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[TorqW]

I love the convenience of using MC to play my blu-ray library, espcially the way it fires up the main feature immediately bypassing the menus.

However, there are sometimes when I'd like MC to open a BDMV in TMT5 to access the special features, or photogalleries which can't be ripped in MKVs (as far as I know).

I've tried looking but can't find a thread that describes how this can be done - specifically from the Theatre View. Has anyone accomplished this?

thanks again.

[eddyshere]

I do have a lot of concerts in bluray and I do need full BD Menu support....for me MKV'ing is a blast and personally I have never been a friend of the MKV format. Currently for BD the use of TMT5 has proven to be the best bet to display full BD menus or watch 3D BD. Now whilst you could build in a switch with a custom filed and a calculated expression I guess (i would be unable to explain exactly how to but some forum users (which are expression building experts) can certainly chime in to help you) you might be able to have MC launch some of your BD's directly and some with an external player (TMT5).
I can only report for the usage of TMT5 as external layer for ALL blurays.
I had to store all the blurays in bdmv (would also work with iso) and then :

You need to point TMT5 as external player to the containing folder (or to the disc drive if you read from physical BD) (= 1 directory level above the bdmv folder) and not to the bdmv folder itself or the index file in the bdmv folder. If you have this structure for example : my bd/movie test/disc1/bdmv you need to point to disc1. A way to do so in MC is to :
1. select tools>options>library&folders>manage library fields
2. add new field (I named it TMTLauncher)
3. set the new field to calculated data and construct your structure line. Here you could enter expression  filevolume([filename])/FileFolder([Filename],2)/ ... (it will depend if you want to use relative paths or not - (display this new field in your library and check the result) remember you'll have to end up with the path to the folder holding your bdmv and certificate folders.
for expression building consult : http://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Media_Center_expression_language.  

4. once the result of your expression is OK return under file types (in the MC options menu)
5. select video bdmv
6. choose external player (custom) under playback method and point to the tmt5 player (you can also try to point to the uMCETMT player which opens and closes fine and is better when using theaterview - auto refresh rate should be disabled in TMT because if not closing it freezes TMT/MC or 3d engine lost error appears)
7. under arguments enter "[TMTLauncher]"   (thats the field you created under point 2)

That's it !!! works perfectly. Seems complicated but in reality it isn't. Just make sure you got the path naming right....and you have full menu support for BD.

[TorqW]

This is excellent! I've just tried implementing and it works really well. However when I stop playing the blu-ray in TMT5 (just pressing the STOP button), TMT5 quits but J River just seems to hang. Any thoughts? Did you find the same thing - guess there is a workaround? Is it a focus issue?

I've also developed your idea one step further. I was thinking how to create a new library item which would play entire bdmvs with menus via TMT5, giving the flexibility to use (by default) J River and ROHQ etc or TMT5. My solution is as follows:

1) Use your solution as above to create the TMTLauncher custom field
2) Create a particle (copy - play full movie) of the original
2) Tag Filetype to a media type you never use (i.e. change it from bdmv to (e.g.) ogv)
3) Change the default Ogg player via options  screen to Custom (external), passing the TMTLauncher field in "inverted commas"
4) In Options>Theatre View, create a new library item (call it whatever you want.... TMT5?), and set the filter to only display ogv filetypes
5) You're done!

Now you can use the normal Menus to watch DVD's and BDMVs as usual, or select the TMT5 menu when you want to play BDMVs with menus and full java functionality etc - without using a keyboard - dream come true!

As I said above, just need to find the solution to J River hanging when TMT5 is closed!

Thanks hugely for your help.

[eddyshere]

Yes MC is hanging when switching back. It's a problem with the automatic refresh rate switch in TMT5. I have turned it off to get rid of the freezing.

[Z0001]

Any idea how you would get this to work with iso files since there is an extra step to mount the iso?

[MrC]

You can probably create a single batch file, that takes one argument (the path to the ISO file as passed in a similar fashion as [TMTLauncher]), and have it call your ISO mounting program, wait a few seconds for the mount to complete, and then tall TMT5.

[fitbrit]

Also, see this thread: http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=76695.0

[Jong]

Also this thread:

http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=77375.0

Theaterview crashes for me even though automatic refresh rate switching is not enabled in TMT. Note it is Theaterview that crashes for me, not actually MC.

You can see I even have problems with TMT getting keyboard focus. I have to alt-tab to it even though it is already the fullscreen foreground app, but that may be because of the way I am launching it. This guy seemed to have the same problem: http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=75466.0

There have over the last year been a lot of threads about how MC could improve .iso and 3D support and I hope they may soon get to the top of the list. A lot of new users are struggling even to import .isos (a few threads even in the last few days) and the additional need to optionally fire up an external player for 3D or other reasons (e.g. extras) is not going away any time soon.

