Android/AndroidTV Placeshifter client (Discussion)

[jorton]

Thanks Tom, missed that

Keep up the good work Sean!

[stuckless]

This one uses a newly implemented OpenGL based renderer with "Surfaces". This should provide an improvement especially during the places where you pop up a dialog.

All Shapes are rendering, but things like Ovals will just render circles (I don't think this is used ver often), and Rounded Rectangles will appear as normal rectangles.

Navigation wise, the "Back" button will allow you to exist the Mini App instead of sending SageTV Cancel/Esc.

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by stuckless

This one uses a newly implemented OpenGL based renderer with "Surfaces". This should provide an improvement especially during the places where you pop up a dialog.

All Shapes are rendering, but things like Ovals will just render circles (I don't think this is used ver often), and Rounded Rectangles will appear as normal rectangles.

Navigation wise, the "Back" button will allow you to exist the Mini App instead of sending SageTV Cancel/Esc.

Looks and performs outstanding on my Droid RazrHD (Android 4.4.2) @ 1280x720.

[stuckless]

Originally Posted by tmiranda

I installed the aplha 2 on the Nexus and it looks good There are rendering differences vs. the HD300, but I know it's a work in progress. If you want specific feedback let me know. Also, if you have any "grunt work" that needs doing I am more than willing to help.

I think what I will start looking into is how to detect from within the STV if it's running on the Nexus.

Tom, with 0.03-ALPHA, I think we start building a list of "rendering" differences. These might not get fixed right away, but we should start making a list.

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

Looks and performs outstanding on my Droid RazrHD (Android 4.4.2) @ 1280x720.

Awesome!

[nyplayer]

Originally Posted by tmiranda

This worked well, thank you. I installed ES File Explorer and Google Drive, works like a champ.

I never thought about using google drive great Idea.

[nyplayer]

Originally Posted by stuckless

This one uses a newly implemented OpenGL based renderer with "Surfaces". This should provide an improvement especially during the places where you pop up a dialog.

All Shapes are rendering, but things like Ovals will just render circles (I don't think this is used ver often), and Rounded Rectangles will appear as normal rectangles.

Navigation wise, the "Back" button will allow you to exist the Mini App instead of sending SageTV Cancel/Esc.

The left arrow button on the remote for my Nexus Player used to bring up the options menu now it asks if you want to exit the miniclient ... how can I access options now? Other than that is runs great.

Any Nexus Players users out there using a remote can you access options?

[dinki]

Sean, the latest version is the first to install on my phone. Unfortunately it force closes after selecting my server. I plan to check firetv soon.

[stuckless]

Originally Posted by nyplayer

The left arrow button on the remote for my Nexus Player used to bring up the options menu now it asks if you want to exit the miniclient ... how can I access options now? Other than that is runs great.

Any Nexus Players users out there using a remote can you access options?

Yeah, had to disable BACK bringing up options, since I need it to actually exit the miniclient In the next build, there will be Long Press support, and I've mapped a long press on "SELECT" (or "A" on the controller) to bring up options.

Originally Posted by dinki

Sean, the latest version is the first to install on my phone. Unfortunately it force closes after selecting my server. I plan to check firetv soon.

That is unfortunate Sadly without logs it's hard to troubleshoot this, and getting logs, at this point, is a tad difficult.

[jorton]

Updated to 0.03 and Gemstone fanart is back (if fuzzy didn't already report).

Seems a bit quicker too on Nexus Player. Haven't used a HD300 for some time but I think it's quicker (menu / fanart).

J

[stuckless]

Jeff, I'm wondering if you can provide some details on how the Media Playback might work. I've looked at the Miniclient c code, and it looks like you are using a multicast player?? The Desktop code all proxies though the mplayer bridge, and so I can't really use any of that.

I'm thinking of pulling in Google's ExoPlayer, and creating a custom DataSource.

To start, I've pulled in MediaCmd.java and MiniPlayerPlugin.java (and I gutted the MiniMPlayerPlugin since it was all mplayer based, but I then left in the calls that MediaCmd uses).

In the android implementation for MiniPlayerPlugin, I just have log everything, so it's doing doing nothing. But I can see it making a call to openUrl with a url of stv://192.168.1.176//var/media/tv/AncientAliens-GodsAliens-3611836-0.ts. Now I know from working on the mplayer upgrade that here is code in the mplayer side to process that url. I'll probably go looking there to see what I need to do in Java to mimic the same behaviour.

The DataSource interface seems to be pretty easy, and it already has some implementations, but, given that the read(byte[] buffer, int offset, int readLength), this seems pretty straight forward, where is seems to sequentially read the data, and I'm assume it decodes the frames and plays them. Not sure how seeking works, but I can build that in once I figure out basic playback.

Now that I'm looking at this (and I recall you mentioning) the native player supports MediaDataSource, which a read() method similar to the ExoPlayer DataSource. Maybe I start with with the native player and MediaDataSource and I can upgrade to ExoPlayer later, if needed.

Either way, my next real step is to figure out how I go about getting a video stream from SageTV so that I can use it in MediaDataSource. I'm off digging thought c and java code to figure out the stream, but if you happen to see this, then feel free to post your words of wisdom

[tmiranda]

It loaded on my Samsung Galaxy but really isn't usable. The overscan settings were way off and navigating was difficult. The screen is just too small. The app itself was responsive.

