[mythtv-users] Netflix under MythTV - Working

[Allen Edwards]

On Tue, Apr 13, 2010 at 5:33 PM, Allen Edwards <allen.p.edwards at gmail.com>wrote:

> Thanks to input from this group, I now have Netflix Streaming Video
> working under MythTV.
>
> It is running under VMware-Player (free) running WindowsXP (not free).
>
> First, I have a copy of mainmenu.xml in my .mythtv folder under my
> home directory (dad).  In that I added this button
>
>  <button>
>     <type>VIDEO</type>
>     <text>Netflix Streaming VM</text>
>     <action>EXEC DISPLAY=":0.1"  /usr/bin/vmplayer
> /home/dad/vmware/WindowsXP/WindowsXP.vmx</action>
>   </button>
>
> I installed vmplayer from the website and followed the simple
> directions.  The install was extremely easy.  The only change I made
> from stock was to set ALSA Audio as the audio player.  I installed
> WindowsXP, the service packs, the extensions (which automatically
> downloaded and installed), and silverlight (from netflix web site).  I
> set the browser up to go to netflix.com as the home page and put the
> browser in the startup menu in WindowsXP.  I used VMware-Player
> program defaults of 512M memory and 40G HD max.  I didn't change
> anything except the audio option.
>
> When I click on the MythTv button for Netflix, it automatically goes
> to the netflix web site where I can pick my movie.
>
> My system is n AMD 5400+ with 2GB of RAM and a 6200 video card.  Audio
> out is spdif.  Netflix runs 85 to 90% CPU when run in Chrome. It is
> within 5% in IE one way or the other, not sure yet.  The screen is a
> 46 inch Sony LCD at 720x1280.
>
> VirtualBox doesn't work.  There is some interrupt timing bug or
> something. Nobody has Netflix running under VirtualBox with anything
> short of a computer that doubles as a space heater.  The most
> interesting post in the VirtualBox forum is the question: does anyone
> have this working with Netflix? No replies.
>
> Again, thanks to everyone who replied and especially Andrew Cover for
> the key tip to use vmplayer instead of VirtualBox.
>
> Allen
>

Just a quick update, Netflix works better in IE than in either Firefox or
Chrome.  I assume this is because Silverlight was written specifically for
IE.

Also, if you close the virtual window using the "X" in the top VMware
control bar, the session will continue when you open the window again so
even if you are in the middle of a movie, it will resume when you click on
the button in Myth next time.

Allen
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