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Author Topic: Netflix in MC19  (Read 4974 times)

InflatableMouse

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Netflix in MC19
« on: January 14, 2014, 04:38:41 am »

Could someone tell how well Netflix currently works with MC? Last time I tried I believe it was just the web interface within MC with no remote control support. My subscription isn't active at the moment and before I resubscribe I'd like to know how well it works.

Does the remote control work?

During my last try, it wasn't possible to directly choose an episode. I had to play a series, it would start S1E1 and from some context menu I could choose a different episode.

It wouldn't remember subtitle language chosen, so each time I had enable subs, choose language with each new video.

Is audio/video directly from Netflix or is MC able to process it?

If there's anything else related to usability feel free to share.

Thanks!
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CountryBumkin

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Re: Netflix in MC19
« Reply #1 on: January 14, 2014, 05:26:16 am »

I use Netflix almost every day. It works pretty well. No problems with remote. Once a series is in my queue (you have to add series to your queue from the Netflix website) I can access any episode. I did report that a couple of Series I put in my queue don't work through MC but work okay at the Netflix website (the series in the queue does not display the individual episodes when you select the series so you have nothing to "click on" to play). The Search feature is weird but it works. You can search for movies or Shows and play what ever comes up. When you start typing in the name it will not bring up the movie/series with just the first letter or two. You have to type in almost the entire name (for example if you want the series "Lost" you enter "L" and the search engine does not pull up everything with an "L", the you get to "LO" and it pulls things that don't even have an "O". You have to get to "LOS" or "LOST" before it finds it). But most everything else is fine. The Audio does not go through MC engine (Netflix plays through Microsoft Silverlight) but the remote does control it. I don't know about changing languages or subtitles as I have had no reason yet to change anything.
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InflatableMouse

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Re: Netflix in MC19
« Reply #2 on: January 14, 2014, 06:01:20 am »

Thanks!

So Silverlight is still a requirement? Has anyone tried HTML5 without Silverlight?

Is it possible to route sound through MC's loopback or ASIO feature?
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JimH

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Re: Netflix in MC19
« Reply #3 on: January 14, 2014, 07:13:54 am »

Netflix in MC is probably working only in the U.S.  Maybe Canada.  Probably not in The Netherlands.
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InflatableMouse

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Re: Netflix in MC19
« Reply #4 on: January 14, 2014, 07:18:39 am »

Netflix in MC is probably working only in the U.S.  Maybe Canada.  Probably not in The Netherlands.

Subscriptions are available in the Netherlands if that's what you meant, for some time now actually. I didn't think it worked very well though and found the quality lacking but some people suggest it got better and I'm willing to try again, if it works properly with MC.
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mwillems

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Re: Netflix in MC19
« Reply #5 on: January 14, 2014, 08:00:07 am »

Is it possible to route sound through MC's loopback or ASIO feature?

Yes but it's complicated.  Loopback works with netflix just fine, but it can be challenging to get loopback engaged while playing netflix from theater view.  If you load netflix in an external browser, loopback works great.  I've managed to get loopback working with netflix in theater view, but you need to take a multi-zone approach using zoneswitch, and it's kind of fiddly at the moment if you're just relying on loopback. 

Let me know if you want a work-flow on how to get it lined up in theater view.
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nwboater

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Re: Netflix in MC19
« Reply #6 on: January 14, 2014, 09:08:54 am »

Yes but it's complicated.  Loopback works with netflix just fine, but it can be challenging to get loopback engaged while playing netflix from theater view.  If you load netflix in an external browser, loopback works great.  I've managed to get loopback working with netflix in theater view, but you need to take a multi-zone approach using zoneswitch, and it's kind of fiddly at the moment if you're just relying on loopback. 

Let me know if you want a work-flow on how to get it lined up in theater view.

We just recently 'cut the cable cord' and now use Netflix often since we primarily watch Movies. I have it working well in a browser with loopback since we must have MC's DSP. Every attempt I have made to have it work with DSP in Theater View has failed. In doing searches in this Forum it has for others too.

If you have a way to run Netflix in Theater View with DSP it would be wonderful!!! You mentioned that it's "Fiddly". Is that to set up or running it? I would certainly appreciate your sharing your workflow.

Thanks,
Rod
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mwillems

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Re: Netflix in MC19
« Reply #7 on: January 14, 2014, 09:34:58 am »

We just recently 'cut the cable cord' and now use Netflix often since we primarily watch Movies. I have it working well in a browser with loopback since we must have MC's DSP. Every attempt I have made to have it work with DSP in Theater View has failed. In doing searches in this Forum it has for others too.

If you have a way to run Netflix in Theater View with DSP it would be wonderful!!! You mentioned that it's "Fiddly". Is that to set up or running it? I would certainly appreciate your sharing your workflow.

