FR: MBT - Monitor Optical Drive and Start External Disc Program

[A8HTPC 38]

I was thinking today, instead of having a plugin to play dvd or bluray discs, why not have Media Browser Server monitor the optical drive and start a designated program like powerdvd or VLC or Total Media Theater, then after the disc is removed, close that particular program, regardless of the program used. Using EventGhost, I capture the events, System.DriveMounted.F ("F" Being drive letter) and System.DriveRemoved.F  in order to capture the optical disc loading and unloading when explorer is not running. 

 

This wouldn't need to be a plugin and would only need to be a small feature with little to no updating since another software will be reading the disc.

 

Yes? No?

[bluemonkey07 590]

This would only be useful if mb3 server is running on the htpc connected to the display wouldnt it?

 

Sent from my GT-I9295 using Tapatalk

[ebr 16169]

Yeah, this doesn't make any sense as a server feature.  Most people will want to rip a disc they insert on the server, not play it.

 

Also, you can basically make Windows do this without any help from anything else.

[A8HTPC 38]

This would only be useful if mb3 server is running on the htpc connected to the display wouldnt it?

 

Sent from my GT-I9295 using Tapatalk

Thats the point. My HTPC which is connected to my TV, like most HTPCs. I say server because that is always running in the background and can always monitor. I suppose for people who have the client only on the computer hooked to the tV, maybe having it a feature in MBT would work too.

 

Yeah, this doesn't make any sense as a server feature.  Most people will want to rip a disc they insert on the server, not play it.

 

Whos most people? Honestly, My HTPC Server doubles as my media player, It has the only bluray and dvd drive in my living room. Instead of switching inputs on my TV I can just keep it on the PC. Most times I just want to play a disc instead of waiting for it to be recorded. I was thinking of a server function since that is always running in the background even if you close out of MBT for some reason. Having it a feature in MBT would work as well.

 

 

Also, you can basically make Windows do this without any help from anything else.

This doesn't work when you make your HTPC more like an appliance by making MBT shelled in windows. Explorer.exe does not start up at all which prevents a lot of junk loading and keeps the PC running a lot smoother.

 

The two events I listed are the only events I know of that work to capture the optical disc loading without the explorer running. AutoRun doesn't work without explorer running

 

If this becomes a feature, when you remove the optical disc, MBT can be brought to the front and send the disc playback software to the rear.

Edited March 5, 2014 by A8HTPC

[Koleckai Silvestri 1154]

Your best bet would still be to have the Client read the drive and play the video on the disc. 

 

The server is meant to be put on a machine and stuck somewhere. On my own computer, I run both Client and Server. However the server also feeds to three laptops, two other desktop computers, a roku and various tablets and iPhones. I don't want people coming up and putting discs in my machine to play them on the computer upstairs. They should be able to insert the disc in the computer they are at and watch in on the MediaBrowser Client installed on that machine.

[ebr 16169]

Yes, this would be a client feature.  The server might be the machine you are watching on but the client always will be.

 

However, again, its audience would be pretty limited as most people don't re-shell their OS.  Valid request (for a client) but not sure how high of a priority.

[A8HTPC 38]

Your best bet would still be to have the Client read the drive and play the video on the disc. 

 

The server is meant to be put on a machine and stuck somewhere. On my own computer, I run both Client and Server. However the server also feeds to three laptops, two other desktop computers, a roku and various tablets and iPhones. I don't want people coming up and putting discs in my machine to play them on the computer upstairs. They should be able to insert the disc in the computer they are at and watch in on the MediaBrowser Client installed on that machine.

Understood.

 

So this could be a beneficial feature on the client side? For those that are like me and don't use Explorer.exe

 

Yes, this would be a client feature.  The server might be the machine you are watching on but the client always will be.

 

However, again, its audience would be pretty limited as most people don't re-shell their OS.  Valid request (for a client) but not sure how high of a priority.

 

Would it take much to code it into the MBT client? I don't know how much effort it would take.

 

I have seen a lot of people re-shell the OS IF the pc is dedicated to be a HTPC and want to have a good wife acceptance factor. lol

Edited March 5, 2014 by A8HTPC

[Koleckai Silvestri 1154]

Understood.

