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

[panteragstk]

Originally Posted by ejkeebler

I just reloaded my machine windows and sage. after i installed all my sage plugins, the first thing i did was go to netflix.com and download the netflix player, it installed and made me update wmp to 11, i complied when i went back into netflix and tried watch it now (it's set to custom player and not ie) it asked me to login which was a bit of a pain cause you have about half a second to type your username and password, so you have to keep tabbing back to it, but then a press play to continue screen came up and the video's play fine, i have not had to enter my username and password since, but have oddly had to click the play button one other time.

Where on the netflix page can you download the netflix player?

[gplasky]

I don't think they have a link anymore. Just try to play a video. It should tell you that you need it and start the download dialog on its own. But you if you get the silverlight player then the plugin won't work. Google for NF_Movie_Player_211.msi. That was the WMP based one.


Gerry

[panteragstk]

Thanks. All I ever found was the silverlight player.

EDIT: I still can't use the plugin. I can't configure wmp11 becasue netflix is still trying to make me install silverlight. I have the watch now option with the plugin, but the custom player won't open and I can't download anything for later either. Where do I go from here?

[brainbone]

I'm not sure if any others have found a better way to control Netflix Silverlight via a remote, but if anyone is interested, you're welcome to play around with this Autohotkey script I tossed together.

Notes:
This requires Autohotkey to be installed:.

This script is a hack. It is not well documented, and I never really meant it for public consumption.

I've only used it under Vista. If Netflix changes the graphics for any of the buttons in the silverlight player, it will break this script. If they don't render on your screen as they do on mine, it could break the script.

It looks for an IE netflix watch now window, finds the appropriate buttons, and forces it full screen. Once full screen it allows control of skipping forward/back, and changing to different chapters/episodes by looking for buttons, entering and exiting full screen as needed, and simulating mouse movements and clicks. Other than mute, volume control is not supported at the moment.

- Remote key binding is hard-coded for my remote.

- Left arrow skips backward
- Right arrow skips forward
- Stop or Home exits watch now and returns to sage
- Mute button toggles mutes
- Previous / Next track changes episode (if previous/next episode buttons were found in the netflix viewer)

You can edit the script to add/change bindings.

See
http://www.autohotkey.com/ for download and docs on autohotkey.
http://www.autohotkey.com/docs/Hotkeys.htm will show you how to bind buttons.
http://www.autohotkey.com/docs/KeyList.htm will show you what the different buttons are called.

After autohotkey is installed, extract the attached zip to an appropriate folder, and run "netflix_control.ahk" (I have a shortcut to it in my "startup" items). Now, run sage and allow the netflix plugin to start an IE watch now window.

If there are better ways to control Netflix silverlight with a remote, please let me know.

Edit: See this thread for new versions of Netflix Control

[panteragstk]

I was just wondering if anybody can still play watch now without the silverlight player.

[ejkeebler]

Originally Posted by panteragstk

I was just wondering if anybody can still play watch now without the silverlight player.

yes i am watching videos without silverlight.

[raoul]

I have not installed the silverlight player and I can use the watch now without any problems. However, I am (UNFORTUNATELY) about to have to rebuild my sagetv PC from scratch as something is screwed up with it. I have performed numerous virus scans, harddrive scans, and restored system files without any affect. My next step is to wipe the drive and build it again.

My fear is if I do this, will I be forced to install the silverlight player since the netflix player is removed? Will I lose the ability to use the NetFlix plugin as I have it today? Is there anyway to transfer this over to another harddrive and restore it after the rebuild?

[gplasky]

Originally Posted by raoul

I have not installed the silverlight player and I can use the watch now without any problems. However, I am (UNFORTUNATELY) about to have to rebuild my sagetv PC from scratch as something is screwed up with it. I have performed numerous virus scans, harddrive scans, and restored system files without any affect. My next step is to wipe the drive and build it again.

My fear is if I do this, will I be forced to install the silverlight player since the netflix player is removed? Will I lose the ability to use the NetFlix plugin as I have it today? Is there anyway to transfer this over to another harddrive and restore it after the rebuild?

Check 6 posts up. I just got this working on the extenders and my WHS. Google is your friend.

Gerry

[boognish]

before i go messing with this again I just wanted to double check something.. from what I gather according to Brainbones post above, does the ie window popup and able to play the silverlight player and I just wont be able to control it with the remote? I cant go back to the old version unfortunately since it didnt work with my setup (i have no monitor just s-video out)

i guess ill just go try it soon anyway but wanted to double check

[gplasky]

I believe if you ever used the Silverlight player this plugin won't do anything for WatchNow. But the rest of managing Netflix will work.


Gerry

[brainbone]

Originally Posted by boognish

before i go messing with this again I just wanted to double check something.. from what I gather according to Brainbones post above, does the ie window popup and able to play the silverlight player and I just wont be able to control it with the remote?

First, to clarify, if you're not yet using silverlight, DON'T start using it. You can't go back to non-silverlight account.

