United States of America
If you prefer to use the Netflix app built into Windows Media Center 7, here's how. It's fairly easy, and, you never see any part of the Media Center except Netflix, so it appears and disappears quite seamlessly.
I'm using MediaPortal 1.2.2.0 and can only say that through hours of experimentation, this works for me. Your mileage may vary.
You'll need the MultiShortcut plugin. Copy a new multishortcut DLL and name it netflix.dll and run dllfix per the Multishortcut instructions. Put it in the C:\Program Files\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal\plugins\windows folder. Go into MediaPortal Configuration and go the plugins section. You should see Netflix in there. Go into the config screen and set it up like this:
Hide MP While Executing: FALSE
Restart MediaPortal: FALSE
Stop MediaPortal Player: TRUE
Start MediaPortal Player: FALSE
Button Caption: Netflix
Directory: C:\Windows\ehome
Exefile: C:\Windows\ehome\ehshell.exe
Arguments: -launchcoded:{e6f46126-f8a9-4a97-9159-b70b07890112}\{982ea9d3-915c-4713-a3c8-99a4688b7c59}?
Now save it and exit the config.
If you're using the Default skin, simply open MediaPortal and you should see Netflix available on the menu.
If you're using the StreamedMP skin (or any others that require an XML file to create the menu item), here's how to set that up.
First, go back into the Netflix plugin configuration screen and write down the Plugin ID.
Create a new text document and copy and paste the code below into it.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" standalone="yes"?>
<window>
<id>2076</id>
<defaultcontrol>1</defaultcontrol>
<allowoverlay>no</allowoverlay>
<controls>
<control>
<description>hidden</description>
<type>button</type>
<visible>false</visible>
<id>1</id>
</control>
</controls>
</window>
Replace the "2076" in the id section above with your Plugin ID. The 2076 is my plugin ID. Yours should be different. Leave the rest alone. No other changes needed.
Now save the file as Netflix.xml and save it to C:\ProgramData\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal\skin\StreamedMP (if using StreamedMP like me)
Open the StreamedMP Editor and switch to the BasicHome Design tab.
In the lower left section of the screen, click "Display XML Filenames".
Find and click Netflix.xml then configure your label and set the Item Name to Netflix.
Configure your fanart.
Click the Add Menu Item button and generate the new skin.
You should now have a Netflix menu item.
Now the Remote might be a different story. I have a Hauppauge 2250 tuner card which uses an MCE type remote and IRREMOTE.EXE to translate remote buttons to keyboard keys, which are configured in the irremote.ini file. If you have a 2250, you know the IR receiver is not USB, but plugs directly into the 2250 card. For those of you using a 2250, here is my Windows Media Center configuration section of irremote.ini. Be sure to add the line in the Applications section "Windows Media Center=".
[Applications]
MediaPortal=
Hulu Desktop=
Windows Media Center=
Default=
[Windows Media Center]
MUTE={F8}
VOLUP={F10}
VOLDOWN={F9}
BLUE={ALT}{ENTER}
SKIPFWD={CTRL}f
SKIPREV={CTRL}b
GRNPOWER={ALT}{F4}
BACK={ESC}
OK={ENTER}
STOP={SHIFT}{CTRL}s
PAUSE={CTRL}p
PLAY={ENTER}
REWIND={SHIFT}{CTRL}b
FASTFWD={SHIFT}{CTRL}f
NAVLEFT={LEFT}
NAVRIGHT={RIGHT}
NAVUP={UP}
NAVDOWN={DOWN}
MCEINFO={SHIFT}{CTRL}p
NOTE: To quit Netflix, I press the power button, which shuts down Netflix and takes me back to MediaPortal.
NOTE: If Netflix is not fullscreen, press ALT - ENTER. Now, if you close Netflix, it will remember the last state and should be fullscreen next time you start it.
