Plugin :: PlayOn for SageTV v1.5

[evilpenguin]

Source Code

Plugin Status Update (4/27/11)

NOTE: This plugin requires PlayOn software to be installed on a windows machine on your network.

This STVi adds PlayON specific shortcuts to the main menu for easy content navigation. In addition it also includes the ability to intergrate PlayOn content from your Netflix/Hulu Queues (and only those two places) into SageTV like normal videos.

DEMO/INSTALL VIDEO

Notes:

• SERIOUSLY. WATCH THE DEMO/INSTALL VIDEO. IT EXPLAINS EVERYTHING.
• If AVG detects UPnPBrowser.exe as a trojan you can exclude it but, honestly, I highly recommend switching to Microsoft Security Essentials. Its just as free but i've found it to be far less bulky and intrusive.
• Playback of PlayOn content will work in Default STV and any of its STVi mods (Diamond, TVE, etc.)
• Special UI features such as labeling content as Hulu/Netflix and displaying real thumnails is only available in Diamond Theme.
• No linux support at this time. ETA after i've had some time to relax after this frenzy of Sage development

Known Issues/Caveats:

• All videos streaming though PlayOn are streamed/encoded in real time meaning that they do not download faster than realtime. You can just think of it like a TV tuner for internet video.
• Can only stream to one extender (HDX00) at a time (multiple full clients work fine).
• Plugin might not be able to see PlayON UPnP server if you have multiple network adapters or active VPNs.
• @PlayOn/Netflix - Netflix movies don't start from the beginning and/or the resume from the correct last watched place. See this PlayOn thread for info.
• @PlayOn - By default PlayOn continues buffering movies after you've stopped watching them, this is particularly bad for Netflix since it results in the watched bookmark being set past where you stopped watching. You can somewhat fix this by disabling Resume Playback in the PlayOn settings, although, its still pretty hit and miss. But if you watch Netflix content in one sitting then you shouldn't have a problem.

Netflix Queue Only shows first 50 videos:

By default the Netlflix Queue will only show the first 50 videos in your Queue in the proper order. If you'd like to see all the videos, but don't mind that they'll be shown alphabetically, then you can make this simple change. Just go into...

C:\Program Files\SageTV\SageTV\SageOnlineServicesEXEs\UPnPBrowser\UPnPBrowser.presets

And change the Netflix_Queue preset to...

Netflix_Queue:::"/search" "PlayON:Netflix:Instant Queue:Alphabetical:+2"

Installation:

Available in Main Menu->Setup->Plugins->Available Plugins under the UI Mod tab.

[evilpenguin]

How to submit a bug:

If you run into any problems with playing back content from PlayOn make sure you...

• Try multiple different types of videos (Hulu/Netflix/CNN/ESPN/etc.). Genreally, if one type of video plays fine but another doesn't then its a PlayON issue and you'll need to submit it to them.
• Specify which video(s) you tried that didn't work.
• Include the LOG FILE (!!!!!!!) which can be found at ...

  ...\SageTV\SageOnlineServicesEXEs\UPnPBrowser.log

Troubleshooting:

First of all, 99% of the issues people had with the previous plug-in were actually issues with their PlayON install so please go over their FAQ, Known Issues, and install instructions before you post here. You can also try playing back content via one of their officially supported devices (PS3/Xbox360/HD200 in standalone mode) to verify if your setup is working correctly.


Symptom #1: No content or folders show up for any of the Main Menu shortcuts, including the PlayON one.

This usually indicates that UPnPBrowser can't communicate with PlayON, once you've verified that you're not running into one of the known issues you can check these things...

• Verify that another one of PlayON's supported devices can see the server (if you don't have another device you can try the UPnP Inspector tool tool)
• Check to see if you have a PlayON (...).cache file in the ...\SageTV\SageOnlineServicesEXEs\UPnPBrowser\ folder.
• If you don't see a .cache file, open up a command line and try running this command to see if it generates one (if not, please post the resulting UPnPBrowser.log onto this thread).
  

  "C:\Program Files\SageTV\SageTV\SageOnlineServicesEXEs\UPnPBrowser.exe" /mainmenu /serverSearchTimeout 60

• If you do see .cache files try running this command and post the resulting UPnPBrowser.log onto this thread.
  

  "C:\Program Files\SageTV\SageTV\SageOnlineServicesEXEs\UPnPBrowser.exe" /search PlayON:+1

Symptom #2: Videos are showing up, but you get an error when you try and play them

This is usually a PlayON issue, please check to make sure that you're using the latest version. If you are on the latest version, submit a bug to PlayON and they should be able to help.

For Devs:

I've included a support jar that includes helper functions for easily supporting PlayOn imported content in your STVi just like Diamond does. I don't have a clue how to make a Java Doc, but here are the functions available

• boolean IsPlayOnFile(Object MediaObject) - Returns true if MediaObject is actually a PlayOn dummy video. Useful for filtering.
• boolean IsImportedTV(Object MediaObject) - Returns true if MediaObject is an imported video with MediaType "TV". Useful for filtering.
• boolean IsImportedNotPlayon(Object MediaObject) -Returns true if MediaObject is an Imported video with MediaType "TV", but false if its a PlayOn dummy video. Useful for filtering.
• String GetPlayonFileType(Object MediaObject) - If MediaObject is a PlayOn dummy video returns "Netflix" or "Hulu". Otherwise returns "". Useful for labeling content as either from "Netflix" or "Hulu".

