Pre-Release (4/6/07) with TheaterTek 2.5

[snsumner]

Hello,

I am in the process of evaluating XLobby for my media system. I am trying to setup XLobby to work with TheaterTek 2.5 which I already own. I am new to XLobby and having some difficulties getting these two solutions to play nice.

I am using the default skin that comes with the Pre-Release and I went under File Types and added an entry:

Program:
C:\Program Files\TheaterTek\TheaterTek DVD 2.0\TheaterTek DVD.exe

Extenstions:
ifo,iso,img,video_ts,tp

Command Line Switches:
/AP 2 /nosplash %playlist%

And I made sure that the check box is set to enabled, and everything else is disabled (Yellow).

Within the "movies" Databases a given DVD has Parameter populated like this:

D:\Movies\8_SECCONDS\VIDEO_TS.INFO

When I go under "movies" and select a given DVD title and click "Play" it goes into the "Media Player" and launches that DVD. However, I don't believe it using TheaterTek because when I hit control-alt-delete I don't see the "TheaterTek 2.0.exe" in the processes list. I believe it using the other CODECS that have been installed on my media server.

I really like the Media Player interface. It was be awsome if TheaterTek had a pluging under "Media Player" where it shows the movie in the Preview window then I click the "Full Screen" to go within TheaterTek.

Another reason I know that its not using TheaterTek with the default skins is because if I switch to the "KISS" or "HeavyMetal" skins and click "Play" on a given DVD title it then launches TheaterTek in fullscreen mode. I believe there is something special with the default SKIN where when you click "Play" in has a macro that launches it in the "Media Player".

So how do I get TheaterTek to work with the default skin? Is it possible to utilize the interface within "Media Player" but instead of using the CODECS uses TheaterTek?

Thank,
Scott

[tsjdesign]

I ran into the same thing - there are actually two events set up to play movies in the "movies" section of the event library - you need to select the one that utilizes the "execute" line item when you expand the commands. This should change things to select whatever you set up in the file type section.

Hope that helps! Todd

[bakerpr1]

I have the same problem, but I don't quite understand why everybody else using XL has not had a problem.
If this is the only way to force a particular media player to play I will need some furtur asisstance because its been a while since I've used XL.
I would like also to open powerdvd for bluray & HDDVD if possible.

[thekochs]

Guys,

I got this to work........I''l post more details with screenshots later. Suffice it to say the command line is wrong. I went into my FREE XL which was working and my only File Type was the TT command line. I noticed it was set to old path of TT before 2.0...AND the ENABLE box was not checked. So, clearly with nothing enabled XL was defaulting to Windows where I had my IFO file types set to TT....so it worked. I updated my program path to TT2.0 and checked enabled it but it did not run. After some tweeking I found the proper command like switch (below). One key thing is you need to check in your SKIN what the PLAY button is linked to in EVENTS. As noted, there are several "play movie" events in EVENTS.....even one called TT Playlists. I found my PLAY button (go to screen, F1 to skin editor, highlight play button, go to event tab) was pointing to the Play Movie Event that contained the Execute command. This is where it should be. Also, one other note that under the Enable check box be sure to fill in Category box with movie.

Extenstions:
ifo,iso,img,video_ts,tp

Command Line Switches:
/AP 2 %playlist%

The above works in FREE XL and also new Pre-Release 7 but NOT in the Default Skin. I'm not sure if the issue is that the default skin has some internal override to the internal Media Player or that it is simply the movie viewing screen that it goes to after you select the movie is somehow trying to run default DVD codec. For me nothing happens....just black screen inside the player window when I hit play. I'll have to look at this more.

Very Cool Addition:

Also, I've gotten the coverart display plugin to work cleanly in both XL FREE and XL 7 Pre-Release with the above "enabled" TT command line. Credit to S Pittaway & cmhardwick on this....I'm just providing clean-up How-To.