 

So this could be a beneficial feature on the client side? For those that are like me and don't use Explorer.exe

 

 

Would it take much to code it into the MBT client? I don't know how much effort it would take.

 

I have seen a lot of people re-shell the OS IF the pc is dedicated to be a HTPC and want to have a good wife acceptance factor. lol

 

Not sure why you would need Explorer. The DVD/Bluray decoder would be built into the Client. It would most likely be an extension of the current folder rip mounting in the system already. DVD would be easier of course since there are more direct play solutions out there.

[A8HTPC 38]

Im not looking for something to decode bluray/dvd. From my understanding, MBT does not support optical disc playback nor does it support menus in DVD or Blurays correct? Basically all I am looking for is MBT to monitor the optical drive, when a disc is inserted, it will start a disc player program I designate such as PowerDVD or Total Media Theater. These external programs will do the heavy work of playing the DVD or bluray while MBT sits idle. When the disc is removed, MBT could be brought back to the front and either close and send to rear the disc player program.

 

Unfortunately, Explorer is needed when you want windows AutoPlay to work at all. Without Explorer, AutoPlay features do not exist, hence the reason I now use EventGhost to monitor the disc drive and start PowerDVD.

Edited March 5, 2014 by A8HTPC

[Koleckai Silvestri 1154]

Still MBT already supports external players so it isn't much more of an extension... I am sure if it is added, the developers can figure out the semantics.

Edited March 5, 2014 by Wayne Luke

[A8HTPC 38]

I understand what you mean now. To me it doesn't seem like it would be much time involved doing it but im not a programmer so I have no idea. It would be very nice though.

[hooraysimpsons 0]

I'm still in the process of putting the hardware together so I haven't been able to test this at all.  But my thought for simple workaround to disc playback would be to have the option for the server to automatically stream any inserted disc using makemkv.  Then have an entry point within the clients to access the makemkv stream.  Ideally this could pop up with an easily selectable menu to choose which title to play.  That way if you started playing title 0 and realized it was an extra feature you could hit stop, re-enter the makemkv stream entry point and select title 1 instead.  It may require some trial and error on some discs but overall could get to disc playback quicker than ripping.

 

Anyone have any thoughts on how feasible this would be?

[bluemonkey07 590]

Again this is not very practical....disc playback only makes sense on clients... for the server you want to either mount the disc as a media source or rip to your library

[hooraysimpsons 0]

I think what is practical depends on individual setup.  I only plan on having one bluray drive and it'll be on the server.  

 

Either way the software piece that would be nice to have is on the client side.  Getting either the server or client to automatically launch MakeMKV and start a stream can probably be done independently of MB3.  The features that would be nice in MB3 is for the client to have a launchpoint to open the stream.  And ideally for a GUI menu that receives a numerical input and opens that title number within the stream.

[bluemonkey07 590]

I think what is practical depends on individual setup. I only plan on having one bluray drive and it'll be on the server.

 

Either way the software piece that would be nice to have is on the client side. Getting either the server or client to automatically launch MakeMKV and start a stream can probably be done independently of MB3. The features that would be nice in MB3 is for the client to have a launchpoint to open the stream. And ideally for a GUI menu that receives a numerical input and opens that title number within the stream.

Why can't/wont you rip the bluray to your media library?

[hooraysimpsons 0]

I do plan on ripping my blurays.  I may not ever end up needing this streaming solution.  I am offering a suggestion to possibly fulfill a feature request some have which is bluray disc playback which also avoids cost TMT or Power DVD.  I can see reasons people want disc playback (eg. not wanting to wait for a rip, increased WAF if watching straight from disc is more point and click than ripping then watching, concerns about legal/moral issues with ripping rented media).

 

I haven't tried to look into the implementation of my suggestion but seems it wouldn't be difficult and would add to the options available to the end user.  I mentioned server because that is my current planned location of the bluray drive but the thread title included MBT which is where the ability to have a menu option/launchpoint that can utilize other software while maintaining some integration with MB3 would be useful.

[ebr 16169]

The request is well understood at this point.  It is just very low priority (IMO) because Windows can already do this on its own so the people who would need it are very few.

 

As stated, this could easily be done outside of MB as well and any dev that wants to take it on can.