Roku Developer Program

[QuantumIguana]

I think I'll wait for something simpler, like "here's where the files are, no go play them" 🙂

[KennyJ]

"QuantumIguana" wrote:
I think I'll wait for something simpler, like "here's where the files are, no go play them" 🙂

That may be a long while. Because not only will the channel need to be developed, but so will the delivery system (eg something like TVersity) -- and then a method to grab a list of filenames (most likely XML).

The TVersity solution is actually very simple and straightforward (despite how convoluted it may sound). The only issue I've run into is that Mediafly seems very picky about the XML files (as others have run into).

[DeftOne]

Is there documentation (a step-by-step if you will) anywhere for using the TVersity/Mediafly solution with the Roku DVP? Also, has there been a consensus on the appropriate settings to use when encoding our own video content for use with the Roku DVP? I've seen some back-and-forth between users here in the forums on different settings to use in and effort to try and eliminate rebuffering problems.

[KennyJ]

"KennyJ" wrote:

"QuantumIguana" wrote:
I think I'll wait for something simpler, like "here's where the files are, no go play them" 🙂

That may be a long while. Because not only will the channel need to be developed, but so will the delivery system (eg something like TVersity) -- and then a method to grab a list of filenames (most likely XML).

The TVersity solution is actually very simple and straightforward (despite how convoluted it may sound). The only issue I've run into is that Mediafly seems very picky about the XML files (as others have run into).

I did forget to mention that MobileTribe is working on an Orb solution. At one time they said it would 7-8 weeks and that was around November. They charge $3/mo for their channel though.

[KennyJ]

"DeftOne" wrote:
Is there documentation (a step-by-step if you will) anywhere for using the TVersity/Mediafly solution with the Roku DVP? Also, has there been a consensus on the appropriate settings to use when encoding our own video content for use with the Roku DVP? I've seen some back-and-forth between users here in the forums on different settings to use in and effort to try and eliminate rebuffering problems.

I was successful using Handbrake and encoding it with the iPod setting and just manually adjusting the aspect ratio. It seems to be working fine.

Here's a quick guide to using TVersity and Mediafly:
1) Run Tversity and make sure sharing is on. Just keep the default settings.
2) Log in to the TVersity web view on your network. eg 192.168.1.4:41952
3) Go into the video section and get to the list of your videos. You should see an RSS link there. Right click and save as to your computer.
4) Either put that XML file you just saved on to a website or you can use dropbox and put it in the public folder (dropbox is free). Copy the full link of the xml file on the internet (eg www.abc.com/tversity.xml)
5) Log in to Mediafly. At the bottom of their page they have a selection called "ADD YOUR RSS FEEDS" Click on that. When you get the box prompting for the Feed, paste in your link.
6) If it loads (hopefully!), then you click through and you may want to put into a specific channel (eg My Videos).
7) Launch Mediafly on Roku and go into your personal videos. Go into the folder you put your feed into (eg My Videos).

[buaboo]

I am trying to assess the benefit of this process vs what I currently do. I have a NAS with apache running. I have modified the simplevideo example to play http://mynas/movie.mp4

When I want to watch a particular movie I rename that movie's mp4 file to movie.mp4 and go to my Roku and hit play.

So, if I want to watch transformer, I go to my NAS rename transformers.mp4 to movie.mp4 and the go to Roku hit mysimplemovie channel and hit play. If after the movie I want to watch Casinoroyal, I rename the file casinoroyal.mp4 to movie.mp4 and hit play on roku and I am done.

What benefit will I gain by using tversity/mediafly method?

thank you for the help.

"KennyJ" wrote:

"DeftOne" wrote:
Is there documentation (a step-by-step if you will) anywhere for using the TVersity/Mediafly solution with the Roku DVP? Also, has there been a consensus on the appropriate settings to use when encoding our own video content for use with the Roku DVP? I've seen some back-and-forth between users here in the forums on different settings to use in and effort to try and eliminate rebuffering problems.

I was successful using Handbrake and encoding it with the iPod setting and just manually adjusting the aspect ratio. It seems to be working fine.

Here's a quick guide to using TVersity and Mediafly:
1) Run Tversity and make sure sharing is on. Just keep the default settings.
2) Log in to the TVersity web view on your network. eg 192.168.1.4:41952
3) Go into the video section and get to the list of your videos. You should see an RSS link there. Right click and save as to your computer.
4) Either put that XML file you just saved on to a website or you can use dropbox and put it in the public folder (dropbox is free). Copy the full link of the xml file on the internet (eg www.abc.com/tversity.xml)
5) Log in to Mediafly. At the bottom of their page they have a selection called "ADD YOUR RSS FEEDS" Click on that. When you get the box prompting for the Feed, paste in your link.
6) If it loads (hopefully!), then you click through and you may want to put into a specific channel (eg My Videos).
7) Launch Mediafly on Roku and go into your personal videos. Go into the folder you put your feed into (eg My Videos).

[KennyJ]

It does look like Mediafly isn't working as well as I expected, because they're not loading all the videos.

[KennyJ]

"KennyJ" wrote:
It does look like Mediafly isn't working as well as I expected, because they're not loading all the videos.

Nevermind. If you have more than one item in your XML, it will load the others. Unfortunately, Mediafly seems to max out at only letting you load 25 items from a feed at once.

At first I was only seeing one of my items load into my queue. Now, it's loading the rest. I added the one first to test and then added additional ones later. Mediafly must be on a schedule to update feeds.

[DeftOne]

"KennyJ" wrote:

I was successful using Handbrake and encoding it with the iPod setting and just manually adjusting the aspect ratio. It seems to be working fine.

What are you adjusting the aspect ratio to? I encoded a test video last night using Handbrake, and was unable to get it to play on the Roku. It would try to buffer for about 2 seconds and then just go back to the previous screen. Trying to play the file also rendered the Mediafly channel unusable (couldn't play any other videos) until I left the channel by hitting the Home button on the remote. My test video played fine through the Mediafly web player.

[KennyJ]

I converted a 4:3 aspect ratio TV with handbrake using the preset iPod. I then change the size which was deafulting to 320 x 240 to 640 x 480. I haven't tried widescreen content. That worked for me.

You may have to check the audio. My source didn't have 5.1 audio and it seems like that's a problem for the Roku.

See:
http://forums.roku.com/viewtopic.php?t=25107