DVBViewer

[phlox]

My goal is to notify myself about recordings using Prowl. I already have a Python script in my EventGhost configuration to notify myself that just sends the event name of the event that triggered the macro. So what i need is information on how to retrieve the recording information for the recording that has started or ended using the DVBViewer plugin.

The attached sample config might help you doing that (it's an extract of my own EG config)
It prints some details to the log:

Code: Select all

17:08:26   DVBViewerService.StartRecord (12, 1)
17:08:26      OnDvbvNewRecordingStarted
17:08:26         Print Recording Details
17:08:28            Sky News Int. | 16:58:00-18:00:00 | Sky News at 5


Good luck

[No-Nonsense]

Hello Phlox,

what a coincidence, I had the same requirements (and a few more). A few weeks ago I've extended the existing DVBViewer plugin 2.0.0 and now I'm going to publish here a new version 2.1.1.

[...]

The attached sample config might help you doing that (it's an extract of my own EG config)
It prints some details to the log:

Code: Select all

17:08:26   DVBViewerService.StartRecord (12, 1)
17:08:26      OnDvbvNewRecordingStarted
17:08:26         Print Recording Details
17:08:28            Sky News Int. | 16:58:00-18:00:00 | Sky News at 5


thank you very much! It looks like this will allow me what I intended to do.

I'll try your modified version of the plugin this evening when back at home and provide feedback.

Jens

[ZappoB]

@phlonx: Thank you for keeping the DVB Viewer plugin alive!

But even in the newest version the WindowsMinimize command doesn't work, neither when fired by the plugin, nor when send as commandline-option by the DVB Viewer itself (dvbviewer.exe -x 16382) - something blocks this, while the plugin in EG is active.

If I quit EG, the windows can be minimized via commanline. What in the plugin could block this action?

Also it sometimes happens, that EG comes to an freeze, when DVB Viewer crashes (thanks God this happens very seldom), which seems to depend also on this plug. Is it possible to add an watchdog, which prevent a total lockup of EG?

[phlox]

@phlonx: Thank you for keeping the DVB Viewer plugin alive!
If I quit EG, the windows can be minimized via commanline. What in the plugin could block this action?

atm i've no clue. next time when i do coding, i'll spend some time on it and try to reproduce and find the cause. but i can really nothing promise, maybe it's in DVBViewer's COM-API and if it's there, i'm powerless.

Also it sometimes happens, that EG comes to an freeze, when DVB Viewer crashes (thanks God this happens very seldom), which seems to depend also on this plug. Is it possible to add an watchdog, which prevent a total lockup of EG?

Fortunately i don't have DVBViewer crashes so i've never noticed this kind of problems. I'd say that DVBViewer itself is very stable, but doubtful plugins and extensions can affect stability. However, a watchdog as part of EG itself wouldn't solve the problem at all, since that watchdog would also freeze if EG freezes. (btw, the DVBViewer plugin implements already a watchdog thread to release locks if DVBViewer no longer responds).

[phlox]

here's a small update of the plugin which fixes a unicode problem in the new action GetChannelDetails

EDIT: attachment removed since obsolete. Please find the newest plugin version below.

[ZappoB]

maybe it's in DVBViewer's COM-API and if it's there, i'm powerless.

Maybe it could help, if I tell you that there is a very simple plugin in the DVB Viewer Forum, with which the Minimize Window action works flawless, so it should be not a problem with the API:
http://www.dvbviewer.tv/forum/topic/486 ... dvbviewer/

The Plugin is in no way a replacement for this one here, because it only sends commands to the DVB Viewer, but receives no events or manages recording schedules.

Thank you for your try.

[phlox]

Thanks for the hint - that helps

I'll look at it as soon as I find some time (which is rather rare atm...), maybe next week

[ZappoB]

Better late than never

[phlox]

OK, I did my job - late, but not never

http://www.dvbviewer.tv/forum/topic/491 ... -minimize/

[vicfontaine]

Hello,

my Problem ist a little OT.
how do I get access to the Datamanger from the DVBViewer via Pythonscript?

Thanks
Vic

[phlox]

Hi there

Two relevant news regarding the DVBViewer plugin.

1. New actions
There are three new actions available:

• GetRecordingDetails: Retrieves a list of all recordings from DVBViewer as well as from Recording Service. Each recording detail consists of name, series, channel, date, duration, playstate and further attributes. Recordings from DVBViewer as well as from Recording Service are supported; their lists are combined transparently in the background.
• DeleteRecordings: This action is intended to implement housekeeping and delete outdated recordings.
  

  

• IsDVBViewerProcessRunning: not a big thing, just checks if the dvbviewer.exe process is running.

2. Refactoring and bug fixing
While implementing this, I was struggling more and more about bugs, instabilities and hangers related to the DVBViewer plugin, so I had to decide either to abandon the project overall or to invest time, search bugs and refactor the DVBViewer plugin as necessary. I decided for the latter...

