Forum Discussion

CorporateTV's avatar
CorporateTV
Visitor
14 years ago

Auto Play menu in the Roku Script

We are a Roku programmer and are having a problem with occasional packet loss of data on our data upload of our Roku content. This problem lies directly with our ISP and we have been working for weeks to correct this problem. A new fiber is being installed with a 60 day completion time but for now we have plenty of bandwidth up, but an occasional millisecond spike or dip in our data upload of the HLS encode, and the Roku boxes receiving the signal send the channel back to the menu.
Our purpose for the Roku channel is a private channel and direct monitored by the end-users to our channel only. It is for more of a corporate project. The problem is that we and the end user facilities never turn it off, and if we have this network spike on our end, it causes our end users to have to send someone to hit the PLAY button every time this happens because the channel menu comes up. Sometimes at very inopportune moments during the playback.

Is there a way in the script for the channel to tell the Roku signal to “Select” or “Play” the signal automatically in specific time intervals? Say every 30 seconds or 1 minute or something? This would essentially keep the signal going to the Roku boxes without our corporate end users having to send someone to their closed-circuit head-end of the facilities that have the boxes to simply press “play” on the remote whenever there was a signal drop on the upload causing the box to go to menu.

I would think just like when building a DVD, we can script in to auto-play or repeat intervals, that maybe we could do the same with our bright script for our channel? Just not sure if it is possible or how to go about attempting a test.

I have heard there is a way to force the Roku to read from the DVR if it senses signal loss then back to the live steam once it senses it back up. This may be the simpler option?

Any suggestions?
Roku Developer Program

13 Replies

  • belltown's avatar
    belltown
    Roku Guru
    14 years ago
    Does your channel get an isRequestFailed() or isPartialResult() event when the HLS steam is interrupted? If so, you might be able to code the channel so that it automatically restarts the stream. I've been able to do that with my audio player channel so that any interrupted audio streams are automatically restarted without the user having to select 'Play' again. I would think it would be similar for video streams.
  • RokuJoel's avatar
    RokuJoel
    Binge Watcher
    14 years ago
    You could pretty easily have a check in the function that calls your video player function like:


    returnvalue=-5
    while returnvalue=-5
    returnvalue=playvideo(video)
    end while

    so if the video playback fails for any reason other than end of content or user canceling playbak, your video playback function will just start playback again.

    you would need to return a value to indicate failure like the -5 above and a different value to indicate intentional end of play.

    - Joel
  • CorporateTV's avatar
    CorporateTV
    Visitor
    14 years ago
    -RokuJoel

    I tried the solution you presented but it did not work. I'm sure do to a mistake on my end.
    Below is the code for my video player function, I put the code inside that function, was that right? Am I missing something?


    Function displayVideo(args As Dynamic)
        print "Displaying video: "
        p = CreateObject("roMessagePort")
        video = CreateObject("roVideoScreen")
        video.setMessagePort(p)

        bitrates  = [0]          ' 0 = no dots, adaptive bitrate
        'bitrates  = [348]    ' <500 Kbps = 1 dot
        'bitrates  = [664]    ' <800 Kbps = 2 dots
        'bitrates  = [996]    ' <1.1Mbps  = 3 dots
        bitrates  = [1500]    ' >=1.1Mbps = 4 dots
        'bitrates  = [0]    

       
        'Stream Info
        urls = ["http://kitiosdevices-i.akamaihd.net/hls/live/202237/FFE_Roku/iOS/playlist.m3u8"]       ' Link of stream, for us, must be an .m3u8
        qualities = ["SD"]                                                                              ' Values for this are "SD" & "HD" 
        streamformat = "hls"                                                                            ' Type of stream, we are using HLS.
        title = "Family Friendly Entertainment"                                                         ' Text shown while stream is loading.
        srt = "file://pkg:/source/ffe.srt"                                                      ' This .srt is not needed for our channel; however, it must not be deleted or commented out because it is reference below

        if type(args) = "roAssociativeArray"
            if type(args.url) = "roString" and args.url <> "" then
                urls[0] = args.url
            end if
            if type(args.StreamFormat) = "roString" and args.StreamFormat <> "" then
                StreamFormat = args.StreamFormat
            end if
            if type(args.title) = "roString" and args.title <> "" then
                title = args.title
            else 
                title = ""
            end if
            if type(args.srt) = "roString" and args.srt <> "" then
                srt = args.StreamFormat
            else 
                srt = ""
            end if
        end if
        
        videoclip = CreateObject("roAssociativeArray")
        videoclip.StreamBitrates = bitrates
        videoclip.StreamUrls = urls
        videoclip.StreamQualities = qualities
        videoclip.StreamFormat = StreamFormat
        videoclip.Title = title
        print "srt = ";srt
        if srt <> invalid and srt <> "" then
            videoclip.SubtitleUrl = srt
        end if
        
        video.SetContent(videoclip)
        video.show()

        lastSavedPos   = 0
        statusInterval = 10 'position must change by more than this number of seconds before saving

