Remote Potato Addin (Version 2.1.3)

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sccrgoalie1

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Remote Potato Addin (Version 2.1.3)

#1

Post by sccrgoalie1 » Tue Aug 30, 2011 7:10 pm

Hello All,

I have developed a media center addin for remote potato. This allows you to access your guide from a remote pc. The benefit of this is you can have one central recording box and view the guide and scheduled recordings on other pc's. It's a step towards softsled.

Currently the following things are supported:
-View guide from remote pc (all channels or favorites)
-View recordings from remote pc
-Schedule recordings or series (either by clicking record on the slide deck or clicking record on the grid item)
-Slide deck showing the details of each item in the guide
-Skip forward and backwards by 12 hours using the skip key
-Skip up and down pages by using the Channel +/- key
-Number entry
-Launch live tv for a current item if the pc is setup for that channel
-Manage favorites
-Series settings
-Selectable number or grid rows/columns
-Scheduled recordings page
-Search page
-Movies guide
-Additional guide page settings (colored tiles)
-Other recordings slide deck page (not working perfectly just yet)
-Mini Guide
-Override guide button
-HD Now playing window

Things to come:
-Channel focus showing next few programs in lower banner

Known bugs:
-None currently

Download link:
http://cid-fc502126faae22c3.office.live ... e%20Potato

Version History:

Version 2.1.3
-Shrink remote potato logo and text
-Remove word page from guide page

Version 2.1.2
-Fixed a bug that could cause the guide to load blank

Version 2.1.1

-Clean up some code related to other showings
-Other showings without an episode title now shows the show title instead just like the native guide

Version 2.1.0

-Fix other showings page
-Remove Premiere notation slide deck
-Fix initial focus issue on setting menu, recording menu, and search menu
-Update now playing window...again
-Fix issue where guide page may end up with too few rows
-Update the installer to check for .NET 3.5
-Other showings focus now works like the native slide showing a quick description, timing, and channel details

Version 2.0.9

-Update scrollers for more smooth scrolling
-Fix issue with guide button override

Version 2.0.8
-Small bug fix that would cause the guide to have to few channels

Version 2.0.7
-Add color editor
-New image for movies guide
-Clean up banner (Same throughout)
-Clean up remote potato logo so it's the same throughout
-Fix some ugly formatting
-Remove premieres since it doesn't work with remote potato
-Channel +/- move up and down a page
-Override guide button (added setting) - note a change here requires a manual system reboot
-Update Now playing window
-Remove settings from manage series since it doesn't work with remote potato
-Increased the size of the banner image
-Fix issue if no scheduled recordings can't get rid of busy indicator
-Add mini guide - will be launched on down key press instead of native guide if override is set
-Add mini guide rows setting
-Guide now remembers the last position you were in upon exit and reloads to that spot
-Fix image stretching for focus image on many different menus and pages

Beta Version 2.0.6

-Service now checks for future recordings upon starting
-Future recordings now show up at the top of the list once they are scheduled
-Search page results screen slide now covers the entire screen and doesn't block you from closing it
-Update focus image on manage series
-Fixed scrolling issue on manage series page
-Update focus image on scheduled recordings and manage series to better stretch
-Add movies guide
-Handle case where no schedule recordings are found
-Note: Manage series page appears to allow you to edit series settings, but this is not currently implemented (Remote Potato doesn't currently allow this).
-Note: Premieres appears to be implemented but do to limited functionality of Remote Potato it is not truly premieres but rather first showings

Version 2.0.4

-Fixes bug in background addin that would cause it to crash
-Fixes bug in services for enhanced guide that let it look to far into the future for guide listings

Version 2.0.1

-X86 and X64 are now separate installers as some new functionality requires this. This means this update will not come via auto updates. Future update will though...
-Fixes issue where the guide channels would change on a time interval change
-Fixes stretching issue on the guide banner the caused images to be distorted
-Add new HD now playing windows to recordings pages (setting pages will be updated shortly)
-Improves item handling to reduce processing and memory usages

