XBMC users, new user would like your input

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nobody_here

[H]F Junkie
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sort of a continuation from this thread but now I want to talk XBMC specifics from those who have set it up and use it regularly.

Simply connecting my HDMI out on my 460GTX to my LG 55LH40 HDTV using a 22 Gauge 50ft HDMI cable. TV has Toslink output to split digital audio out to surround receiver, so no need to address audio specifics to my knowledge. I do know my particular TV only outputs Dolby Digital PCM 48k audio to my receiver, Dolby Prologic II post processing will have to be good enough for the time being until I can afford to upgrade the receiver to one with a video HDMI passthrough so I can get DTS-MA and split the video out to the TV after the fact.....so I'm ok with this for now.

So XBMC, just install the latest Dharma 10.1? On Windows 7 x64 if that matters. Was planning on using one of the Android apps for a remote, will upgrade to an IR system later if necessary but for now I just want to be able to grab my TV remote, change source to the HDMI where the PC is, and use the app to invoke XBMC so I can stream video/audio straight to the TV without having to get up to start it. Even if I have to get up once to start it no big deal......

What about Internet TV or other integrations into XBMC...? Not running a tuner card in the PC right now, cable is a separate entity straight to TV for now. Have a dedicated BluRay player on the TV as well so only media files on my PC will be utilized and any Internet streamed services that can be integrated.

I'm headed off to read on the XBMC site for now but would appreciate any tips from those who have "been there" for a while now. Thanks
 
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Well I got XBMC set up last night, including the Android remote app, which is really friggin sweet btw if anyone is wondering. It doesn't do TV in the traditional sense but there's a lot of add-ons that stream IPTV and there's also Netflix integration which was super nice to see as well.

I'm really liking everything I see so far. I just need to figure out how to get the Android app to remotely launch XBMC. I don't want it to launch by default at boot on this PC. I want to be able to hit a button on the remote that launches XBMC. You can already close it or shut it down this way.
 
Ok so found the app Remote Launcher. It has a Windows/Linux Server app and then an Android client app. Very simple setup, so now my pc can be asleep, I can grab the Tv remote, switch to HDMI source where pc is connected, wake the pc up, start xbmc, and then use it, then either exit xbmc or put pc back to sleep, all from my Android phone. This is friggin' great!
 
XBMC can do TV and just about anything else via Add-ons. Search around the XBMC forums to find the add-on for the service you want to use, like YouTube, Apple trailers, Hulu, etc.
 
Yeah, looking into that now. Having problems getting Netflix working via the xbmcflicks plugin on 10.1 Dharma on Win 7 x64 and IE9. I linked the account no problem and can view the various lists/queues, but when I go to play something it launches a full screen IE window and then tells me the media I selected is currently unavailable. Can't get back to XBMC, have to task manage the iexplore process.
 
for whatever reason that skin isn't available for 10.1 yet i guess, it wont show up in the skins list
 
Just a heads up. First time XBMC user as well here with 10.1 Dharma. Hulu (Via BlueCops Repo) is broken as is Amazon Streaming, etc. Unfortunately there dosnt seem to be any new developments. They pissed off Blue Cop on XBMC Forums so he ditched out and started it via Google Projects or something. Kind of sucks because I wanted Hulu integration :/

I also dont have Aeon either. Curious to see the fix.
 
Yeah, Hulu is not such a big deal because unlike other setups, this being my pc directly connected means I can always open a web browser for Netflix, Hulu, Youtube and whatnot. I guess its a bigger deal for people running XBMC on one of the proprietary systems.
 
check out the ICEFILMS plugin w/ xbmc

it's basically an underground HULU alternative,and it has absolutely everything you could want. I've been recommending it to friends and family and everyone is quite taken with it so far.
 
nobody_here said:
Yeah, looking into that now. Having problems getting Netflix working via the xbmcflicks plugin on 10.1 Dharma on Win 7 x64 and IE9. I linked the account no problem and can view the various lists/queues, but when I go to play something it launches a full screen IE window and then tells me the media I selected is currently unavailable. Can't get back to XBMC, have to task manage the iexplore process.
Click to expand...

Use the wrapper (it's in the xbmcflicks thread on the xbmc forums), it gives ya a close button at the top right. works great. Other option is to remove the flag in the .xml file that tell's ie to open in kiosk mode, if you do that just set IE to run full screen.