As the result, I'm releasing DVBViewer plugin v3.0.0_rc1 today. As the version says, it's not yet a final release. On a long term, I'm confident that stability of the plugin has been improved, but on a short term, maybe some refactorings might also have broken functionalities (most likely those which I don't use in my own SuspendGhost project).

Here's the change log:

Code: Select all

# 3.0.0: Improved stability and robustness by refactoring thread synchronisation and error handling.
#        - EG no longer hangs when DVBViewer crashes
#        - Fixed sporadical error 'Lock released to prevent a dead lock'
#        - EG no longer hangs when double clicking on an action (to configure) during plugin startup
#        Added action DeleteRecordings
#        - intended to implement an automated housekeeping
#        Added action GetRecordingDetails
#        Added action IsDVBViewerProcessRunning
#        Added event 'DVBViewer.SevereError'
#        - triggered on exceptions in WMI
#        - triggered on dead locks / lock timeouts
#        Suppress repeated identical events like 'DVBViewer.ControlChange (603, 0)'
#        Grouped and reorderded all actions, put them into subfolders; improved action names and descriptions
#        Updated plugin documentation (HTML help)
#        Updated source documentation of main classes and methods
#        Many other refactorings and minor improvements


At this time, I'm looking for beta testers. Would You like to help to finalize the release? Your help is appreciated. All you have to do is to try out the new version, tell me how it works in your environment and report bugs, if necessary.

Finally, I've to note that my time for the project is limited, so I wont always be able to reply immediately. I just do my best.

have fun

EDIT: attachment removed since obsolete. see below.

[phlox]

Here's an update: DVBViewer plugin 3.0.0_rc3.

It fixes some more bugs (already present in 2.x releases):

Code: Select all

#        - EG no longer hangs at startup when DVBViewer recording service address is wrong / unavailable
#        - Fixed behavior in GetNumberOfActiveRecordings, GetRecordingIDs, GetDateOfRecordings when RS is not enabled by plugin config.
#        - Fixed a lock timeout in case that system performs suspend just while WatchDogThread executes server requests.


furthermore

Code: Select all

#        Added action WaitUntilPluginIdle (supposed to be called before suspend)
#        Plugin config: auto correct os path to dvbviewer.exe while opening plugin config and start plugin
#        Updated plugin documentation (HTML help)
#        Some minor code refactorings


I'd say a stable release is not so far away anymore. Any comments?

Edit: attachment removed since obsolete. See below.

[phlox]

It's time to release a next version... DVBViewer plugin 3.0.0_rc5.

Change log

Code: Select all

#        Exception handling further improved
#        Added action GetCurrentShowDetails - provides details about what is currently shown in DVBViewer
#        Added action GetDataManagerValues
#        Added event 'DVBViewer.SevereError.WMI' - triggered on exceptions in WMI
#        Added event 'DVBViewer.SevereError.LockTimeout' - triggered on dead locks / lock timeouts
#        Added event 'DVBViewer.SevereError.COM' - triggered on COM initialization errors
#        Added event 'DVBViewer.SevereError.Connect' - triggered on connection errors between EG and DVBV (replaces earlier DVBViewerCouldNotBeConnected event)


It's probably the last RC before the final release... I hope so. At least in my environment it runs very stable since quite a long time.

Edit: attachment removed since obsolete (see below).

[phlox]

There were no complaints (there was no feedback at all!?) - so it's definitely time to release the final
DVBViewer plugin 3.0.0.

Changes since release 2.1.2 (please find more details in this post):

• Improved stability and robustness by refactoring thread synchronisation and error handling.
• Added action DeleteRecordings - supposed to implement automated housekeeping of recordings
• Added action GetRecordingDetails - provides details of all recordings
• Added action GetCurrentShowDetails - provides details about what is currently shown in DVBViewer
• Added action GetDataManagerValues - provides all available information of DVBViewer's data manager
• Added action WaitUntilPluginIdle - supposed to be called before suspend
• Added event 'DVBViewer.SevereError.WMI' - triggered on exceptions in WMI
• Added event 'DVBViewer.SevereError.LockTimeout' - triggered on dead locks / lock timeouts
• Added event 'DVBViewer.SevereError.COM' - triggered on COM initialization errors
• Added event 'DVBViewer.SevereError.Connect' - triggered on connection errors between EG and DVBViewer (replaces earlier DVBViewerCouldNotBeConnected event)
• Grouped and reorderded all actions, put them into subfolders; improved action names and descriptions
• Updated plugin documentation (HTML help)
• Many other refactorings and minor improvements

Edit: attachment removed. See below for newest version.

[phlox]

how do I get access to the Datamanger from the DVBViewer via Pythonscript?

the newest plugin version has an action 'GetDataManagerValues'
hth