Topic: NEW: Amazon Prime and Netflix in MC Now (Read 39987 times)

Hendrik · « **on:** March 16, 2016, 12:08:22 pm »

I managed to make it play Amazon Prime content, only in SD though, not sure whats up with HD playback. It claims my display doesn't do HDCP, but maybe it also requires a more "secure" setup that we don't currently have.
Maybe I should look into making it comply with that, not sure how easy though.

The first time i tried to play, it would still show the missing decryption error, but it would actually download the missing module in the background, so after some patience it eventually started to work.

mwillems · « **Reply #1 on:** March 16, 2016, 12:26:07 pm »

Quote from: Hendrik on March 16, 2016, 12:08:22 pm

I managed to make it play Amazon Prime content, only in SD though, not sure whats up with HD playback. It claims my display doesn't do HDCP, but maybe it also requires a more "secure" setup that we don't currently have.
Maybe I should look into making it comply with that, not sure how easy though.

The first time i tried to play, it would still show the missing decryption error, but it would actually download the missing module in the background, so after some patience it eventually started to work.

This is great news. If you can get prime working (even in SD) that means there's hope for some of the other services too.

Awesome Donkey · « **Reply #2 on:** March 16, 2016, 01:29:03 pm »

Quote from: mwillems on March 16, 2016, 12:26:07 pm

This is great news. If you can get prime working (even in SD) that means there's hope for some of the other services too.

Assuming it's using the Widevine CEF method, of course. If so, I also think it needs to be using a current version of Chromium (e.g. 49 stable) or at least within two versions.

JustinChase · « **Reply #3 on:** March 16, 2016, 05:41:03 pm »

Quote from: Hendrik on March 16, 2016, 12:08:22 pm

I managed to make it play Amazon Prime content, only in SD though, not sure whats up with HD playback. It claims my display doesn't do HDCP, but maybe it also requires a more "secure" setup that we don't currently have.
Maybe I should look into making it comply with that, not sure how easy though.

The first time i tried to play, it would still show the missing decryption error, but it would actually download the missing module in the background, so after some patience it eventually started to work.

I would be thrilled with SD vs nothing at all. Hopefully this is stable enough to get dropped into a new build for testing, then improvements may follow later.

Thanks for looking into this!

Hendrik · « **Reply #4 on:** March 17, 2016, 03:51:00 am »

HD 1080p also seems to work now on Amazon Prime. Now I just have to figure out how to make the browser fullscreen. I suppose it would do that when I use it from Theater View, huh.
Supporting fullscreen from the standard view browser might be neat, though.

v_erich · « **Reply #5 on:** March 17, 2016, 07:22:53 am »

Hi,

is video routed to madvr and audio through the JRiver audio engine?
I have only the HTPC + Power Amps + rme Multichannelsoundcard in my cinema, so everything have to be done in JRiver internally to use it for me.

Thanks and BR,
Erich

Hendrik · « **Reply #6 on:** March 17, 2016, 07:27:24 am »

Quote from: v_erich on March 17, 2016, 07:22:53 am

Hi,

is video routed to madvr and audio through the JRiver audio engine?

No, and it never will be. This is just not possible. You can use the WDM driver or WASAPI Loopback etc to get audio into MC, but setup of that is always a bit wonky IMHO.

mwillems · « **Reply #7 on:** March 17, 2016, 08:01:34 am »

Quote from: Hendrik on March 17, 2016, 07:27:24 am

No, and it never will be. This is just not possible. You can use the WDM driver or WASAPI Loopback etc to get audio into MC, but setup of that is always a bit wonky IMHO.

As Hendrik notes, the audio part is definitely possible with the WDM driver if you're clever with your zone switch rules, but I agree that it's a bit fiddly as compared to just launching an external browser via MC. It will not "just work" without careful zone switch routing. The wiki on the WDM driver includes instructions that worked for me with Netflix in the past, and should still work. You'll also need to handle any potential delay introduced, obviously.