Version 1.2.4

-Adds WOL ability (only sends WOL packet when launching the guide page...for now)

Version 1.2.3

-Changes the way images are referenced, now if you have themes this addin should take on those changes
-Fix installer for service starting that may have hung
-Fix for other showings crashing application (still doesn't work just right, but no more crashing)

Version 1.2.2

-Allows you to turn off the onscreen keyboard under Guide Page Settings

Version 1.2.1

-Implements the zip feature of Remote Potato, should speed up the loading time of the application
-Fixes special characters/non-english characters so they display correctly

Version 1.2.0

-Some formating fixes on the settings pages and recording pages
-Brings back the missing applied colored background setting

-Guide page fix where a listing may not have appeared
-Guide page fix if you run out of listing and are scrolling to fast it will tell you to wait

Version 1.1.9

-Fixes small bug if you had previously added the new settings for the channel changer addin

Version 1.1.8

-Channel logos are now pulled from the server if My Channel Logos is not installed locally
-Adds the necessary settings to get the remote channel changing feature working without editing the xml file

Version 1.1.7

-Adds manage series page. Click on an item to be prompted to remove.

Version 1.1.6

-Small bug fix related to future recording page

Version 1.1.5

-Bug fixes

New feature
-An advance record feature has been added under the recording item. This allows you to schedule recordings to be added before they appear in your guide. Here's how it works.
1. You add the recording title exactly to this page
2. Save your changes and exit
3. The Shared Guide Service runs on a daily basis to check and see if that item is not available in your guide. If it is it schedules the series. Please note all recordings must be series in this release of the addin.
4. If the recording is found and scheduled it is added to the previously scheduled list so you know it has been successfully scheduled. It removes it from the to be scheduled list. If it is not found, it will try again tomorrow.

Version 1.1.4

This adds a user requested feature to Shared Guide Potato. Allows you to use shared guide to change channels on a separate PC. Below are instructions on how to set it up. If this becomes a popular feature I will add the settings to the settings page so you don't have to manually edit the xml settings files.

1. Install the latest Shared Guide Potato 1.1.4 on your PC you would like to browse the guide on
2. Add the following lines to your shared guide potato settings file (C:\ProgramData\SharedGuideServer\SharedGuideSettings.xml) where the launch on server location is the ip address of the computer you want to change channels on
a. <launchonserver>true</launchonserver>
b. <launchonserverlocation>Your ip remote computer ip address here</launchonserverlocation>
c. <launchonserverport>13042</launchonserverport>
3. Install the SharedGuideChannelChangerAddin on the PC you would like to have the channels change on. It will add the necessary firewall exception if you use windows firewall, if not please open port 13042 for incoming connections. Also, you can change the port if necessary in the respective settings file if 13042 does not work. You will need to add that to your firewall. Please let me know if you need help changing the port.
4. Click on a listing in Shared Guide that is currently on and watch the remote PC start playing that channel.

Note: If you enable this feature in Shared Guide the channels will no longer attempt to launch on the local pc from shared guide. They will only launch on the remote PC.

Version 1.1.3

-Fixes skip forward and backward time to be 12 hours
-Adjusts font size for 12 rows to fix cutoff issue

Version 1.1.2

-Adds now playing window to all pages
-Adds the ability to check for updates automatically

Version 1.1.0

Several bug fixes included
Couple changes to font sizes
Removed beta live tv features as this did not work successfully, will continue to test

Version 1.0.8

-Fixed a bug that would cause the extensibility host to crash when no more guide listings were found

Verison 1.0.6

-Only necessary to upgrade if you use security to access remote potato.

