[mark_montreuil]

i just installed xbox media center 2005-08-03, from the auto install 2.11 package, and i am using avbroadcaster 0.12 to try and stream video from mytheatre 3.25 to xbmc. i can get everything set up, but when i get to the caching dialogue, xbmc just freezes. i have tried using html, udp ports, but neither seems to work.

any ideas of what i should try?

i can share files from my pc to the xbox ok, so i don't think that i am having network problems. everything is connected through a router, and all systems are on the same subnet.

thanks!

[exp]

grettings all,

well, after several months of trial and error attempts to put mytheatre+avbroadcast+xbmc combo working i think i finally reach a veredict.

none of the the solutions i found in any forum was 100% operational and because there are still people asking for this, here's the solution i came up.

i used xbmc build from 12-2005 (or after), mytheatre 3.33.xx, avb 0.131 (changed by myself and may be found at
mytheatres.py 1.131) and finally vlc 0.8.2.


activate avb in mytheatre and choose the options marked in the following picture:



edit mytheatres.py with notepad and change url and urlview variables to reflect the ip of your pc running mytheatre. the port number (8000) in 2 (green numbers) should be the same in the the url variable in mytheatres.py. the urlview port (7000) will be used soon. put it in the xbmc scripts directory.

############################################################
#change your default preferences here
#set the ip and port for the computer running mytheatre here
url = 'http://192.168.1.2:8000'
urlview = 'http://192.168.1.2:7000/'
default_file = '/list.htm'
default_sort = 'by chan' # 'by chan' 'by prog'
default_tvradiomode = 'tv and radio' # 'tv and radio' 'tv only' 'radio only'
default_encryptmode = 'fta + enc' # 'fta + enc' 'fta only
default_channel_change_delay = 0 # 5 seconds works reliably for me, but it varies
############################################################

now execute vlc and open a network stream and set udp/rtp with same port number of number 1 in the picture (5000), mark output stream and caching with 4096. now press configurations and mark http with same address of the machine you're running vlc and use same port number as urlview of mytheatres.py (7000).

press ok twice and run mytheatres.py in your xbox.

btw, you can get avb at http://www.seanster.com/avb/

hope this help.

exp

[Sam2000]

exp - i like it. runs stable as long as no one changes the channel from mt. i've been pouring through the vlc docs looking for a command line or config syntax to start vlc each time with the settings you outlined. have you discovered a way to do this?

[exp]

sam2000, that's right you can't change the channel from mt, but anyway, what's the point doing that

about the command line for vlc it is quite simple:

vlc.exe udp://@:5000 :udp-caching=4096 :sout=#duplicate{dst=std{access=http,mux=ts,url=192.168.1.2:7000}}

you just have to adjust the ip and port numbers.

the easiest way to achieve this is to create a shortcut for vlc and adjust the target in the properties windows.

regards,
exp

[Sam2000]

you can't change the channel from mt, but anyway, what's the point doing that

heh! perhaps you live alone?  :lol:

thanks for the command line parameters.  i actually tried that command line (with my particulars) but when i checked the gui & saw it wasn't populated as expected, i thought it failed.  obviously i should have tested it instead of assumming the gui would show it's present running state.

can you suggest a way to setup xbmc to run the mytheatres.py script by default on load?

thx,
sam

[exp]

so, is it working? i still have some little problems with mt cpu heavy usage. still couldn't figure it out. but concerning dvb streaming this is the best solution i could find (with less jitter and crashes).

to load mytheatres.py by default you just have to edit autoexec.py and add something like

xbmc.executescript('q:\\scripts\\mytheatres.py')

don't know if that's what you want, btw i made a slight change in
project mayhem iii skin so i can execute mytheatres.py with a button. i can publish a link here if you want.

regards,
exp

[Sam2000]

yes it's working, & via a 802.11g nic in the mt-htpc too.  seems to use little memory & cpu on standard definition.  surprisingly little bandwidth too.  don't have hd to even try.  biggest problem is when a family member changes the channel from mt.  

regarding mt itself, sometimes our epg database becomes corrupt & mt becomes unstable. when it does, i reboot to let a batch file i setup replace the db with a virgin version of the db.  then relaunch mt & go to ch 100 or 303 to fill the epg database again & we're good for a week or so.

i had no luck with the autoexec.py i created & placed in the xbmc root, so if you don't mind publishing your skin i'll try that next.

thx,
sam

[exp]

yeah, i have 802.11g too and works pretty fine.

the changed skin i told you works only for pal 16x9 i didn't change the other standards. if you have pal 16x9 get this file and unzip it in the skin dir. it's better to backup the old skin.

consider trying autoexec.py once again. put it in <xbmc dir>/scripts not in xbmc root dir.

regards,
exp

[Sam2000]

placing autoexec.py in the scripts directory did the trick & it works as expected, thank you. no, not using pal here in the states. i guess you're in portugal? your english is great.

i notice i seem to have an issue with buffering from time to time on startup. when the video begins streaming, the top right corner shows a buffer bar that doesn't advance nor disappear until i bump the right joystick. a minor inconvienience. perhaps i should play with the buffer settings.

thanks again,
sam

[exp]

yep, i'm in portugal alright. and my english is not what it seems not the same as our mother language. try the changed skin anyway. it might work if you have 16x9 even though with ntsc.

there is in fact an initial jitter but it disappears after 5 or 10 seconds. buffering issues happen time to time, nothing serious. either i wait 2 or 3 seconds or press pause twice. maybe your wifi signal is weak...

in xbmc i use a 4096 kb buffer for unknown internet sources (the one used for http connections like this one). you'll notice a considerable lag between the pc and tv. the worst thing it might happen is to have the people watching the pc cheering a soccer goal while those on the tv are still waiting for the free kick.lol.

you're welcome

exp

[marplar]

hi exp

i tried your vlc streaming method and it worked very well.  i decided to update another version of the script i have been working on to include it. this script also has some extra features like an osd now-next bar and and you can change the settings in the gui (thanks to van der phunck).

if you want to try it: download script

note - it uses version 0.12 avbroadcaster plugin for mytheatre which you can get here: download avb 0.12

please let me know if it works.

[exp]

hi marplar,

congratulations! mytheatre script version 3.0 is really cool. lots of useful stuff. and thanks for the credits on version 3.1.

i tried it and worked very well. for now on i will use your script. yet i'm not able to read the stream directly from avbroadcast. after 10 seconds or so the stream is cut off. don't know why. still if i use vlc method everything goes alright. does anyone have these problems. or is it just me :hmm:

once again thanks and keep up the good work.

exp

[marplar]

hi exp,

thanks. i had the problem of the stream cutting off from some channels, especially on hispasat, when using avbroadcast directly. for me turning the cache (video internet) down to 256k solved the issue. no idea why it should work but it did.

[jite]

does anyone know if the xbox script "mytheatrexbmc3.1" works with the new "my theater" versions?

i cant get it to work.. but i´m a newbie.. so i might do it wrong.

[spidertnt]

does anybody else run this using a hdtv at 1080i
the menu is about 1/4 the size and pushed over to
the left. if i run it at 480p the menu is centered and
sized correct.

i think its a problem with the script but i'm not sure ?

edit:

never mind i switched back to using avb broadcaster v0.12

and all is well using the above files from marplar

and wow what great work !

thks. very much.



:d