First, go ahead and surpress the TT Splash and we'll use the LOGO below for Coverart display right before and after TT launch. TT Posting on Surpression: http://www.theatertek.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9998

1) Place some jpg file as a default TT logo in your C:\Program Files\XLobby\Skins\{your skin name}\Backgrounds\{name}.jpg
2) Now, go ahead and download the attached zip/DLL and put in your XL skin plugin directory
3) Start XLobby
4) press F2 for the setup screens and go to EVENTS
5) Under Events, find your MOVIE and ADD an Event called Coverart Display.
6) Add another Event in MOVIE called Reset TT BMP
7) Now, while on MOVIE Event highlight Covertart Display event, then go to right panel find the PLUGIN group, then under it highlight COMMAND. Enter this.............
the plugin will be xCoverResize
the Command will be make bmp
the parameters (%music>coverart%, etc) INCLUDE THE * as this is the serarator that his plugin is looking for. Also verify the path to your theatertek program. You can use the size parameter at the end (the *200*300) if you wish...it's up to you...I use *400*600 myself. What this command is doing is placing/converting the JPG coverart to BMP format and renaming to background.bmp that TT displays prior to and after movie (was TT logo). So, the commands look like this (no quotes):"%movies>coverart%*C:\Program Files\TheaterTek\TheaterTek DVD 2.0\background.bmp*200*300" or "%movies>coverart%*C:\Program Files\TheaterTek\TheaterTek DVD 2.0\background.bmp"
8) Now click ADD at the bottom right and if it did not place this command under your Coverart Display event then use your mouse to drag this over into the previously added event called Coverart Display.
9) OK, now you want to repeat item # 7 above BUT this time we'll be making a similiar command but one that replaces the coverart we setup as background.bmp with some default image....just a house keeping function else if/when you launch TT it will show last coverart....no big deal if you are always reseting to new one....but annoying if not. So, repeat #7 above adding another new Command but put in the the parameters (no quotes) "C:\Program Files\XLobby\Skins\{your skin name}\Backgrounds\{name}.jpg*C:\Program Files\TheaterTek\TheaterTek DVD 2.0\background.bmp".
10) Now click ADD at the bottom right and but make sure this new command is under the previously added event called Reset TT BMP
11) Finally, go into File Type, highlight your TheaterTek command line and under Enable checkbox use the Assign buttons for Start and End events. These will launch and event prior to and after the TT command string. As you might guess, point the Start to the event called Coverart Display and the End to the event called Reset TT BMP

That's it !!! I found this implementation much more reliable.

Previous XL Thread on Discussion:
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=4855&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

[thekochs]

And I made sure that the check box is set to enabled, and everything else is disabled (Yellow).

Within the "movies" Databases a given DVD has Parameter populated like this:

D:\Movies\8_SECCONDS\VIDEO_TS.INFO

When I go under "movies" and select a given DVD title and click "Play" it goes into the "Media Player" and launches that DVD. However, I don't believe it using TheaterTek because when I hit control-alt-delete I don't see the "TheaterTek 2.0.exe" in the processes list. I believe it using the other CODECS that have been installed on my media server.

I did the same and no DVD will launch....the screen is just black in the player window. I assume you must have some other codec that the Media Player is using under default to play....I must not....clearly it doesn't like the TT codecs....funny since they are NVidia. If I use another skin as you said TT comes up fine. It may be a function of that Media Player screen....I'm going to try to create another temp screen with a PLAY button point to the PLay Movie EVENT with Execute command in it and see if it launches within default skin. I wish the Media Player F2 setup menu allowed you to point to the codecs in your system...no telling what defauly means.

[cmhardwick]

You are getting very confused here. Other skins DON'T LAUNCH THE INTERNAL PLAYER unless you reconfigure them. The default skin DOESN'T LAUNCH EXTERNAL PLAYERS unless you reconfigure it. Don't get the Player and the Codec confused. TT will not launch (show up under task manager, etc) when the internal player is used. That's the whole point of the internal player, no external player such as TT or Zoomplayer needed.
ALso, there is probably, in the default skin, a traditional "movie control screen" for the external players. To test, you can just copy the one from another skin (along with any necessary graphics files) to teh default skin directory and use that. Edit the "go screen" part of the PLAY MOVIE event to point to that screen, etc.

Under events, there are 2 play movie events under MOVIE I believe ... one "PLay MOVIE" is the normal one, will launch a configured external player such as zoomplayer or TT, whatever is configured under File Types. The other "play movie new" launches the internal player ONLY.

