[mythtv-users] Netflix under MythTV

[Allen Edwards]

On Fri, Apr 9, 2010 at 1:44 PM, Mark Knecht <markknecht at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Fri, Apr 9, 2010 at 9:03 AM, Allen Edwards <allen.p.edwards at gmail.com> wrote:
>> I have seen some discussion on integrating Netflix Streaming in a Myth
>> system. Perhaps I can get some help, or be of help.
>> I have set up a menu selection that runs VirtualBox and fires off Windows XP
>> and Netflix.  I can then stream instant movies.  The problem is they jitter
>> so badly nobody will watch them.  The sound is fine (digital), but the
>> picture is jerky like you would expect if the machine lacked CPU power.  I
>> am using a AMD 5400+, Mythbuntu 8.04 and Myth 0.21.  VirtualBox version
>> 2.1.2.
>> In a recent post, someone said that VirtualBox will run 99% of raw CPU power
>> but I would expect my 5400+ to have enough power to stream.  Help would be
>> appreciated.
>> Allen
>>
>
> The recent post was probably me. I think I've run this under VB but
> most of the work I've done is under VMWare Player. On numerical
> calculations I do I run either Win XP or Win 7 at 99% the speed of
> Windows running on the same platform. (Dual boot.) I dedicate a
> minimum of 2GB to each VMWare Player instance and my tests of NetFlix
> Instant Watch to date have been rather minimal but I certainly haven't
> seen any skipping or stuttering. However since I hadn't tried to set
> up sound on these machines I hadn't done much in this area - just a
> few minutes watching the video stream in and play.
>
> I'd certainly be interested in working on this but I'm somewhat tied
> up over the next few days so don't get impatient with me. Feel free to
> contact me off-line or through the list. If your email address is
> geographical then it looks like we might be neighbors as I'm down in
> Los Gatos.
>
> Cheers,
> Mark
>
Mark,


We are close although not walking distance as I am in Palo Alto :-)

I updated VirtualBox although it seems to have only gone from Jan 2009
to Feb 2009 so perhaps to get a newer version I would have to do more
than update.

I created a new instance of Windows XP with 1G of base memory.

I still get jerky video.  The sound is fine.  I also still get 102 to
105% CPU usage, which is my biggest worry.  I guess the computer is
capable of 200% total but I don't understand how one process is
getting over 100%  Perhaps it is using both cores and 105% is fine.  I
am too stupid to know.

When I call my VB from the VB control panel instead of from Myth it is
full screen but when I call it from Myth I get a small box in the
center of the monitor.  Strange.  Here is my myth button:

  <button>
     <type>VIDEO</type>
     <text>Netflix Streaming</text>
     <action>EXEC DISPLAY=":0.1"  /usr/bin/VBoxSDL -fullscreen -vm
"VirtualDad"</action>
   </button>


One last thing.  Perhaps I am seeing jerky video because Netflix is
jerky when you look at it on a 46 inch screen where you cannot notice
it on a small screen.  However, if others are getting lower CPU usage,
I have a problem.

Allen