If the video says it's not available, netflix doesn't have it available yet. I'll bet money that it won't play the movie on netflix site either.

I use it all the time :D .. post in the xbmc forums if you have prob's with it, there's lots of folks that can help out, and I check in from time to time as well.
 
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Well, as it turns out it was the damn movie I was trying to play, tried it again on a different pc on their site and like you said, no worky. So wrapper .....I will look. Might try the kiosk mode first.
 
nobody_here said:
Yeah, I see it on the site but it does not show up in the skins section of xbmc. I see Neon and P3 and a huge list available within the gui. The list is alphabetical and starts with Alaska but Aeon is not there. How did you install Aeon?
Click to expand...

You need to download it and manually drop it in your skin folder. Should show up in the list after that.
 
nxcess said:
You need to download it and manually drop it in your skin folder. Should show up in the list after that.
Click to expand...

I even tried to install it manually with the zip file, still would not install. So then I noticed Aeon is old and Aeon MQ2 is much newer and built around Dharma going forward, so I just installed it manually and it works fine...:confused:
 
Spudsdude said:
Use the wrapper (it's in the xbmcflicks thread on the xbmc forums), it gives ya a close button at the top right. works great. Other option is to remove the flag in the .xml file that tell's ie to open in kiosk mode, if you do that just set IE to run full screen.

If the video says it's not available, netflix doesn't have it available yet. I'll bet money that it won't play the movie on netflix site either.

I use it all the time :D .. post in the xbmc forums if you have prob's with it, there's lots of folks that can help out, and I check in from time to time as well.
Click to expand...

i posted in the XBMC thread but my "post is awaiting moderator approval"....just registered so...

anyways, how do I exit the SIlverlight player, wrapper or not, if i dont have a keyboard or mouse? the pc in on one side of the house and i control it all with my Android device from the couch with the official XBMC Remote app....I can start a movie fine but once started the remote buttons no longer work and that means getting up to go to the other side of the house....that sucks! :D
 
so Icefilms is pretty freaking nice....it would allow me to completely remove cable actually because syndicated TV shows is the only thing we use it for now anyways....which makes me think it is short lived.....that the corporations are going to want to squash that pretty hard and fast
 
nobody_here said:
so Icefilms is pretty freaking nice....it would allow me to completely remove cable actually because syndicated TV shows is the only thing we use it for now anyways....which makes me think it is short lived.....that the corporations are going to want to squash that pretty hard and fast
Click to expand...

Good to hear. I looked up the website and it seemed to have a lot of mainstream/recent media. How is the integration into XBMC?
 
nobody_here said:
i posted in the XBMC thread but my "post is awaiting moderator approval"....just registered so...

anyways, how do I exit the SIlverlight player, wrapper or not, if i dont have a keyboard or mouse? the pc in on one side of the house and i control it all with my Android device from the couch with the official XBMC Remote app....I can start a movie fine but once started the remote buttons no longer work and that means getting up to go to the other side of the house....that sucks! :D
Click to expand...

Good question, ask in the remote thread (for the xbmc remote app) on how to send a key command, F10 will exit the wrapper so that's the key you will want to send to it.
I'm guessing that's possible, but don't know for sure. I use a $7 really cheapo remote to control it (link is in the xbmc flicks thread as well)

The wrapper takes the place of IE, it's a Windows Form with IE embeded into it, basically it is IE, but wrapped with a C# application that allows you to close it (and properly as IE can hold onto the Netflix connection).

In other news, Silverlight 5 beta is out, add's remote support, gpu acceleration for silverlight (great for ion platforms using xbmc), subtitles, and bunch of other stuff to it.
 
Spudsdude said:
Good question, ask in the remote thread (for the xbmc remote app) on how to send a key command, F10 will exit the wrapper so that's the key you will want to send to it.
I'm guessing that's possible, but don't know for sure. I use a $7 really cheapo remote to control it (link is in the xbmc flicks thread as well)

The wrapper takes the place of IE, it's a Windows Form with IE embeded into it, basically it is IE, but wrapped with a C# application that allows you to close it (and properly as IE can hold onto the Netflix connection).

In other news, Silverlight 5 beta is out, add's remote support, gpu acceleration for silverlight (great for ion platforms using xbmc), subtitles, and bunch of other stuff to it.
Click to expand...

