Dev build 191

[ebr 16169]

Build 165 implements the following changes:

 

• Update for server changes
• Auto logoff
• New playback reporting
• New watched indicator (in line with other clients)
• Watched indicator on EHS recent list in Chocolate

It is release now with the current server as its required version but I'm actually not 100% sure it is going to work properly with it.  Please test MBC 165 with Server 5238.  Particularly test playback reporting and that resume and watched status works with that server version.

[AdrianW 1058]

The new watched indicator looks fine - but now the episode counts in chocolate look "wrong".

 

The green is a different shade and the square episode count box has a white line around it.

 

Will you be changing the episode count overlay to match the checkmark? i.e. round and the same shade of green, like MBT.

 

(It looks like the MBC checkmark is in a bold font, while the MBT checkmark is not).

[ebr 16169]

Probably, but haven't gotten there yet.

[ebr 16169]

Build 166 is up with new support for streaming content if we can't access it directly.  The preferred setup for normal HTPC use is still to use UNC paths or path substitutions so that MBC can directly play the files and this will still result in the best performance and functionality.  But, with version 166, there are some new options that will allow MBC to be used in a remote fashion - taking advantage of the server's streaming and on-the-fly transcoding capability.

 

In the config page there is now a new panel for Playback.  In it are three options related to streaming content.

 

 

The first one determines if you will receive the big blue warning message telling you that we are trying to stream content.  If you have a normal, local network, installation of MBC leave this checked so that you will know if a mis-configuration is causing your content to stream.

 

If, however, you would like to try and setup MBC at a remote location - pointing it to your server over the internet - you can use the other settings to determine the quality level at which we will try to stream.

 

There are two levels - one if MBC can determine that it is on the same LAN as the server to which it is attached and one if it cannot (and then assumes you are streaming across an internet connection).

 

You may want to play with both of these values depending on the speed of the network involved.

 

It is difficult for me to fully test these options so please, if any of you have a situation where you would like to setup MBC in a remote location, please try this out and report back here on your results.

 

Thanks.

[ebr 16169]

Build 167 fixes a problem where genre folders had no thumb images and adds the new JIL selector.

[MrWebsmith 598]

not positive 100% but im getting the select users screen now when i never have before.. but this is the kicker.. i only get it after the system wakes up from poster screensaver ... if i freshly launch mbc it goes into the correctly set user without showing the profile screen. this happens on 2 separate mbc installations 

 

 

ive checked/confirm the settings in the mbc configurator and validated them... and ive confirmed the setting within the mbc configuation as "log in as current user".. my systems only have 2 users the other is not selected, nor is it "also here"

 

 

ebr please let me know what screens/logs you need and ill try to test this somehow.. i guess i afresh launch of mbc to the correct profile.. wait until the SS kicks in.. wake it up and select the user from the profile screen to get back to "me" and then exit.. then give you mbs/mbc log.

 

there are no crashes etc.. just the profile screen when im not expecting it... this is new in the past 1-2 builds for me of mbc but havent seen it reported elsewhere yet... 

[ebr 16169]

The second feature listed for version 165 was "Auto Logoff" but I didn't expand on it.

 

This means that, after a period of in-activity, you will be automatically logged off of MBC (thrown back to the user screen).  This is something that has been needed for a while so that you don't sleep your machine while logged into the "naughty" profile and it is still logged in when the kids crank it back up in the am.

 

The timeout is configurable in the advanced panel and default is 60 minutes.

[MrWebsmith 598]

ahhh...

 

thanks bud.. found it and disable... its a good feature and may be needed in our future but not today..