Had some trouble with the Nexus. After installing it things were initially good. Then had to restart the Sage server. After that the app would launch but not connect. The server selection screen comes up bu as soon as I select the server the app crashes. I tried uninstalling the app, powering off the Nexus, and reinstalling all to no avail. I can't get it to connect anymore.

[nyplayer]

Originally Posted by tmiranda

It loaded on my Samsung Galaxy but really isn't usable. The overscan settings were way off and navigating was difficult. The screen is just too small. The app itself was responsive.

Had some trouble with the Nexus. After installing it things were initially good. Then had to restart the Sage server. After that the app would launch but not connect. The server selection screen comes up bu as soon as I select the server the app crashes. I tried uninstalling the app, powering off the Nexus, and reinstalling all to no avail. I can't get it to connect anymore.

Yeah I am getting the same error what I had to do in order to reconnect was got into settings Apps and force stop of the miniclient then I had to reboot my Nexus Player.

[stuckless]

Originally Posted by tmiranda

It loaded on my Samsung Galaxy but really isn't usable. The overscan settings were way off and navigating was difficult. The screen is just too small. The app itself was responsive.

Had some trouble with the Nexus. After installing it things were initially good. Then had to restart the Sage server. After that the app would launch but not connect. The server selection screen comes up bu as soon as I select the server the app crashes. I tried uninstalling the app, powering off the Nexus, and reinstalling all to no avail. I can't get it to connect anymore.

Originally Posted by nyplayer

Yeah I am getting the same error what I had to do in order to reconnect was got into settings Apps and force stop of the miniclient then I had to reboot my Nexus Player.

I've published this a 100 times to my Nexus Player, and I have seen this happen from time to time. Sometimes I'll select the server and it just aborts, usually because the server thinks I'm already connected. If I re-connect, then it works. I've never had to reboot the nexus player or the server. Clearly there is still much to do

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by stuckless

I've published this a 100 times to my Nexus Player, and I have seen this happen from time to time. Sometimes I'll select the server and it just aborts, usually because the server thinks I'm already connected. If I re-connect, then it works. I've never had to reboot the nexus player or the server. Clearly there is still much to do

We might have to look into the server's handling of a new connection from a client that is already connected. Sounds like the best option is to ensure that any existing 'phantom' connections are killed and the new connection is allowed to complete as requested. This is something that is not unlikely to happen, especially if the client connections become increasingly mobile.

[stuckless]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

We might have to look into the server's handling of a new connection from a client that is already connected. Sounds like the best option is to ensure that any existing 'phantom' connections are killed and the new connection is allowed to complete as requested. This is something that is not unlikely to happen, especially if the client connections become increasingly mobile.

I have some "clean up" code that I need to put in there as well, to ensure that when the player closes, it cleans up the connections. right now that's not happening all the time. (it does happen if you use "Exit SageTV" from the SageTV menu, but if the client crashes, or you just leave it, then it doesn' happen all the all time.

[Fuzzy]

Yeah, it looks like it might close everything out if it detects the client has disappeared (no messages in 30 seconds). It would probably be good to perform the same actions on a new connection from a client that is already in the map.

[dinki]

Originally Posted by stuckless

That is unfortunate Sadly without logs it's hard to troubleshoot this, and getting logs, at this point, is a tad difficult.

So I'm having some odd issues with the app on my Moto G phone. I rebooted my phone and tried again. I was able to connect to my v9 install fine and was able to move around in the app. I exited and tried my v7 install and the app crashed. I reloaded and picked v9 and the app crashed. I rebooted and tried v7 and the app crashed. I tried v9 again and did not work. I rebooted again and it did not see my servers but was able to attempt to connect via the IP entry. Did not work, but it did discover that server after trying. I messed around with it a bit more and was able to get in to v9 a few times but never v7. I think I may have had more success when the phone was in landscape mode but I'm uncertain as things were really inconsistent. Not sure if any of this helps anything but just providing feedback.

[stuckless]

Originally Posted by dinki

So I'm having some odd issues with the app on my Moto G phone. I rebooted my phone and tried again. I was able to connect to my v9 install fine and was able to move around in the app. I exited and tried my v7 install and the app crashed. I reloaded and picked v9 and the app crashed. I rebooted and tried v7 and the app crashed. I tried v9 again and did not work. I rebooted again and it did not see my servers but was able to attempt to connect via the IP entry. Did not work, but it did discover that server after trying. I messed around with it a bit more and was able to get in to v9 a few times but never v7. I think I may have had more success when the phone was in landscape mode but I'm uncertain as things were really inconsistent. Not sure if any of this helps anything but just providing feedback.

In my next build, I'm going to send all logging to a log file so that people can view it, and and/or send it to me to look at. At least that way, I can try to help troubleshoot why it might be failing for some people.

[Narflex]

Originally Posted by stuckless

Trivial, yes, but also tedious, so to date, there are no direct key mappings like, letter X maped to sagetv letter X. That will eventually come, but for now, if you use a physical keyboard, and hit a letter, nothing will be sent to sagetv. Mainly because every single mapping has to be explicitly setup.

You don't need to setup every mapping for keyboards...you can send keyboard events directly to the server and it'll handle the mappings. It's part of the miniclient protocol. (just like mouse events, IR events and SageTV events)

EDIT: Nevermind...I read further and realized it was an Android KeyEvents -> AWT KeyEvent mapping issue.

[tvmaster2]

Hi. Can this be used for remote access testing purposes, for example from a dns server?