Thanks,
Rod

It's fiddly both to set up and to operate.  The method is basically to have two zones in JRiver, one that outputs to your normal output device, and one that outputs to your loopback device.  See the following thread for the development of the idea:

http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=78129.0

The germ of it is this:

1) You'll need to make a new zone.  I recommend copying an existing zone that has working playback.
2) Configuration for the new zone or "loopback zone":  This zone should use your normal output settings and is set to play loopback.  The output device is your "good" soundcard that is connected to your speakers.  In this zone, use your normal DSP (except volume levelling) and output settings.  The only difference is that you set the internal volume to the reference level (as loud as you'd want it, but no louder) and leave it there.
3) Configuration for your existing zone or "player zone": in your old zone you should set your output device to use WASAPI on your default system soundcard (the one you normally use for loopback, not the one connected to your speakers).  In the mode configuration you should disable event style and uncheck the "open device for exclusive access" box or the first instance of JRiver won't be able to grab the stream.  The output format in DSP studio is set for source sample rate, source bitdepth, and source number of channels (after all it's just a pass through), and the only DSP I enabled in this zone is volume leveling (volume levelling needs to be enabled in the "player" zone. 

Once you have this setup, you can use it one of two ways:

1) You can set it to work this way all the time.  For this you need to write a batch file to start loopback playing in the loopback zone on startup, and then switch the zone to your normal playback zone.  This can be a little fiddly to operate if you use the PC for anything other than theater view (or if you have windows sounds on and one blows through at your reference volume level, etc.). I can post my batch file if you want.

2) You can leave it off until you need it.  To make this work you'd need to make a theater view item that starts loopback in the loopback zone, and then switches the zone back to your playback zone and run netflix.  You could do this by writing a batch (similar to the one above) and launching it from a theater view item, and then starting netflix (two button presses).  You might also be able to leverage zoneswitch to do some of the heavy lifting on that, but I could never quite get that to work as expected in all cases (I think because I already have several zones that I was trying to integrate into the scheme, it might work better with just the two zones). 
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nwboater

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Re: Netflix in MC19
« Reply #8 on: January 14, 2014, 10:14:57 am »

mwillems - Thanks very much for the quite thorough response and explanation. I'm hoping to get some time this weekend to experiment with it. One thing I'm not clear on though is are you running an external browser within Theater View, or do you have this working with the Netflix app that comes with Theater View?

Cheers,
Rod
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mwillems

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Re: Netflix in MC19
« Reply #9 on: January 14, 2014, 10:20:51 am »

mwillems - Thanks very much for the quite thorough response and explanation. I'm hoping to get some time this weekend to experiment with it. One thing I'm not clear on though is are you running an external browser within Theater View, or do you have this working with the Netflix app that comes with Theater View?

Cheers,
Rod

It works with the netflix app in theater view for me. The Netflix app outputs directly to the system default soundcard no matter what, so if loopback is running it catches that output. I also sent you a PM, by the way, with a little more info.
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InflatableMouse

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Re: Netflix in MC19
« Reply #10 on: January 25, 2014, 02:38:25 pm »

I use Netflix almost every day. It works pretty well. No problems with remote.

When I open Netflix from Theater View, I simply get a webpage within MC. Remote doesn't work (apart from scrolling the page up and down, I can't select a movie without the mouse, stop seems to work too). Am I doing something wrong?
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JimH

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Re: Netflix in MC19
« Reply #11 on: January 25, 2014, 02:55:46 pm »

It shouldn't be a web page.  See attached image.

Take a look at the options for Netflix under MC's Services.
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InflatableMouse

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Re: Netflix in MC19
« Reply #12 on: January 25, 2014, 03:45:12 pm »

That looks much better than what I see.

Under Tools/Options, Services, I can:

- Manage Netflix account
- show netflix search option

Nothing else is there.
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JimH

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Re: Netflix in MC19
« Reply #13 on: January 25, 2014, 06:15:19 pm »

Try logging out of Netflix in a browser and see what happens.
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nwboater

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Re: Netflix in MC19
« Reply #14 on: January 25, 2014, 07:10:07 pm »

When I open Netflix from Theater View, I simply get a webpage within MC. Remote doesn't work (apart from scrolling the page up and down, I can't select a movie without the mouse, stop seems to work too). Am I doing something wrong?

I found the same thing as what you have at one point. What I have to do is when stopping a movie don't use the 'Back To Browser' icon as you do when running it in a browser. Instead mouse up to the top of the screen to the Media Center Bar and click on the 'Stop' icon in it. That brings ours back to the nice screen that Jim showed.

We have just started using Netflix in theater View. It certainly has some drawbacks, including needing a mouse for most functions, but thus far we do prefer it to watching in a browser. It's just really nice to have everything within Theater View. A real shame though that Netflix is not more cooperative with companies like JRiver.

Hope you can get it going okay.

Added on edit: I had been making some changes in our Harmony One remote control and some functions of the remote weren't functioning properly. It now seems that most everything in Netflix works with the remote except volume. Will do some more experimenting later with all this. Must say though that the Media Center Theater View implementation of Netflix is really quite nice! And much thanks again to mwillems for all his help in getting Audio working.

