Using DVD changers as well as Hard Drive for video playbacks

by **CiXel** on Sat Jan 28, 2006 1:41 am

So here's a discussion point.
I've got my xlobby running as a front end for my dvd changers, and it's working great, however, I'm running out of room in them. I don't want to purchase ANOTHER Dvd changer (besides, I can't link another), and I don't have enough cash to tranfser all the movies to an All hard drive system. I'm currently using DVD profiler to retrieve the covers for me, and then have xlobby play the dvd via the %collectionnumber% which corresponds to the disc number on the Pioneer changers (F727's)

That's all fine and good, except I'm not quite sure how to have xlobby distinguish between an online movie (one which is on my Hard drive) and an offline movie (one which is in my changer). They need two different event strings obviously. I know there is an online/offline checkbox in the database section, but I'm not sure how I would change that via dvd profiler (I suppose) so that every time I re-imported my database I wouldn't have to manually go in an uncheck offline. I seem to recall that BaddaBing had a setup that incorporated changers and hard drives. Anyone else have any thoughts, input, or experience?

by **galileo2000** on Sat Jan 28, 2006 4:34 am

I would be interested to know how you've made it to work. Are you using USB-UIRT? You need to send IR signal to Pioneer, ou know, if you want it to change the disks.

I once implemented it with Girder, but not with XL.

Don't be shy, tell us more about this.

by **CiXel** on Sat Jan 28, 2006 4:09 pm

I am using a USB-UIRT with the xlobby plugin (And a pigtail off the back of the USB-UIRT).

I taught via XLobby all the commands I want it to know, and when I select a movie to play I send the appropriate set of commands. (For my pioneer I use Stop Stop Stop (to get to a neutral state) Then Disc# button then %collectionnumber% which send the individual numbers at which point I also send an input flip signal to my receiver. Of course there's a pause between all those commands which I've adjusted through trial and error to give me the speediest cycle. I need the pause so the changers can distinguish between a single and multiple button presses of the same key (ie. Stop Stop Stop or like disc number 111 or 112) and that's pretty much it. I have imported all my titles into DVD Profiler to get Covers as well as assigning a collection number. When I import that database into xlobby they all show up as offline movies.

So now I have to figure out how to make my NEW movies online so they play off the hard drive...

by **galileo2000** on Sat Jan 28, 2006 5:06 pm

How about buying a second F727 instead? I believe they canbe daisy-chained. It will be cheaper than 300X6GB = 1.8 TB of storage if you plan to put another 300 movies on.

by **CiXel** on Sat Jan 28, 2006 5:22 pm

galileo2000 wrote:How about buying a second F727 instead? I believe they canbe daisy-chained. It will be cheaper than 300X6GB = 1.8 TB of storage if you plan to put another 300 movies on.

Been there... done that

Running two already. Three is not an option, and I don't like the Sony changers (when you turn them on... they autmatically play the last disc you watched. If that disc has 15 seconds of FBI stuff, you can't do ANYTHING until that's all over. What a "feature".)

by **CiXel** on Mon Feb 20, 2006 2:30 pm

To help those out who are looking to do the same thing, it looks like if you name the folder in which the movie is stored to the EXACT same title as that in DVDProfiler, when you import the database into Xlobby those movies will be marked online.

This will let you send one set of commands for the Offline discs (Ie. In the changer) and another set for online (To zoomplayer for instance) and retain all the lovely images and information that DVDProfiler can provide.