Version 1.0.5

-Logging improved
-Record bug fixed

Version 1.0.4

Guide Page
-Adds the ability to select from multiple recorder sources
-Improvements to the look of the focus image
-Change wording for Remote Potato credit

Slide Deck
-Allows you to select from multiple recorder sources
-Added other showings slide deck (please note this functionality is not working correctly just yet)
-Adds description of which remote potato server the recording is on

Recordings page
-Pulls recordings from all configured servers

Settings
-Adds setting to apply colored background to guide items based on the program type
-You will no longer be prompted about savings settings if you did not make any changes when you hit cancel or back
-Adds the ability to setup multiple remote potato connections (You do this by separating each server by a ";")

Version 1.0.3

Search Page
-Adds new search page including all search options availiable via remote potato

Recordings Page
-Fixed some icon cutoff issues
-Fixed an issue where the word today wouldn't appear
-Page now updates automatically when changes are made

Overall
-Busy(Hourglass) will now appear to let you know the application is working on something

Version 1.0.2

-Start Menu Fix to keep icons in order

Recordings Page
-Scheduled recordings page added

Version 1.0.1.0

Installer
-Now allows upgrades
-Now has default settings included (will only be installed if you remove the program data folder)

Settings
-Adds option to always show mouse buttons on the guide
-Adds grid row options (up to 12)
-Adds grid column options (up to 7 widescreen and fullscreen will always be one less)
-Adds full screen support

GuidePage
-Adds full screen support
-Miscellaneous bug fixes throughout the process of support more rows and columns
-Changed date format to match the native guide

Version 1.0.0.9
-Bug fix favorites only setting
-Bug fix login settings save navigates back
-Bug fix rare guide item combination
-Bug fix less than 7 grid rows
-Bug fix can now not use security

Version 1.0.0.7

-Guide
-Changes mouse interactivity icons to only appear on hover like the native guide
-Click record on a item in the guide set to record a series cancels series
-Clicking a live item that the PC is not setup to play will launch the slide deck instead

-Settings
-Brand new settings pages
-Login page includes on screen keyboard by clicking, ok, or enter in the box
-Leave user id and password blank on login page if not required
-New series/record settings these will be global for any recordings you set using Shared Guide (remote potato)
-New manage favorites - allows you to edit your favorites from media center
-Guide page settings - allows you to control whether navigate away from the Shared Guide causes it to close
-Guide page settings - allows you to control favorite or all channels to show on the guide

-Installer
-Now properly sets permissions for the program data folder
Last edited by sccrgoalie1 on Wed Oct 02, 2013 7:37 pm, edited 28 times in total.

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mmatheny

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#2

Post by mmatheny » Tue Aug 30, 2011 8:01 pm

You say this can stream LiveTV??
Mike

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#3

Post by sccrgoalie1 » Tue Aug 30, 2011 10:43 pm

mmatheny wrote:You say this can stream LiveTV??
No streaming at all. This functionality is meant for another computer with a local tuner setup.

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#4

Post by richard1980 » Wed Aug 31, 2011 3:36 am

If I understand you correctly, I can use my local PC's tuners to tune a program from a remote guide...assuming of course my local PC has a tuner capable of tuning that channel? If so, it sounds like this may be the solution to the dynamic tuner pooling problem.

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#5

Post by sccrgoalie1 » Wed Aug 31, 2011 12:05 pm

richard1980 wrote:If I understand you correctly, I can use my local PC's tuners to tune a program from a remote guide...assuming of course my local PC has a tuner capable of tuning that channel? If so, it sounds like this may be the solution to the dynamic tuner pooling problem.
You are thinking correctly. I'm not sure what the dynamic tuner pooling problem is though, to comment on whether this will help or not.

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#6

Post by richard1980 » Thu Sep 01, 2011 10:41 pm

Dynamic tuner pooling involves having a group of tuners assigned to multiple PCs on a network, instead of having each tuner assigned to a specific PC. For example, take the HDHomeRun Prime 3-tuner model. If you had 2 computers, you could set up both computers to access all 3 tuners. The problem is when you go to set up recordings, each computer thinks it has 3 tuners. So on the first computer, you could set up 3 simultaneous recordings without getting any errors. And on the 2nd computer, you could set up 3 more simultaneous recordings occurring at the same time as the 3 recordings on the first computer, for a total of 6 simultaneous recordings. Neither computer will throw an error because each computer is working within the 3 tuner limit that it thinks it has, when in reality there is obviously a tuner conflict....6 tuner requests, but only 3 tuners. I'm thinking your software could possibly be used to fix this.

