Channel Issues & Questions

[rlh98296]

I'm using a Linux dedicated server running Apache. I can't get the xml files to display data. The movies play fine and the poster art displays correctly.

I'm using the directory structure option (frugal mode on) and Roksbox XML Generator for my XML files.
The XML file is located in the same directory as the movie and .jpg poster art. The capitalization, spelling and spacing are correct. So is the server address.

The only line in the XML file I've changed is this:
<path>http://192.168.1.6/var/www/html/media/videos/comedy/Office Space.mp4</path>

I'm wondering if my syntax on the above line is wrong, or Is there a directive in Apache that I don't have set up correctly?

I apologize if this has already been seen and solved, but I searched a lot and couldn't find a similar issue with Apache on Linux. Thanks.

[krisbee]

I found that roksbox generator file didn't make a correct file for me using the directory method/frugal mode... I had created my own generator using excel/oocalc which is on the roksbox site.

http://roksbox.com/channel/documents/roksbox_xml_generator.xls

I think it is because the roksbox xml generator are for a video.xml sheet, not the directory method.

For example, look at the output here on my excel/oocalc version compared to the xml generated version:

<video>
<title>Raging Bull</title>
<year>1980</year>
<genre>Drama</genre>
<mpaa>R</mpaa>
<director>Martin Scorsese</director>
<actors>Robert De Niro, Cathy Moriarty and Joe Pesci</actors>
<description>An emotionally self-destructive boxer's journey through life, as the violence and temper that leads him to the top in the ring, destroys his life outside it. </description>
<length>129</length>
</video>

Opposed to the Roksbox XML Generator:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<xml>
  <viddb>
    <movie>
      <origtitle>Raging Bull</origtitle>
      <year>1980</year>
      <genre>All,Biography,Drama,Sport</genre>
      <mpaa>Rated R</mpaa>
      <director>Martin Scorsese</director>
      <actors>Robert De Niro, Cathy Moriarty, Joe Pesci, Frank Vincent</actors>
      <description>An emotionally self-destructive boxer's journey through life, as the violence and temper that leads him to the top in the ring, destroys his life outside it.</description>
      <path>ext1:\videos\raging bull.mp4</path>
      <length>129</length>
      <videocodec>mp4</videocodec>
      <poster>images/raging bull.jpg</poster>
    </movie>
  </viddb>
</xml>

Try this out: copy both of those into your directory as Office Space.xml, and see which one actually parses. The syntax is different, but it isn't very obvious, and since they are both called xml files, even I was confused. I also figured one would work as well as another, but it doesn't.

[rlh98296]

Krisbee, you're awesome. That worked perfectly! Except that my copy of Office Space has all the information from Raging Bull. I guess I can deal with that for now.

Thank you so much for the help. I really appreciate it.

[krisbee]

"rlh98296" wrote:
Krisbee, you're awesome. That worked perfectly! Except that my copy of Office Space has all the information from Raging Bull. I guess I can deal with that for now.

Thank you so much for the help. I really appreciate it.

Yeah, I know.. I was lazy Go to that link I had listed, and what you do is cut and paste info from imdb, copy the section in the excel file that puts it all together and then paste it into an xml file in kate/nano/vi/whatever... it only takes 30 seconds or so to cut and paste and make the file... if you don't have hundreds upon hundreds, it is easily manageable.

[midiwall]

"scarpent" wrote:
Hi. I've been using Roksbox for some time now and everything has been fine/stable, but I think the recent category alphabetization update has "broken" the ordering of my shows. I'm using an XML file and have always had the categories/subcategories set to sort alphabetically, but relied on the order in the XML file for the actual shows within a category. But now the show names are sorted by alpha also. If I change the option to use XML file order it is fixed, but now my categories are also by XML file order. I'd like to maintain the old behavior if possible -- categories/subcategories alpha, shows by XML file order. Was this change in behavior to the file ordering intentional, or are there any other options for the ordering of individual entries?

Thanks!

I cut this from a post a few above yours...

"Look at Options -> My Options -> Video Preferences -> Category Order. If it is not set on Alphabetical, change it to that and try it again."

