Plugin :: PlayOn for SageTV v1.5

[evilpenguin]

Originally Posted by robind

Sorry I should have remembered about doing the log...

Here it is. The zip contains two log files, in the Top50 log only the items up to and including "Charlie's Angels" are displayed. In the ComedyGenre log only "About a Boy" is displayed.

Thanks.

Ok, I an repro this, i'll take a look.

[evilpenguin]

Some excellent news! Its taken me a while to get ramped up but I finally navigated a PlayOn path using 100% java

::0: Looking for PlayOn Device
+ Added(Macrovision Corporation Macrovision Media Server)
  - (SIDECAR: Macrovision Media Server)(urn:schemas-upnp-org:device:MediaServer:1)
::1: Looking for PlayOn Device
+ Added(MediaMall Technologies, Inc. Windows MediaMall Server 3.0)
  - (PlayOn (Secretivo))(urn:schemas-upnp-org:device:MediaServer:1)
::+ Found PlayON!
::+ Found ContentDirectory!
::  + Searching for (Netflix)(0)
::      - FOLD: (Hulu)(hulu)
::      - FOLD: (Netflix)(netflix)*FOUND*
::      - FOLD: (Amazon VOD)(amazonvod)
::      - FOLD: (CBS)(cbs)
::      - FOLD: (Comedy Central)(comedycentral)
::      - FOLD: (TV.com)(tvcom)
::      - FOLD: (TBS)(tbs)
::      - FOLD: (Oprah Winfrey Network)(own)
::      - FOLD: (Syfy Rewind)(syfy)
::      - FOLD: (Adult Swim)(adultswim)
::      - FOLD: (Spike TV)(spiketv)
::      - FOLD: (ESPN)(espn)
::      - FOLD: (ESPN3)(espn3)
::      - FOLD: (NFL Game Rewind)(nflgr)
::      - FOLD: (MLB)(mlb)
::      - FOLD: (NHL)(nhl)
::      - FOLD: (CNN)(cnn)
::      - FOLD: (Fox News)(foxnews)
::      - FOLD: (PBS)(pbs)
::      - FOLD: (PBS Kids)(pbskids)
::      - FOLD: (Nick)(nick)
::      - FOLD: (Cartoon Network)(cartoonnetwork)
::      - FOLD: (MTV)(mtv)
::      - FOLD: (BET)(bet)
::      - FOLD: (Vevo)(vevo)
::      - FOLD: (Pandora)(pandora)
::      - FOLD: (PlayOn Info)(playon)
::  + Searching for (Instant Queue)(netflix)
::      - FOLD: (Instant Queue)(netflix-a66f3cdb-2909-4077-92b2-566f07ea48da)*FOUND*
::      - FOLD: (Browse Genres)(netflix-84ed4f21-50f4-4092-845b-3be59dfe750a)
::      - FOLD: (New Arrivals)(netflix-cef555dd-8ad4-4d17-a91c-e21e9a33a4c1)
::  + Searching for (Queue Top 50)(netflix-a66f3cdb-2909-4077-92b2-566f07ea48da)
::      - FOLD: (Queue Top 50)(netflix-18084151-add3-4781-84f1-f3c7d8337150)*FOUND*
::      - FOLD: (Alphabetical)(netflix-562ec5d9-ae96-4522-a528-adc2de386fab)
::      - FOLD: (Genres)(netflix-9cb3482f-21f9-48ef-ac17-0471ce75910d)
::  + Searching for (+1)(netflix-18084151-add3-4781-84f1-f3c7d8337150)
::      - FOLD: (Battlestar Galactica)(netflix-cda59603-5526-4acb-b7de-fdd964b64c30)
::      - FOLD: (The X-Files)(netflix-181cd65e-4c52-459f-a45f-f2d293e98fb5)
::      - FOLD: (Weeds)(netflix-573cc6a5-5427-4210-b669-418eaf94555a)
::      - FOLD: (Damages)(netflix-f215fff2-211c-46f7-9207-c16497f9a5fe)
::      - FOLD: (Friday Night Lights)(netflix-684458f4-4d10-485c-8c4c-6d36447a9858)
::      - FOLD: (Veronica Mars)(netflix-28d82ee4-1805-4f89-932d-c6938b3efc8d)
::      - FOLD: (The L Word)(netflix-44859bd8-de10-485e-80f9-4fff54ab7198)
::      - FOLD: (The IT Crowd)(netflix-024387f2-0b61-47d3-8008-d5561844597e)
::      - FOLD: (Torchwood)(netflix-2e6345c7-6fbf-493d-8c79-bb5b8de75759)
::      - FOLD: (NewsRadio)(netflix-7309f98f-c19d-4b11-aa1a-0be0e8d07d29)
