EyeTV support

Is it possible to add support for Eyetv, just like Plex is supported (judging on the screenshots)?

I second this... It would be a great addition as I use it as my DVR.

Glas to see more people would like this. It seems like a logical addition, since Plex is already there. I'm thinking about changing some equipment (receiver, later maybe tv) partly to be able to use it with ethernet control through Roomie. Since I use Eyetv, this would be perfect as it would complete the app as a remote.

I concur. It's the only piece I'm missing.

If folks could go into a bit more detail on what you'd like to see here, we'll certainly look into it. Important details would include exactly which model of EyeTV you have, what exactly you want Roomie to do for it, and also relevant would be what you're using to control it today.

Thank you.

Well, for me it would simply be about controlling the Eyetv software on the Mac. I happen to use the Eyetv One device (with Digitenne in the Netherlands). I can watch tv on my mac and on my iOS device through the Eyetv app. This app does not work as a remote though when watching tv on the mac (so I just use my keyboard). If roomie could make the Eyetv application start up on my Mac, and let me control the channels and volume (and record etc.), I would finally have an elegant solution to use my Mac mini as my tv-tuner (so I can get rid of the power-hungry decoder that's now connected to the tv). Through a simle 'watch tv' action in Roomie, I would like the receiver to switch to the right input, the tv to turn on and to the right input, have Eyetv start up on the mac (and maybe adjust the lights of course- see my the request regarding zwave). It might even be possible to have a tv-livestream within Roomie.

Another app, eyetv mote, is able to act as a controller for the eyetv, though they require a server app installed on the Mac. The eyetv can also be controlled via IR. I would like some simple functionality similar to the eyetv mote, which allows the launching and closing of the app, and the normal media playback (please add 30 second rewind and commercial skipping fast forward if you build it though).

I'm controlling EyeTV with Roomie by sending URLs to RemoteBuddy. Works great. The only thing missing for a full EyeTV remote is the ability to assign a URL command to a virtual remote button in Roomie.

I've got an eyetv dtt (elgato.com/elgato/int/mainme ... t1.en.html)

The basic gestures would be great (play, record, fast forward, volume, etc) and if possible ability to see and select to play recordings. Would also be amazing to use roomie's inbuilt tv guide to control eyetv as well.

NewfD90 - How do you send URLs to RemoteBuddy? Trying to set this up at the moment to activate a script through remotebuddy to swap applications.

See my post about it here:

devices-and-codes-archives/how-to-start-an-application-on-your-mac-t8547.html

Works great. I've got two activities in Roomie: watch live tv (sends urls to remotebuddy to start eyetv and put it in full screen mode) and watch recordings (tells remotebuddy to start Plex).

I also use rowmote and contacted the developer about using Roomie to interface with his daemon. He wanted licensing fees. Not.

Thanks for that. Sounds brilliant!

Can't seem to get it to work unfortunately. I definitely have the AJAX remote function working. Have tried launching through safari on macbook, as well as within Roomie as an activity (set URL to silently).

Is it possible to send a keyboard command? Would it then be possible to control eyetv using keyboard shortcuts?

So you installed wireshark on your mac and when you use the ajax remote, it captured the URL you needed?

Yeah, have rowmote as well. Great app, use it all the time... same about the developer.

Keyboard commands are an interesting thought. If the RemoteBuddy virtual keyboard is accessible via the AJAX remote, it's certainly a possibility. I'll have to check into that this evening.

Unfortunately creating a virtual remote for EyeTV in Roomie still isn't possible until one can assign a URL command to a button.

The offsets in the commands weren't logical and I definitely had to fire up WireShark to capture my set of commands. IIRC, to watch live tv, I had to send a series of 6 URLs from Roomie to RemoteBuddy: Select top level menu, select EyeTV, Activate EyeTV, Activate EyeTV Menu (this gets you a live TV window), go full screen, Deactivate EyeTV Menu.

When I "power down" and select Plex, I just send one URL command to close EyeTV windows. To select Plex, it was only three URLs: Select top level menu, select Plex, Activate Plex.

As a note, it is of course possible to "assign a URL command to a button", but the way to do that is to create a command set for a device that uses URLs. It isn't something that can be done currently from the Roomie UI like you can assign URLs to Activity commands.