Awesome Donkey · « **Reply #8 on:** March 17, 2016, 08:40:05 am »

Quote from: Hendrik on March 17, 2016, 03:51:00 am

HD 1080p also seems to work now on Amazon Prime. Now I just have to figure out how to make the browser fullscreen. I suppose it would do that when I use it from Theater View, huh.
Supporting fullscreen from the standard view browser might be neat, though.

I'm assuming this is being done using Widevine through Chromium here, but has this gotten Netflix to work yet?

v_erich · « **Reply #9 on:** March 17, 2016, 09:07:56 am »

Ok, thanks for clarification.
So it is not usable for me.

BR
Erich

Hendrik · « **Reply #10 on:** March 17, 2016, 09:18:35 am »

Quote from: Awesome Donkey on March 17, 2016, 08:40:05 am

I'm assuming this is being done using Widevine through Chromium here, but has this gotten Netflix to work yet?

I don't have netflix, so you tell me!

CountryBumkin · « **Reply #11 on:** March 17, 2016, 09:59:47 am »

Quote from: Hendrik on March 17, 2016, 09:18:35 am

I don't have netflix, so you tell me!

Jim, you need to provide your developers all the tools they need.

Hendrik · « **Reply #12 on:** March 17, 2016, 10:01:15 am »

There isn't any Amazon specific stuff in there, so either it works now on a multitude of websites, or it won't, not like I can do much more than enable this.

Personally, due to all the hoops one has to jump through to get such streaming services to play, I generally do not have a high interest in using them myself.

Awesome Donkey · « **Reply #13 on:** March 17, 2016, 10:42:38 am »

Quick, somebody test Netflix and Hulu!

Quote from: Hendrik on March 17, 2016, 10:01:15 am

Personally, due to all the hoops one has to jump through to get such streaming services to play, I generally do not have a high interest in using them myself.

Same here, especially after Netflix's VPN crackdown, heh.

Just out of curiosity, what's the current technical setup with Chromium in MC? Does it download/use Widevine? I'm interested in this type of stuff.

Awesome Donkey · « **Reply #14 on:** March 22, 2016, 02:42:10 pm »

Anyone download the latest build and test this yet? You'll need to be using the Chromium web browser setting in MC.

thecrow · « **Reply #15 on:** March 22, 2016, 03:21:59 pm »

Where do you set the Chromium web browser in MC?

thecrow · « **Reply #16 on:** March 22, 2016, 03:36:47 pm »

Found it. It's under "Tree & View".

The good news is with 21.0.64 I get picture from Amazon Prime in Theater View.
The bad news is I cannot make it go full screen and it only streams in SD.

Where as outside MC I can go full screen and get HD 1080p.

glynor · « **Reply #17 on:** March 22, 2016, 05:43:23 pm »

Quote from: Awesome Donkey on March 22, 2016, 02:42:10 pm

Anyone download the latest build and test this yet? You'll need to be using the Chromium web browser setting in MC.

Yeah. Without quite a few changes, I don't really see how this is better than just launching in an external browser in any way. Perhaps I'm missing something.

For audio streaming, it is useful, and I suppose for a quick clip here or there, but for watching actual streaming video services, I think it needs more integration before I'd really use it.

Still though, an important step in the right direction. Playing is better than not playing, and all.

Hendrik · « **Reply #18 on:** March 22, 2016, 05:46:12 pm »

This is how our browser integration has always worked. People complained it broke, we fixed it.

Playback of these services has worked before, but they moved to new technology which we didn't support yet.

JimH · « **Reply #19 on:** March 22, 2016, 05:47:59 pm »

And it will get better.

glynor · « **Reply #20 on:** March 22, 2016, 06:39:54 pm »

Quote from: Hendrik on March 22, 2016, 05:46:12 pm

This is how our browser integration has always worked. People complained it broke, we fixed it.
Playback of these services has worked before, but they moved to new technology which we didn't support yet.

Totally agreed. Sorry if it came across that I was complaining. I wasn't.

