XLOBBY controls both Sony DVP-CX777ES DVD changers!!

[P3rv3rt B3ar]

P3rv3rt B3ar - any progress on your 2-way RS232 idea???

No. xPerT is still one that keeps me busy, it contained so hard to find deadlocks/concurrency bugs that i kept atleast a month away from code. Now things are better, have made lot of progress with it, but also its growing so big that its starting to be hard to manage, so it might be i still spend quite a time fixing current and implementing planned functionality. then i need to make few additions to kXd and finally finalize ZPd... so its gonna be few months at best before i have time to pursue this. But it is still on drawing board.

[heylmun]

ok, I am a newby at this and I need a little more detail. I followed the instructions and have a few more questions. First, when I run the rs-232 control program I get a small black screen open for about a half second and then it closes. Am I supposed to put this program somewhere special or somehow associate it with the xlobby program? second, I have already used my primary serial port for another function so I had to get a belkin usb to serial port adapter and then run a null modem cable to the Sony DVD changer. My computer recognizes the port as my com 3 port. I have had success in importing dvd profiles and I am playing with the bat file command but havn't had any luck in having it start the dvd playing. Can you guide me a little further in the string of commands that might help me in this venture. Your example "d:\777\sony_cx777es.exe COM1 36 300 0 0 1" is where I started and mine looks like this "d:\777\sony_cx777es.exe COM3 36 001 0 0 1". The beginning of the command in the example, "d:" is probably wrong in my case but what exactly is the function of this part of the command and how should I proceed to find a drive identifier that will work. My computer already has the following drives identified in "my computer": "A:" "C:" "D:" "E:" "F:" "G:" "H:" and "Z:". None of these is identified as the Sony 777 player as it is on the Com3 port that currently shows up as the "Belkin adapter". Is there any way to confirm that the Sony is at the other end of this line besides getting the right bat command line and having the sony respond to it? Thanks BH

[heylmun]

Having played around a little more, I think I have answered my own question about the path (again, I am new at this). I believe the "path" is now correct in that I have put in the path to the rs232 control program so it looks like this now "C:\Documents and Settings\Bh\My Documents\downloads\cx777es_v1\sony_cx777es.exe COM3 36 1 0 0 1". It now starts the rs232 program (small window that opens for a half second) when I hit the play key in xlobby under the movie but still does not start a dvd playing though?

[sharp_1]

You need to make sure your "play event" in xl includes the .bat command.

Mine looks like this: (try and keep all your batch files in the root directory c:\ if you can, I have a folder named c:\777)


Actual .bat file looks like this: (make sure you change your com port to the the one that your megachanger is on)
c:\777\sony_cx777es.exe COM1 36 %1 0 0 1

The setup (F2) for the play event looks like this:


Setup your movie database to look like this. Your "collectionNumber" in DVDpro will need to match up with your slot number in your cx777es.


If you need control .bat files (ie: play, pause, fast forward...) I can email them to you, just email me.

[bpdp379]

I have this up and running and just want to thank everyone that worked on it. I really appreciate the ability to load by slot #!

Does anyone know if I can get it to load a DVD and go to the main menu instead of playing? I usually start at the main menu and navigate from there. Thanks in advance.

[sharp_1]

Not sure which .bat file to use but you can force the menus to appear by creating a button and assigning an event with execute file command to it with the following .bat file:
MENU = c:\777\sony_cx777es.exe COM1 27
TOP MENU = c:\777\sony_cx777es.exe COM1 26

Try to play around a little with .bat's like c:\777\sony_cx777es.exe COM1 27 %1

Let me know if that helps??

[P3rv3rt B3ar]

It sure is possible... but then again there is no single work-for-all bat file for this purpose either. Like ive been saying u need to make bat files which are sequences of timed commands to the 777-utility, and u most probably need to tailor them disc by disc basis.

That is again because entering to menu can be denied by UOP restrictions during certain time interval (for example when disc is playing FBI warning).

[sharp_1]

bear is right, you may get some DVD's that just don't want to start the way we have the bat file going. Just an idea but maybe you could try "c:\777\sony_cx777es.exe COM1 36 %1" (remove the last three numbers) and see if that brings you to the menu section???

[sharp_1]

Sony DVP-CX777ES MegaChanger (refurb) is back on eBay for $399.00 + $25.00 shipping in the US. Sony 5 Year factory warranty is included on all ES models, even refurbs. I have had mine for a year now with no problems. This is the same seller I bought mine from. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0069471518

[SMH]

Sharp,

I tried the suggestion you listed above to remedy some of the discs not wanting to start with the bat listed above, the 36 %1, but it did not work. Any other possible suggestions? I am going to attempt individual bats such as Bear suggested, but it would be alot nicer if there was a more simple, one-time bat file adjustment that would deal with this issue. Just wondering if there was something else to try, as it would be very helpful for others as well in getting xlobby and the CX777ES to work well.
PS, is this a problem as well when the movies are burned to the harddrive? Is there any quality issues with this versus the CX777ES player--is the quality the same as coming from the actual player?
Thanks.

[sharp_1]

Not all movies will play from the default 0 0 0 1 command. You are going to have to burn the DVD's that don't work to a DVD+R or your HD to make them work. As far as the quality, don't compress and you will be just fine!!!

[galileo2000]

Greetings guys and gals.

I was away for a long time for the personal reasons,but I am glad to see this thread alive and well.

sharp_1, thank you for your contributions and help to others.

[sharp_1]

galileo2000:

Great to see you back!!! I know you are the expert on this and I appreciate your up front work...looks like we have a few more folks using it your way. P3rv3rt B3ar has been talking about developing RS232 feedback for the Sony cx777es wouldn't that be great!!!

[bpdp379]

I finally got a new HTPC to run XL and made a new install on that machine. Now I am having an issue I can not figure out. XL is not selecting the discs for me even though I have everything set up the same as my old machine.

Here is what I have discovered. I looked into the movies database and found 90% do not have a "slot" tag. I select by slot # so that is what I figure the problem is. What is odd is I figured it would either import 100% or 0% Anyone have an idea what I am doing wrong?

[sharp_1]

Are you using DVD profiler or did you compile your data by spidering the movies? Are you able to take a look at your old movie.xml to see if the slot number is there?