Ahh. So poking around in my DropBox back up, it looks like I can edit the RoomieRemotes.plist file and change the Item type from command to url. Is that correct?

No, the URL commands would be added by creating a custom device using the DDK instructions here:

roomieremote.com/faq/#customDevice

Editing RoomieRemotes.plist like that would produce unknown results. You might get lucky, but it's safe to say we've never tested that. We think it's very unlikely URL commands would work from there though at some point we're clearly adding that. Custom devices are the way to accomplish that now.

OK, that was easy enough. I've successfully added an EyeTV Remote (basically an apple remote dpad). Unfortunately, there are two states for each button: select and release. Pressing and holding a button means something different and immediately releasing the button. Sooooo, I don't see a way to add that second state in my RoomieCodes.plist file. Any ideas there?

Thanks!

If you want to simulate the duration, just use PRESS, RELEASE. Two separate commands. Delay inbetween them. Buttons can send as many commands as you need.

If you want to actually track the user's press instead, suffix the command name for the custom device with "$". So for instance if a "CURSOR DOWN" command has a corresponding "CURSOR DOWN$" command, the $ command will be sent when the button is released and the non-$ command is sent when the button is initially pressed. That works for URL-based devices.

Right on, that worked. Here's link to the file:

dropbox.com/s/mlq3ug9ox80sb ... odes.plist

It could probably use further refinement, but the basic controls are there.

In regards to sending keyboard commands, I didn't see a way to send special (cmd, etc) keys through the AJAX remote keyboard, so I didn't pursue that avenue.

Wow! that's amazing. I'm guessing your a programmer of some sort NewfD90 :slight_smile:

So this is the same as the standard apple remote but connects to remotebuddy instead? Will the remote code will work for everyone or does it need to be configured for each individual network, like the previous URL commands... or are they completely different?

Fair enough about the keystrokes, thought that might be a hurdle as well.

Nah, just a hardware and firmware designer. :/

Correct. Just put the file in your roomie folder of Dropbox (or iTunes) and restore your config. Next, add a device to Roomie. You'll need to manually specify the ip address of your Mac mini that's running remote buddy. Unless you've changed it, the default port number for the Ajax remote is 8888. You'll then specify media center and El Gato should have an entry there. Select it. Now you'll have an EyeTV device in your device list (if you made it visible in the room). Now you can specify that device in an action and you're all set.

Two things still need investigation: I'm not certain that pressing and holding the virtual remote buttons is working and I didn't see a way to assign an icon to the EyeTV device (not that important, but...)

Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant!

Your instructions worked perfectly and have the remote working great!

Very easy to set up.

Did a fair bit testing/playing and the held buttons are working well for up, down, left, right, but not play and menu. Would be great to map record to play(held) in RB. Also noticed in the mapping section there is 'remote buddy button' (no hold), exit and exit(held). Is it possible to include these as well?

This way you can assign more functions like remote buddy main menu, new window, hide, etc.

Found this site, might help

iospirit.com/support/forums/ ... ead/15846/

Tried to edit the roomiecodes.plist but it's beyond my scripting knowledge, sorry.

Was controlling Mac previously with WI2IR adapter, but so far this it much quicker, smoother and reliable. Thank you very much for your great work. How did you go with your setup?

Thanks! Glad it's working for you. OK, I quickly added the missing two buttons for you, but did no testing. Reload from the above link and try it out.

I recently re-did our home theater and swore that everything would be IP controllable. No more IR crap. I'm very glad to have found Roomie and it's working great at tying it all together.

Thanks for that, much appreciated.

Yeah, updating our 12 year old home theater as well. Old amp didn't even have HDMI. Much easier now with roomie and IP setup.

Question for roomie or NewfD90 - I was playing around with roomie this morning, trying to add a button to simulate a held left button. I've tried setting the command to repeat 100ms, 1000ms and 5000ms but neither of these worked. Tried multiple instances of the same command with 200ms delay and without delay, but neither of those worked.

What's the best way to simulate a held button? NewfD90, have you been able to set up a held button using a command sequence in roomie?

