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Feature Reuqest: Offline Premiere


DAVe3283

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My ISP is upgrading their backend, so for the last few days, my internet has been in and out. I discovered that if I try to use a feature requiring Emby Premiere while my internet is down (or once where just the emby.media webpage was down), it fails, and tells me I need to go buy premiere (I have a lifetime sub).

 

Can you have the server cache premiere status, so if there is a transient internet outage, I can watch my local content through Emby Theater? Maybe have it validate Premiere membership status when the server starts, and then only re-check right before the subscription is about to end.

 

Honestly, even if it would check every 24 hours, that would let me use it 90% of the time the internet is out. But having it only check on startup and then again before a subscription is about to expire would be even better.

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I seem to be the king of "that shouldn't happen" lately :P Here is the server log from today. I can't find where the logs for Emby Theater are located.

 

I tried to watch a TV episode in Emby Theater while I had no internet access, and it said the feature required Premiere, and I could watch 1 minute of the show. I then closed Emby Theater and opend the Windows Media Center plugin, and watched the show successfully from there.

 

This was around 11 or 12 today, and the PC I was using as a client was 10.0.0.9, if that helps you narrow things down.

server-63610185599.txt

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Probably the day before. I usually use it once a day or so. But I don't remember for sure.

 

Sent from my FlashScan V2

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Did you have an internet connection at that time? Theater will cache the registration info for up to three days.  It's possible you just happened to use it at the time that ran out. I can increase it a little and that should make it happen less often.

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I don't recall if I had an internet connection the previous time. Like I said, it has been in and out for the last few days, and probably will be for the next week or so while they roll out gigabit. I'd be all over that, but they don't yet allow business plans to do gigabit, and the next fastest is $500/month, which is also not gonna happen.

 

I didn't realize the caching was in Emby Theater, not the server. Now that I think about it, I am more likely to fire up Emby Theater when the internet is down, as I can't get any work done. Hmm...

 

Sent from my FlashScan V2

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I am curious to know if this is going to work completely offline at all in the future?

 

I have a client i built a media server for and they are currently running the old emby theatre because of this need to be online, they would happily pay for premiere but they live in a remote area and always on internet is just not an option for them, i also have another that refuses to have internet at home even though it is possible for him, again he would happily pay for premiere but has no need for internet at home so it kills any option him to have it.

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Guest asrequested

I am curious to know if this is going to work completely offline at all in the future?

 

I have a client i built a media server for and they are currently running the old emby theatre because of this need to be online, they would happily pay for premiere but they live in a remote area and always on internet is just not an option for them, I also have another that refuses to have internet at home even though it is possible for him, again he would happily pay for premiere but has no need for internet at home so it kills any option him to have it.

 

How would they get the metadata? You need the internet, for so much! A server needs a network. A network needs the internet. Are they wanting a closed intranet? Again, metadata?

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How would they get the metadata? You need the internet, for so much! A server needs a network. A network needs the internet. Are they wanting a closed intranet? Again, metadata?

I have my parents set up this way. They aren't really offline, but their internet is really slow (1Mbps down, 56kbps up, WAY out in the sticks). I rip all their stuff, and when I add new stuff a couple times a year, we just let it pull metadata for a day or so. But for the rest of the time, it is effectively offline. They are on Media Browser classic for that reason.

 

For a truly offline setup, you can just bring it to a house that has internet when adding content to get the metadata. People like us may not understand a desire to explicitly not have internet, but there is nothing wrong with it. And I am starting to get annoyed with the amount of software out there that is going to the cloud for NO REASON AT ALL. (This isn't a dig at Emby, I think they are doing things right. More of things like Sim City.) Personal computers are more powerful than ever, but let's make all software run on a server hundreds of miles away, sure... Because of this, I am always in favor of software that doesn't require the internet to "phone home" all the time.

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Guest asrequested

I do understand that some people don't want to be 'connected', but the world is moving forward. You can't have your cake and eat it, too. Either use the plastic discs or connect to the world. I don't wish to be mean or harsh, but this the reality of the world. More and more people are turning to streaming media. Just look at Netflix and Amazon. They are producing acclaimed programming. You can't expect developers to bend to the needs of the few. These guys have graciously provided a legacy app, for those who don't want to move forward. 

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I get what you are saying, and being always connected has a lot of advantages. And I'm all for making programs that take advantage of that connectivity to benefit the end user.

 

The problem I run into is in remote areas, like my parents. It isn't that they don't want to be connected. The horrible 1Mbps internet is the best they can get.

 

In this particular case, I see no reason they can't have their cake and eat it too. Having your whole collection at the touch of a button beats swapping discs by far, and once you download the metadata once, there is no need to go online to just watch it. The legacy Media Center plugin works great for them, and hopefully will continue to be supported by future server versions, and it is a great setup for their needs. Beats having to choose between living somewhere they love and having to move close to civilization just to watch movies.

 

The problem I ran into is I like to watch my collection when the internet is out, and after a few days, it won't authorize me to watch my content on Emby Theater. I understand they are doing it to pay for their hard work, and I support that (it is why I bought Premier). I'm just trying to get a setup so I can still entertain myself when the internet craps out.

 

I wonder, if the license check was moved from Emby Theater to the server process, would that help things? I (apparently) primarily fire up Theater when the internet is out, but the server runs 24/7, and could check in the background as often as needed for licensing. Then Theater just asks the server if the license is valid.

 

Sent from my FlashScan V2

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Are you not using the legacy app?

No, I use the Media Center plugin, I find it works nicer with a remote control. That is what I use for both my parents and my main viewing.

 

I use the latest Emby Theater on my desktop for light viewing from time to time. IMO it isn't ready to replace the Media Center plugin for a remote control based interface yet, but it is always getting closer.

 

Sent from my FlashScan V2

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