Controlling SageTV with MyHTPC?

[R_Andersen]

I was wondering if it is possible to create custom buttons within myHTPC to control SageTV? I found a writeup on the htpcnews.com website that does what I want using MyHTPC and Snapstream but I would prefer to do it with SageTV.

http://www.htpcnews.com/myhtpcsnapstream.html

I would like to create a button in MyHTPC to go directly to SageTV Live TV, one to go directly to the EPG, one for playback of recorded tv, etc...

Thanks for any advice,
Rob

[White94Cobra]

I too just read this article and was wondering the same thing.

Are there command line parameters to have SageTV go directly to a module (LiveTV, Guide, Library, Recorded Programs, etc)? It would make MyHTPC integration pretty easy.

[mlbdude]

I don't there there are command line parameters for that. Either they would have to be added or Girder support would have to be added to myHTPC.

[salsbst]

I don't know about command line parameters for SageTV to do these things, but this can all be done by using Girder. Basically the process works like this:

1) A button in myHTPC executes a command string such as:

C:\\Program Files\\Girder32\\event.exe SageLiveTV 18 -silent

which raises the "SageLiveTV" event in Girder.

2) The SageLiveTV event in Girder is tied to a command that issues a message to SageTV telling it to (a) wake up and (b) go to the LiveTV page.

[mlbdude]

Good one salsbst. Totally forgot about being able to execute Girder commands from the command line.

[justme]

As a person who still has yet to get up the nerve to try using girder...I have a question and a favor to ask.

Question:What does the "18" in all the references to girder commands mean? I've seen a couple of posts about girder and SageTV and 18 keeps showing up.

Favor:If either of you build a myHTPC frontend for SageTV, could you post with links to it?


I really love the look and feel of myHTPC and even used it a little while back when I was using WinTV. I haven't used it since switching to Sage though.

As for Girder...I've tried to avoid learning it, hoping that native IR transmit support for the USB-UIRT would make it into the 1.4 build of SageTV. However it's become obvious that to trully get the setup I want I'm going to have to use Girder. Thanks to reading several posts by salsbst(and others), I think I should be able to do it.

[mlbdude]

Here are the basic docs from Girder about the subject. They are just a start.

http://www.girder.nl/help/faq.php#108

I only use girder to control the launching of myHTPC and SageTV (and for controlling which has focus). I have commands bound to my universal remote to handle the navigation in either app.

[salsbst]

18 is the event type that stands for internal girder events, as opposed to an event that should be routed to some other device in the system. Every event I've ever worked with has been type 18.

The only button on my myHTPC screen that deals with SageTV is one that brings SageTV out of sleep mode.

[White94Cobra]

justme - I finally got the nerve to try Girder last night (using an ATI Remote Wonder). I figured I couldn't mess anything up. If it didn't work, I could just not load Girder at startup and load the ATI software instead.

In about 30 minutes, I had it controlling almost everything in SageTV that I was controlling before without even looking at the manual or checking a FAQ. I still haven't figured out the whole focus thing or any other advanced features. But just configuring it for basic key commands was a breeze. I now start SageTV with the TV button on my remote, and myHTPC with the DVD button. I also put SageTV to sleep with the power button.

I'm working on figuring out how to use the power button either to sleep SageTV or exit myHTPC depending on which one is in focus. Having a bit of trouble there - may need to do some reading. I'm also having difficulty getting SageTV to wakeup and go full screen (with the TV button) if it is just minimized - works fine if it's not running or if it's asleep, doesn't work if it's minimized on the taskbar.

I'm also trying to figure out how to make it do multiple things with one keypress - like if I press the DVD button to load myHTPC and SageTV is in focus, sleep SageTV and either load myHTPC (if it isn't running) or bring it into focus. I'll need to break out the manual out for that.

[justme]

Thanks, mlbdude. I really appreciate the link.

Thanks,salsbst. That explains the constant occurence of 18 pefectly.

PS:I just read your recent Feature request post. Are the video differences due to 2 different models of PVR250? Or is it due to a difference in the way Hauppauge's drivers handle SVHS/composite compared to Coax(tuner) inputs? This really concerns me since the one of the main reasons for my new HTPC was to add a second tuner. I'm after all the normal advantages a second tuner offers, but also planned to use the composite(my digital box doesn't have SVHS) input for my digital cable box. I don't currently notice any severe differences between my coax(analog cable) and Composite(Digital cable box) sources on my single PVR250. Still, I rarely use the component input due to current electronics placement, but this will change with the addition of the new PC.

Thanks for the encouragement,White94Cobra.

I'm also trying to figure out how to make it do multiple things with one keypress - like if I press the DVD button to load myHTPC and SageTV is in focus, sleep SageTV and either load myHTPC (if it isn't running) or bring it into focus. I'll need to break out the manual out for that.

This is the area that worries me. I already have good control of Sage using my Tivo Remote(switch 2) and my USB-UIRT(using SageTV's native support). What I want to be able to do(besides IR transmit) is have the same button(on the remote) do different things depending on which screen/menu SageTV is on. From what I've read, I think this requires learning Girder's scripting langauge. Though from reading a lot of posts it seems like salsbst and other have done most of the hard work. So maybe I just need to learn enough to modify their stuff to my needs.

I quess I should do the unthinkable and RTFM.

[salsbst]

Originally posted by justme
This is the area that worries me. I already have good control of Sage using my Tivo Remote(switch 2) and my USB-UIRT(using SageTV's native support). What I want to be able to do(besides IR transmit) is have the same button(on the remote) do different things depending on which screen/menu SageTV is on.

