Messages

1

Users / Re: LinuxMCE best hardware suggestion

« on: February 02, 2011, 11:07:00 am »

I never went far past what I mentioned. Installed Lmce, mythtv. even ordered some Insteon parts. but I never installed any of it. anyway, the hardware is for sale, basically a good LMCE brain with known Linux and LMCE compatibility. I've got 720 in it. I'll take have that. PM me if interested

2

Users / Re: Apple applies for patent to resume media playback on another device

« on: May 30, 2010, 04:32:22 am »

yeah, that's why I mentioned it. I mean the patent may have some specifics that are different from LMCE, but it sure sounds like the same thing.

3

Users / Apple applies for patent to resume media playback on another device

« on: May 29, 2010, 08:04:40 pm »

LMCE aught to have this feature.

Haven't looked to deeply into this, but I think you do something about having prior art or something.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/28/apple-applies-for-patent-to-resume-media-playback-on-another-dev

4

Users / Re: LinuxMCE best hardware suggestion

« on: May 05, 2010, 09:49:18 pm »

Hey, I'm in Houston and want to use LinuxMCE to do my system...
Any chance I can come by and see your setup?  I'm really close to the Galleria.

I'm emailing you my contact info. Note, I'm not fully set up yet, but you can see the basic interface and web orbiter if you want, in 1080p.

5

Users / Re: Best Automation type to implement

« on: March 29, 2010, 04:47:01 pm »

Like what is being discussed on these pages?
http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/Controlling_LinuxMCE
http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/Control_regular_A/V_equipment

No those posts all refer to IR remotes, I was asking if anyone knows of a device that can learn RF signals to replace my current RF remotes!

Duh, yeah, sorry I got mixed up. I had thought I had read something about that and I was just thinking "remote". RF remotes are less common. I've never heard of anything that does what you want with RF.

6

Users / Re: Best Automation type to implement

« on: March 29, 2010, 04:27:39 pm »

Have a bit of a technical question regarding some of the comments made and some research I have been doing on this stuff.
I have a few bits of kit that use RF signals like my projector screen. It has an RF remote and a receiver bux which I hid in the attic,
the thing I was wondering is, can any of the automation systems the can transmit RF signals "learn" the codes from remotes!!?

Something like this would be great as I could get rid of almost every remote I have!!

Anybody got any ideas on this??

Like what is being discussed on these pages?
http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/Controlling_LinuxMCE
http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/Control_regular_A/V_equipment

7

Installation issues / Re: AVWizard not working

« on: March 28, 2010, 10:33:14 pm »

what type of monitor/TV are you using?

It's a Phillips 42" 1080P 42PFL3704D. It only has HDMI ports, no DVI or VGA. (But component and video and I think svideo). It's a XFX GT240XZNFC GeForce GT240 video card, too. It has 1 VGA port and 1 DVI and 1 HDMI prt.

But I think I have figured out how it worked the first time and the dependency. The first time I installed, I just had it plugged into my TV, so the Kubuntu and/or the video card turned on the HDMI port, later when booting to the AVGWizard which outputs only to the VGA port, the computer had originally "turned on" and output to the HDMI port, but then I had to plug in the VGA port so I could use the AVWizard. For some reason when going through it like that, it works to select the DVI choice in the wizard and have it actually output from the HDMI port. When I was getting failures before I had both  the VGA and the HDMI port connected and Ubuntu, I guess was just turning on the VGA port by default and for some reason the Wizard doesn't or can't turn on the HDMI port after that.

So the procedure as I see it is, either only plug in the HDMI port and memorize the first key strokes to set the monitor,

or

plug ONLY the HDMI using monitor in first and boot/reboot, and only after the boot to the AVWizard completes (signified by a black screen, because the AVWizard only outputs to the VGA port initially. Then plug in a VGA monitor temporarily. After setting the video settings, the output will go to the HDMI port and you can finsish the AVWizard without the temp VGA monitor.

The AVWizard still reports that the ratio is 4:3 when I pick 1080p, but the output to the TV looks correct. I think that's a bug, but it may be only informational.