::      - FOLD: (Firefly: The Complete Series)(netflix-ac5e587d-d5ab-4237-a9cf-94aa1da31457)
::      - FOLD: (Lost)(netflix-03af492e-407a-4425-8d96-433961782ea3)
::      - FOLD: (Party Down)(netflix-33ccf462-cd60-4b22-a1bd-d8c61db47a4c)
::      - FOLD: (The Larry Sanders Show)(netflix-aff5f6c3-d32e-42f7-bfad-e0827e805446)
::      - FOLD: (The Office (U.S.))(netflix-1dd2c850-c794-4fae-9d41-51ba653780fe)
::      - FOLD: (Parks and Recreation)(netflix-0e5ce439-ede8-4310-9245-33aca7b1504d)
::      - FOLD: (30 Rock)(netflix-97f7e482-0a53-4f93-85f2-68b24f622aeb)
::      - FOLD: (American Dad!)(netflix-f582ab6d-7fed-47b0-a101-4e5683b640f4)
::      - FOLD: (Family Guy)(netflix-f9804339-36c4-4696-a656-4cdfe7890d1d)
::      - FOLD: (Dexter)(netflix-9fcdbade-3fa3-4b20-acbc-468b0e9cec73)
::      - FOLD: (Top Gear (U.K.))(netflix-0a82d704-70b1-46b3-9ba8-b0177d9073d2)
::      - FOLD: (Doctor Who)(netflix-dc1d7f4a-e6b0-4d28-9166-ab64365feb8c)
::      - FOLD: (Heroes)(netflix-5d9f314a-45ad-447b-8642-f8ec74d32c57)
::      - FOLD: (24)(netflix-82c1f118-d040-4f26-a6b1-28839e1083be)
::      - FOLD: (Dollhouse)(netflix-f5ac7090-bfc5-44b3-9b01-7285cbbf4a41)
::      - FOLD: (Life on Mars (U.S.): The Complete Series)(netflix-f50377d8-5988-4a10-b74d-9d8802957397)
::      - FOLD: (Twin Peaks)(netflix-7b9b50ad-dd29-4952-8f8c-7dcfa054ac4f)
::      - FOLD: (Sons of Anarchy)(netflix-843b1e87-64c0-45fc-80cb-60619fd64f4e)
::      - FOLD: (Scrubs)(netflix-a874c4c4-94e8-49d6-a5f9-a63e82c41f07)
::      - FOLD: (Archer)(netflix-987dcff3-5813-4d4d-854a-c919b2988792)
::      - FOLD: (Ally McBeal)(netflix-1d401a06-e84c-4d83-bd8e-3ccf827cf005)
::      - FOLD: (Dead Like Me)(netflix-20d82e9c-f9d6-41c0-9cd9-1991acb2266d)
::      - FOLD: (Pushing Daisies)(netflix-deb66ce6-f309-42a3-95de-37c99ab8e37c)
::      - FOLD: (Psych)(netflix-0890cd35-023a-4bd0-b5f9-898322bf56d6)
::      - ITEM: (MST3K: The Girl in Lovers' Lane)(netflix-66d86385-7d4c-44d5-a5ef-913d4de922b2)
::      - ITEM: (MST3K: Soultaker)(netflix-9859faa9-2c4c-4e0c-99de-0f606707ba39)
::      - ITEM: (Mystery Science Theater 3000: Racket Girls)(netflix-a8b9d14c-cbd0-4642-860d-29fc77d19360)
::      - ITEM: (MST3K: Zombie Nightmare)(netflix-f2c5ca2a-bb88-41f9-8d10-9c445a56a3df)
::      - ITEM: (RoboCop)(netflix-b81ed2ed-2997-463b-b29f-a606edce02c4)
::      - ITEM: (Big)(netflix-66af8683-376d-43f7-a69e-95fa17465b26)
::      - ITEM: (Sin Nombre)(netflix-b9978ece-92fb-4253-8c58-bc89576dcc73)
::      - ITEM: (Invasion of the Body Snatchers)(netflix-9517cd60-d213-4caf-b2c8-f1a038f24145)
::      - ITEM: (Astro Boy)(netflix-f6be1281-1746-4a2b-bd4f-c2d53d0f94ce)
::      - ITEM: (Romeo  Juliet)(netflix-40b5eaa3-d7cf-4be7-8ae6-c472d578259c)
::      - ITEM: (Get Shorty)(netflix-1d35e0cb-e97a-4f5e-96a0-ef969a05656c)
::      - ITEM: (Precious: Based on the Novel by Sapphire)(netflix-0ea42f1a-853b-4440-9746-ddda7ca7fd89)
::      - ITEM: (The Fast and the Furious)(netflix-ef588f68-a45e-4b8a-b4c4-dd382f38bdf7)
::      - ITEM: (Manhattan Murder Mystery)(netflix-7f34ae1a-67cd-4722-9b10-6610e044a55b)
::      - ITEM: (Wristcutters: A Love Story)(netflix-bdf0656c-bf5f-43a8-ab0f-7371388ed344)
::      - ITEM: (The Naked Gun)(netflix-47507bdb-120d-4f66-9566-818cde6f8fe1)
::Stopping Cling... (8226 milliseconds)