You mentioned that for a release event, the command name needs to have $ at the end. Does this mean the plist scripting should have the release event set up as a separate command in roomie, so that my commands for a held button would look like the following:

• CURSOR LEFT – Delay 200ms

• CURSOR LEFT (RELEASE)

Wow, your amp was never than mine. Mine was 16 years old. LOL. I ended up with the Pioneer VSX-1022-K, Sharp LC-70C6400U and a 2011 (I gave up waiting on the refresh) Mac Mini with two HD HomeRuns. I've been running a Mac Mini HTPC since 2007, and tried ALL sorts of remotes to try and tie everything together. Roomie is the first to make it easy and seamless enough to where the Wife will use it. :slight_smile:

Anyways, as far as I understand it, adding the $ to the end of the command in the plist tells Roomie to track how long the user is holding down the virtual button and then send the button release version of the command ('$') when the user removes their finger. This is all hidden from you and automatic.

Damn, you must have purchased the first surround sound amp on the market! :slight_smile: Sounds like a sweet setup.

Got you, cheers. So is the release version of the command the same as the press command, just delayed?

Yup, a Mitsubishi. You don't see them making amps today, do you? :slight_smile: It's S-Video inputs were state of the art.

There's a different URL argument for release vs. press:

/RemoteControl/remote.rmbd?event=press&button=Menu&sid=

/RemoteControl/remote.rmbd?event=release&button=Menu&sid=

Still not sure why some of the press and hold buttons aren't working. I'll need to run tcpdump and see what's going on there.

Hehe S-Video! :slight_smile: and it made such a big difference as well :slight_smile:

I got my old Kenwood amp just before RGB video connections came out. Still have plasma without IP but need to get new speakers first (old roommate blew tweeters).

The hold buttons are working when you physically press and hold down the button. Going to try your new plist file tonight and let you know if I have any further luck getting a button with multiple commands to work.

By the sounds of it, a button with multiple commands won't simulate a hold as only the press command is being sent. May need to add another option to the roomie command list, say menu(hold), that only sends

/RemoteControl/remote.rmbd?event=release&button=Menu&sid=

My understanding (which certainly could be flawed) of the way it works with Roomie is:

As the user presses and holds the Menu button, the following URL (MENU) is sent once:

/RemoteControl/remote.rmbd?event=press&button=Menu&sid=

and when the user releases the Menu button, this is sent (MENU$) once:

/RemoteControl/remote.rmbd?event=release&button=Menu&sid=

At least, that's what I'm assuming...

That's correct.

We are adding this command set to this week's library update with some minor tweaks. The brand will be listed as iospirit, category Remote Buddy - Apple Remote. Also, it's worth noting that if you turn on the password authentication for Ajax Remote, this will not work. That would require more work that would need to be internal as the authentication is totally non-standard.

But, this is a good set and we feel ready for inclusion as long as users are willing not to have a password on what would otherwise have been a wide open infrared control over their Mac anyway.

Cool, right on! Yeah, IOSpirit Remote Buddy makes more sense.

Sweet! Nice work.

I don't think the password is an issue at all.

Played with the remote pretty much all of Saturday :slight_smile: remote works perfectly.

Still couldn't setup a button to send multiple commands automatically to simulate a held button but happy with manually holding the button down for now.

Using IP remote for main controls (play, fast forward, record) and old setup with WI2IR adapter to add extra buttons available through RB (fullscreen, programs menu, AppleScript to switch programs).

So far so good :slight_smile:

Came across HippoRemote on website the other day... Not sure if their API is easier to connect to than RB? Might be worth a look.

Thanks again NewfD90 for your awesome work!

You're welcome.

FYI, there's no need to us IR for "other" RB functionality. I have two Roomie Activities: Watch Live TV (EyeTV) and Watch Recordings (Plex). Selecting Live TV sends the RB menu commands via URL to: activate EyeTV, open a window and make said window full screen. Selecting Plex send the URL command to close the window and launch Plex. This can all be done with the RB offset and select URL syntax outlined elsewhere. The key is to add the functions you want to access to the RB menu, then you can access them via URL.

The heading of this thread is EyeTV but it seems to be about remote buddy.

I have a working IR setup for EyeTV if anyone is interested.

 

Bill

FYI, I've added channel changing support. You can now change the channel via the built-in guide. So as to avoid confusion, I've named the device differently than the built-in library. Grab it here:

dropbox.com/s/mlq3ug9ox80sb ... odes.plist