WifiRemote - a tcp remote control server 0.7.1 [2012-29-11]

WifiRemote is a process plugin for MediaPortal.
It provides a connection point for clients over your network, lets them remote control your mediacenter in various ways and sends status updates back to the client. WifiRemote publishes your MediaPortal as a Bonjour* service to allow automatic discovery.

You want to use this if you use one of the supported clients (aMPdroid, CouchPotato) or if you want to develop your own client app (it’s easy, check out the documentation!).



Features

• Allows clients to connect to MediaPortal via tcp/ip
• Publishes a Bonjour* service for easy discovery
• Accepts and relays remote control commands (up, down, menu, …)
• Accepts and relays key presses (a, b, c, delete, space, …)
• Accepts and relays power control commands (shutdown, reboot, suspend, …)
• Can directly open plugin windows by skin id
• Provides basic security via username and password or passcode
• Sends information about status changes (selected item in skin, volume, now playing, …)
• Sends information about property changes (a client can subscribe to #Play and #TV properties)
• Sends information about installed and enabled window plugins
• Provides an open and easy to understand JSON api

*Bonjour is a technology (sometimes also called ZeroConf) that broadcasts services on your local network. This allows other computers or devices to find and connect to those services without having to enter an IP address and port. Bonjour comes bundled with Apple iTunes, so if you already have that installed you have Bonjour installed, too.



Clients using WifiRemote

At the moment there are three clients in development using WifiRemote:

• aMPdroid, an app for Android phones by DieBagger
• CouchPotato MediaPortal Remote, an app for iPhone and iPod touch by Shukuyen
• VoxCommando, a windows application that let's you control MediaPortal with your voice by JitterJames

If you want to develop your own client using WifiRemote don’t hesitate to read the documentation, browse our Google Code project or to contact us. If you have any feature requests or find bugs please let us know using our Bug Tracker.



Screenshots

As WifiRemote is a process plugin there is not much to see.
Below you can find some screenshots of the plugin setup.




See the client threads for screenshots of the remotes in action.



Download

You can download a MediaPortal Installer package at our Google Code page:

• WifiRemote 0.7.1 for MediaPortal 1.2 from project page
• As of 0.6.1 MediaPortal 1.1.x is no longer supported by WifiRemote

You can also download WifiRemote from the MediaPortal Extensions repository here: http://www.team-mediaportal.com/extensions/input-output/wifiremote


New in v0.7.1
Forum post: http://forum.team-mediaportal.com/t...er-0-7-1-2012-29-11.96251/page-27#post-937288

• Fixes problems with installed 4tr/argus tv plugins (oxan)
• Improves playback of playlist items (albums, artists, folders) (DieBagger)
• Reduce ui refreshing (DieBagger)

New in v0.7
Forum post: http://forum.team-mediaportal.com/t...er-0-7-0-2012-25-11.96251/page-22#post-935640

• Better Integration of MpExtended
• Support notification plugin
• Improved TV support

New in v0.6

• Facade Support
• Dialog Support
• MpExtended Support
• Modifiers for Sendkeys
• Many bugfixes

New in v0.5
Forum post: http://forum.team-mediaportal.com/m...-2-2011-10-07-a-96251/index17.html#post805809

• New command MP-TVSeries:
  * playepisode
  * playunwatchedepisode
  * playrandomepisode
  * playseason
  * playseries
• New command MovingPictures
  * moviedetails
  * playmovie
• New command Playlist
  * fill music playlist with sql
  * load playlist from playlist folder or path
• New command ActivateWindow (with load parameters)
• New command MPExtended:
  * PlayMediaItem
• Fixed: MovingPictures didn't appear in the plugin list
• Fixed: Screensaver now cancelled on each incoming command

New in v0.4.2
Details: http://forum.team-mediaportal.com/m...-1-2011-08-19-a-96251/index15.html#post797695

• Fixed keymap (home button not working and more)
• Added addresses field to qr code
• Fixed autoconnect issue
• Close screensaver on connect

New in v0.4.1
Details: http://forum.team-mediaportal.com/m...0-4-2011-08-04-a-96251/index9.html#post778098

• Show all window plugins in plugin list
• Fixed bug with assembly comparison: Detecting tv plugin should now work

New in v0.4
Details: http://forum.team-mediaportal.com/m...3-1-2011-07-12-a-96251/index8.html#post773026

• Sort plugins
• Rename plugins
• Hide plugins
• Support for MediaPortal playlists (client developers see here: Commands - MediaPortal Wiki)
• NowPlaying message reports item ids of movies, videos, series and songs
• Added PlayChannel command to start tv on a specified channel (developer docs still missing)
• Fixed exception when a second (or third..) client connects while sending a message to all clients
• Added IsPlayerOnTop to status message: Determines if the media player is the topmost window (client developers see here: Messages - MediaPortal Wiki)
• Force client disconnects on close: Waiting for read prevented socket closing on pc suspend

New in v0.3

• Better handling of missing Bonjour service
• Authentication via Passcode
• Allow relative volume changes
• Allow clients to specify image size
• Added more information to QR code
• Fixed commandstartrepeat/stoprepeat
• Fixed wrong bonjour install url
• New playlist control commands
• Startposition added to playfile command
• Added error checks, fixed bugs

New in v0.2

For users:

• Fixed resume from standby
• Added port check in configuration

For developers:

• Added command for requesting the nowplaying message
• Added command for requesting the status message
• Added support for polling (non-persistent) connections
• Added "IsFullscreen" property to nowplaying messages

Demo Client

We put together a demo client application for Windows to help you test your WifiRemote installation and give a starting point for developing your own client app.

The demo client is a very basic remote that is able to connect, send some commands and display the current MediaPortal status. You can find its source code on our Google Code SVN.

Download WifiRemoteDemoClient_1.1.zip

Please extract all files to one folder and run DemoClient.exe. Please note that the .NET framework 3.5 is required.

Re: WifiRemote - a tcp remote control server 0.1 [2011-05-05]

Hey disaster, it isn't submitted yet. I am almost done (TM) with the first version and already made a forum thread for it. See the first post, I edited in a link to the CouchPotato thread.

Re: WifiRemote - a tcp remote control server 0.1 [2011-05-05]

A blackberry app is definitely possible with the plugin. Maybe someone could start something based on the aMPdroid code as Blackberry also uses (a reduced version of) Java ...

Re: WifiRemote - a tcp remote control server 0.1 [2011-05-05]

Hi,

1. Yes the version uploaded to team-mediaportal download archive is for 1.1.2, 1.1.3 and 1.2.0 alpha(!). On our google code page you can also download a version for 1.2.0 beta.

2. Just double click the .mpe1 file and follow the instructions. The only thing you have to do is click on next a few times Then after installation is complete configure the plugin (open mediaportal configuration, go to plugins, scroll all the way down to wifiremote, right-click -> configure). Here you can install Bonjour if you want to and configure network and auth settings of the plugin.

Next step would be to get a client. In SVN is a very limited demo windows client if you have visual studio and want to compile that (I will upload a compiled version tomorrow or so) or you have to wait for the first versions of aMPdroid and CouchPotato.

All the technologies used are pretty standard: TCP/IP sockets, JSON, ... So that should be possible for nearly every (mobile) OS if they allow development and have a network connection. You just have to find someone with knowledge in Windows Mobile programming and the motivation to build a client app.