It'll still take me some time to get it weaponized, but the good news is that this will solve like 90% of the problems i'm having with the current kludgy method.

[dasdman]

The issue I am seeing is that my whole Netflix queue is not being displayed. Interestingly enough, when I look at the log file, my Top 50 queue is in there. It is just not being displayed by SageTV. Only the first 9 shows on the list show up. It has been this way since before Netflix made changes to their queue format. Ideas appreciated.

[robind]

Originally Posted by dasdman

The issue I am seeing is that my whole Netflix queue is not being displayed. Interestingly enough, when I look at the log file, my Top 50 queue is in there. It is just not being displayed by SageTV. Only the first 9 shows on the list show up. It has been this way since before Netflix made changes to their queue format. Ideas appreciated.

That sounds like the same issue I am having. EP says he has been able to reproduce the problem and he will be looking in to it. If you're able to figure out a workaround please post about it here.

[evilpenguin]

Originally Posted by robind

That sounds like the same issue I am having. EP says he has been able to reproduce the problem and he will be looking in to it. If you're able to figure out a workaround please post about it here.

Work around is to delete any movies/shows in your queue that have an weird characters in the name. Its usually '&' that's getting most people, but it looks like dasdman's issue is with 180° South. Dealing with special characters is a disaster with the current method I use to pass PlayOn content to Sage so i'm probably just going to have to filter them all out to prevent future breaks.

[robind]

Originally Posted by evilpenguin

Work around is to delete any movies/shows in your queue that have an weird characters in the name. Its usually '&' that's getting most people, but it looks like dasdman's issue is with 180° South

Cool. I figured it was something like that, but hadn't yet done any experimenting to see if I could narrow it down to specifics.

Thanks.

[robind]

Hmmm... "Paycheck" is causing the bug for me, no non-alphanumeric characters there. On the other hand, "Amos & Andrew" is not triggering the bug.