[scarpent]

Thanks, Midiwall, I saw that post and that setting and it's what I was experimenting with and trying to describe, although maybe not clearly.

There is category and subcategory ordering, and then the individual entries, identifed by <origtitle>. So "Big Bang Theory" might be in the "TV" category and "Big Bang Theory" subcategory, with individual show titles in <origtitle>.

I've had Categories and Subcategories ordered alphabetically as per that option, but individual shows (<origtitle>) have always been sorted by XML order. That changed in the past week so that now everything is sorted alphabetically.

[PureEnergy8]

Is it possible to mirror my laptop screen on to my tv with roksbox. Basically so i can watch anything on my tv,as my macbook pro pre 2008 doesn't have a hdmi output.

[krisbee]

"PureEnergy8" wrote:
Is it possible to mirror my laptop screen on to my tv with roksbox. Basically so i can watch anything on my tv,as my macbook pro pre 2008 doesn't have a hdmi output.

No, it isn't possible. The only way it is theoretically possible is to stream an m3u8 stream, which would require so much processing power on your laptop to keep up and stream that it would be a mess. Plus lots of delays and setup. You would hate it.

However, for many many years we didn't have HDMI - you should have a composite or svideo input into your tv and be able to watch your macbook that way if it has a cooresponding output. Also, if you macbook has a dvi output, that converts to hdmi extremely cheaply (think $3-10). On top of that, if you have a VGA output, many TV's will accept that; if not there are convertors for that as well.

And on top of that, if you have none of those, there is this wireless USB thing you can get that will beam your laptop to your TV (it acts as a second video card) that will work, but cost you $100-150...

You have many better options that trying to use the Roku/Roksbox to watch your laptop on your tv.

[Andycabs]

"krisbee" wrote:

"WilDD" wrote:

"krisbee" wrote:
Anyone else having issue with subtitles not playing in Roksbox? I have an srt file that I created that plays without issue in mplayer but doesn't in roksbox... this is the first time I have used the subtitle feature.

I do have the subtitles enabled when I play the video...

Are you sure the case of the srt name matches the video name exactly?

Matches exactly, otherwise it wouldn't have played in mplayer in linux. Also, I don't think Roksbox would have given me the option to play it, right?

I wasn't sure if subtitles could be played on a Roku1, but I was intending to watch this title on a Roku2, and regardless, it plays on neither.

Hmm, here is a sample of the first few lines from the srt file...

1
00:00:02,352 --> 00:00:06,755
After the conquest and plundering
ofthe Inca empire by Spain...



2
00:00:06,740 --> 00:00:10,198
...the Indians invented the
legend of EI Dorado...



3
00:00:10,310 --> 00:00:14,713
...a land of gold, located in the
swamps of the Amazon headwaters.



4
00:00:16,487 --> 00:00:21,390
A large expedition of Spanish
adventurers, led by Gonzalo Pizarro...

I had that problem too. I found that if I open the subtitle file with "Subtitle Workshop 2.51" then save it immediately. The file works fine. Subtitle Workshop must change something when it saves it but it works perfectly.

[hozedhead]

"jimboha!" wrote:

Utimately what I would like to be able to do is to play RANDOM MP3s from the entire collection. Wha I see so far is that I must choose an album, then I can choose shuffle for that album only. Does shuffle work for playlists? What is the practical limit to the number of entries in a playlist???

Shuffle does work with playlists created using the directions on the Roksbox site. What I don't know is the limit. I tried one with 5573 songs and it didn't load.

I was able to shuffle what I think was the entire library by using nested folders. My music root is D:\www\media\music. I created another folder beneath music called library and then put all of the artists and albums below that. Then, in grid view, I can highlight one of the artist folders and click the play button on my remote. It takes a really long time to load, around nine minutes, but it works (I think). From looking at the Apache access log and scrolling through the track list it looks like everything is loaded.

One problem with shuffling through the entire library would be varying volume levels of different recordings. If you haven't already applied replay gain to your entire library, I would suggest doing so. There is no way for the Roku to level the playback volume.