[Z0001]

I'm just not seeing in

I do have a lot of concerts in bluray and I do need full BD Menu support....for me MKV'ing is a blast and personally I have never been a friend of the MKV format. Currently for BD the use of TMT5 has proven to be the best bet to display full BD menus or watch 3D BD. Now whilst you could build in a switch with a custom filed and a calculated expression I guess (i would be unable to explain exactly how to but some forum users (which are expression building experts) can certainly chime in to help you) you might be able to have MC launch some of your BD's directly and some with an external player (TMT5).
I can only report for the usage of TMT5 as external layer for ALL blurays.
I had to store all the blurays in bdmv (would also work with iso) and then :

You need to point TMT5 as external player to the containing folder (or to the disc drive if you read from physical BD) (= 1 directory level above the bdmv folder) and not to the bdmv folder itself or the index file in the bdmv folder. If you have this structure for example : my bd/movie test/disc1/bdmv you need to point to disc1. A way to do so in MC is to :
1. select tools>options>library&folders>manage library fields
2. add new field (I named it TMTLauncher)
3. set the new field to calculated data and construct your structure line. Here you could enter expression  filevolume([filename])/FileFolder([Filename],2)/ ... (it will depend if you want to use relative paths or not - (display this new field in your library and check the result) remember you'll have to end up with the path to the folder holding your bdmv and certificate folders.
for expression building consult : http://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Media_Center_expression_language. 

4. once the result of your expression is OK return under file types (in the MC options menu)
5. select video bdmv
6. choose external player (custom) under playback method and point to the tmt5 player (you can also try to point to the uMCETMT player which opens and closes fine and is better when using theaterview - auto refresh rate should be disabled in TMT because if not closing it freezes TMT/MC or 3d engine lost error appears)
7. under arguments enter "[TMTLauncher]"   (thats the field you created under point 2)

That's it !!! works perfectly. Seems complicated but in reality it isn't. Just make sure you got the path naming right....and you have full menu support for BD.

how to invoke virtual clone drive to mount the iso that is evaluated by [TMTLauncher] (ie whatnit points to).

...unless MC mounts the iso automatically when I press "Watch" or double click it?

[Z0001]

Me so stupid. Of course VCD mounts the iso when the file is selected in MC ... That's how I've got it configured! Take so much of the magic for granted!

[eddyshere]

I had to abandon the .iso format. The solution with iso proved to be difficult for a number of reasons.
First when you use a server client setup with MC invoking iso's from the server lbrary was proving problematic. Secondly with the mounting software in the middle I sometimes also ran into focus issues as the facto when opening the iso it is passed on the mounter and then the windows auto-handler invokes TMT. This was not good as on closure of TMT I often lost focus. In doing it with BDMV, MC launches TMT and closing TMT returns to MC so no focus lost.
That's why I had to convert approx 12TB of iso's into Video_ts for DVD and BDMV for Bluray. The good thing is that ripping an iso is (if your PC is up to the speed) very very fast (over 10X as fast as ripping the physical BD).
I still have all the BD physically stored in the cellar so should I need an iso at one time I can re-rip

@jong : I noticed that MC freezes whenever TMT closed from another refresh rate than MC uses per default (desktop refresh rate). I circumvented this by putting the desktop to 24 - having auto refresh rate in MC set for all DVD's - and thus for TMT we are back to the 24 refresh rate. So when closing TMT it returns to a 24 desktop (MC) and no freezes.
Furthermore if I remember correctly you also use soundgraph : i set up some remote buttons to control the soundgraph refresh changer application which also proved to be very efficient.

[Jong]

Thanks eddy, I've seen talk of auto refresh switching problems before, but here it has nothing to do with Refresh rate switching. There is no change in refresh rate at all, yet Theaterview is frozen when TMT closes. This problem can be worked around by simply switching to standard view before loading TMT and then back to Theaterview when TMT closes, all in a batch file, but it is messy!

My bigger problem at the moment is that when I launch TMT from the batch file, or even if I launch it from the taskbar/start menu, if MC is loaded, even in standard view, it grabs keyboard focus back from TMT. I have to alt-tab back to TMT before I can use it, even though at all times it is the fullscreen top window. I can even see it happen sometimes. As TMT loads I see its taskbar icon become selected, then I briefly, sometimes see the MC icon become re selected just before the TMT fullscreen UI appears. I would really like to understand why/how MC is doing this!!

[eddyshere]

hum...strange ? ? you are using the mediacenter tmt version (uMCEplayer.exe)? I don't see this behaviour (I use the uMCE.player .146 (latest pre-cinavia) on win 7 - win 8 produces funny effects when launching the player)...but wait... Actually I remember that with  some of the earlier versions of TMT I had a similar problem but mostly the other way round. When closing TMT I was returned to theaterview which was just sitting there and didn't claimed back the focus, I experienced also sometimes where TMT had no focus at opening.