[thekochs]

You are getting very confused here. Other skins DON'T LAUNCH THE INTERNAL PLAYER unless you reconfigure them. The default skin DOESN'T LAUNCH EXTERNAL PLAYERS unless you reconfigure it. Don't get the Player and the Codec confused. TT will not launch (show up under task manager, etc) when the internal player is used. That's the whole point of the internal player, no external player such as TT or Zoomplayer needed.
ALso, there is probably, in the default skin, a traditional "movie control screen" for the external players. To test, you can just copy the one from another skin (along with any necessary graphics files) to teh default skin directory and use that. Edit the "go screen" part of the PLAY MOVIE event to point to that screen, etc.

Under events, there are 2 play movie events under MOVIE I believe ... one "PLay MOVIE" is the normal one, will launch a configured external player such as zoomplayer or TT, whatever is configured under File Types. The other "play movie new" launches the internal player ONLY.

Thanks for the clarification....I get this. The issue, which I have not had time to investigate, is that the screen in the default XL 7 pre-release that is after the movie selection screen (call it the player window) does not launch any DVD for me....neither the internal player or TT. Sounds like snsummer has his launch but not using TT. So, based on his comment, and your confirmation, I'm betting that screens play button points to the new "play movie new" in events. If so, I'm hoping it is as simple as pointing the that "player window" screen's PLAY button to my/the TT launch event tied to Field Types execute command line.

It still would be nice and MUCH easier if the Media Player config window in F2 allowed you to select any/all of the codecs listed/installed in your system rather than having to manually edit/enter in File Types and tweek Events Movie Play to do so. I would think the four would be WMP (with installed codecs), Zoomplayer, TheaterTek and PowerDVD. I think XLobby should detect which codecs are loaded in the system and put these options in the Media Player F2 tab. When you select one of them they write the command string in File Types and create/edit the Play Movie event accordingly....or simply have the default command strings for these four already loaded into the FILE TYPES with all of Enable unchecked and the Media Player tab selected just "enables" the appropriate command string. Just my two cents but this seems to be a step/feature that would help out considerably for most users.

BTW...did I get/write/document the steps above correct ? I really like the Coverart display DLL. I found it MUCH more stable to have it's own EVENT tied to Startup and End in FILE TYPES. Just placing a command in front and back of execute command in Play Movie event was intermittant. Sure wish we could figure out how to capture the back coverart in the DVD Profiler database into XL 7.x.

[cmhardwick]

as to the coverart, mine's working perfectly having the commands in the play movie event, but either way works

On mine, I have available (under F2, Media Player) default and powerdvd (mine's set to powerdvd). It plays just fine. If I have time tonight I'll go back over my settings, etc, and post them here. I'll also verify if nvidia is kicking in on it's own, or just ffdshow.

[snsumner]

I have a problem with my sound that I'm hoping others have ran into and know the fix for. When I startup Xlobby I can hear all the sounds perfectly, for example I can hear the beeps when I scroll through the main page on default skin. I can also play any of my music within XLobby and I sounds great.

When I launch a movie from Xlobby into TheaterTek 2.5 the sounds works great also. After I finish the watching the movie, and close TheaterTek which takes me back to Xlobby my sound stops working. I play music and even through the volume is turned all the way up I can't hear anything. Also all the sounds within Xlobby disappears. THe only way to fix the problem is to restart Xlobby.

I'm using the following piece of software:

1. Xlobby2 Pre-Release
2. TheaterTek 2.5
3. FFshow
4. AC3Filter

Has anyone ran across this type of problem before?

[thekochs]

I have a problem with my sound that I'm hoping others have ran into and know the fix for. When I startup Xlobby I can hear all the sounds perfectly, for example I can hear the beeps when I scroll through the main page on default skin. I can also play any of my music within XLobby and I sounds great.

When I launch a movie from Xlobby into TheaterTek 2.5 the sounds works great also. After I finish the watching the movie, and close TheaterTek which takes me back to Xlobby my sound stops working. I play music and even through the volume is turned all the way up I can't hear anything. Also all the sounds within Xlobby disappears. THe only way to fix the problem is to restart Xlobby.

I'm using the following piece of software:

1. Xlobby2 Pre-Release
2. TheaterTek 2.5
3. FFshow
4. AC3Filter

Has anyone ran across this type of problem before?

My only suggestion would be to disable the FFShow and AC3Filter and just let TT drive the sound and see if the problem goes away ? This could at least allow you to spot the culprit.

[cmhardwick]

sometimes on the "new" version, since it has an internal player, the audio codecs don't close after they are opened. This could be the problem. I second thekochs suggestion of disabling them both and see if that clears it up.