This (having context-sensitive Girder commands where the context of which to be sensitive is "which screen within SageTV am I looking at") may be difficult presently. I also have a request in to allow Girder to (a) determine which SageTV screen is active at any given moment and to (b) receive an event notification when the SageTV screen changes. But at this stage, I'm not sure how to go about it. It so happens that I don't desperately need to know as I managed to get the control that I need without it, but it would be nice to have -- I could have a better setup with it, but I have a decent one as is.

For example, I would like to be able to stop playing a music file (which I play through J River Media Center) at the moment when SageTV begins playback. HOwever, right now, I settle for stopping the music when SageTV becomes active (Girder can determne this with the TaskSwitch plugin). As a result, I cannot browse the SageTV guide while listening to music... but I'm surviving.

justme: concerning the difference in video between my 2 250s, it's OT so I won't go to any great lengths to explain, but as an aside, I suppose that one of my 250s may be defective... I have not tried using the two different inputs on one card... I just assumed that the drastically different saturation was the result of using s-video on one and tuner on the other. The other possibility is that my cable box may be responsible for the oversaturation.... in fact that probably is the problem... but I need to get around that problem somehow.

Regards,
Stuart

[HawkeyeLonewolf]

Originally posted by salsbst
I don't know about command line parameters for SageTV to do these things, but this can all be done by using Girder. Basically the process works like this:

1) A button in myHTPC executes a command string such as:

C:\\Program Files\\Girder32\\event.exe SageLiveTV 18 -silent

which raises the "SageLiveTV" event in Girder.

2) The SageLiveTV event in Girder is tied to a command that issues a message to SageTV telling it to (a) wake up and (b) go to the LiveTV page.

So then are these "messages" available to other developers who want to interface directly to Sage? Is there a published API or such for developers?

[salsbst]

The messages (Windows messaging messages) are available in a Girder GML file that can be downloaded from the Girder GML Exports page at www.girder.nl. I integrated these into my own Girder GML. A few people have based their setups on mine, and you're also welcome to use it.... there's a link to it at the bottom of the page that is linked in my signature (or you can just download the Sage-specific GML from the Girder site).

Regards,
Stuart

[HawkeyeLonewolf]

Originally posted by salsbst
The messages (Windows messaging messages) are available in a Girder GML file that can be downloaded from the Girder GML Exports page at www.girder.nl. I integrated these into my own Girder GML. A few people have based their setups on mine, and you're also welcome to use it.... there's a link to it at the bottom of the page that is linked in my signature (or you can just download the Sage-specific GML from the Girder site).

Regards,
Stuart

But what is girder and why would I need it?

If this girder program can control SageTV with "messages", why then can't other programs send messages to SageTV as well?

[salsbst]

Other programs can do so.... if they are capable of sending WIndows Messages.... but the only place I know that these messages are "documented" is the Girder GML file. If you'd like to get the list, it wouldn't be all that difficult to install Girder and load up the GML file to see them, or you could read the GML file (it's XML) in a text editor to extract the information if you really don't want to install Girder. BTW, if you don't know what Girder is, at least read up for 15 minutes on its website. It is an absolute necessity for an HTPC IMHO (although others will disagree).

[Narflex]

Or check out this thread:
http://sage.tv/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1435

[HawkeyeLonewolf]

Originally posted by salsbst
Other programs can do so.... if they are capable of sending WIndows Messages.... but the only place I know that these messages are "documented" is the Girder GML file. If you'd like to get the list, it wouldn't be all that difficult to install Girder and load up the GML file to see them, or you could read the GML file (it's XML) in a text editor to extract the information if you really don't want to install Girder. BTW, if you don't know what Girder is, at least read up for 15 minutes on its website. It is an absolute necessity for an HTPC IMHO (although others will disagree).

Don't see that it really does anything other than scripting/keystroke recording. Not sure when this would be beneficial, unless you want to program one button on a remote to perform several tasks or something.

[salsbst]

Windows Messaging works when the app isn't presenting a graphical window to which keystrokes can be targetted and can send messages that aren't attached to a button in a visible window.

[White94Cobra]

mlbdude - Would it be possible for you to post your GML file? I took a look at salsbst's file and while I kind of got an idea of what's happening, it's a bit much to start out as a Girder newbie.

salsbst - I took your GML file and learned most of the Remote Wonder controls under your Philips MCE remote section. Unfortuantely it was a no go. The only way I could even get anything to happen was if Girder was in focus. When I pressed my TV button, I was able to follow it through the process, but when it brought up SageTV it was just a black screen. I'll study it some more this evening.

I only use SageTV, MyHTPC, and BSPlayer on my HTPC, so I'm thinking I may be able to get away with a simpler GML setup. I just need to figure out the whole focus thing.

[salsbst]

White94Cobra,

You might try activating/downloading the following Girder plugins (I have all of them activated but I'm not sure which you'll need for your purposes):

Lua-Socket Library
SendMessage
TaskCreate
TaskSwitch
USB-UIRT
WinLUAEx
XP OSD

Not sure what else to tell you... my GML file is based on the premise that different groups are enabled and disabled depending on which task has the focus (hence dependence on TaskSwitch and TaskCreate).... so if Girder isn't picking up on the task switching then it won't enable/disable the appropriate groups. This enablement process is itself enabled/disabled based on whether or not the myHTPC is present. If myHTPC's task isn't present, the enablement/disablement routines for other apps are disabled. The purpose of this little nasty is so that I can easily turn off all of this enablement/disablement stuff (it makes editing the GML very difficult if it keeps jumping around based on task switching). I simply close myHTPC if I want to edit my GML file.

If installing and activating the plugins above doesn't solve your problem, then I would guess that for some reasons one or more of your apps (the only overlaps with my GML are SageTV and myHTPC) are not being noticed by Girder.

Were you watching SageTV through VNC or some such app? That will give you a black screen when it tries to play video.

Regards,
Stuart