One more thing, regarding my experience with the AVWizard. I saw another user posting about troubles with the buttons, specially buttons being grayed out and apparently not being synched properly with expected state. Sometimes when the buttons do appear grayed out when you would not expect it to be, clicking still works. So just try out the action you expect to be right and it may work. Also, the the sizing buttons do appear to have upper/lower limits. One thing I have notices is that sometimes I click a button for configuration and it does not appear to respond: 1: There is sometimes a little bit of a delay, so click very deliberately and then wait a second. 2: It looks like to me the "hot" spot on the button images is a bit lower and to the right of center, but still on the button. Not sure if that is some weird function of my particular graphics set up, but it happened on both the monitors I'm using. Thought that might help someone out.

8

Installation issues / AVWizard not working

« on: March 27, 2010, 04:39:04 pm »

When I use the AVWizard to select HDMI-2 1080p 60hz it doesn't work, it still displays the video on the VGA monitor I am using to install. Also, it displays the video squashed at a 4:3 ratio. Of note, when I get to the end, it reports everything as I selected, but it also reports the ratio as 4:3 whereas it should be 16:9. This worked the first time I installed LinuxMCE, but for some reason I am now getting this behavior, not sending video to the HDMI-2 and not reporting the ratio right at the end. The first time I installed I don't think I did any updates. And it worked. Then later I did the updates and it stopped working. I've reinstalled doing updates and not doing updates and now it shows this behavior both ways. This is using 8.1-0. Can anyone help? Thanks.

9

Users / Re: Best Automation type to implement

« on: March 26, 2010, 08:04:23 pm »

I agree it appears ZWave is better supported by LMCE. However I chose Insteon as outside of LMCE it seems to be the best and most supported protocol (in the US). As far as I know the Insteon support is limited to lights, and I'm not sure to what degree (there are a couple of different kinds of modules as well as dimmer option.) I've got initial Insteon parts (modem, some lights, some sockets, a thermostat) and I plan to start trying out the supported features this weekend and then attempt to add thermostat and other features myself. If I have trouble I may to try to "fund" someone else to do it or assist me.

10

Installation issues / 1080p, other resolutions and HDMI output stopped working

« on: March 16, 2010, 08:39:04 am »

HDMI 1080p was working. But I setup HDHomeRun and MythTV then did, sudo apt-get update and sudo apt-get upgrade. I went back in the video and sound setup to change the sound setup and now it is malfunctioning: Nothing I do will send the picture to the TV through HTMI. When I select 1080p the little confirmation window looks correct EXCEPT it reports the aspect ratio as 4:3, when it should be 16:9. It appears fixed at 4:3 as I tried several other resolution changes.

Any hints on how to work around/fix/revert this?

Thanks.

11

Installation issues / Re: no "MythTV Setup" option in Computing on Oribter

« on: March 12, 2010, 03:43:37 pm »

Sorry, I should have posted this at 3am last night when I "figured" it out. Ok, maybe I shouldn't have. Here is the solution: http://forum.linuxmce.org/index.php?topic=9513.0

But your problem sounds different from mine. Hardware wise, my install has been flawless so far. A minor miracle? I spent pretty much of 2 days researching, second guessing and reconfiguring my parts orders to make sure Ubuntu would install and support all my hardware. I still have one item I haven't used, the serial port. The HDHomeRun cards are connected via ethernet. They were detected and installed the moment I got my network properly connected.

12

Installation issues / Re: no "MythTV Setup" option in Computing on Oribter

« on: March 12, 2010, 05:44:40 am »

Thanks. I followed your instructions. The plugin basically just said it was already installed. I reloaded the Router and regenerated all the Orbiters. Still nothing shows up in Computing as installed, and if I try to watch TV I get the message "MythTV has no capture cards defined. Please run the mythtv-setup program.", which I think is the program that is actually supposed to be in the Computing list of installed programs. I'm wondering if I just uninstalled and reinstalled the plug in if that work work. Don't really know how to do that, but I'm looking into it.

Edit: I did remove it, regenned the Oribiters, still nothing in Computing.

Edit Edit: OK, went into Wizard->Devices->Media Directors then Computing Application->Edit, checked off the MythTV setup item. Shows up as "/bin/bash" in the Installed Programs list. I shall now click on it and see what happens.

Edit Edit: So now the MythTV-setup from Computing loads the MythTV setup, I did the best i could with the directions I could find and filled out stuff (Mostly just adding the 2 cards), and left other stuff as it was. Now when I go into the Orbiter and click TV it says "I cannot play this media. Perhaps there is not a valid device in this entertainment area capable of playing it." Which is a very polite way of saying, "hey dummy, you don't know what you're doing, ha ha ha" Well, politeness counts for something.