Cheers,
Rod
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InflatableMouse

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Re: Netflix in MC19
« Reply #15 on: January 26, 2014, 03:21:12 am »

I'm sorry guys its not working.

I thought maybe its because I've created several profiles so I deleted them but now it just opens the default (only) profile there is without asking which profile to load.

I've logged out, deleted the connection MC has, recreated it. Doesn't help.

I keep getting the white-background Netflix webpage within MC.

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JimH

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Re: Netflix in MC19
« Reply #16 on: January 26, 2014, 07:13:34 am »

Does Netflix work from a browser?

Cookies?
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nwboater

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Re: Netflix in MC19
« Reply #17 on: January 26, 2014, 08:07:56 am »

I'm sorry guys its not working.

I thought maybe its because I've created several profiles so I deleted them but now it just opens the default (only) profile there is without asking which profile to load.

I've logged out, deleted the connection MC has, recreated it. Doesn't help.

I keep getting the white-background Netflix webpage within MC.



How are you handling your audio?

Rod
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InflatableMouse

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Re: Netflix in MC19
« Reply #18 on: January 26, 2014, 08:12:08 am »

Does Netflix work from a browser?

Cookies?

It works from a browser.

Cookies are accepted in a browser. I'm not aware of a way to change cookie behavior in MC. MC is using IE, not chromium if that makes a difference.
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JimH

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Re: Netflix in MC19
« Reply #19 on: January 26, 2014, 08:46:23 am »

Try switching browsers in MC.  Try deleting cookies.  Try logging out in the browser.  I don't know what the problem is.

I assume you're in Theater View, under Video/Netflix, and that you haven't made any changes.
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InflatableMouse

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Re: Netflix in MC19
« Reply #20 on: January 26, 2014, 04:20:05 pm »

Correct, its a fresh install of Windows 8.1 and I access Netflix from Theater View.

I'll try your suggestions tomorrow.

I know you have a lot on your mind and appreciate your help.
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InflatableMouse

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Re: Netflix in MC19
« Reply #21 on: January 29, 2014, 06:05:20 am »

I'm sorry but I can't get it to work.

It keeps coming back with a webpage in MC.

Maybe its because I don't have a US account?
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nwboater

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Re: Netflix in MC19
« Reply #22 on: January 29, 2014, 07:30:58 am »

I'm sorry but I can't get it to work.

It keeps coming back with a webpage in MC.

Maybe its because I don't have a US account?

When I tried a Canadian account a while back it would not work in Theater View. A US account works fine.

Rod
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InflatableMouse

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Re: Netflix in MC19
« Reply #23 on: January 29, 2014, 08:16:40 am »

Thanks. I tried a US account but it sees I already had one, it also looks at payment details. I couldn't try a US account to see if it would work with that.

If JRiver wants to have a look at this, I'm willing to share my account details to fix international netflix accounts to work with MC. That would be grand.
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eapool

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Re: Netflix in MC19
« Reply #24 on: January 30, 2014, 05:44:52 am »

Here are some thoughts, you may have tried all this, but it might help:

How is the netflix selection setup in theater view (under tools|options).  There are two ways to setup Netflix in theaterview: 1 - the native JRiver Theater View interface (which is what Jim showed in his previous post) and 2 - a standard web browser with a link to netflix.com.  The first one works really well with a remote, but has some other limitations.  The second one requires a mouse, but gives you everything the netflix site has to offer.  

In Theater View (under tools|options), if you add a new entry, there should be an option for Netflix.  This will add option #1 above.

I hope this helps,

Alex
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InflatableMouse

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Re: Netflix in MC19
« Reply #25 on: January 30, 2014, 06:41:48 am »

Cheers.

I didn't touch the Netflix item in Theater View.

It's set as
Name: Netflix
URL: http://movies.netflix.com/WiHome

I see no option to either set to internal (JimH's method) or to a webpage.
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eapool

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Re: Netflix in MC19
« Reply #26 on: January 30, 2014, 06:47:48 am »

In the theater view setup - if you click add, there should be a bunch of options like Category, Root Library Item, DVD, Exit, explorer, etc.  One of them is Netflix.  That should add the JRiver netflix option to your theater view.   

Alex
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InflatableMouse

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Re: Netflix in MC19
« Reply #27 on: January 30, 2014, 06:52:36 am »

Dude, you're a hero.

It never occurred to me there were two ways to add this. In fact, I can't even seem to add one similar to what I had in there and I have no idea how it came in there in the first place.

Thanks!
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eapool

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Re: Netflix in MC19
« Reply #28 on: January 30, 2014, 06:57:47 am »

Yea, I have both because, I like the JRiver native version if I want to watch something in my queue, but if I want to search, I use the web version.  I think search in the Netflix API doesn't show the same results.  I have no data for this, but I just prefer to search through the web interface.

Anyway, I am glad it work for you.

Alex
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