]

Originally Posted by panteragstk

I have an eventghost plugin and some automatic scripts that do exactly what you want. Would you like them?

Sure, would appreciate that very much.

[ranger]

Originally Posted by panteragstk

I have an eventghost plugin and some automatic scripts that do exactly what you want. Would you like them?

I'd like to give them a try too.

[sclamage]

Originally Posted by OneOfMany

sclamage,

I'm a little daft here. Which Customizable Menu plugin are you referring to?

Grant

Sorry, I was referring to the V6 dynamic menu plugin, which doesn't work with V7:
http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13527

I haven't actually upgraded my setup to V7 yet, so I don't have an answer yet for how to get this going in V7... I guess I'll have to putter around in Studio.

Anyway, the tricky part was figuring out how to launch WMC straight into the Netflix plugin. Turns out this is the magic command to use for that:

\windows\ehome\ehshell.exe -launchcoded:{e6f46126-f8a9-4a97-9159-b70b07890112}\{982ea9d3-915c-4713-a3c8-99a4688b7c59}?

I don't remember how I derived that; I only remember that it was painful and took a lot of digging

[ranger]

Originally Posted by sclamage

I've been using the Netflix WMC plugin for this. I just used the customizable menu plugin to add an item to launch WMC straight to Netflix. When I'm done I just exit WMC and Sage pops back up. (I don't use WMC for anything else.)

How do you launch WMC straight to NetFlix? I have playing around with the startup switches for WMC trying to get that to work and haven't been able to yet.