[Z0001]

I do have a lot of concerts in bluray and I do need full BD Menu support....for me MKV'ing is a blast and personally I have never been a friend of the MKV format. Currently for BD the use of TMT5 has proven to be the best bet to display full BD menus or watch 3D BD. Now whilst you could build in a switch with a custom filed and a calculated expression I guess (i would be unable to explain exactly how to but some forum users (which are expression building experts) can certainly chime in to help you) you might be able to have MC launch some of your BD's directly and some with an external player (TMT5).
I can only report for the usage of TMT5 as external layer for ALL blurays.
I had to store all the blurays in bdmv (would also work with iso) and then :

You need to point TMT5 as external player to the containing folder (or to the disc drive if you read from physical BD) (= 1 directory level above the bdmv folder) and not to the bdmv folder itself or the index file in the bdmv folder. If you have this structure for example : my bd/movie test/disc1/bdmv you need to point to disc1. A way to do so in MC is to :
1. select tools>options>library&folders>manage library fields
2. add new field (I named it TMTLauncher)
3. set the new field to calculated data and construct your structure line. Here you could enter expression  filevolume([filename])/FileFolder([Filename],2)/ ... (it will depend if you want to use relative paths or not - (display this new field in your library and check the result) remember you'll have to end up with the path to the folder holding your bdmv and certificate folders.
for expression building consult : http://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Media_Center_expression_language.  

4. once the result of your expression is OK return under file types (in the MC options menu)
5. select video bdmv
6. choose external player (custom) under playback method and point to the tmt5 player (you can also try to point to the uMCETMT player which opens and closes fine and is better when using theaterview - auto refresh rate should be disabled in TMT because if not closing it freezes TMT/MC or 3d engine lost error appears)
7. under arguments enter "[TMTLauncher]"   (thats the field you created under point 2)

That's it !!! works perfectly. Seems complicated but in reality it isn't. Just make sure you got the path naming right....and you have full menu support for BD.

I am trying to replicate this for iso files.   In point 3 above what should I use to direct TMTLauncher at the VCD?

Thanks!

[eddyshere]

with iso you don't Need pt.3.
Here pt.3 constructs the Arguments of the command line required to open TMT in folder playback mode and passes the right folder to it. If you you want to do it with iso you don't need any command line for tmt as tmt cannot "natively" play iso.
You just add your iso's to the library.
Clicking on it should invoke your disc mounter anyway->the iso once mounted is recognized as disc in drive by windows-> if your OS auto-play settings are set correctly to play bluray (or DVD) with TMT. TMT will be launched and the movie played. The difference is that TMT will be in disc playback mode and not disc folder playback mode.
Just remember as said earlier in this thread iso is not the smootest format to play in a tmt/mc integration. Another point is that (if you are a picture control freak) if you use tmt you "miss" the redoctober HQ processing (mad-vr etc...) opportunity offered by the mc player. Ok agreed TMT produces also very very crisp pictures but using the mc player with redoctoberHQ is definitly better. But as said : i take the tradeoff and tmt route to have full menu support with blurays.

[Z0001]

Not sure what is wrong with my set up then.

In windows, iso files are set to be auto mounted within VCD.
In windows blu ray and DVD discs are auto set to be played with TMT
In MC I have no file associations with these discs
In MC I have set up a library field such as you explain, but don't think it is doing anything
In MC I have got blu ray to be played by external custom TMT

When i hit the iso in theatre view it plays in MC, not TMT. TMT does not open.

How much of your instruction is relevant to iso playback?

Thanks for your help

[Jong]

hum...strange ? ? you are using the mediacenter tmt version (uMCEplayer.exe)? I don't see this behaviour (I use the uMCE.player .146 (latest pre-cinavia) on win 7 - win 8 produces funny effects when launching the player)...but wait... Actually I remember that with  some of the earlier versions of TMT I had a similar problem but mostly the other way round. When closing TMT I was returned to theaterview which was just sitting there and didn't claimed back the focus, I experienced also sometimes where TMT had no focus at opening.

interesting. How do you launch TMT? Have you tried from the taskbar or start menu.

As far as I know (system not accessible right now) I too am using the very last non-Cinavia build (uMCEversion) on Win7 x64. The behaviour is totally consistent. If I launch without MC loaded TMT has focus, with MC loaded it does not. In fact, if I have MC standard view visible with a list of, say movies, and press the down arrow after loading TMT, even though TMT is foreground and fullscreen the selected item in the MC list changes according to the key presses, so I know MC is grabbing the keystrokes. Maybe it is some obscure settings problem but its got me stumped!

