STV Import: SlimPlayer 2.0 - Slacker, Pandora, Sirius,... on Extenders

[mkanet]

RedCoat, sorry for the inconvenience. I think the current version of slimplayer doesn't add itself automatically. Its super easy to add it yourself.

On your Main Menu screen, just press the, "Options" button on your remote control. Then, select, "Main Menu Options". Then select the option on the left of the screen called, "New". Then, select "New Internal Screen". Scroll down to "Slimplayer by Koelec" and give it the name you want to call it on your Main Menu; such as "Internet Music".

Originally Posted by RedCoat999

Sorry,
Using SageMC on HD200. I don't have anything new in the Music screen and I can't find anything resembling Slimplayer as a new item to add in the menu. What should I be looking for?
Thanks

[Peter_h]

My install added it to the dynamic menu but not in the music screen. So, from the main menu if I highlighted music and hit "Up", slimplayer is one of the options. If I go into the music submenu, there is no slimplayer option.

[mkanet]

I think I now understand what you're saying. It's not supposed to do what youre saying.

Below, is the only place it's supposed to add itself is in the submenu below. If you dont see it there, it might be because your display isnt high-res enough to show all the items in a submenu... and may need to press the up/down button to show it. Personally, I replaced the whole My Music section under Main Menu with Slimplayer (and called it Music) since SageTV's builtin music player, IMO, is useless.

Originally Posted by Peter_h

My install added it to the dynamic menu but not in the music screen. So, from the main menu if I highlighted music and hit "Up", slimplayer is one of the options. If I go into the music submenu, there is no slimplayer option.

[koelec]

I just uploaded version 2.1.1 update of the slimplayer plugin for both default and sageMC STV.
You can download it from the slimplayer project's homepage:
http://code.google.com/p/slimplayerp...downloads/list

It's just a minor update which contains the following changes:

• better artist news ticker implementation
• slimplayer option to disable ticker
• sageMC layout improvements

- Chris

[mkanet]

Chris is just being modest here. This is a VERY polished version of Simplayer. Chris spent a lot of time getting the Slimplayer layout down to the thousandth of a decimal point precision. Personally, this is the version I'll be using.. the "gold release" of Slimplayer 2.

Originally Posted by koelec

I just uploaded version 2.1.1 update of the slimplayer plugin for both default and sageMC STV.
You can download it from the slimplayer project's homepage:
http://code.google.com/p/slimplayerp...downloads/list

It's just a minor update which contains the following changes:

• better artist news ticker implementation
• slimplayer option to disable ticker
• sageMC layout improvements

- Chris

[RedCoat999]

In the instructions, should the audio repeater have Virtual Audio Cable 1 as the "Wave In" or "Wave Out"?

And to update to 2.1.1 with Sage MC running on a HD200, how to do?

One more, should I be doing the hardware loop? I do not have any PVR150's or any other capture cards.

It appears I am so close. The Sage on the extender is showing the now playing and updating pictures etc (I am using Slacker, it appears it will not let me use Pandora), but i have no sound.

Thanks

[Wirenut]

So I was running version 2.0 til the upgrade. I had no problems with that version and all worked properly.

I'm using the latest Sage release version and WinXP sp3.

I updated from ver 2.0 of the plugin to 2.1.1 last night by: Removing the ver 2.0 plugin and rebuilding the STV with imports[without the slimplayer plugin]. Stopping the Sage Service, Closing all clients and Unzipping the contents to their respective places in the SageTV directories, overwriting the old files, and maintaining paths. Restarting the service and the client UI... Then I imported the ver 2.1.1 slimplayer plugin and allowed the UI to rebuild the STV with the new import.

I then went to the slimplayer plugin under online services and selected a station from my list. It played, but didn't auto transition to the "Now Playing" screen... I did have that option selected and waited a few minutes. So, then I manually selected the "Now Playing" window with a click of the remote and the UI hung. I restarted the client and even rebooted trying each time without ever getting to the "Now Playing" window successfully. When the UI hangs I have no control over SageTV anymore, so a restart of the client is required. There is artist info shown in the small screen at the bottom of the Slimplayer main screen. A picture and a ticker are there. However, I can't get to the "now playing" screen.

So I removed the ver 2.1.1 import and imported ver 2.0 STVi [keeping the new jar files and the contents of the zip file from the 2.1.1 upgrade] and it works again. ...without hanging the UI.

I'm not at the server at the moment, but I believe I have the latest version of softsqueeze installed.... not sure about squeezecenter.

