[PLUGIN] UIMOD:Bluray/DVD External Playback

[Fuzzy]

This is a plugin to launch an external player (TMT3, by default) for any DVD or BluRay playback. Works for imported DVD/BluRay's, or inserted discs (must configure drive letter, and select from Video -> Play DVD/BluRay). Has been working for a couple hours for me, let me know how it works for everyone else, as well as any suggestions.

Configuration options for it are added to Detailed Setup -> DVD.

[Fuzzy]

A word: This doesn't handle control of the external player. That would be up to the likes of EventGhost, or Girder, etc.

[bjterry62]

I'm interested in this plugin, but I don't find it in the Downloads area. Is it still available?

Thanks,

BT

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by bjterry62

I'm interested in this plugin, but I don't find it in the Downloads area. Is it still available?

It's in the UIMod section of the Plugin Repository.

[FlyingDoc]

First ...thanks for this plugin !!!

i am trying to select the remote application (PowerDVD) and it is not working..
When i hit Select on the Detailed Setup->DVD->DVD/Bluray external application configuration item i get a selection menu with all of my drives C:\ etc. I can navigate the list but selecting any of them does not drill down to the folders on the drive (in fact nothing seems to happen)...

I am running on Windows 7.

Can i enter the path manuallly in the properties file for now?

Note the selection of the actual DVD drive to use does work correctly

EDIT ..... Never Mind ... after I did a sage restart this part seems to be working fine ..... Sorry for pulling the trigger too soon ... i am still having trouble playing a ripped BluRays or DVDs the PowerDVD application opens but it seems to be trying to read from the DVD/Blu ray drive (i get a message telling me the drive is empty) This is poerDVD8 that came with the Bluray drive if that is significant.

[Fuzzy]

yeah, the property is fuzzy/WatchExternally_path, but I'm not sure it PowerDVD will work. I don't think it supports playback from a disc folder. Odd that it doens't navigate though, as it is using the default STV's standard file browser.

[FlyingDoc]

Yes Fuzzy you are correct PowerDVD doesnt support folder playback.

I downloaded TMT5 demo and can launch the playback using your plugin pointed at uLaunchTMT5.exe but as you noted there is no remote support. As you havent mentioned it can i assume your plugin doesnt support the uMCEPlayer5.exe? would it be possible to use this as it seems to include some support for the remote?

THanks again

[Fuzzy]

it should support any app that can recieve the folder path in the command line (as that's really all this plugin does). I currently use the uMCEDVDPlayer.exe from TMT3, and that is actually what the included .bat file points to. It works great. I doubt there would be any problem using the v5 version, though I haven't gotten around to upgrading as of yet. at least in TMT3, uMCE doesn't do anything different control wise than uDigital Theater, all it really does is have a different interface (which i never see on either anyways). the controls are the same (keyboard shortcuts). I've tried to convince ArcSoft to implement some sort of more advanced control scheme, like windows messages, but nothing yet. Currently, I just use Girder to control it (and sage, for that matter). My batch file triggers Girder to switch modes to controlling TMT, and then when TMT closes, it switches back to sage mode.

[FlyingDoc]

Well i have been playing with this for longer than i care to admit and its really bugging me now ....

There is definitely remote support built in to the uMCEPlayer5.exe and it can be launched using your plugin which is great....... unfortunately it starts up in windowed mode and i need the keyboard to maximize it. This seems to be a known issue on the TMT forums and in media center they use a hack (by making a shortcut and forcing that to full screen via properties) to get around this. I have tried many combinations via the plugin but i cant seem to get it to launch in full screen AND pass the media file that needs to be played..... this must be something simple i am missing in the bat file or shortcut. I humbly admit i'm too dumb to figure it out for myself ...can anyone help?

Also, for info, there seems to be another documented problem with TMT5 where you cant back out of the plugin and get back to the media center (sage). ..... by acccident i found that pressing the "guide" button on the remote closed the uMCEPlayer so this leaves the starting (or switching to) the maximized view my remaining issue with BluRay playback

Thanks in advance for your advice.

[Fuzzy]

Well, like I said, I don't use any sort of 'built in' remote functionality, i simply send keystrokes to the uMCEDVDPlayer window. To exit, i have girder actually close the window on my normal sagetv 'Back' button.

To get it full screen, you might try modifing the batch file to use the windows 'Start' command to launch the program. It would be something like:

START /MAX /WAIT /B "C:\Program Files (x86)\Arcsoft\TotalMedia Theatre 3\uMCEPlayer5.exe" %1

This should launch the window fullscreen (/MAX parameter), pause batch file execution until the program exits (/WAIT) and not create a new cmd window to run the program in (/B).

[FlyingDoc]

Thanks Fuzzy ..... you led the way for me. The only thing i had to change from your suggestion was to add /D"C:\Program Files (x86)\Arcsoft\TotalMedia Theatre 3" to the START command you suggested and I get a full screen player with remote support

For anyone else who is trying this the way to access the disk menu is to use the 'info' button on the remote and this brings up some WMC style menus that you can navigate.

Thanks to Fuzzy, ALL at Sage and everyone on this great forum.

Have a great holiday season.

[Fuzzy]

So are you using an MCE remote? I'm trying to figure out what it's usng for a remote interface. It seems it's still keyboard shortcuts only, which would make sense with an MCE remote, since that's really all it is.

[FlyingDoc]

it is physically a logitech harmony (cant remember which model) but i do have Sage setup for the MCE remote so i must have programmed it for that.

[Fuzzy]

It's a function of the receiver. If you've got an MCE receiver, it presents itself as an HID input device (keyboard).

[Brent94Z]

Ok... forgive my total ignorance on this one but what does this do that SageTV doesn't do? Why use this when SageTV will launch a DVD via the drive or folder? I know I'm obviously missing something. Maybe to just use a different player other than the Sage player but if it works in Sage why go through this to use an external player? I'm missing the big picture here for sure. LOL

[gplasky]

Using the software right player it would support Blue Ray menus, special features on the disk and other features that Sage TV doesn't.

Gerry

[Brent94Z]

Originally Posted by gplasky

Using the software right player it would support Blue Ray menus, special features on the disk and other features that Sage TV doesn't.

Gerry

Ahh... I gotcha... so mostly for Blu-ray playback of special features then. Told ya I was just missing the big picture. hahaha

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by Brent94Z

Ahh... I gotcha... so mostly for Blu-ray playback of special features then. Told ya I was just missing the big picture. hahaha

Mostly Menus, BDLive, 3D, SimHD, etc.

[FlyingDoc]

I guess i spoke too soon ....

I just noticed that with the bat file using the START command (see previous posts) i cant play a DVD disk via the Play DVD/Bluray menu item. I get a Windows Dialog box that says it cant find the file D:\/index.bdmv/WAIT and suggests checking the spelling of the filename.

If i select uMCEPlayer.exe as the external player i dont see the dialog and the DVD plays ... but it plays in the external player even though I selected NO for use external player for DVD.

This will drop the WAF to very low levels... any suggestions from the experts?

[Fuzzy]

The current plugin doesn't diffrentiate between the DVD and BluRay options for the menu Play DVD/BluRay item. (I haven't really figured out how to tell what is inserted yet). That's my next thing to tackle when I get some more dev time.