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[jmone]

Following on from Rod's (nwboater) Need New Way To Watch Netflix With 10 Foot Interface (Solved) I've been playing on how to do this in Windows 10 Preview as it no longer supports Rod's method (you can not install WMC in the latest beta of Win 10)

I found a script here (all credit to the Original Author - "holgate") that emulates KB/Mouse movement from a MCE Remote Control for the Windows Netflix App and started to modify it to suit MC (additions are under the "Changes by jmone" section" but I've also removed some of the commented out sections on the original script)

Updated 13 June 2015

What you need:
- Windows 8 or 10
- Netflix Windows App (from the MS App Store) Installed and Working
- A 1920x1080 display (may work on others)

What it does:
- It will run Windows Netflix App in Full Screen (from a MC Theaterview button)
- On Windows 10 it will make it full screen (Win 10 runs these apps in a Windows Now)
- Supports basic Remote Control functions such as
  - Arrow Keys for Navigation
  - Enter Button for Selection and Play
  - Back Button go to the previous screen
  - Play / Pause buttons both will toggle Play/Pause
  - Pressing "2" will change the display mode to 1920x1080@23.976hz
  - Pressing "5" will change the display mode to 1920x1080@50hz
  - Pressing "6" will change the display mode to 1920x1080@60hz
  - Stop will close Netflix and return to MC and will change the display mode to 1920x1080@50hz
  - Skip FFD will bring up the progress bar and jump the playback forward
  - The normal operation of the Netlfix app is no impacted so you can still use Mouse / Keyboard for stuff like searching.

- Things that don't work (yet) or need to be fixed
  - Skip Back does not work for some reason
  - FFD/REW is not mapped to any function

How to Use: (note: this is another AutoHotKey Script)
  - Download the attachment and put the contents where ever you like (contains MC_Netflix.AHK and a compiled version MC_Netflix.exe)
  - Add a button in TheaterView as shown in the attached pic pointing to the MC_Netflix.exe (Tools --> Options --> Theatre View --> Add (button) --> External Program then fill out the details as you see in the pic)

It really is a pretty ordinary way of trying to use Netflix from MC with a 10' GUI and the RC but it works.  Here is hoping a JR team can crack the nut properly.

Thanks
Nathan

[rpalmer68]

WAY too much jumping through hoops if you ask me!

[jmone]

Updated the script;
- Pause/Play Button now works
- Removed the need for a Batch File (I think!) to get the Netflix App to start reliably from within MC (without needing to close MC - see new pic)....  This has been the hard bit so any feedback would be good.

Thanks
Nathan

[tiggerkater]

hi nathan,

thanks for posting your netflix workaround. may i ask: with this script do we "only" start netflix via theatre view - which would mean, that netflix is played via windows app, or does it use the jriver video and - for me most important - the jriver audio engine (dsp/convolving)?

thanks, tiggerkater

[jmone]

It is just launching, navigating, closing the Netflix app.  To pump the Audio via MC have a look in the wiki on the wdm driver.

[jmone]

Netflix seems to have updated their App and I've updated the script in the OP:
- Play / Pause now works natively
- The maximise button moved a bit

Rest seems to be the same, though I noticed that the Play / Pause now brings up a new OSD with a <<| and |>> icon but they are greyed out to me and don't seem to do anything....

Thanks
Nathan

[tiggerkater]

hi nathan,

i am trying to add a button to theatre view, but i am stuck. could you by any chance write a step by step guide, or is there a howto? sorry, for asking, i feel a little bit silly, but i am not getting to the point, where i could link to your .exe file...

thanks again, tiggerkater

[jmone]

No probs - have a look at the pic in the first post.  You want to go to Tools --> Options --> Theatre View --> Add (button) --> External Program then fill out the details as you see in the pic in the first post. 

Let me know how you go.