[evilpenguin]

Originally Posted by robind

Hmmm... "Paycheck" is causing the bug for me, no non-alphanumeric characters there. On the other hand, "Amos & Andrew" is not triggering the bug.

It could also be characters in the description of the movie. Either way, i've got a fix, just need to find the time to deploy it.

[robind]

Originally Posted by evilpenguin

It could also be characters in the description of the movie. Either way, i've got a fix, just need to find the time to deploy it.

Ok, just for the record and if you need them for testing the following movies also trigger the bug for me:

Almost an Angel
Little Shop of Horrors
Chain Reaction
A Kiss Before Dying (1956 version)

Just a guess but does the bug have something to do with using the wrong character encoding? I've seen some garbage characters in some titles or descriptions in the past and usually when I see that in my own work it means I've tried to treat utf-8 data as if it was iso-8859-1 or some other latin1 encoding.

[evilpenguin]

Originally Posted by robind

Ok, just for the record and if you need them for testing the following movies also trigger the bug for me:

Almost an Angel
Little Shop of Horrors
Chain Reaction
A Kiss Before Dying (1956 version)

Just a guess but does the bug have something to do with using the wrong character encoding? I've seen some garbage characters in some titles or descriptions in the past and usually when I see that in my own work it means I've tried to treat utf-8 data as if it was iso-8859-1 or some other latin1 encoding.

Yeah, the character encoding/converting is just a mess and I can't seem to get it fixed. One of the many reasons i'm moving over to a pure Java implementation now that I found a good UPnP library.

[doncote0]

Thanks for your work on this EP. I'll include a log soon.

I updated to the latest and greatest Playon and SageTV Playon plugin and the end result was that it doesn't work anymore.

Uninstall, cleanup and reinstall of both Playon and Playon plugin have not helped. It was working fine until the upgrades.

[doncote0]

Please see the attached.

[plnewton]

Hi,

I have just installed this and I can browse through all of the play on menus and play content but when I try and run a scan in the settings it does not seem to do anything at all

Any ideas?

[pzukowski]

All, when I read this thread I can't help to feel like this is the wrong way to go about this whole issue. Why can't anyone develop a native SageTV plugin for Hulu and Netflix? Sage already has a good online content selection and this would complement it well. Going through PlayON seems like a band-aid solution - horrible!

[doncote0]

Why can't anyone develop a native SageTV plugin for Hulu and Netflix?

Many could, but very few people will. Resources are finite.

Are you a programmer? Give it a shot!

After several days of programming, you'll understand why.

Of course, as soon as you get it working well, Netflix and Hulu will change the interface.

(BTW, Hulu and Netflix are not Sage products.)

[KJake]

Originally Posted by evilpenguin

Some excellent news! Its taken me a while to get ramped up but I finally navigated a PlayOn path using 100% java

It'll still take me some time to get it weaponized, but the good news is that this will solve like 90% of the problems i'm having with the current kludgy method.

Goodjob!

[wayner]

Is anyone else having a year problem? My Netflix queue is being imported okay but Netflix seems to be appending the year to the movie title which means that it is not able to read metadata and fanart.

For example - I have Toy Story 3 in my queue. In the movie wall view of Diamond it shows up as Toy Story 3 (2010)(). If I go into BMT I see that the movie title is "Toy Story 3 (2010)". If I change the title to "Toy Story 3" then all is good. But I believe it will automatically try to reimport the queue again overnight which will hose the title again.

This is the case for all of my movies in Netflix and it also appears to be an issue for Hulu.

[les_bloom]

Originally Posted by wayner

Is anyone else having a year problem? My Netflix queue is being imported okay but Netflix seems to be appending the year to the movie title which means that it is not able to read metadata and fanart.

For example - I have Toy Story 3 in my queue. In the movie wall view of Diamond it shows up as Toy Story 3 (2010)(). If I go into BMT I see that the movie title is "Toy Story 3 (2010)". If I change the title to "Toy Story 3" then all is good. But I believe it will automatically try to reimport the queue again overnight which will hose the title again.