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#7

Post by sccrgoalie1 » Fri Sep 02, 2011 1:16 pm

My app would help with this in that you can just have one computer doing the recordings, it won't help for a live tv situation.

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#8

Post by joshpollard » Wed Sep 07, 2011 3:40 am

This is fantastic! I haven't really found any issues with it yet. However, if I have TV tuners in both machines, and i want to remotely record something that is on right now, I can't find a way to do that. Maybe that's an edge case though.

I also wanted to let you know I posted about your plugin on The Digital Media Zone
http://thedigitalmediazone.com/2011/09/ ... ep-closer/
Josh Pollard
Windows Entertainment and Connected Home MVP
The Digital Media Zone - http://theDigitalMediaZone.com

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#9

Post by holidayboy » Wed Sep 07, 2011 5:55 am

Sorry to go off topic.....

Just wanted to say hi Josh, thanks for stopping by :)
Rob.

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#10

Post by sccrgoalie1 » Wed Sep 07, 2011 12:54 pm

joshpollard wrote:This is fantastic! I haven't really found any issues with it yet. However, if I have TV tuners in both machines, and i want to remotely record something that is on right now, I can't find a way to do that. Maybe that's an edge case though.

I also wanted to let you know I posted about your plugin on The Digital Media Zone
http://thedigitalmediazone.com/2011/09/ ... ep-closer/
Cool, thanks for getting the word out there. As far as your question goes, it is as simple as clicking the record button on your remote or I believe the keyboard shortcut is Ctrl+R from "Shared Guide." I am working on handling the info button, but since Microsoft didn't provide direct access to that button, it's taking a bit.

mjp14

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#11

Post by mjp14 » Thu Sep 08, 2011 12:40 pm

This is great and it would be very useful for me. However when I install it on a 64bit machine the following happens.

1) go into setting configure IP and Port press save message saying "button selected saving settings failed"
2) after clicking OK on message clicking on Shared Guide crashes the extensibility host and you have to manually crash media center.

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#12

Post by brennok » Thu Sep 08, 2011 12:55 pm

I had this same result but on a 32 bit machine. I thought maybe I needed it also on the PC Remote Potato was running on.

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#13

Post by sccrgoalie1 » Thu Sep 08, 2011 3:58 pm

mjp14 wrote:This is great and it would be very useful for me. However when I install it on a 64bit machine the following happens.

1) go into setting configure IP and Port press save message saying "button selected saving settings failed"
2) after clicking OK on message clicking on Shared Guide crashes the extensibility host and you have to manually crash media center.
1) Likely this is a permissions issue. The new version coming out will fix this problem. But basically you need to give everyone access to the c:\program data\SharedGuidePotato folder.
2) I'm aware of this issue and am working on a fix.

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#14

Post by sccrgoalie1 » Thu Sep 08, 2011 3:59 pm

brennok wrote:I had this same result but on a 32 bit machine. I thought maybe I needed it also on the PC Remote Potato was running on.
Same as the previous poster, check permissions. Also, I've done all my testing on 64 bit so I would be very interested in knowing your results on 32 bit once we get it going.

