Multi-disk Changer (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter jeffp
- Start date
First post!
Has anyone got MediaPortal to work with a Sony 777ES changer before via a serial port? I'd like to be able to use MP instead of DVD Lobby for such a purpose.
I was surprised that no one had mentioned such a project before when i tried searching through the forums.
Thanks!
Has anyone got MediaPortal to work with a Sony 777ES changer before via a serial port? I'd like to be able to use MP instead of DVD Lobby for such a purpose.
I was surprised that no one had mentioned such a project before when i tried searching through the forums.
Thanks!
- December 8, 2007
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NJPhillips,
Your post basically describes what my programs are aimed at doing (at least the part related to playing the media). Currently the programs work, but I would not say the project is 'finished'. Everything functions, but there are still some occasional crashes and freezes that I have not resolved. I have been having issues with my network switch, so I am not certain that these freezes are even related to the software. If they are not due to the switch they may be tied to power management issues because they only seem to occur when the system is idle. At the moment they do create enough problems to prevent this combination for being 'ready for general use'.
Your post basically describes what my programs are aimed at doing (at least the part related to playing the media). Currently the programs work, but I would not say the project is 'finished'. Everything functions, but there are still some occasional crashes and freezes that I have not resolved. I have been having issues with my network switch, so I am not certain that these freezes are even related to the software. If they are not due to the switch they may be tied to power management issues because they only seem to occur when the system is idle. At the moment they do create enough problems to prevent this combination for being 'ready for general use'.
- December 8, 2007
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- Home Country
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United States of America
bigdude,
Sounds great. I see three files being posed in your latest thread... If I wanted to get things started from scratch, with MP and your work, what would I have to do? Keep in mind, I havent even installed MP yet...
Do you have preferred versions, etc..?
Thanks,
Sounds great. I see three files being posed in your latest thread... If I wanted to get things started from scratch, with MP and your work, what would I have to do? Keep in mind, I havent even installed MP yet...
Do you have preferred versions, etc..?
Thanks,
Where you see multiple files they are actually different versions of the program with the highest numbered one being the newest version (which is the only one you would need).
The process to follow to test this from scratch along with the all of the software can be found in an earler post (that is updated along with the other one so you do not need both)...
https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/showpost.php?p=191186&postcount=15
Let me know if you have any problems. Remember to test on a few before you start working on a large number, since a big part of the process is actually getting Metadata you will find that if you jump in with 200 or more you will be spending hours 'at it'. With holiday season coming up you may find yourself in the dog house with family if you play with this all day...
The process to follow to test this from scratch along with the all of the software can be found in an earler post (that is updated along with the other one so you do not need both)...
https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/showpost.php?p=191186&postcount=15
Let me know if you have any problems. Remember to test on a few before you start working on a large number, since a big part of the process is actually getting Metadata you will find that if you jump in with 200 or more you will be spending hours 'at it'. With holiday season coming up you may find yourself in the dog house with family if you play with this all day...
In step 6 of your guide: Export the resulting data as a CSV file... How? you mean manually C&P each grid?
Never mind. I'm such a n00b.
The changer capability consists of two parts, the first is a set of modified code within MyFilms 3.x, and the second is a Delphi 7 based program that actually controls the changer. I have been working on heavily re-writing the back-end Delphi component to clean it up, speed it up, and add a few inventory database features to it. Since the back-end is under heavy development and I work full time I really have not had any time to look at the new MyFilms 4.x code and try to work this hack into it.
I also do not really program in Visual C# or C++ natively, so the code is a complete hack and a bit of a mess, so this is probably not implemented very well... I would be glad to provide the MyFilms part of the code, but you should know that without comparing it to the older source tree from MyFilms (3.1 something) it would be quite difficult to find all of the places where the code has been modified. I would be glad to have help with that code, but I warn you up front that the code is definitely very 'stringy'. In order to get this to work I had to place small hooks in many of the routines that resolved media paths, so beyond the obvious new routines for handling the Telnet communications, the code changes are actually a number of small hooking and parsing routines strewn all over the place. This was partly the result of MyFilms having that kind of code occuring in so many places under 3.x, but it was mostly because I am a 'hacker' rather than a 'pro'. You should also know that if version 4 of MyFilms has had significant refactoring or redesign done to its code, adding this to it could prove to be more of a complete rewrite than just a simple port...
Sorry, just tried to attach it and it is too big as a zip, and this forum will not accept 7z (7 zip) which is small enough... Looking for alternatives...
The Delphi back end uses some commercial components, so I cannot make the source fully available, but it may be possible to strip out those features at some point and release a source version. The main commercial element consists of code to use a dBase file with BLOBS as a metadata cache. This limits the need to repeatedly retreive the same data, saves user changes for re-use, speeds up the application, and creates the ability to print lists and covers using the metadata. I originally added it as a way to inventory my collection for insurance and tracking purposes, but I later found that using it as a cache also improved the back end performance noticably as media was moved from one slot or changer to another so it has grown into a bigger feature than I originally planned.
I will see if I can post the source of the modified MyFilms here this evening. If it cannot be posted here I will upload it to a hosting site and place the link here...
I also do not really program in Visual C# or C++ natively, so the code is a complete hack and a bit of a mess, so this is probably not implemented very well... I would be glad to provide the MyFilms part of the code, but you should know that without comparing it to the older source tree from MyFilms (3.1 something) it would be quite difficult to find all of the places where the code has been modified. I would be glad to have help with that code, but I warn you up front that the code is definitely very 'stringy'. In order to get this to work I had to place small hooks in many of the routines that resolved media paths, so beyond the obvious new routines for handling the Telnet communications, the code changes are actually a number of small hooking and parsing routines strewn all over the place. This was partly the result of MyFilms having that kind of code occuring in so many places under 3.x, but it was mostly because I am a 'hacker' rather than a 'pro'. You should also know that if version 4 of MyFilms has had significant refactoring or redesign done to its code, adding this to it could prove to be more of a complete rewrite than just a simple port...
Sorry, just tried to attach it and it is too big as a zip, and this forum will not accept 7z (7 zip) which is small enough... Looking for alternatives...
The Delphi back end uses some commercial components, so I cannot make the source fully available, but it may be possible to strip out those features at some point and release a source version. The main commercial element consists of code to use a dBase file with BLOBS as a metadata cache. This limits the need to repeatedly retreive the same data, saves user changes for re-use, speeds up the application, and creates the ability to print lists and covers using the metadata. I originally added it as a way to inventory my collection for insurance and tracking purposes, but I later found that using it as a cache also improved the back end performance noticably as media was moved from one slot or changer to another so it has grown into a bigger feature than I originally planned.
I will see if I can post the source of the modified MyFilms here this evening. If it cannot be posted here I will upload it to a hosting site and place the link here...