Front Row Boxee Launcher

[janngobble]

Before everyone flames me, let me say that I know this has been discussed before :p

Since the team has worked diligently and come up with Launcher for the ATV, why not do the same for Front Row. It seems to me that it would be much easier to get people on board since Mac users outnumber (get the flames ready, folks) ATV users by at least 100 to 1 -- and it is a great platform to allow a simple install to integrate Boxee into Front Row.

I know, I know there is "Remote Buddy", etc out there, however, it would just seem logical to allow a Boxee launcher in the Front Row interface.

Comments?

J

[reesemclean]

I second this in a big way... it should not be too hard to do. Take a look at http://code.google.com/p/pyetv/.

It wouldn't even have to be advanced as that, I just need the ability to launch into boxee and then exit back to Frontrow.

[cammons]

We have a mac mini in our living room and airport expresses around the house to stream music. Now that frontrow no longer works with airtunes, I'm restricted to using itunes and have no need for jumping back and forth between Boxee and frontrow.

[reesemclean]

Taken from http://code.google.com/p/frontpython/ someone should be able to do a simple change to this to make it happen.

I attached a link to my attempt, it will open Boxee from Front Row but you are unable to interact with Boxee. You then have to force quit to get back to the desktop. I'm sure that it wouldn't take long for someone who knew what they were doing.

The file is at drop.io/boxeelauncher (http://drop.io/boxeelauncher).

To compile it go to the directory in the terminal and type "python setup.py py2app". Copy the resulting build to /System/Library/CoreServices/Front Row.app/Contents/PlugIns/

Then restart Front Row by typing "killall Front\ Row" in the terminal.

[janngobble]

Taken from http://code.google.com/p/frontpython/ someone should be able to do a simple change to this to make it happen.

I attached a link to my attempt, it will open Boxee from Front Row but you are unable to interact with Boxee. You then have to force quit to get back to the desktop. I'm sure that it wouldn't take long for someone who knew what they were doing.

The file is at drop.io/boxeelauncher (http://drop.io/boxeelauncher).

To compile it go to the directory in the terminal and type "python setup.py py2app". Copy the resulting build to /System/Library/CoreServices/Front Row.app/Contents/PlugIns/

Then restart Front Row by typing "killall Front\ Row" in the terminal.

I saw this project but my forte is Perl, not Python so i did not even look at it. :) Will glance at this now. thx

[charlesa]

Taken from http://code.google.com/p/frontpython/ someone should be able to do a simple change to this to make it happen.


From your effort:


class MythLaunch(PyFR.AppLauncherController.AppLauncherC ontroller):
def init(self):
self.launchApp('/Applications/Boxee.app')
#PyFR.AppLauncherController.AppLauncherController. initWithApp_( self,'Launching MythTV','/Applications/Boxee.app' )
#return self


I took a crack at this a couple of weeks ago and initially seemed to have better luck with initWithApp_() than launchApp(), at least in terms of making an integrated solution, but launchApp should work acceptably well.

Issues on my list to find solutions for:

initWithApp_() doesn't bring Boxee to the front
launchApp() doesn't return control to Front Row when Boxee exits
Something about how the project is structured (or about how FrontPython is structured) means that a FrontPython-based frappliance seems to prevent PyeTV (another FrontPython-derived project) from loading. I want them both to show up.


Though the mailing list for the FrontPython project has extremely low traffic, the folks there are quite responsive. I do note that there's a compiled Front Row plugin that the patchstick folks use on AppleTV for launching Boxee. It doesn't seem to work with OS X's Front Row - or at least not load.

[SpaceBass]

I would love to see this integration - I still prefer FrontRow for music and photos, but Boxee is king for everything else... being able to seemlessly toggle between the two would be wonderful.

[MILE]

Okay, what am I missing here...?! I don't really get it...what exactly is the use or rather advantage of being able to launch Boxee from within FrontRow...?! :confused:

They are two different apps...like I would want to launch InDesign from with Quark Xpress or so...or Safari from within Firefox...

If I want to use FrontRow I use FrontRow -- and if I want to use Boxee I use Boxee...!? I either launch one or the other...

But maybe I misunderstood the original idea, so can someone clear this up for me...? Thanks...

:: M ::

[ntay]

I'm sure it's for folks who have DRM'd music or videos from the Apple Store, or people who still prefer using Front Row for music. That's my assumption, anyway.

[janngobble]

Okay, what am I missing here...?! I don't really get it...what exactly is the use or rather advantage of being able to launch Boxee from within FrontRow...?! :confused:

They are two different apps...like I would want to launch InDesign from with Quark Xpress or so...or Safari from within Firefox...

If I want to use FrontRow I use FrontRow -- and if I want to use Boxee I use Boxee...!? I either launch one or the other...

But maybe I misunderstood the original idea, so can someone clear this up for me...? Thanks...

:: M ::

To clear this up:

I have a mac mini in the living room. The mini uses front row so we can watch our huge video collection (about 15% of which is purchased through iTunes -- so Boxee is unable to play it) and have a single interface.

The big problem bringing Boxee into the mix is that a keyboard and mouse are then required to launch it. (a mouse anyway) and I would rather have just the remote which already works with Boxee.

It is also a case of integration. Why not integrate if it is not that hard. Boxee is not looking to oust Front Row (or if it is, it is not offering that which Front Row already does: Integration with iTunes).

