2011-04-08, 06:12
I had tried the XBMC Flix NETFLIX addon for Dharma 10 now in the repository...I did get it working, but found it sub par.
So I got something else working instead.
First, why the current addon isn't good enough (for me) -
For one, it just launches Internet Explorer and plays the video in Kiosk mode with Microsoft Silverlight...kinda "meh" if you ask me. That defaults to the native resolution of the video, which means (for me at 1080p) there are black bars around the edges until you click fullscreen with your mouse. There is supposed to be a hotkey (F) to make it go fullscreen, but that doesn't work most of the time the Window doesn't get focus on my box... XBMC kind of retains focus "in the background", annoyingly...more meh.
In additional, remote control button presses don't work. There is a IEwrapper to resolve this, but I believe it is older, and I could not get it to work with my Win7 pro 64bit htpc. There are other workarounds using separate applications (EventGhost and Autohotkey)...but there has never been a compatible driver for my (admittedly kajankee off-brand IR receiver) for EventGhost...basically EG detects some but not nearly enough keys to make it feasible for control both whilst in Internet Explorer Netflix Silverlight mode and when back in XBMC.
Now on to my solution -
First, I find Autohotkey lacking, so I use Autoit for this solution. Instead of EventGhost I use a nifty little hole-in-the-wall program KeyboardRedirector.
Together these two applications allow me to have good Netflix support with my XBMC HTPC Server a little bit differently than you might expect...specifically - I use Windows Media Center to Browse and Play Netflix vids...which works great and fully supports my cheapie knockoff Diamond/Formosa/R6 WMC IR receiver to boot!
OK OK, I hear your eyes screaming already - "WINDOWS MEDIA CENTER?! Double-Yew-Tee-Eff mate! This is the XBMC Forums, go back to your Microsoft Girlie Cave and pop a squat!" - Don't trip, I'll explain.
I still use XBMC...I just cheat with the the MS WMC skank around the corner for this application. No biggie.
What I do is use the XBMC Executor Plug-in to launch an exe (compiled from an Autoit script), which launches Windows Media Center directly to the Netflix application and gives it focus. I also added a convenient "Netflix" button to the touch screen of my Harmony 900 remote which can run the exe as well.
My Autoit script to launch Netflix within XBMC is as follows (For this to work you will need to manually install and run the Netflix addon for Windows Media Center once first, clicky here to do that).
XBMC Netflix is great, all remote buttons work and browsing is very good. The menu's are very Similiar to the Netflix implementation on XBOX360 (surprise surprise right?), which is far superior than anything that has ever been browser or App based for P.C. to date that I am aware of. The thumbs load properly and with correct sizing, it is not nearly as clunky and "scripty" feeling as the XBMC Netflix Plug-in.
The best thing is there is no obnoxious WMC Logo or anything major to reveal that you're even using Windows Media Center. The untrained eye won't even notice the small Windows Media Center icon in the top left corner that briefly shows (somewhat camouflaged by a newly loading screen of eye-catching red netflix menus and movie thumbs as the page is loading for a few seconds).
When I am done watching Netflix and want to go back to XBMC, I press the "Close Netflix" soft button I created on my Harmony Remote touchscreen and it launches another Autoit script as follows -
That's it. Works great.
I do know that Silverlight 5 release is imminent, and from what MS has said this will add standard WMC button press controls...when this comes it may also resolve the fullscreen issue, making the XBMC Netflix addon viable...though I still prefer the Microsoft Style Browsing for Netflix due to the latency and thumbnail quirks when using the generic Netflix API as opposed to whatever uber code MS and Netflix have worked out in their relationship for XBOX360, which now seems to have been ported to PC for WMC as well? <shrug>
If anybody wants to see my KeyboardRedirector and/or Logitech Harmony Remote configs, let me know and I'll post screenshots.
So I got something else working instead.