        'Code to make channel auto restart
        returnvalue=-5
            while returnvalue=-5
            returnvalue=playvideo(video)
            end while

        while true
            msg = wait(0, video.GetMessagePort())
            if type(msg) = "roVideoScreenEvent"
                if msg.isScreenClosed() then 'ScreenClosed event
                    print "Closing video screen"
                    exit while
                else if msg.isPlaybackPosition() then
                    nowpos = msg.GetIndex()
                    if nowpos > 10000
                        
                    end if
                    if nowpos > 0
                        if abs(nowpos - lastSavedPos) > statusInterval
                            lastSavedPos = nowpos
                        end if
                    end if
                else if msg.isRequestFailed()
                    print "play failed: "; msg.GetMessage()
                else
                    print "Unknown event: "; msg.GetType(); " msg: "; msg.GetMessage()
                endif
            end if
        end while
    End Function
  • RokuJoel's avatar
    RokuJoel
    Binge Watcher
    14 years ago
    No, I meant the function that calls your videoplayer function is where you would put that code.

    In the videoplayer you would just change

    else if message.isrequestfailed()
    return -5
    else if message.isfullresult()
    return -1 
    end if


    down near the bottom of the function.

    so undo what you did, then modify your video function as above. Assuming you are using simplevideoplayer, which it looks like you are, then you would modify function show springboard screen as follows:

    from 

     else if msg.isButtonPressed()
                        print "Button pressed: "; msg.GetIndex(); " " msg.GetData()
                        if msg.GetIndex() = 1
                             displayVideo("")
                        else if msg.GetIndex() = 2
                             return true
                        endif
                else


    to:

     else if msg.isButtonPressed()
                        print "Button pressed: "; msg.GetIndex(); " " msg.GetData()
                        if msg.GetIndex() = 1

                               returnvalue=-5
                               while returnvalue=-5
                                          returnvalue=displayVideo("")
                               end while

                        else if msg.GetIndex() = 2
                             return true
                        endif
                else
  • CorporateTV's avatar
    CorporateTV
    Visitor
    14 years ago
    -Joel
    I updated my code with the snippets that you provided, see below.
    Another problem I'm having now is that when i upload the code to the ROKU box and view in "Side Developer Mode," the stream will play. But when I package, and upload it to ROKU and preview it, it will show the loading screen for a couple seconds before returning me back to the ROKU home screen.

    Any Idea what could be causing that. After all, this is the same code that was running before and worked.

    Thanks for you help!


    '*************************************************************
    '** showSpringboardScreen()
    '*************************************************************

    Function showSpringboardScreen(item as object) As Boolean
        port = CreateObject("roMessagePort")
        screen = CreateObject("roSpringboardScreen")

        print "showSpringboardScreen"
        
        screen.SetMessagePort(port)
        screen.AllowUpdates(false)
        if item <> invalid and type(item) = "roAssociativeArray"
            screen.SetContent(item)
        endif

        screen.SetDescriptionStyle("generic") 'audio, movie, video, generic
                                            ' generic+episode=4x3,
        screen.ClearButtons()
        screen.AddButton(1,"Play Live Stream")
        screen.AddButton(2,"Go Back")
        screen.SetStaticRatingEnabled(false)
        screen.AllowUpdates(true)
        screen.Show()

        downKey=3
        selectKey=6
        while true
            msg = wait(0, screen.GetMessagePort())
            if type(msg) = "roSpringboardScreenEvent"
                if msg.isScreenClosed()
                    print "Screen closed"
                    exit while                
                else if msg.isButtonPressed()
                        print "Button pressed: "; msg.GetIndex(); " " msg.GetData()
                        if msg.GetIndex() = 1

                               returnvalue=-5
                               while returnvalue=-5
                                          returnvalue=displayVideo("")
                               end while

                        else if msg.GetIndex() = 2
                             return true
                        endif
                else
                    print "Unknown event: "; msg.GetType(); " msg: "; msg.GetMessage()
                endif
            else 
                print "wrong type.... type=";msg.GetType(); " msg: "; msg.GetMessage()
            endif
        end while


        return true
    End Function


    '*************************************************************
    '** displayVideo()
    '*************************************************************

