Playing programmes on one box through another over network

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...[DLNA] works but is rather clunky. In particular the sort order seems to be random - it's none of the three normal Humax choices - which is frustrating, especially since the two parts of (eg) C5 films can be pages apart.
...

Apparently the order is by tblResource.resID from the DLNA content database dms_cds.db, but that doesn't seem to be requested explicitly.

So it might be possible to sort the media shared by DLNA by modifying the database offline, similar to the "DLNA Reset" tool.

... I notice that the ones being done via the queue get a green Dec flag, but the ones I did individually haven't. How can one tell if an unflagged one is actually decrypted? (The OPT+ menu for each still allows Decrypt - it's greyed out on the ones with a flag.)

Something wrong here as the symptoms indicate the Decrypted flag not being set on the individually decrypted items. Is it possible that the decryption is still running even though the WebIf appeared to show it completed?

 

[Black Hole]

I suspect he didn't wait for the process completion (in which case it aborts). That's the benefit of queuing the process - it completes in the background independent of the browser session.

These "baby steps" are years behind the pace, hard to believe for a forum regular.

Just bite the bullet an set universal automatic decryption - it might take a while, but it will get there. Anything you want urgently can be queued.

So you have all the storage - local, USB and networked - under the USB menu?

Yes - didn't you look at the screenshot (or read the post)?

 

[MikeSh]

Is it possible that the decryption is still running even though the WebIf appeared to show it completed?

I suspect he didn't wait for the process completion (in which case it aborts). That's the benefit of queuing the process - it completes in the background independent of the browser session.

Ah. So instructing a single file to decrypt requires the browser to be left open for the duration - Yes?

Just bite the bullet an set universal automatic decryption - it might take a while, but it will get there. Anything you want urgently can be queued.

I'm trying to do it in a timely fashion so I can get on with nsa.

These "baby steps" are years behind the pace, hard to believe for a forum regular.

What has being a regular got to do with it? I've never had any need to network the boxes till now, so I've never needed to contemplate this sort of thing. I've never even done USB transfers before.

As with my original question in post #1 it seems this is such old hat to you experts that there aren't any simple instructions. I've been doing a lot of 'poke this and see what happens' today - which is how I found the queue function.

Yes - didn't you look at the screenshot (or read the post)?

I did both, carefully. But having the network drives under the USB 'folder' just seemed kinda strange, so I wanted to make sure I (mostly) understood it.
As I don't use USB drives it would make more sense for me to have the network and local drives both under Network.

 

[MymsMan]

But I notice that the ones being done via the queue get a green Dec flag, but the ones I did individually haven't. How can one tell if an unflagged one is actually decrypted?

It should have the Dec icon even with decryption via Opt+
Did the progress bar reach 100% and display a results box?
e.g.

so could you check post the result if they differ from above, also contents of webif_error.log.

 

[Black Hole]

As I don't use USB drives it would make more sense for me to have the network and local drives both under Network.

Yeahhhh.... I thought you didn't like the DLNA way of things? That's what you get by selecting Media >> Storage >> Network.

To anticipate your next question: why not put all USB (and virtual-USB) content under Media >> Storage >> HDD? This can be done, but I definitely don't advise it. To playback video the files have to be located under My Video, but the Humax firmware doesn't expect mount points to external storage to be created in My Video and will see them as internal storage - thus corrupting the free space calculations and also making it search the mounted external storage for DLNA indexing and shut-down housekeeping. Also, if somebody didn't realise what they were doing and decided to delete (what appears to be) that particular folder, it would proceed to delete the entire contents of the remote NAS.

Having NASes mounted (using NSA) as if they were USB drives achieves the best compromise, and adding a mount to the internal storage makes it available on the same menu. Bring up the USB list, pick which machine you want to browse (give them appropriate names - in my case HDRFOX1,2,3 etc, but could be "Bedroom" and "Lounge"), and Bob's your uncle. The user experience will be seamless.

If you don't have any physical USB drives plugged in, you will need to install virtual-disk2. The Humax firmware doesn't even look for mounted USB drives unless there is a real physical USB drive present - virtual-disk2 gets around that, and NSA won't work without it (or a real drive).

NB: in case you didn't realise, installing samba or nfs-utils to have it share the file system over network storage protocols SMB or NFS respectively, makes the HDR-FOX into a NAS, just the same as your PC or a dedicated NAS could be. You could even have a large separate NAS and dump recordings onto it - some people are doing that.

The last tidy-up is to make the Media button default to USB. I figure a boot script can be configured to send commands through ir (but it will be a little clunky in that the actions will appear on-screen).

 

[MikeSh]

It should have the Dec icon even with decryption via Opt+
Did the progress bar reach 100% and display a results box?

No. I waited a while (about 40%) but then went off the page to look at something else - thinking it was an on-box process.
So I assume from info above that I accidentally killed it.
Using the queue for each batch now

 

[MikeSh]

Excellent info here. Thank you.

Yeahhhh.... I thought you didn't like the DLNA way of things? That's what you get by selecting Media >> Storage >> Network.

OK. I didn't know NSA wouldn't also present via Network.

To anticipate your next question: why not put all USB (and virtual-USB) content under Media >> Storage >> HDD? This can be done, but I definitely don't advise it.

Yeah. I gathered from your referenced post earlier that that could end in tears.

Having NASes mounted (using NSA) as if they were USB drives achieves the best compromise, and adding a mount to the internal storage makes it available on the same menu.

Sounds reasonable. I like compromise

If you don't have any physical USB drives plugged in, you will need to install virtual-disk2. The Humax firmware doesn't even look for mounted USB drives unless there is a real physical USB drive present - virtual-disk2 gets around that, and NSA won't work without it (or a real drive).

I didn't know that (but I also haven't read the NSA documentation yet). It sounds like a hole I'd have fallen into.

NB: in case you didn't realise, installing samba or nfs-utils to have it share the file system over network storage protocols SMB or NFS respectively, makes the HDR-FOX into a NAS, just the same as your PC or a dedicated NAS could be. You could even have a large separate NAS and dump recordings onto it - some people are doing that.

I hope NSA will be enough for us.

The last tidy-up is to make the Media button default to USB. I figure a boot script can be configured to send commands through ir (but it will be a little clunky in that the actions will appear on-screen).

Never say never, but ... not soon anyway

 

[Black Hole]

OK. I didn't know NSA wouldn't also present via Network.

Nope, they are "USB" mounts. In Humax terms, for "network" read DLNA (PCs and "media" NASes can serve by DLNA too).

 

[MikeSh]

Well, I've got it working - or at least it's doing a good impression of it.
More by luck than anything.
Juggling three sources of information, none of which actually explains how to "create a share [here]", I've ended up with the remote box's TV in the USB section of the local box's Storage (along with a Virtual USB folder) since that's where it appeared.
Does that sound about right?

 

[Black Hole]

Yup.

I'm writing a lengthy "how to", but it might be too late.