First, why the current addon isn't good enough (for me) -
For one, it just launches Internet Explorer and plays the video in Kiosk mode with Microsoft Silverlight...kinda "meh" if you ask me. That defaults to the native resolution of the video, which means (for me at 1080p) there are black bars around the edges until you click fullscreen with your mouse. There is supposed to be a hotkey (F) to make it go fullscreen, but that doesn't work most of the time the Window doesn't get focus on my box... XBMC kind of retains focus "in the background", annoyingly...more meh.
In additional, remote control button presses don't work. There is a IEwrapper to resolve this, but I believe it is older, and I could not get it to work with my Win7 pro 64bit htpc. There are other workarounds using separate applications (EventGhost and Autohotkey)...but there has never been a compatible driver for my (admittedly kajankee off-brand IR receiver) for EventGhost...basically EG detects some but not nearly enough keys to make it feasible for control both whilst in Internet Explorer Netflix Silverlight mode and when back in XBMC.
Now on to my solution -
First, I find Autohotkey lacking, so I use Autoit for this solution. Instead of EventGhost I use a nifty little hole-in-the-wall program KeyboardRedirector.
Together these two applications allow me to have good Netflix support with my XBMC HTPC Server a little bit differently than you might expect...specifically - I use Windows Media Center to Browse and Play Netflix vids...which works great and fully supports my cheapie knockoff Diamond/Formosa/R6 WMC IR receiver to boot!
OK OK, I hear your eyes screaming already - "WINDOWS MEDIA CENTER?! Double-Yew-Tee-Eff mate! This is the XBMC Forums, go back to your Microsoft Girlie Cave and pop a squat!" - Don't trip, I'll explain.
I still use XBMC...I just cheat with the the MS WMC skank around the corner for this application. No biggie.
What I do is use the XBMC Executor Plug-in to launch an exe (compiled from an Autoit script), which launches Windows Media Center directly to the Netflix application and gives it focus. I also added a convenient "Netflix" button to the touch screen of my Harmony 900 remote which can run the exe as well.
My Autoit script to launch Netflix within XBMC is as follows (For this to work you will need to manually install and run the Netflix addon for Windows Media Center once first, clicky here to do that).
Code:
#include <IE.au3>
Opt("WinTitleMatchMode",2)
ProcessClose ("activateXBMC.exe")
Run('"C:\Program Files (x86)\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe" windowsmediacenterapp:{e6f46126-f8a9-4a97-9159-b70b07890112}\{982ea9d3-915c-4713-a3c8-99a4688b7c59}?EntryPointParameters=')
WinWaitActive("Windows Media Center", 5)
WinActivate("Windows Media Center")
Exit
XBMC Netflix is great, all remote buttons work and browsing is very good. The menu's are very Similiar to the Netflix implementation on XBOX360 (surprise surprise right?), which is far superior than anything that has ever been browser or App based for P.C. to date that I am aware of. The thumbs load properly and with correct sizing, it is not nearly as clunky and "scripty" feeling as the XBMC Netflix Plug-in.
The best thing is there is no obnoxious WMC Logo or anything major to reveal that you're even using Windows Media Center. The untrained eye won't even notice the small Windows Media Center icon in the top left corner that briefly shows (somewhat camouflaged by a newly loading screen of eye-catching red netflix menus and movie thumbs as the page is loading for a few seconds).
When I am done watching Netflix and want to go back to XBMC, I press the "Close Netflix" soft button I created on my Harmony Remote touchscreen and it launches another Autoit script as follows -
Code:
#include <IE.au3>
Opt("WinTitleMatchMode",2)
WinClose("Windows Media Center")
ProcessClose ("autoitnetflix.exe")
WinActivate("XBMC")
Exit
That's it. Works great.
I do know that Silverlight 5 release is imminent, and from what MS has said this will add standard WMC button press controls...when this comes it may also resolve the fullscreen issue, making the XBMC Netflix addon viable...though I still prefer the Microsoft Style Browsing for Netflix due to the latency and thumbnail quirks when using the generic Netflix API as opposed to whatever uber code MS and Netflix have worked out in their relationship for XBOX360, which now seems to have been ported to PC for WMC as well? <shrug>
If anybody wants to see my KeyboardRedirector and/or Logitech Harmony Remote configs, let me know and I'll post screenshots.