This is the case for all of my movies in Netflix and it also appears to be an issue for Hulu.

Odly enough I have had Toy Story 3 in my que for a couple weeks and I don't have this issue. The year does not display in Diamond for this movie for me.

It might be a setting in Diamond that you can control. Maybe I had changed it and just don't remember.

[mkanet]

EP, are there any performance/quality/behavior differences between your current implementation and pure java that we might notice? I've been fortunate enough where everything has worked for me with the exception of only one quirk:

My sageTV client (on the same PC as sageTVservice.exe) not displaying the correct aspect ratio for ALL Playon content (when SageTV client's AR is set to "source"). The only thing I can do to display Playon content correctly to force sageTV.exe to display "16:9" or "stretch"). I've never been able to figure out what causes this. I dont have this problem on my HD-200 (nor my placeshifter clients). I'm not sure what codecs are used for playon (I've already set sageTV 7 internal media player to playback Online content). All other non-playon Online content plays back perfectly at correct aspect ratios. Maybe switching over to pure Java might fix my sageTV client from not receiving the correct aspect ratio specifically from playon?

Originally Posted by evilpenguin

Yeah, the character encoding/converting is just a mess and I can't seem to get it fixed. One of the many reasons i'm moving over to a pure Java implementation now that I found a good UPnP library.

[evilpenguin]

So a quick status update since i've been busy lately:

• Issue #1 - Not all items in Netflix Queue are being shown - This is being caused by very bad text encoding handing on my part which is causing a crash while writing out the content list. I'd say its about 50% my fault and 50% a by product of the absolutely insane way that I have to pass data to SageTV. I've got a "fix" for this which just removes some of the text encoding work I've done to make special characters show up properly. This is also something that'll just magically be fixed when I move to Java.
• Issue #2 - Netflix TV shows not working for Queue Importer - Netflix recently changed how they organized TV shows which broke how I was grabbing them for the Queue Importer. I haven't had a chance to look at this yet, but its on my radar. Its important to note that Hulu TV/Movies and Netflix Movies still work just fine.
• Issue #3 - Queue Importer shows losing metadata every night - This one was a surprise to me, whats happening is that to make things easier/faster I just started overwriting existing videos every run with a video with the same name. I figured this wouldn't be an issue, but apparently the process of re-importing the updated video is causing Sage/BMT to lose track of the metadata and not generate new ones. Should be an easy fix, i'll get it into the next build.
• Issue #4 - Queue Importer movies having year appended to them - Not quite sure what's going on with this one, BMT prefers to have movies named the way I output them (Title (YEAR).mp4) since it can use the year to find a better match. I'm guessing that this is a byproduct of the above issue and it'll clear up when I fix issue #3.

Clarification on the implications of moving to Java:
While I've got one more band-aid fix in the current code that I have to release, after that i'm full speed ahead at getting everything ported over to Java. So I just wanted to take a second to make it clear what will/won't be changing.

What Will Get Better:

• Linux, Mac, and Windows will all work right out of the box.
• No more text encoding issues where special characters like accent marks and apostrophes show up as crazy symbols or crash my code.
• Slight speed improvements in navigation since I no longer need to run an external .exe, collect UPnP data, write it to an XML file, and then read that data into back into Sage.
• Simplified API for anyone to write their own plugins that interact with PlayOn.

What won't be improved:

• Anything related to video quality or playback. As with before, all I've ever done is hand Sage a video link from PlayOn, what happens after that is out of my control.
• Sorry to say, but there's not a lot that can be done with the UI. PlayOn provides *very little* in the way of useful data/images so theres really not a lot to be done. At least for this first release i'll probably just make a new menu that's more like the Sage Recordings but don't expect to be blown away by anything.

Status: Unknown

• Unfortunately, this move puts the Queue Importer in a nebulous state. I'd have to completely re-write it to get it working again, but i'm not looking forward to that since the whole thing was a complete hack job experiment to begin with. But the bright side is that now that i'm running inside Sage rather than outside it opens up the possibility for a much better implementation.