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#15

Post by sccrgoalie1 » Thu Sep 08, 2011 6:13 pm

Version 1.0.0.7 posted

-Guide
-Changes mouse interactivity icons to only appear on hover like the native guide
-Click record on a item in the guide set to record a series cancels series
-Clicking a live item that the PC is not setup to play will launch the slide deck instead

-Settings
-Brand new settings pages
-Login page includes on screen keyboard by clicking, ok, or enter in the box
-Leave user id and password blank on login page if not required
-New series/record settings these will be global for any recordings you set using Shared Guide (remote potato)
-New manage favorites - allows you to edit your favorites from media center
-Guide page settings - allows you to control whether navigate away from the Shared Guide causes it to close
-Guide page settings - allows you to control favorite or all channels to show on the guide

-Installer
-Now properly sets permissions for the program data folder

mjp14

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#16

Post by mjp14 » Thu Sep 08, 2011 7:38 pm

Just tried 1.0.0.7

1) Uninstalled previous version.
2) Deleted ProgramData folder
3) Insalled and Lauched
4) Entered Login Info click Save; same error occurs Dialog Saying "button selected saving settings failed"

Go back in and the entered url and port have been saved, but clicking save has same result

5)Launch main program extensibility host crashes and MC needs to be crashed.

any other testing you want me to do let me know

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#17

Post by cw-kid » Thu Sep 08, 2011 8:15 pm

Wow this is very clever! A shared guide was always required for "Soft Sled". Will be keeping an eye on this development.
Stuart

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#18

Post by sccrgoalie1 » Thu Sep 08, 2011 8:16 pm

mjp14 wrote:Just tried 1.0.0.7

1) Uninstalled previous version.
2) Deleted ProgramData folder
3) Insalled and Lauched
4) Entered Login Info click Save; same error occurs Dialog Saying "button selected saving settings failed"

Go back in and the entered url and port have been saved, but clicking save has same result

5)Launch main program extensibility host crashes and MC needs to be crashed.

any other testing you want me to do let me know
Is there anything in the log? Also, the settings page should look very different now. Does it?

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#19

Post by mjp14 » Thu Sep 08, 2011 9:01 pm

I thought it might had to do with the fact that I was leaving the username and password blank. So I added text and it then saved. I then changed my server to require login and then your program seems to connect however I just get 2 channels instead of my entire listing. here is the log info...

9/8/2011 4:44:00 PM Sending Login Information
9/8/2011 4:44:00 PM Stored authentication token: e3cbdfd8
9/8/2011 4:44:00 PM To Server: http:// ******taken out********* /open/xml/channels/all?token=e3cbdfd8
9/8/2011 4:44:06 PM Starting Channels Deserialization
9/8/2011 4:44:06 PM Finished Channels Deserialization
9/8/2011 4:44:06 PM Starting Channels Load
9/8/2011 4:44:06 PM Finished Channels Load
9/8/2011 4:44:07 PM Requesting listings for 9/8/2011 8:44:00 PM
9/8/2011 4:44:07 PM From server: List of shows with length of 13085 characters.
9/8/2011 4:44:07 PM Starting Listing Deserialization
9/8/2011 4:44:08 PM Finished Listing Deserialization
9/8/2011 4:44:08 PM Starting Listing Load
9/8/2011 4:44:08 PM Finished Listing Load
9/8/2011 4:44:11 PM From server: List of recordings with length of 50776 characters.
9/8/2011 4:44:11 PM Starting Recordings Deserialization
9/8/2011 4:44:11 PM Finished Recordings Deserialization
9/8/2011 4:44:11 PM Starting Recordings Hashtable Load
9/8/2011 4:44:11 PM Finished Recordings Hashtable Load
9/8/2011 4:44:11 PM Starting guide load
9/8/2011 4:44:11 PM System.IndexOutOfRangeException: Index was outside the bounds of the array.
at SharedGuidePotato.GuidePage.loadGuide() at SharedGuidePotato.GuidePage.loadGuide()
9/8/2011 4:44:11 PM Finished guide load
9/8/2011 4:44:11 PM Requesting listing for 9/9/2011 12:44:00 AM

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#20

Post by sccrgoalie1 » Thu Sep 08, 2011 9:17 pm

Version 1.0.0.8 posted

-Adds ticking guide (updates as clock time changes)
-Bug fix for less than 7 channels in the guide
-Bug fix when current time is equal to half hour or the hour

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