Thanks
Nathan

[jmone]

Here is another little AHK script for those of us that use Getflix for DNS spoofing so we can access Netflix (and similar) from different regions.  This script checks your Getflix Account for what region you have set then lets you change it.  You need to just enter your API key in the correct place in the script.  You could add this as a button in TheaterView or make it part of the main script if you want to run it each time you fire up Netflix.

Code: [Select]

; Getflix Region Changer: 150813
; Author: jmone
; Thread on Interact: http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=95627.0
; Thanks to BlackHolyman for WinHTTP assistance - http://www.autohotkey.com/board/user/17006-blackholyman/

#NoEnv  ; Recommended for performance and compatibility with future AutoHotkey releases.
SendMode Input  ; Recommended for new scripts due to its superior speed and reliability.
SetWorkingDir %A_ScriptDir%  ; Ensures a consistent starting directory.

;============= Set Vars ===========================

API_Token := "XYZ" ; add your API Token between the quotes
API_PASS := "x" ; Don't Change the Password is always X
API_Service := "netflix" ; change the service name as needed
API_Regions := "US : United States|AU : Australia|NZ : New Zealand|GB : United Kingdom|CA : Canada|MX : Mexico|NL : Netherlands|CL : Chile|NO : Norway|SE : Sweden|FI : Finland|BR : Brazil|IE : Ireland|DK : Denmark|CR : Costa Rica|AR : Argentina|CH : Switzerland|DE : Germany|FR : France|AT : Austria|BE : Belgium|PA : Panama"

;============= Check Getflix Settings =============
Progress, b1 w300, Checking Getflix, Please Wait
WinHTTP := ComObjCreate("WinHTTP.WinHttpRequest.5.1")
WinHTTP.Open("GET", "https://www.getflix.com.au/api/v1/regions.json", 0)
WinHTTP.SetCredentials(API_Token,API_PASS, 0)
WinHTTP.SetRequestHeader("Content-Type", "application/json")
Body = ""
Progress, 25
WinHTTP.Send(Body)
Result := WinHTTP.ResponseText
Status := WinHTTP.Status
Progress, Off

IF Status = 200
{
  StringGetPos, pos, Result, %API_Service%
  StringMid, API_CC, Result, (pos+StrLen(API_Service)+13), 2
}
else
{
  API_CC = Not Available`r`nSomething Went Wrong!`r`n- Check your API Key`r`n- Is Getflix Up?`r`n- Error code is %Status%
  API_Regions = Press Enter to End
}
;============= Change Getflix Settings =============
Gui, -SysMenu
Gui, font, s14
Gui, Add, Text,, Your Current %API_Service% region is %API_CC%
Gui, Add, Text,, Select %API_Service% region and Press Enter
Gui, Add, Listbox, w350 h600 vMyListbox, %API_Regions%
Gui, Show,, %API_Service% Region Changer
GuiControl, Choose, MyListbox, 1

Enter::
IF API_Regions = Press Enter to End
  ExitApp

GUI, Submit
GUIClose:
StringLeft, API_CC, MyListBox, 2

Progress, b1 w300, Updating Getflix, Please Wait
Progress, 25
WinHTTP := ComObjCreate("WinHTTP.WinHttpRequest.5.1")
WinHTTP.Open("POST", "https://www.getflix.com.au/api/v1/regions.json", 0)
WinHTTP.SetCredentials(API_Token,API_PASS, 0)
WinHTTP.SetRequestHeader("Content-Type", "application/json")
Body = {"service":"%API_Service%","region":"%API_CC%"}
WinHTTP.Send(Body)
Result := WinHTTP.ResponseText
Status := WinHTTP.Status
Progress, Off

IF Status = 200
{
  Progress, b1 300, Getflix Updated, %result%
  Progress, 100
  Sleep, 3000
}
else
{
  Progress, b1 300, Getflix Update Failed, Error Message %status%
  Sleep, 5000
}
Progress, Off

ExitApp
Return

[davelr]

Jmone,

Thanks for this thread. I'm working on getting MC set up to potentially replace Kodi (video issues with Win 10).