[eddyshere]

@TorqW
Just had to play around with it myself... your setup will work IF !! you make sure that in MC under tools>options>CD DVD&BD>Autoplay you select "let windows handle ".
Actually none of my steps described are required for iso playback as with iso all is handled outside of MC. The proposed setup only shows a way to best integrate TMT5 in MC for bluray playback for full BD menu playback and fluid user experience in a Theaterview setting.
 ... correct if you work with iso's the custom field is "worthless"
Also the autoplay settings in Windows 7 do not genuinly launch the uMCEplayer.exe but the regular uTMT5.exe of TMT which is less suited for remote control usage and/or if you use MC in theaterview


@jong : TMT is launched automatically from within MC for bdmv as "externalplayer (custom)". What you observe is really strange I never had MC holding back focus with keyboard strokes. It arrived with remote control commands but this could be cured with the exclusive mode setting in soundgraph.

[Z0001]

OK. Reaching the end of my tether on this one!

I want to use MC as my library, my theatre view, my mkv player and I want to use TMT5 as my iso player so I can play with full menu on the occaisions i want to and play 3D blu ray iso.

I have set in windows for iso files to be associated with VCD, hoping that this will mount them when they are double clicked.  That seems OK.

I have set in windows in the handle media section for blu ray and DVD to be played by TMT5. This seems to work OK as when I double click the file in explorer TMT5 opens.

In MC I have set in Options>CD, DVD & BD under autoplay, "let windows handle". And I have set in Options>File Types, for Other, Blu ray, no file association with MC and playback method "automatic".

When I'm in MC theatre view and I hit watch an iso, VCD mounts and anydvd hd runs, TMT5 opens and becomes the top window and The disc will play.

However. MC seems to be playing in the background. I can hear it starting from the last place it was stopped. Same happens when I double click the iso file in explorer, evennif MC is closed (and the MC server running).

Also I am finding that while my Harmony seems OK with TMT, when I use a wireless keyboard, it seems to invoke MC commands, even if TMT5 is the top most window.

This all seems quite strange and non intuitive. Any bright ideas out there in MC Land?

Cheers

[Jong]

@jong : TMT is launched automatically from within MC for bdmv as "externalplayer (custom)". What you observe is really strange I never had MC holding back focus with keyboard strokes. It arrived with remote control commands but this could be cured with the exclusive mode setting in soundgraph.

This happens with both keyboard and remote. It isn't a remote problem.

I'm not trying to using TMT as an external player. Normally I want MC to play the disc and that works fine. I am just trying to launch TMT as an external program for the odd occasion when I need it. Launching as an external program may well be different as MC understands exactly what is going to happen. I'm not sure. It is odd because, as I said, the same problem occurs even if TMT is launched from the taskbar and MC is minimised. MC seems to be actively monitoring keystrokes and grabbing focus!

There are clearly others with the same problem but I've no idea why some are seeing it and not others.

[eddyshere]

OK. Reaching the end of my tether on this one!

I want to use MC as my library, my theatre view, my mkv player and I want to use TMT5 as my iso player so I can play with full menu on the occaisions i want to and play 3D blu ray iso.

I have set in windows for iso files to be associated with VCD, hoping that this will mount them when they are double clicked.  That seems OK.

I have set in windows in the handle media section for blu ray and DVD to be played by TMT5. This seems to work OK as when I double click the file in explorer TMT5 opens.

In MC I have set in Options>CD, DVD & BD under autoplay, "let windows handle". And I have set in Options>File Types, for Other, Blu ray, no file association with MC and playback method "automatic".

When I'm in MC theatre view and I hit watch an iso, VCD mounts and anydvd hd runs, TMT5 opens and becomes the top window and The disc will play.

However. MC seems to be playing in the background. I can hear it starting from the last place it was stopped. Same happens when I double click the iso file in explorer, evennif MC is closed (and the MC server running).

Also I am finding that while my Harmony seems OK with TMT, when I use a wireless keyboard, it seems to invoke MC commands, even if TMT5 is the top most window.

This all seems quite strange and non intuitive. Any bright ideas out there in MC Land?

Cheers

What you described is why i abandoned iso ...maybe future releases of MC will have a better way of handling iso direct playback or handling

[Z0001]

I can understand that MC could have issues with iso mounting in a server set up.  What I don't get is why MC plays the iso when I have made the selection in Options to have windows handle which player is used and for that player to not be MC.

I watch 99% of my video in mkv with MC. Its just occasionally when I want something that MC does not support like disc menus or 3D that I would like to integrate TMT and iso files.

[Jong]

Just checking, have you disable "allow special handling on media insertion" in Theaterview advanced settings?

[Z0001]

Just checking, have you disable "allow special handling on media insertion" in Theaterview advanced settings?

Thanks.  Will give it a go. So what is this option for? Given I have told MC to use default windows media associations?