Also, this is an upgrade from 2.0 directly to 2.1.1, skipping any version released in between.

Any ideas?

Wirenut

[SteveW]

Originally Posted by RedCoat999

In the instructions, should the audio repeater have Virtual Audio Cable 1 as the "Wave In" or "Wave Out"?

And to update to 2.1.1 with Sage MC running on a HD200, how to do?

One more, should I be doing the hardware loop? I do not have any PVR150's or any other capture cards.

It appears I am so close. The Sage on the extender is showing the now playing and updating pictures etc (I am using Slacker, it appears it will not let me use Pandora), but i have no sound.

Thanks

I have the same situation as Redcoat. Everything is installed and set up, can see and control slimplayer in sagemc, see debug info in the sgraphrecorder window and that the mpgs are being created (albeit there was no C:\Program Files\Slimplayer folder - I had to create it and put the sgraphrecorder files in there).

Level meters in audio repeater would seem to show I'm getting audio for VAC (albeit they're only moving up 1/4 of the possible meter).

With all of this working, I'm getting no sound on any extender (nor the server's client for that matter).

I've retraced my steps but can't find the issue. Any suggestions?

Steve

[mkanet]

Maybe Chris, might be able to outline more detailed instructions. It looks like there's something common thats not being done correctly to make it work.

Originally Posted by SteveW

I have the same situation as Redcoat. Everything is installed and set up, can see and control slimplayer in sagemc, see debug info in the sgraphrecorder window and that the mpgs are being created (albeit there was no C:\Program Files\Slimplayer folder - I had to create it and put the sgraphrecorder files in there).

Level meters in audio repeater would seem to show I'm getting audio for VAC (albeit they're only moving up 1/4 of the possible meter).

With all of this working, I'm getting no sound on any extender (nor the server's client for that matter).

I've retraced my steps but can't find the issue. Any suggestions?

Steve

[SteveW]

As Redcoat mentioned, the instructions say to set the wave input on the audio repeater to virtual cable 1, but there is no mention what if anything should be done with wave output. If I temporarily set the output from "none" to my server's audio card, I do hear the station I'm tuning to through the speakers on my server, so all of that is working...

Anyone have any ideas?

[MTisza]

So I've been following the instructions as best I can. And I reached a step I can't get passed.

4 paste the following lines to sagetv.properties
mmc/encoders/123/1/0/available_channels=

Problem is I don't have a sagetv.properties file. I have Sage.properties, and I have SageClient.properties, but no sagetv.properties. I've tried both of those files and then undid my changes, but neither helped.

I have installed 6.6.2 for the server on XPpro SP3. For the HD200's version varies, but the latest 9/03 beta is the one I'm playing with now.

Also one previous step I silently ignored because I couldn't do it was:

5 Verify slimplayer is connected to squeezeCenter by selecting (ctrl-i) or the info button on the remote

ctrl-i doesn't do anything for me when I'm in the slimplayer section (which is where the step previous to this step implies I should be doing this), it does shows a lot on info if I do it at the main menu, but I don't see anything about slimplayer or SqueezeCenter.

I can also predict a problem in the next step

6 start sagetv server and extender and go into setup capture sources and choose "Slimplayer on ....." - choose no tuning, no EPG and enable only first channel

Where is the option for "setup capture sources". I've got "setup video sources". Is that what is being referred to here?

Somebody please tell me what I'm doing wrong.

[MTisza]

I was able to modify sage.properties and get the slimplayer to show up under setup video sources.

Not sure what to do when the instructions say enable only the first channel. However I appear to be at the same place redcoat is which is if I direct the audio in the Audio Repeater to my speakers on the server, I can control it form the HD200 extender now.

Also weird, and maybe a clue, is that when I first open up slimplayer in online services I get audio from a TV channel (some spanish cooking show) This audio is from the HD200 extender not the server. Then if I hit stop playing and play again, all I here is the expected SC audio coming from the server speakers.

Oh and for anyone that is stuck not seeing slimplayer show up in online services, it appears that you need the Dynamic menus stvi. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. I suggest dependencies like this go into the instructions.

Is softsqueeze a requirement?

[SteveW]

Originally Posted by SteveW

I have the same situation as Redcoat. Everything is installed and set up, can see and control slimplayer in sagemc, see debug info in the sgraphrecorder window and that the mpgs are being created (albeit there was no C:\Program Files\Slimplayer folder - I had to create it and put the sgraphrecorder files in there).