STV Usage Example:

• PlayOnForSageTV_PlayOnUtils_IsPlayOnFile(Airing)
• PlayOnFileList = FilterByBoolMethod(PlayOnFileList, "PlayOnForSageTV_PlayOnUtils_IsPlayonFile", true)

Here's some test content you can dump into one of your Imported Media directories to get PlayOn content to show up.

[jphipps]

Looks really good.. Any ETA?

Thanks,
Jeff

[jayman]

EP, those screencaps look fantastic! They're generated in the Diamond UI mod, correct?

Could you indicate the software versions you're running (i.e., Sage 7.1.5, Diamond 3.1, Playon Plugin 1.5, etc) while capturing those nice images?

[vividweb]

How many of the views work without the Queue? The Canadian version of Netflix has no Queue and am wondering how the new plugin will handle/work with the Canadian Netflix?

[ohpleaseno]

The icons next to the movies in list view that tell if it is from Netflix or hulu are really sweet.

[Dreameriz]

Looks Great is now any way to add amazon in to the importer so it will drop my wife tv series and movies in to the importer area yet ?

[mr_lore]

This looks awesome, thanks evilpenguin!

[wayner]

Looks fantastic. In the long run it would be great to make Sage totally agnostic as to the source of content - it shouldn't matter whether the content is recorded by Sage, imported or from online sources. This really helps move thngs in that direction.

[davephan]

Will this work with the Linux SageTV version?

Dave

[evilpenguin]

Alright, plugin should be live.

[tmiranda]

EP,

AVG picks up UPnPBrowser.exe as a trojan.

Tom

[evilpenguin]

Originally Posted by tmiranda

AVG picks up UPnPBrowser.exe as a trojan.

Geez, everyones a critic. Microsoft Security Essentials is cool with it

[ldavis]

Originally Posted by tmiranda

EP,

AVG picks up UPnPBrowser.exe as a trojan.

Tom

OK, so for the uninformed, I cannot see how to tell AVG that UPnPBrowser.exe is not a virus. Obviously, I could shut down AVG but I do not want to do that. Since it will not let UPnPBrowser.exe work then EP's wonderful plugin doesn't work. Any pointers?

[evilpenguin]

This should work for AVG, but honestly, I highly recommend switching to Microsoft Security Essentials. Its just as free and i've found it to be far less intrusive than AVG

[ldavis]

Originally Posted by evilpenguin

This should work for AVG, but honestly, I highly recommend switching to Microsoft Security Essentials. Its just as free and i've found it to be far less intrusive than AVG

And all is right with the world. I found the answer about the same time you posted. I have no idea why AVG makes this so difficult. I guess you get what you pay for. I'll give MS Security Essentials a try.

Great mod to an already great plugin

[gibsonpa]

Been using this plugin for quite some time..and love it!

Went to install 1.5, and it installed fine, but the PlayOn entry is not on the main menu. Nor is it under the Online menu like 1.14 and below.

Anyone have the plugin install, but not be on the main menu? I am using Serenity Theme with my menu on the bottom of the screen.

[jorton]

Originally Posted by gibsonpa

Been using this plugin for quite some time..and love it!

Went to install 1.5, and it installed fine, but the PlayOn entry is not on the main menu. Nor is it under the Online menu like 1.14 and below.

Anyone have the plugin install, but not be on the main menu? I am using Serenity Theme with my menu on the bottom of the screen.

Plucky's horizontal menu mod is likely the issue, try disabling it an see if the entries are in the default menu.

J

[evilpenguin]

Originally Posted by gibsonpa

Been using this plugin for quite some time..and love it!

Went to install 1.5, and it installed fine, but the PlayOn entry is not on the main menu. Nor is it under the Online menu like 1.14 and below.

Anyone have the plugin install, but not be on the main menu? I am using Serenity Theme with my menu on the bottom of the screen.

That's a tough one. I may be able to do something about that, no promises though.

[dasdman]

Originally Posted by gibsonpa

Been using this plugin for quite some time..and love it!

Went to install 1.5, and it installed fine, but the PlayOn entry is not on the main menu. Nor is it under the Online menu like 1.14 and below.

Anyone have the plugin install, but not be on the main menu? I am using Serenity Theme with my menu on the bottom of the screen.

I ran into this same issue. Been using it and loving it for a couple of months. After I did the install AVG bitched about the UPnPBrowser.exe so I told it to ignore it. Still no Playon in the menu. De-installed AVG...same thing.

What I found was that in the Diamond options I had hidden some main menu items, one of them being "search". If I turn search back on, Playon shows up. Playon no longer is listed under the "online" heading as it was before. Works fine now.