For bad or good at this point Front Row is what most Mac people use cos they have invested tons of time into importing and tagging their libraries and do not wish to have to do this time after time. They do not wish to have to exit one app and launch another (with the keyboard and/or mouse) making them get up from the couch and find the keyboard/mouse and launch Boxee just to watch Hulu. I know. My family hates this right now and with the current Launcher issues on the ATV they are hating me for making their beloved Hulu content THAT much harder to get to. They cannot use our AppleTV's like they could when v2.2 of AppleTV was used with Boxee. ATV 2.3 is now the most hated software update I have ever done in my home (among my family members). 2.3 killed the integration with AppleTV and Boxee. This kinda proves why we need a launcher in Front Row: To make Boxee easy to use.

So, my question was just "why not?".

[Zenara25]

I use frontrow to watch podcasts which I then 'sync' (where I left off watching it) with my ipod touch. This does not work when I use Boxee :(

So I'd like an option to have Boxee launched from inside Frontrow since I use both regularly with my remote. But everytime I want to use Boxee I have to get up (lazy I know) and manually use the mouse to turn on Boxee.

[reesemclean]

To clear this up:

I have a mac mini in the living room. The mini uses front row so we can watch our huge video collection (about 15% of which is purchased through iTunes -- so Boxee is unable to play it) and have a single interface.

The big problem bringing Boxee into the mix is that a keyboard and mouse are then required to launch it. (a mouse anyway) and I would rather have just the remote which already works with Boxee.

It is also a case of integration. Why not integrate if it is not that hard. Boxee is not looking to oust Front Row (or if it is, it is not offering that which Front Row already does: Integration with iTunes).


This is exactly my problem...

[dearreid]

Remote Buddy does the job, but it does require a couple of extra clicks. I think the whole thing would be simpler if boxee were a menu item in Front Row.

[xain09]

If boxee does everything that Front Row does there would be no need to go to Front Row! So bring on that iTunes/iPhoto support ;)

[janngobble]

As for Remote Buddy:


Remote Buddy does the job, but it does require a couple of extra clicks. I think the whole thing would be simpler if boxee were a menu item in Front Row.

...and extra $$, and confusing setup, and does not pass the "spouse test" (you tech-savvy-spouses-out-there-that-like-gadgets know what I mean)

[mariand]

Hi, I'm quite new to Boxee and Plex, so sorry if this is not the right place to post. I had the same problems with Boxee everybody comments: poor integration with iTunes and iPhoto (i'm using a MacBook Pro). I also had another problem, I like to watch TV with ElGato EyeTv software.
I noticed that Plex is much better for the Photos and Music, as it is using the iPhoto and iTunes information, but is very poor on video and nothing on the social side. So I adopted a 50/50 solution: :)

- I launch plex with the option of starting in the applications page
- There I have added EyeTv and Boxee. FrontRow comes by default
- When I want to see photos/music I use Plex/FrontRow and for the rest I launch Boxee

Everything works fine, but I have 2 problems:
1 - with the Apple Remote. When launching FrontRow and EyeTv from Plex, the apple remote works right. But when I launch Boxee from Plex, it does not recognize the apple remote, so I have to go to settings and change to Universal or Standard and then everything works fine. When I turn off Boxee it goes back to the Plex screen. Any fix on this?. It is something weird, because I see to Mouse arrows in the screen. :confused:

2 - I was trying to use Plex as the standard app when pressing the menu button on the remote, but if I leave the Always Run option in the settings, then I never regain control of the remote in Boxee. Any ideas?

To be honest, I prefer Boxee to Plex, so if you could introduce a launcher like Plex have, everybody could use EyeTv, FrontRow and Plex for the photos and music while you develop the option of using iTunes/iPhoto metadata in Boxee. Thanks for this wonderful software.

Cheers

[reesemclean]

To be honest, I prefer Boxee to Plex, so if you could introduce a launcher like Plex have, everybody could use EyeTv, FrontRow and Plex for the photos and music while you develop the option of using iTunes/iPhoto metadata in Boxee. Thanks for this wonderful software.

Cheers

This would be another option. If I could launch Front Row from Boxee I would be content, but right now there is no simply way to go between the two.

[Zenara25]

Yes I'd be 'Very Happy' with Front Row being accessed from inside Boxee. An option for those, (like me) who constantly SYNC with their iPod Touch etc. with Front Row/iTunes.

[SpaceBass]

I'm sure it's for folks who have DRM'd music or videos from the Apple Store, or people who still prefer using Front Row for music. That's my assumption, anyway.

For us, it has more to do with integration with the rest of apple's apps... Our music is mostly lossless rips from CDs (I'm old school like that:D ) but we do have a lot of airport expressess as music "zones" and use iPhones/iTouches with the apple remote app ... its a lot like having a Sonos system.

Additionally, all of my photos are in Aperture - which frontrow can access just like iPhoto - makes a nice way to do a slide show on a 42" 1080p set.

We do buy some video content from apple, but its infrequent enough to be a huge problem.

[SpaceBass]

As for Remote Buddy:



...and extra $$, and confusing setup, and does not pass the "spouse test" (you tech-savvy-spouses-out-there-that-like-gadgets know what I mean)

ahhh yes, I believe you are refering to The Spousal Acceptance Factor, or SAF. Its been the downfall of many a tech project in our household (I call attention to the first year of using the Asterisk PBX when he just refused to use the phones, period).

[Zenara25]

NewfD90 made a plugin that allows Boxee to be launched inside of Front Row :) Just what I wanted.

http://forum.boxee.tv/showthread.php?p=18993&posted=1#post18993

[stealthv]

I have also made a Front Row plugin for Boxee.
http://www.holeintheceiling.com/blog/2008/12/12/front-row-boxee/
From what I can tell it is similar to the one mentioned above (although I have not tried that one). I would love to get feedback on it.

[Cyberduc748]

stealthv,

Great work. Your boxee plug-in works great for me. Sometimes it does not return to Frontrow but that's just minor. Everything else seems to working OK.