Just explaining why I wasn't super pumped to test it. I have Amazon Prime, but because I shop at Amazon all the freaking time, and I've only used their streaming once (and I do not have Netflix or any others).

I will test it with Amazon Prime (and already switched my default browser engine), but I haven't been in a rush.

One thing I should note... It could be my imagination, which is why I didn't report it right away, but I feel like using MC (navigating views and whatnot) is ever-so-slightly more sluggish with Chromium as the browser engine compared to IE.

Hendrik · « **Reply #21 on:** March 22, 2016, 06:49:23 pm »

Quote from: glynor on March 22, 2016, 06:39:54 pm

One thing I should note... It could be my imagination, which is why I didn't report it right away, but I feel like using MC (navigating views and whatnot) is ever-so-slightly more sluggish with Chromium as the browser engine compared to IE.

If you are not actually opening any web views, then it has zero impact and are imagining things. Opening a website is slightly slower on Chromium due to the startup overhead of the engine than its with IE, from my experience.

HTPC4ME · « **Reply #22 on:** March 22, 2016, 08:21:20 pm »

could we/I get detailed info on how to check this out please... I changed server to latest update 63, and have not found options for prime/flix as like in the past.
I verified browser is chromium
Thanks in advance

troopermeade · « **Reply #23 on:** March 22, 2016, 09:02:45 pm »

How do I add a link to Theatre View to watch Netflix?

brad-sylvester · « **Reply #24 on:** March 22, 2016, 09:09:33 pm »

I would also like instructions. I have yet to get it to work.

JimH · « **Reply #25 on:** March 22, 2016, 09:47:23 pm »

Install the latest build of MC from the top of this board.

Set your browser to Chromium.

Add a link to the page you want in Amazon or Netflix. Tools > Options > Theater View > Add.

The name you use for the link must be slightly different than Amazon or Netflix. AMZN or NFLX, for example. The actual names are reserved.

brad-sylvester · « **Reply #26 on:** March 22, 2016, 09:54:42 pm »

Thanks, I got it to work but it does not seem to save login data. Every time I start it I have to login again.

thecrow · « **Reply #27 on:** March 23, 2016, 04:53:33 am »

Quote from: glynor on March 22, 2016, 06:39:54 pm

One thing I should note... It could be my imagination, which is why I didn't report it right away, but I feel like using MC (navigating views and whatnot) is ever-so-slightly more sluggish with Chromium as the browser engine compared to IE.

Quote from: Hendrik on March 22, 2016, 06:49:23 pm

If you are not actually opening any web views, then it has zero impact and are imagining things. Opening a website is slightly slower on Chromium due to the startup overhead of the engine than its with IE, from my experience.

I think I am imagining this too.

Araj · « **Reply #28 on:** March 23, 2016, 06:13:21 am »

For some reason, my installation of MC (latest version) refuses to accept "Netflix" as the name of the new Theater View menu item. It took me quite a while to figure out this was why the menu item disappeared when I tried to save it. "NETFLIX" in caps is apparently fine as a name though ;-)

Having succeeded in achieving that, Netflix refuses to play in MC, error message "Whoops, something went wrong... Netflix Video Player Unavailable We're having problems playing Netflix on your browser. Please make sure you're on an official version of Chrome. Error Code: M7355-1203"

There's also a link to a Netflix help page, with no useful information, as Netflix actually runs fine on Chrome (latest version) outside MC.

Any ideas, folks?

NF won't auto-login for me with MC either, btw

JimH · « **Reply #29 on:** March 23, 2016, 06:49:59 am »

Are you using Chromium as MC's browser (not your default browser for Windows)?

Are you using MC 21.0.64 or higher?

http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=103921.0

Awesome Donkey · « **Reply #30 on:** March 23, 2016, 07:55:56 am »

Quote from: Araj on March 23, 2016, 06:13:21 am

For some reason, my installation of MC (latest version) refuses to accept "Netflix" as the name of the new Theater View menu item. It took me quite a while to figure out this was why the menu item disappeared when I tried to save it. "NETFLIX" in caps is apparently fine as a name though ;-)

The name you use for the link must be slightly different than Amazon or Netflix. AMZN or NFLX, for example. The actual names are reserved.