Level meters in audio repeater would seem to show I'm getting audio for VAC (albeit they're only moving up 1/4 of the possible meter).

With all of this working, I'm getting no sound on any extender (nor the server's client for that matter).

I've retraced my steps but can't find the issue. Any suggestions?

Steve

Sigh... Not much traffic in this thread. Guess I'll have to uninstall it for now and wait and see if some better installation instructions show up in the future so I can see where the problem is. Bummer... Was looking forward to trying it once the SageMC STV version was available....

-S

[mkanet]

Actually, there's very good news about the traffic on this thread. There area lot of happy campers. Once it works... it just works really reliable like an FM radio. Just a thought... hardware loopback is much easier to setup. You can do it with a $45 USB capture card. I actually prefer hardware loopback myself.

Originally Posted by SteveW

Sigh... Not much traffic in this thread. Guess I'll have to uninstall it for now and wait and see if some better installation instructions show up in the future so I can see where the problem is. Bummer... Was looking forward to trying it once the SageMC STV version was available....

-S

[RedCoat999]

Originally Posted by mkanet

Actually, there's very good news about the traffic on this thread. There area lot of happy campers. Once it works... it just works really reliable like an FM radio. Just a thought... hardware loopback is much easier to setup. You can do it with a $45 USB capture card. I actually prefer hardware loopback myself.

But for the rest of us who have been waiting for implementation with SageMC on the HD200, talk of "hardware/software loopback" and the like in the confusing instructions means absolutely nothing to us. I consider myself to be pretty computer savvy, and have many plugins working on my system, but this one stumps me, and I am not getting any response to my questions.

[mkanet]

I dont see anyone here waiting for hardware loopback. The last person, just mentioned they set it up. But I do agree, we do need software loopback instructions; which is more involved and depends on more things to be set right. I'll try to make the instructions as soon as I get time to set up software loopback again.

Originally Posted by RedCoat999

But for the rest of us who have been waiting for implementation with SageMC on the HD200, talk of "hardware/software loopback" and the like in the confusing instructions means absolutely nothing to us. I consider myself to be pretty computer savvy, and have many plugins working on my system, but this one stumps me, and I am not getting any response to my questions.

[SteveW]

Originally Posted by RedCoat999

But for the rest of us who have been waiting for implementation with SageMC on the HD200, talk of "hardware/software loopback" and the like in the confusing instructions means absolutely nothing to us. I consider myself to be pretty computer savvy, and have many plugins working on my system, but this one stumps me, and I am not getting any response to my questions.

Don't feel bad Redcoat. I run the server side of a large network and it's stumping me too. :-) Same here - have had lots of success with other STVi's, but not this one.

I would PREFER to go software loopback. The reason being I have multiple HD-PVRs, a Davis Weather Station Vantage Pro2 USB, UPS monitoring, and a Boltek lightening detector all connected to this server. Internally I have the graphics card, the Boltek card, the modem for YAC, etc. I have one slot left I'm leaving open for more SATA ports. And this was NOT a small motherboard - I bought it with as many ports as possible.

So frankly, if I can avoid hanging yet another external USB device off of it and use software loopback, I'd be a happy camper...

-S

[mkanet]

Man, I feel bad now. I will try my best to write up straight forward software loopback documentation this weekend. It looks like most people have it 99% setup correctly (and it looks like its going to work) except there's no audio on the extender.

BTW, I think you would be surprised to know how many people maintain, design, and admin large scale enterprise networks on these types of forums (SageTV, AVS Forum) ...me being one of them

Originally Posted by SteveW

Don't feel bad Redcoat. I run the server side of a large network and it's stumping me too. :-) Same here - have had lots of success with other STVi's, but not this one.

I would PREFER to go software loopback. The reason being I have multiple HD-PVRs, a Davis Weather Station Vantage Pro2 USB, UPS monitoring, and a Boltek lightening detector all connected to this server. Internally I have the graphics card, the Boltek card, the modem for YAC, etc. I have one slot left I'm leaving open for more SATA ports. And this was NOT a small motherboard - I bought it with as many ports as possible.

So frankly, if I can avoid hanging yet another external USB device off of it and use software loopback, I'd be a happy camper...

-S

[RedCoat999]

Originally Posted by mkanet

Man, I feel bad now. I will try my best to write up straight forward software loopback documentation this weekend. It looks like most people have it 99% setup correctly (and it looks like its going to work) except there's no audio on the extender.

Hopefully it is raining this weekend whereever you are!!!

[MTisza]

If you need help testing or whatever, let me know.