MultiShortcut with hulu software (1 Viewer)

framug

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  • January 31, 2005
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    Re : MultiShortcut plugin

    I tested hulu on W7 X64 since ixian requests and, it works with the workaround explained.
     

    ixian

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  • August 14, 2007
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    Re: Re : MultiShortcut plugin

    Hulu Desktop itself has been working fine for me with this plugin for a long while on an x64 system. You probably have MePo set to be "Always on Top" which won't work with this setup.

    As for the shortcut to Hulu Desktop....the way they install it is a little weird. First there's a "wrapper" executable that lives in /%user%/AppData/Local/HuluDesktop/ (Windows Vista/7). This can actually execute from anywhere, all it does is launch the actual HuluDesktop.exe located in /%user%/AppData/Local/HuluDesktop\instances\versionnumber where "versionnumber" is the revision of the application itself. It would appear that the purpose of the first HuluDesktop.exe is simply to check for updates before launching the main .exe. If an update is found it updates it then changes the version number of the folder. Kind of a weird way to do it but it is what it is.

    This is pertinent if you want to do what I did, which is have the volume level automatically set itself before and after Hulu Desktop launches (see my posts above for how, you'll need a tiny, free, open source program called nisrmd.exe to do it, Google it).

    The reason for this is Hulu Desktop controls volume using the master system volume in Windows Vista/7, whereas MePo uses the app-specific wave volume (which is the correct way to do it). Normally with MePo you'll want to have the master system volume set to 100%, as the wave volume adjusts itself based on that value, i.e. if your master system volume is set to 50%, the wave volume MePo uses will max out at that level.

    With Hulu Desktop and and the shortcut method uses here that causes two problems. One, it means that when Hulu Desktop launches, it will start playing at full volume, which is usually too loud (depending on your setup). Second, if you adjust the volume to a lower level in Hulu Desktop, when you return to MePo that new lower level will now be the maximum volume level MePo can play, i.e. not loud enough.

    The solution, which Framug was so nice to add to the plugin for me, is to launch nircmd.exe before Hulu launches, setting master volume to 50% (or whatever value you want) then launching Hulu Desktop. Then Multishortcut waits for HuluDesktop.exe to exit, and when it does it rns nircmd.exe again this time setting the volume back to 100%. It works great :)
     

    prei

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    Thanks Everyone for the great support, using a combination of all your information I finally got it working.

    My issues was the same as ixian's!

    When I used the path from the desktop shortcut in my MultiShoortcut plugiin (that path was C:\Users\Pete\AppData\Local\HuluDesktop\HuluDesktop.exe) it did not work.

    However if I launched Hulu Desktop and then went into to the prcesses tab of task manager and right clicked on HuluDesktop.exe and selected "Open File Location" from the menu, the file location was C:\Users\Pete\AppData\Local\HuluDesktop\instances\0.9.14.1\HuluDesktop.exe

    Once I gave MultiShortcut the new path everything started working great.

    Thanks Again,
    Pete

    :D
     

    ixian

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    Thanks Everyone for the great support, using a combination of all your information I finally got it working.

    My issues was the same as ixian's!

    When I used the path from the desktop shortcut in my MultiShoortcut plugiin (that path was C:\Users\Pete\AppData\Local\HuluDesktop\HuluDesktop.exe) it did not work.

    However if I launched Hulu Desktop and then went into to the prcesses tab of task manager and right clicked on HuluDesktop.exe and selected "Open File Location" from the menu, the file location was C:\Users\Pete\AppData\Local\HuluDesktop\instances\0.9.14.1\HuluDesktop.exe

    Once I gave MultiShortcut the new path everything started working great.

    Thanks Again,
    Pete

    :D

    Umm....this entire thread (so far) has been about the two paths Hulu Desktop uses :) Read up a few posts from this.

    Anyway, keep in mind that with that path the next time Hulu Desktop auto-updates the revision will change and the shortcut will break. I haven't found a good work around to that yet.
     

    arsenal333

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    Hello All, I've been reading up on & trying out Hulu with MultiShortcut & Hotspot Shield, works like a charm, going to and from mediaportal. The setting to put MP in the background works great.

    I am having problems controlling Hulu with my MCE reomte control, as in, when I switch to Hulu, even if I load without going through mediaportal the remote just does not work. (I'm also using IRSS, with macro's to control my receiver)

    Last night I rebuilt my mediaportal, (including OS 'windows 7') and installed Hulu before MP, the remote worked like a charm. Upon installing MP & IRSS and restoring using 'backupsettings plugin', the MCE remote no longer works with Hulu.

    Turning off IRSS, MP, and even uninstalling does not make the remote work with Hulu, so I'm guessing some where an irreversible change happens to the MCE driver / configuration that effects Hulu.

    Before I go re-install everything item by item checking, has anyone found similar problems, or know of work arounds using IRSS to directly control Hulu?

    Thanks Greg
     

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