So question, am I really supposed to be having to set all this stuff up, or was the Wizard system of LinuxMCE supposed to do most of this, but somehow I got off track?

something's off. Not sure what. I'm going to try to uninstall all of MythTV and remove all the LMCE configuration (a least what is possible remove from the UIs)

13

Installation issues / SOLVED: no "MythTV Setup" option in Computing on Oribter

« on: March 12, 2010, 03:46:44 am »

I'm following the instructions here: http://wiki.linuxmce.com/index.php/MythTV and on the 4rth bulletpoint into the instructions it says "For each Media Director, select the 'Computing' button on either the Orbiter". But none of my orbiters have that option. I installed MythTV in the wizard, so should it not be there? Should I do some kind of reinstall? What else could be wrong or should I do. I searched and couldn't find this particular problem with anyone with 8.10, and seemed to see other people having the item  on their 8.10 setups.

Edit: I went back through the PVR selection in the setup wizard and selected MythTV again. Nothing happened. Still nothing on the Computing menu.

Thanks for help.

14

Users / Re: I need orbiter advice

« on: March 11, 2010, 07:39:07 pm »

*deep-breath*
...
I will not be this nice to you about it, again.

-Thom

Wow. It's hard to respond to this. I mean I agree with all your points but your attitude toward me is uncalled for. The last thing I want to do is get on the bad side of anyone on this forum or involved with LMCE. Right there in my first sentence I said I was trying out LMCE for my own use, the idea of setting up systems for other people is just a side thought after I get to know the system, precisely what you are requesting. I'm just a developer who decided to experiment with home automation and naturally I came across LMCE and chose it for my first software product to try because of all of its great features and reputation. It only occurred to me after reading up on it that it might be something I could make money on installing, configuring and maintaining in the future for people who aren't knowledgeable enough or willing to do such on their own.

I totally understand you not wanting somebody leeching off the product and disrupting this forum by sending unsavvy customers here for support. That wouldn't be a very good business move either. Possibly  someone else has already done this and that is the source of your attitude?

Really the only thing I am asking is what is the best Orbiter setup (software + hardware) to get the best experience out of LMCE for my own use. So again, I've done nothing wrong, nor have I stated I planned to do anything that would merit such a rude response.

So I'm still interested in replies regarding an Orbiter setup.

I'd also be interested on working on a new web based orbiter targeted for the newish full screen candy bar touch phones that are so popular these days. I just installed iObiter last night, and it is really cool so far, but it needs some more features. I'm not sure if someone is still working on that project. It seems like there would be more bang for effort to create a single Orbiter that would work on a wide range of the phones through a web interface and take advantage of the javascript, html rendering and AJAX these devices support vs building individual native applications for each device. But I also want to extend the Insteon support so if someone else is already working towards updated orbiters I wouldn't want to duplicate effort. I'm also happy to test new features and report on defects and such. I am still pretty early in just learning and setting up my system. I want to at least get my Insteon lights setup and finish configuring my HDHomerun and MythTV support before I start learning about development, but I don't expect that to take too long.

So I hope this clears up where I am coming from and how I can contribute. I am open to feedback if my approach and communication on this forum is outside of the accepted mode, but I don't want to be yelled at and attacked for absolutely nothing. I guarantee you that if I did end up using LMCE as part of a service, both the forum and the project would benefit from my involvement by way of knowledge and software contribution, and of course I would not send customers here for support. If it's just too much trouble or not possible to obtain a license for LMCE, no big deal, it isn't what I set out to do in the first place.

15

Users / I need orbiter advice

« on: March 11, 2010, 08:34:09 am »

hey folks. I am evaluating LinuxMCE for my own use, and possibly as a side business to set up systems for people who are even more Linux naive than I. So I've got a lot of stuff working and am trying to learn and use gradually from there. At the moment I have used the Media Center OnScreen Orbiter and the Web Orbiter and I just tried out the iOrbiter on my iPhone. In terms of playing media, like movies and music, only the Web Orbiter is usable. The other 2 orbiters only have Play. (Am I wrong?) There's no Stop or Pause or anything else. I guess the only thing I'm really missing from the web orbiter in functionality that I expect is the ability to drag some kind of bar to get to a certain spot in a song or a movie. So my question is, to really get a feel for the best of LinuxMCE what orbiter setup should I try? One of those WindowsCE based ones? Thanks for your input.