Quoting and bolding this for importance. It won't work unless you do this! Also you have to make sure the Widevine plugin downloads, or else it won't work.

HTPC4ME · « **Reply #31 on:** March 23, 2016, 08:26:38 am »

thanx for replies... couple more questions/concerns before i purchase their services.

1. upon creating accounts, i assume one would add links for the pages AFTER login?
2. after setting up would this provide us w/ 10' interface (our logitech harmony remotes up, down, left, right, select would work?) or are we stuck with using a keyboard/mouse for navigation?
3. if this is done just on the server, would all clients have access to these services, or does each client need prime/flix added to their theaterview options?
4. last but not least, does everyone foresee this working for considerably time, or is there a chance we could be locked out again by them in the near future?

Thanks in advance

Awesome Donkey · « **Reply #32 on:** March 23, 2016, 08:42:11 am »

Quote from: xtacbyme on March 23, 2016, 08:26:38 am

4. last but not least, does everyone foresee this working for considerably time, or is there a chance we could be locked out again by them in the near future?

Likely not, since it uses Google Chrome's Widevine CDM plugin. The only 'issue' with that is MC will need to update the Chromium engine every month or two (AFAIK Widevine requires using an up-to-date Chrome/Chromium that's within two versions of the latest, or something like that).

glynor · « **Reply #33 on:** March 23, 2016, 03:26:43 pm »

Quote from: xtacbyme on March 23, 2016, 08:26:38 am

1. upon creating accounts, i assume one would add links for the pages AFTER login?

I don't think this would matter, as any token they provide in the URL would (or should) expire. If not, the service has a pretty serious security vulnerability in their server-side code.

Quote from: xtacbyme on March 23, 2016, 08:26:38 am

2. after setting up would this provide us w/ 10' interface (our logitech harmony remotes up, down, left, right, select would work?) or are we stuck with using a keyboard/mouse for navigation?

No. Not at all. It just displays the website inside MC's built-in browser. The end.

That's what I was talking about above.

Quote from: xtacbyme on March 23, 2016, 08:26:38 am

3. if this is done just on the server, would all clients have access to these services, or does each client need prime/flix added to their theaterview options?

Theater View configuration is set on the Server and the server alone. You cannot make alterations to the Theater View setup from a client copy of MC (if you try, the settings are destroyed when you quit and re-launch MC).

Quote from: xtacbyme on March 23, 2016, 08:26:38 am

4. last but not least, does everyone foresee this working for considerably time, or is there a chance we could be locked out again by them in the near future?

Awesome Donkey answered this, but yeah, I suspect it'll keep working. They only move to HTML5 once. This is a browser that supports DRM-encrusted HTML5. As long as the chromium engine keeps getting updated (which shouldn't be an issue), it will keep working as long as these vendors keep supporting HTML5 playback in a browser of any kind.

imugli · « **Reply #34 on:** March 23, 2016, 03:52:59 pm »

Quote from: glynor on March 22, 2016, 05:43:23 pm

Yeah. Without quite a few changes, I don't really see how this is better than just launching in an external browser in any way. Perhaps I'm missing something.

For audio streaming, it is useful, and I suppose for a quick clip here or there, but for watching actual streaming video services, I think it needs more integration before I'd really use it.

Still though, an important step in the right direction. Playing is better than not playing, and all.

Agreed.

brad-sylvester · « **Reply #35 on:** March 23, 2016, 07:37:34 pm »

Having the same problem as Araj, getting error message "Whoops, something went wrong... Netflix Video Player Unavailable We're having problems playing Netflix on your browser. Please make sure you're on an official version of Chrome. Error Code: M7355-1203"

brad-sylvester · « **Reply #36 on:** March 23, 2016, 07:49:43 pm »

When trying to view a video in Amazon Prime I get the following error:
Your web browser is missing a digital rights component. In the address bar, go to chrome://plugins and ensure Widevine Content Decryption Module is enabled. If missing, install it by going to chrome://components and under WidevineCdm, click Check for update.
I am not sure how to do this for the internal browser.
The external browsers work fine.

