Posts: 10
Joined: Nov 2004
Reputation:
0
I've recently chipped a second Xbox and installed Media Center on it.
In XBMC you can be watching a video file, exit half way though, and when you go back to the video it resumes where you left off.
I wanted to know if there is a way to exit watching a video half way through on one Xbox and then have the second Xbox resume from the same point where I left off. The second Xbox would obviously have to read something from the disk of the first xbox to know where to resume from.
I'm not sure if anyone has asked for this feature before, or if it already exists. I couldn't find anything in the forums.
Anyone know if it's possible?
Posts: 26,215
Joined: Oct 2003
Reputation:
187
Copy the video database over to the second box.
Posts: 10
Joined: Nov 2004
Reputation:
0
Can this be done automatically? So that I can for example run a script on the 2nd xbox that updates the database instantly?
Posts: 26,215
Joined: Oct 2003
Reputation:
187
I believe people have worked on scripts to do this in the past. I have no idea whether or not a complete solution is available or not. It's a simple matter of copying from one xbox to the other.
Posts: 10
Joined: Nov 2004
Reputation:
0
Thanks Jmarshall...
Anyone got a script that does this?
Thanks,
Posts: 656
Joined: Jul 2004
Reputation:
2
I would think the easiest way to implement this would be an option to have the database files (or maybe the entire UserData directory ?) stored on a samba share. Some functionality will have to be put in place to avoid multiples copies of XBMC writing to the libraries at once, but this feature would be great for multiple reasons:
- only maintain one video/music database
- no reason to copy UserData files every time you upgrade to a new build
- playback history would be remembered from xbox to xbox (which is what the OP wanted)
Posts: 952
Joined: Feb 2005
Reputation:
0
as I understand the current database is filebased and not an installed service. this means it depends on file locking which does not work well over a smb network.
I agree a central database for all your xboxes and users would be nice but it would require a real rdbms running as a service on the network.
someone could set up an online server for all xbmc users. this could then enable a lot of new interresting features hehe
Posts: 34
Joined: Jan 2006
Reputation:
0
Ok, Gamester you said limit to follow me, sorry to defy you. Its true that music sync has been suggested before, here is how I think the two should be merged in terms of the gui. This would also be a great way to add gamesters proposed PVR frontend if XBMC ever gets there (if its possible). In the left hand menu there should be an option called "Neighborhood Media Centers" it will search for other xboxs/PVRs and tell you what they are doing ex: Xbox name is watching Spideman 3 (paused) or if they aren't paused then it looks like this Xbox name is watching Spideman 3. If you press A you join that xbox, if its paused then you have to hit play (this accomplishes follow me). If it isn't paused then it syncs up. That's ideal I think. Now there should be a privacy setting. If the network isn't setup/no link then this option should gray out. Just my thoughts I am sure there is a simplier way to do this, but if it was like this I think it would rock!
Posts: 2,288
Joined: Nov 2005
Reputation:
5
I think the idea of a "central" media database to run queries against makes sense in some contexts and up to a point, but I don't feel its at all relevant or a good idea for use in this "pause and remote resume" feature. Way way way overkill, like trying to kill an ant with a flamethrower. You could totally pull this off with a somewhat sophisticated Python script. It would depend on a couple things, like the web server and auto-detection being turned on and the media being accessible by all XBMC's on the network with the same relative path, but I figure those same features are needed no matter how you do this. Actually, the more I think about this the more sense it makes to do this with Python.
After all, this is an extraneous feature that not a lot of normal XBMC users will need. The only problems I can think of presently are 1) Can you pass parameters to Python scripts? 2) if yes to one, can you pass them via HTTPAPI? and 3) Is there some way to make a Python script aware of the other instances of XBMC found via autodetect? If these three wrinkles can be ironed out, its totally do-able without having to do any messy changes to the main app.
See how you feel about this conceptual script flow:
You could access the script from the video OSD.
When you call it, it transparently grabs the current media file and position, as well the currently available remote boxes. It brings up a simple list box (easy to navigate for those who mainly use a remote) with the available boxes, plus a "cancel" option. When you click a destination box, it sends the appropriate call the the HTTPAPI on the remote box and then closes the media file on the local box.
If the script is called with the parameters filled in, it runs in "resume" mode, opening the specified file in a Paused state and setting the seek position as appropriate. No GUI is even needed for resume mode, and only an extremely simple scrolling menu is needed for pause mode.
Posts: 2,288
Joined: Nov 2005
Reputation:
5
actually I don't think "resume" mode is needed, since you can send the appropriate commands via HTTP ^_^
Posts: 41
Joined: Oct 2006
Reputation:
0
i look like also
Xbox A play movie
start another xbox (slave) script detection for ip (xbox A)
Stop movie and copy bookmark
shutdown master xbox
resume movie from copy bookmark
Simple (for dev i think) but work in unique sens master to slave
Posts: 41
Joined: Oct 2006
Reputation:
0
sorry I'm not developper ... and If I understand you, it's not simple OK ... I'll would say "I think" copy A to B was more simple to sync A to B no ?
Posts: 716
Joined: Jan 2007
Reputation:
0
If you read this thread and the whole xbmc project.. I think youll find its really not an issue of how hard it is but without a developer who wants the feature, it is never going to happen. That said, even if there is a developer who wants and develops it, I dont think it would be accepted unless it was pretty effective, simplistic and neat. XBMC isnt just about adding all the features which could possibly ever come in handy like other applications. Its main focus is on simplicity and ease of use.
