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Media Centre for the aged/incapacitated - Printable Version

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Media Centre for the aged/incapacitated - fuscod - 31st Dec, 2014 10:45 AM

I have been looking for a media centre which will play movies and videos continually to a television with minimal input from user. My mother is old and cannot seem to memorise selection menus which most media players require. I would like to install a system which continually plays movies and videos in a list. The media centre must be able to be set up to play in a loop from boot up.
Will I be able to achieve this with Xbian as I am new to this and have average programming skills.

Thamk you


RE: Media Centre for the aged/incapacitated - rikardo1979 - 31st Dec, 2014 04:51 PM

(31st Dec, 2014 10:45 AM)fuscod Wrote:  I have been looking for a media centre which will play movies and videos continually to a television with minimal input from user. My mother is old and cannot seem to memorise selection menus which most media players require. I would like to install a system which continually plays movies and videos in a list. The media centre must be able to be set up to play in a loop from boot up.
Will I be able to achieve this with Xbian as I am new to this and have average programming skills.

Thamk you

yes, you would be able to do so. check XBMC Wiki and search playlists etc


RE: Media Centre for the aged/incapacitated - mk01 - 1st Jan, 2015 10:11 PM

@rikardo1979

be a more kind to a newcomer Wink searching even otherwise great XBMC Wiki if you don't know exactly FOR can be frustrating Wink

@fuscod

rikardo was right about XBMC in the means that this is finally XBMC function you are looking for. so XBian will do for you the auto start of XBMC, then you manage inside XBMC.

so finally take the read of XBMC Wiki, what you are looking for (easiest way to achieve) is by utilising XBMC 'autoexec.py'.
that means XBian starts XBMC, XBMC finds autoexec.py in XBian home folder (you have to create that file - it must be /home/xbian/.xbmc/userdata/autoexec.py) and will start it as it starts.
in autoexec.py you will have just one command - to play a XBMC playlist you will create before.

what is the command to play a playlist and how to prepare it - that's the topics you read about at XBMC Wiki. this are rather basic topics and commonly used so you will manage that easily.


RE: Media Centre for the aged/incapacitated - rikardo1979 - 1st Jan, 2015 10:22 PM

(1st Jan, 2015 10:11 PM)mk01 Wrote:  @rikardo1979

be a more kind to a newcomer Wink searching even otherwise great XBMC Wiki if you don't know exactly FOR can be frustrating Wink

@fuscod

rikardo was right about XBMC in the means that this is finally XBMC function you are looking for. so XBian will do for you the auto start of XBMC, then you manage inside XBMC.

so finally take the read of XBMC Wiki, what you are looking for (easiest way to achieve) is by utilising XBMC 'autoexec.py'.
that means XBian starts XBMC, XBMC finds autoexec.py in XBian home folder (you have to create that file - it must be /home/xbian/.xbmc/userdata/autoexec.py) and will start it as it starts.
in autoexec.py you will have just one command - to play a XBMC playlist you will create before.

what is the command to play a playlist and how to prepare it - that's the topics you read about at XBMC Wiki. this are rather basic topics and commonly used so you will manage that easily.

thanks for your input Wink
But still, I would say that XBMC Wiki is done very good and its very clean and simple to search and follow even for a newcomer so thats why I didn't want to go into detail. but if the user do not know where to start after looking into XBMC wiki he could come back Wink


RE: Media Centre for the aged/incapacitated - menakite - 2nd Jan, 2015 02:41 AM

(1st Jan, 2015 10:11 PM)mk01 Wrote:  so finally take the read of XBMC Wiki, what you are looking for (easiest way to achieve) is by utilising XBMC 'autoexec.py'.
Some skins have an option to automatically start a predefined playlist on startup.

Also, for your use case I'd suggest you look at some simplified skin, with fewer buttons around (what if someone stops the playlist by mistake?). The wiki and the forum (XBMC forum, "Skin" section) may help in finding one.


RE: Media Centre for the aged/incapacitated - fuscod - 2nd Jan, 2015 07:43 AM

(31st Dec, 2014 04:51 PM)rikardo1979 Wrote:  
(31st Dec, 2014 10:45 AM)fuscod Wrote:  I have been looking for a media centre which will play movies and videos continually to a television with minimal input from user. My mother is old and cannot seem to memorise selection menus which most media players require. I would like to install a system which continually plays movies and videos in a list. The media centre must be able to be set up to play in a loop from boot up.
Will I be able to achieve this with Xbian as I am new to this and have average programming skills.

Thamk you

yes, you would be able to do so. check XBMC Wiki and search playlists etc

Excellent will check XBMC Wiki and see whether I can automate all the start up for her thanks again

(1st Jan, 2015 10:22 PM)rikardo1979 Wrote:  
(1st Jan, 2015 10:11 PM)mk01 Wrote:  @rikardo1979

be a more kind to a newcomer Wink searching even otherwise great XBMC Wiki if you don't know exactly FOR can be frustrating Wink

@fuscod

rikardo was right about XBMC in the means that this is finally XBMC function you are looking for. so XBian will do for you the auto start of XBMC, then you manage inside XBMC.

so finally take the read of XBMC Wiki, what you are looking for (easiest way to achieve) is by utilising XBMC 'autoexec.py'.
that means XBian starts XBMC, XBMC finds autoexec.py in XBian home folder (you have to create that file - it must be /home/xbian/.xbmc/userdata/autoexec.py) and will start it as it starts.
in autoexec.py you will have just one command - to play a XBMC playlist you will create before.

what is the command to play a playlist and how to prepare it - that's the topics you read about at XBMC Wiki. this are rather basic topics and commonly used so you will manage that easily.

thanks for your input Wink
But still, I would say that XBMC Wiki is done very good and its very clean and simple to search and follow even for a newcomer so thats why I didn't want to go into detail. but if the user do not know where to start after looking into XBMC wiki he could come back Wink

Thank you.
You have put me on the right track, will now start researching it sounds all possible and will solve my mums problems. Thanks for all the posts I am also new to forums and I hope I have answered in the right thread

(2nd Jan, 2015 02:41 AM)menakite Wrote:  
(1st Jan, 2015 10:11 PM)mk01 Wrote:  so finally take the read of XBMC Wiki, what you are looking for (easiest way to achieve) is by utilising XBMC 'autoexec.py'.
Some skins have an option to automatically start a predefined playlist on startup.

Also, for your use case I'd suggest you look at some simplified skin, with fewer buttons around (what if someone stops the playlist by mistake?). The wiki and the forum (XBMC forum, "Skin" section) may help in finding one.

Thank you for your assistance am reading up on XBMC and skins, That is my concern and why I would like it to automatically go to the play list on start up as no one will be interfering with play list other than power going off.

Thank you again