 

 

UPDATE: hmm  disable (uncheck doesnt appear to stay)... ill try the other machine to confirm

Edited May 29, 2014 by MrWebsmith

[MrWebsmith 598]

@@ebr

 

confirmed.. unchecked the enable auto logoff button... hitting the button continue (which should save changes).. exit mbc.. relaunch and option is re-checked/re-enabled

 

 

update: changing the timeout value is getting saved... i just went to 180 minutes.. and its holding that but the re-enabled/re-checked is still occurring

Edited May 29, 2014 by MrWebsmith

[ebr 16169]

I think it is actually just a display problem.  If you don't go into the config page, the option is actually turned off - it is just filling in the checked property incorrectly on that page.  In any case, I fixed it. Thanks.

[ebr 16169]

Build 168 is now available as dev.  Includes:

 

• Fix auto logoff checkbox
• Paging in the JIL selector
• Fix context menu not working

And the big feature - New internal player interface.

 

I'd appreciate as many folks as are willing to try using this version to try and figure out if there are any hidden issues with all the changes I made to playback and the new interface for it.  Thanks.

[ebr 16169]

One thing I have discovered already is that DVD rips with menus don't work in the new player interface.  The disc starts but you cannot navigate the menu.  I'll have to see if there is anything I can do about that.  If not, I'll just have to disable the custom player interface for DVDs.

[techywarrior 689]

There is a bug in MBC (for a while now I think) but I don't know how best to verify it. I believe the "last logged in" time on the login screen is not converting to system time zone (or not doing it correctly). I noticed a few times when it said I last logged in today when in fact it was yesterday. But then weirdly enough I would login, do some stuff and logout. On next login (like 1-15min later) it says last login yesterday!

 

It's obviously a little hard to test since I don't remember at what times this happened (or if it truly is even a timezone issue)

 

Ebr, can you just have a look at that section of code and make sure it's handling the timezone conversion correctly based on the MBC computer. I'll try and get more detail next time I notice it as well.

[MrWebsmith 598]

autologoff disabled and holding.. thanks ebr

 

new player working well for me so far.. will continue to test with normal usage

[ebr 16169]

@@Luke - is the LastActivityDate returned in that dto UTC?

[ebr 16169]

Examining the result it looks like it is UTC but it is also delivered as a date string that includes the fact that it is Zulu time.  Seems like the deserialization should be taking care of the translation, but maybe not...

[CBers 7450]

I thought there was a bug in the latest version as the playback bar said only 14 minutes when an episode was 20 minutes:

 

 

Then I realised that it is the clock time (end-time), not the playing time !!

[ebr 16169]

Okay, I've put in an explicit conversion on that date to local time.  That's what I'm doing on the other dates so that should fix it up.

 

Yes CBers - see the Usage Guide I posted... .

 

To me, the end time there is much more useful and the total length is already listed in the info above.

[ebr 16169]

However - why does your end time show locale properly but the clock doesn't...

[CBers 7450]

Okay, I've put in an explicit conversion on that date to local time.  That's what I'm doing on the other dates so that should fix it up.

 

Yes CBers - see the Usage Guide I posted... .

 

To me, the end time there is much more useful and the total length is already listed in the info above.

 

No worries, it just threw me for a few minutes, until I saw one of your screenshots with PM against the time.

 

However - why does your end time show locale properly but the clock doesn't...

 

Don't know 

[ebr 16169]

Wow - the clock in MB/MBC has never been properly localized.  I just fixed that.

[CBers 7450]

Not sure when this happened, or if I've missed your comment about it, but the views in MBC seem to have been reset to the defaults ??

 

I normally use the LIST view for TV Shows, Episodes and Movie lists and the Coverflow view for TV Seasons.

 

I've had to change them following an update today. Again, not sure when this happened as I haven't been using MBC that much recently.

[ebr 16169]

I think there was a bug in the server a few revs back that did that.  I noticed the same thing on my MBC machine I don't use much.

[CBers 7450]

OK, thanks - no biggie, just a nuisance

[techywarrior 689]

Okay, I've put in an explicit conversion on that date to local time. That's what I'm doing on the other dates so that should fix it up.

Excellent, I know it is a pretty minor thing and I don't think anyone reported it before but I didn't even notice until one day I must have just happened to use it at the right time.