Am having a problem though. I've followed your instructions and when I click the Theater button to start Netflix I get a focus change to the desktop and then the Netflix app starts. The progress indicator rotates about 180 deg. and then Netflix app disappears. The MC_Netflix.exe task remains running in task manager and has to be manually ended.

On a few occasions I've gotten error dialogs from explorer.exe indicating that the application didn't start due to a remote procedure call failing. There is no identification of what RPC failed.

Thought I'd bounce this off of you and see if you had any ideas that might help. BTW, fully patched Win 10, MC v 21 trial, and the Netflix app starts and runs correctly from a shortcut with the following target

C:\Windows\explorer.exe shell:AppsFolder\4DF9E0F8.Netflix_mcm4njqhnhss8!App

Thanks again

[jmone]

I have not seen these issues..... but I found getting Netflix or any Metro app to reliably launch was problematic and the script just tries over and over again....  Thanks for the alternative shortcut you gave me - this seems to work on my machine as well so here is a version of the script that uses that instead.  See if it works for you and let me know.

[davelr]

**SOLVED** - see below

Thanks for the recompiled version which has helped but I'm still having some issues.

First, the recompiled version does actually start the Netflix app in a way that it keeps running. Apparently the way the Netflix app installed on my system is a little different than on yours.

The problem I'm having is the following once I click the Netflix button:

MC loses focus to the desktop
Netflix app starts to load and gains focus
Netflix app minimizes to the taskbar and the desktop keeps focus

At this point I can move focus to Netflix and the app is running and fine. However when I close Netflix the following happens:

Netflix app closes and focus returns to the desktop
MC_Netflix is still running, if I manually end it in Task Manager then...
MC recovers full screen focus.

If I run MC_Netflix manually, the behavior is the same (other than that MC isn't running of course), so it appears that something on my system may be hindering how the script operates. I don't have AutoHotKey installed on my system so don't know if that might be a problem. Do you think it possible that if I installed AutoHotKey and recompiled the script that might change the behavior?

Thanks again.

**Solved**

Got curious so dug into the script.

The line "click 1760, 10" to change to full screen seemed that might be the problem. Since the "minimize" item is just to the right of the "full screen" item I changed the line to "click 1700, 10" and tested. Sure enough Netflix went into full screen rather than minimizing.

The problem of not getting MC_Netflix to exit and return focus to MC was my ignorance (meaning I didn't read all your notes above). I had been closing Netflix with the mouse by bringing up the Red X button. Once I realized I should use the "Stop" button on the remote or keyboard, everything ran fine.

Thanks again for the script.


BTW, this also works in Kodi or any other program that allows you to create a calling button or entity.

[jmone]

Glad you got it sorted!... and yes this whole script basically emulates mouse movements and clicks, so any difference in the screen dimensions will need to be tweaked.

[jmone]

Uggg - Netflix pushed a new version of their Windows 8/10 App and
- my script does not launch this version for some reason on one of my PC's (should be easy to fix) but, old version on that pc
- it has lost the Full Screen icon at the top.  

I've no idea at this stage how to push the Netflix app into Full screen mode prior to playing content

Will have to look when I have some time but if anyone knows how to do it....

[JimH]

F11?

[davelr]

Nope, F11 doesn't help. Nothing I've tried so far works, might have to drop back to running Netflix in FireFox if they don't fix this. Does anyone know if there's a Netflix forum or support site where we can complain about this?

BTW, on second thought are we sure this is a Netflix app problem and not a Win 10 problem? Since the same version of the Netflix app behaved differently between Win 8 and Win 10 with regard to full screen it might be possible.

[jmone]

I'm closing this thread as the original author of this script (mholgate) that I forked from for use in MC has now released a new version with these features built in and additional features and fixes.  See this thread:  Netflix Remote Controller (Windows Netflix App in MC)