I can't use a remote, pc is on the other end of a 50ft cable in the office. There are other android remote apps as well I need to check out, might have more features.
 
NotSoSimple said:
Just a heads up. First time XBMC user as well here with 10.1 Dharma. Hulu (Via BlueCops Repo) is broken as is Amazon Streaming, etc. Unfortunately there dosnt seem to be any new developments. They pissed off Blue Cop on XBMC Forums so he ditched out and started it via Google Projects or something. Kind of sucks because I wanted Hulu integration :/

I also dont have Aeon either. Curious to see the fix.
Click to expand...

The idiot noobs on the forum annoyed BlueCop off the project.
He repeatedly explained that hulu support was going to end because of a new banning method they were using against him... then everybody was like "wtf wheres my free hulu?!" and "mine still works, BlueCop is wrong"
 
NotSoSimple said:
Why not an IR Extender or switch to an RF setup?
Click to expand...

I am just trying this out for the first time. I don't want to buy yet another dedicated remote to add to the three I already have if I end up deciding to buy say, an Zotac ION system instead. I'm into this for $30 for a 50ft HDMI cable and like it that way right now. If this method becomes permanent I will probably be looking into a remote to consolidate them all, perhaps a touch screen tablet type would be nice.
 
nobody_here said:
I am just trying this out for the first time. I don't want to buy yet another dedicated remote to add to the three I already have if I end up deciding to buy say, an Zotac ION system instead. I'm into this for $30 for a 50ft HDMI cable and like it that way right now. If this method becomes permanent I will probably be looking into a remote to consolidate them all, perhaps a touch screen tablet type would be nice.
Click to expand...

Got it. DIdnt know the stage/commitment to your set up.
 
the 50ft cable should be here today or tomorrow, once i get that in place I can re asses
 
ir extender would work, or a long usb cable with the cheapo remote control (which works really nice considering it's dirt cheap)... i have 4 of the $1 (from dollar tree) usb extension cables hooked up to mine (dollar tree, all kinds of oddball stuff shows up there from time to time, firewire cables, usb extension cables, mini-hdmi cables)

another cheap method for xbmc is the apple tv 2, < 100
it's awesome hooked up to a projector (720p 3d optima hd66), its wireless and tiny in size, double sided sticky taped to the projector mount, small mirror above the screen bounces back the IR signal to it. long optical cable to receiver for sound. ($5 for hdmi shorty cable http://www.amazon.com/RiteAV-HDMI-C...RD48/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1302838295&sr=8-1 .. $8 for optical cable http://www.amazon.com/RiteAV-Digita...6UIK/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1302838261&sr=8-4)

Apple TV 2 is limited in output to 720p, and there's still some glitches, it will take 1080p videos in, apple limited the output to 720p even though the hardware supports 1080p.
 
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Connected 50ft cable today to test, works beautifully. This tv acts just like a pc monitor...but 55 inches! No scaling issues, no problems with hdmi signal.....so now to run the cable across the house through the subfloor. Beer in the fridge, jeans on, and a friend coming over.
 
cable ran, works awesome, Aeon MQ2 is a bit too much with Videos (redundant because of Movies) and Shows (redundant because of TV Shows) and a lot of other menus that go unused like Games........Confluence is just right

can't figure out how to get Icefilms working...it downloads the listings but then when you try to watch something it wants you to enter some "capchya" characters that dont even show up in Aeon MQ2, in Confluence you can read it but I don't have a keyboard.....so typing is a real PITA.....the official Android Remote for XBMC i am using needs Android keyboard support badly, would help a TON!

anyways, the wife is pretty impressed i think, like most of my ideas like the WDTV we had and using the 360 as a media streamer they only worked with limited success....now I need to find a keyboard/remote that has good omni-directional range of 30 feet or so if it's going to hit my PC in the office through a wall or two
 
sucks about not having keyboard support for icefilms

the capchas can be annoying, but they're necessary to protect the content.

if you go into the xbmc interface settings, find a check box for "remote sends keyboard keypresses" or something like that. then you'll be able to input text using just the arrow keys and the on screen keyboard. gonna be a pain in the butt though. do yourself a favor and figure out some way to input the occasional keyboard input. logitech offers a cute little keyboard for htpcs for around $30.

once again, i've been swearing on icefilms for weeks. i'm hoping it's gonna be around for a while.
 
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