Awesome Donkey · « **Reply #37 on:** March 23, 2016, 09:27:24 pm »

That means the Widevine CDM plugin didn't download.

brad-sylvester · « **Reply #38 on:** March 23, 2016, 09:57:07 pm »

How do I force it to download?

Snookboy · « **Reply #39 on:** March 24, 2016, 07:46:24 am »

Based on a few other comments here, I take it that it is not possible to make it full screen even though you are in theater view?

CountryBumkin · « **Reply #40 on:** March 24, 2016, 07:55:45 am »

It was said in the first post, that when you first log on you may get an error message - but just wait a little and the correct files/updates will download. When I first tried with Netflix and Amazon, I did not get an error so I can't say first hand how long to wait (or if this is your problem).

According to JRiver you will not be able to get the Netflix or Amazon in "full screen". At least not now.

On my computer, once I logged in to Netflix and Amazon Prime, my passwords were saved. I do not have to log on each time. If your username/password is not being saved it may be due to you browser settings (external to MC).

brad-sylvester · « **Reply #41 on:** March 24, 2016, 02:06:17 pm »

I waited several minutes and still the same error. I did a search and found a widevinecdmadapter.dll in my users appdata roaming jriver Media Center folder so it looks like it downloaded. See attached screen shot.
I did notice that chrome has a different file in appdata\local named widevinecdm.dll vice widevinecdmadapter.dll.

JimH · « **Reply #42 on:** March 24, 2016, 02:44:27 pm »

Quote from: brad-sylvester on March 23, 2016, 07:49:43 pm

When trying to view a video in Amazon Prime I get the following error:
Your web browser is missing a digital rights component. In the address bar, go to chrome://plugins and ensure Widevine Content Decryption Module is enabled. If missing, install it by going to chrome://components and under WidevineCdm, click Check for update.
I am not sure how to do this for the internal browser.
The external browsers work fine.

Did you set MC to use Chromium?

brad-sylvester · « **Reply #43 on:** March 24, 2016, 03:05:29 pm »

Yes, checked and double checked.

imugli · « **Reply #44 on:** March 24, 2016, 05:42:50 pm »

Quote from: Snookboy on March 24, 2016, 07:46:24 am

Based on a few other comments here, I take it that it is not possible to make it full screen even though you are in theater view?

That's correct.

Hendrik · « **Reply #45 on:** March 24, 2016, 05:50:38 pm »

Quote from: brad-sylvester on March 24, 2016, 02:06:17 pm

I waited several minutes and still the same error.

There is nothing we can do, the component download is entirely within Chromium, we have no influence on it. It seems to work for most people though.
If its downloaded, it goes into C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Local\CEF\User Data\WidevineCDM

brad-sylvester · « **Reply #46 on:** March 24, 2016, 07:33:17 pm »

If its downloaded, it goes into C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Local\CEF\User Data\WidevineCDM

Strange I don't have a CEF folder in my appdata\local directory.
For all the locations of WidevineCDM on my computer check my earlier post attachment.

lepa · « **Reply #47 on:** March 25, 2016, 06:31:00 am »

Now if some thing could scrape the metadata and www address to start the show to somewhere where MC could get it and that metadata would mix with local videos... Maybe with red 'N' above cover art...

brad-sylvester · « **Reply #48 on:** March 25, 2016, 01:42:38 pm »

I updated to version 21.0.65 and all started working! Thanks for your help.

Araj · « **Reply #49 on:** March 26, 2016, 11:39:29 am »

Everything seems to check out as far as the requirements mentioned above are concerned but I still have the same error message when I hit play on Netflix within MC.

I even tried on another PC.

Could the problem be location-related? I'm in Ireland...

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Author Topic: NEW: Amazon Prime and Netflix in MC Now (Read 39987 times)