That said, the silverlight player "sort of" works with NetFlix for SageMC. You set NetFlix for SageMC to use IE, and it is able to open an IE window with the silverlight player.

What doesn't work on NetFlix for SageMC with a silverlight account:

1) The IE silverlight player will not be full screen. You need to click the "full screen" button with a mouse (or see if my script will do it for you automatically)

2) You can't control the silverlight player with a remote. You must use a mouse (or see if my script will translate your remote buttons to appropriate mouse movements for you).

3) Download and watch later will not work

4) Probably other things.

What does work:

1) Clicking "watch now" on watch now titles will open a IE window playing the title in silverlight. Again, the player is not full screen, and requires use of a mouse to control. (there may be some issues with the IE window not being visible if you use full screen exclusive mode in SageTV)

2) Queue management does work (triple check your Netflix ID - it's long and can be easy to mistype)

[panteragstk]

Originally Posted by gplasky

I believe if you ever used the Silverlight player this plugin won't do anything for WatchNow. But the rest of managing Netflix will work.


Gerry

That would explain why I can't get it to work even with the netflix player. Crap. Is there any way to undo it?

[brainbone]

Originally Posted by panteragstk

Is there any way to undo it?

No. The switch to silverlight is one-way. Any new accounts are created with silverlight by default, and Netflix will not switch you back, even if you're really really nice. I believe netflix will eventually switch everyone over to silverlight. My account seemed to have switched on its own, without my knowledge.

Note that, per my post above, you can still play watch now titles on a SageTV Client (after making sure you can play watch now titles in IE on the client)... it's just a PITA.

[chrisc983]

So is there a way to use the plugin on my hd200 with silverlight?? I just signed up for the Netflix trial and the main reason was to be able to use the plug in, espcially the play now feature.

[gplasky]

Originally Posted by chrisc983

So is there a way to use the plugin on my hd200 with silverlight?? I just signed up for the Netflix trial and the main reason was to be able to use the plug in, espcially the play now feature.

All thru this thread it has been mentioned if you sign up for silverlight it will NOT work with this plugin. (Work the way it was intended.) Three posts above yours it tells you what works and what doesn't.

Originally Posted by brainbone

First, to clarify, if you're not yet using silverlight, DON'T start using it. You can't go back to non-silverlight account.

That said, the silverlight player "sort of" works with NetFlix for SageMC. You set NetFlix for SageMC to use IE, and it is able to open an IE window with the silverlight player.

What doesn't work on NetFlix for SageMC with a silverlight account:

1) The IE silverlight player will not be full screen. You need to click the "full screen" button with a mouse (or see if my script will do it for you automatically)

2) You can't control the silverlight player with a remote. You must use a mouse (or see if my script will translate your remote buttons to appropriate mouse movements for you).

3) Download and watch later will not work

4) Queue management doesn't appear to work (can't add titles to queue, view your queue, etc.)

5) Probably other things.

What does work:

1) Clicking "watch now" on watch now titles will open a IE window playing the title in silverlight. Again, the player is not full screen, and requires use of a mouse to control. (there may be some issues with the IE window not being visible if you use full screen exclusive mode in SageTV)

So on an extender the answer is No because with the hack you would be viewing what is actually being transmitted to your server desktop. It just happens to be captured by your s-video input on your tuner card. And there's no going back from silverlight.

Gerry

[brainbone]

Originally Posted by gplasky

So on an extender the answer is No because with the hack you would be viewing what is actually being transmitted to your server desktop. It just happens to be captured by your s-video input on your tuner card. And there's no going back from silverlight.

Gerry

I have yet to get an extender, so I'm not exactly sure, but, my understanding is that the with the loop-back hack, anything displayed on the desktop will be visible on the extender.

I'm sure I'm missing something here, but, if IE/silverlight is playing the video on the desktop, and thus out the s-video port of the video card, why wouldn't the s-video input of the capture card get it?

On a side note; attached is a slightly updated version of my netflix control script. Main change is that this one has volume control.

If interest is shown in the control script, I'll start another thread and continue to post updates. Otherwise, I'll assume it's not working for anyone else.

Edit: See this thread for new versions of Netflix Control

[Toddupton]

fullscreen works on mine but nothing else...thanks anyway.

[brainbone]

Originally Posted by imstillme22

fullscreen works on mine but nothing else...thanks anyway.

Everything else is hard coded for my remote. If you're using a remote that isn't using the standard windows media buttons it likely won't work without modifying the script (as I tried to explain in my first post, but not well enough).

If you want help getting it working, you'll need to supply more information, like what remote you have, what happens when you try different buttons (does the mouse cursor ever appear?) etc.

[Toddupton]

Hi, thanks for the help. I am using Hauppauge 45 button remote on vista. I do see the mouse once when it does full screen and that is it. When I press volume up or down or anything nothing happens, no mouse moving or anything.

[brainbone]

Could you post your c:\windows\irremote.ini file?