I don't have a clue how to configure other remotes, so you'll need to help each other out on that topic, but you can see the button to keystroke mappings above for help in configuring yours.
Good Luck!
I'm using MediaPortal 1.2.2.0 and can only say that through hours of experimentation, this works for me. Your mileage may vary.
You'll need the MultiShortcut plugin. Copy a new multishortcut DLL and name it netflix.dll and run dllfix per the Multishortcut instructions. Put it in the C:\Program Files\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal\plugins\windows folder. Go into MediaPortal Configuration and go the plugins section. You should see Netflix in there. Go into the config screen and set it up like this:
Hide MP While Executing: FALSE
Restart MediaPortal: FALSE
Stop MediaPortal Player: TRUE
Start MediaPortal Player: FALSE
Button Caption: Netflix
Directory: C:\Windows\ehome
Exefile: C:\Windows\ehome\ehshell.exe
Arguments: -launchcoded:{e6f46126-f8a9-4a97-9159-b70b07890112}\{982ea9d3-915c-4713-a3c8-99a4688b7c59}?
Now save it and exit the config.
If you're using the Default skin, simply open MediaPortal and you should see Netflix available on the menu.
If you're using the StreamedMP skin (or any others that require an XML file to create the menu item), here's how to set that up.
First, go back into the Netflix plugin configuration screen and write down the Plugin ID.
Create a new text document and copy and paste the code below into it.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" standalone="yes"?>
<window>
<id>2076</id>
<defaultcontrol>1</defaultcontrol>
<allowoverlay>no</allowoverlay>
<controls>
<control>
<description>hidden</description>
<type>button</type>
<visible>false</visible>
<id>1</id>
</control>
</controls>
</window>
Replace the "2076" in the id section above with your Plugin ID. The 2076 is my plugin ID. Yours should be different. Leave the rest alone. No other changes needed.
Now save the file as Netflix.xml and save it to C:\ProgramData\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal\skin\StreamedMP (if using StreamedMP like me)
Open the StreamedMP Editor and switch to the BasicHome Design tab.
In the lower left section of the screen, click "Display XML Filenames".
Find and click Netflix.xml then configure your label and set the Item Name to Netflix.
Configure your fanart.
Click the Add Menu Item button and generate the new skin.
You should now have a Netflix menu item.
Now the Remote might be a different story. I have a Hauppauge 2250 tuner card which uses an MCE type remote and IRREMOTE.EXE to translate remote buttons to keyboard keys, which are configured in the irremote.ini file. If you have a 2250, you know the IR receiver is not USB, but plugs directly into the 2250 card. For those of you using a 2250, here is my Windows Media Center configuration section of irremote.ini. Be sure to add the line in the Applications section "Windows Media Center=".
[Applications]
MediaPortal=
Hulu Desktop=
Windows Media Center=
Default=
[Windows Media Center]
MUTE={F8}
VOLUP={F10}
VOLDOWN={F9}
BLUE={ALT}{ENTER}
SKIPFWD={CTRL}f
SKIPREV={CTRL}b
GRNPOWER={ALT}{F4}
BACK={ESC}
OK={ENTER}
STOP={SHIFT}{CTRL}s
PAUSE={CTRL}p
PLAY={ENTER}
REWIND={SHIFT}{CTRL}b
FASTFWD={SHIFT}{CTRL}f
NAVLEFT={LEFT}
NAVRIGHT={RIGHT}
NAVUP={UP}
NAVDOWN={DOWN}
MCEINFO={SHIFT}{CTRL}p
NOTE: To quit Netflix, I press the power button, which shuts down Netflix and takes me back to MediaPortal.
NOTE: If Netflix is not fullscreen, press ALT - ENTER. Now, if you close Netflix, it will remember the last state and should be fullscreen next time you start it.
I don't have a clue how to configure other remotes, so you'll need to help each other out on that topic, but you can see the button to keystroke mappings above for help in configuring yours.
Good Luck!