    Function displayVideo(args As Dynamic)
        print "Displaying video: "
        p = CreateObject("roMessagePort")
        video = CreateObject("roVideoScreen")
        video.setMessagePort(p)

        bitrates  = [0]          ' 0 = no dots, adaptive bitrate
        'bitrates  = [348]    ' <500 Kbps = 1 dot
        'bitrates  = [664]    ' <800 Kbps = 2 dots
        'bitrates  = [996]    ' <1.1Mbps  = 3 dots
        bitrates  = [1500]    ' >=1.1Mbps = 4 dots
        'bitrates  = [0]    

        'Swap the commented values below to play different video clips...
       
        ' Family Friendly Entertainment Stream Info
        urls = ["http://kitiosdevices-i.akamaihd.net/hls/live/202237/FFE_Roku/iOS/playlist.m3u8"]
        qualities = ["SD"]
        streamformat = "hls"
        title = "Family Friendly Entertainment"
        srt = "file://pkg:/source/craigventer.srt"

        if type(args) = "roAssociativeArray"
            if type(args.url) = "roString" and args.url <> "" then
                urls[0] = args.url
            end if
            if type(args.StreamFormat) = "roString" and args.StreamFormat <> "" then
                StreamFormat = args.StreamFormat
            end if
            if type(args.title) = "roString" and args.title <> "" then
                title = args.title
            else 
                title = ""
            end if
            if type(args.srt) = "roString" and args.srt <> "" then
                srt = args.StreamFormat
            else 
                srt = ""
            end if
        end if
        
        videoclip = CreateObject("roAssociativeArray")
        videoclip.StreamBitrates = bitrates
        videoclip.StreamUrls = urls
        videoclip.StreamQualities = qualities
        videoclip.StreamFormat = StreamFormat
        videoclip.Title = title
        print "srt = ";srt
        if srt <> invalid and srt <> "" then
            videoclip.SubtitleUrl = srt
        end if
        
        video.SetContent(videoclip)
        video.show()

        lastSavedPos   = 0
        statusInterval = 10 'position must change by more than this number of seconds before saving

        while true
            msg = wait(0, video.GetMessagePort())
            if type(msg) = "roVideoScreenEvent"
                if msg.isScreenClosed() then 'ScreenClosed event
                    print "Closing video screen"
                    exit while
                else if msg.isPlaybackPosition() then
                    nowpos = msg.GetIndex()
                    if nowpos > 10000
                        
                    end if
                    if nowpos > 0
                        if abs(nowpos - lastSavedPos) > statusInterval
                            lastSavedPos = nowpos
                        end if
                    end if
                else if message.isrequestfailed()
                        return -5
                    else if message.isfullresult()
                        return -1 
                    end if
            end if
        end while
    End Function
  • RokuJoel's avatar
    RokuJoel
    Binge Watcher
    14 years ago
    When you side-load and the stream plays, does your brightscript stop running and bring you back to the debugger prompt, even though the video is playing?

    In public or private channel, if the code stops running, the channel exits instead of becoming unresponsive to clicks.

    Joel
  • CorporateTV's avatar
    CorporateTV
    Visitor
    14 years ago
    When you side-load and the stream plays, does your brightscript stop running and bring you back to the debugger prompt, even though the video is playing?


    It does not bring me back to any debugger that I am aware of. How would I know?
  • RokuJoel's avatar
    RokuJoel
    Binge Watcher
    14 years ago
    When developing and testing a channel, you should be connected to your Roku player via telnet connection on port 8085. Best bet on a pc is to download Putty and use it (select the telnet setting) to connect to your device. There is also a pure telnet version called PuttyTel if you don't want to be bothered with other "swiss army knife" functions.

    You can also install window's built-in telnet but it is not as easy to use as Putty.

    On a mac, just load Terminal and type:

    telnet <ip address of my device> 8085

    For example, if your device is on 192.168.1.54 then you would type:

    telnet 192.168.1.54 8085

    and hit the enter key.

    - Joel
  • TheEndless's avatar
    TheEndless
    Channel Surfer
    14 years ago
    "CorporateTV" wrote:
    The video will play in side mode, but the application will not even load when I package and upload it to ROKU. Any idea on what I'm doing wrong?

    You've declared the variable as "msg", but you're trying to access it as "message". Change your "message.isrequestfailed()" and "message.isfullresult()" to "msg.isrequestfailed()" and "msg.isfullresult()".