Virgin Media TiVo iPad app - Page 14

zekeisaszekedoes · 03-12-2011, 12:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by idbirch

I've been using it quite a lot and not managed to crash it once, she picks it up and kills it twice in 2 minutes. VM, if you need any testers for you version of this, I recommend my Mrs!

A lot of people are born to be beta testers, I reckon. I too have a knack for immediately sniffing out shortcomings, bugs and errors in a given piece of software.

Don't feel too bad... the TiVo Commander app tends to crash every now and then.

zantarous · 03-12-2011, 12:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by sn00p

Great work!

Now the tivo actually becomes awesome.

I've made some changes to the script:

http://pastebin.com/hgQ1DbU4
http://pastebin.com/YYQsaF5z

First paste bin is the modified mDNS proxy, second paste bin is a modified version of the Zeroconf.py which fixes a bug which prevents my modifications from working.

Basically I've cobbled together a few bits and bobs from the net and the script now:

* uses zeroconf to find your boxes on the network.
* automatically creates a mDNS entry for each device which the app will be able to see.
* doesn't require you to modify the script or enter in TSN values or ip addresses, it gets these from the real box.

As an added bonus, you can modify the tivo_nicenames at the top of the script and replace the tivo service name (these are what you see in multi room streaming and are also displayed on the console when the script rungs) with a more friendly name, so e.g A123 becomes "Tivo Bedroom".

Superb modification although I am having a problem with it. I can get the command window up that tells me that it has found both my Tivos and registers them and then starts mDNS. But when I open the app on my phone it tells me it can't find any DVRs

idbirch · 03-12-2011, 12:35

Hi sn00p, sounds cool although running your new script (with the new zeroconf as well of course) my iDevices no longer see any TiVos. Are there any 'print' lines I can add to the script for debugging purposes, I think it's just not finding any TiVos but can't be sure.

The "Running mDNS daemon" message comes up almost instantly which doesn't tally with the bit where you say that retriiving some of the details from the box is slow.

edit: just seen zant's post above, so I am supposed to see a message whn a TiVo is found, I wonder why it's not discovering mine...

sn00p · 03-12-2011, 12:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by zantarous

Superb modification although I am having a problem with it. I can get the command window up that tells me that it has found both my Tivos and registers them and then starts mDNS. But when I open the app on my phone it tells me it can't find any DVRs

Humn, we're just on our way out now.

A couple of thoughts:

Do you have a bonjour browser where you can look at what services have been registered?

I have occasionally seen that device service does sometimes fail to register, but that is (I assume) down to some issue in the zeroconf library.

We only have macs here, so I only tested it on a mac, I don't see why it wouldn't work on other platforms. The bit that actually registers the device is the same code that was posted previously, just modified to be a function.

If it can see the tivos on the network, I'm not sure why it wouldn't register them!

You did download and use the modiied Zeroconf.py file? Without that it definately won't work....although you must have because otherwise you wouldn't see it....

Humn.

idbirch · 03-12-2011, 12:47

zant, try toggling the WiFi on your iPad, sometimes when I restart the mDNS server (or the iPad crashes a few times) it's refuses to see the TiVo any more. Usually, if I toggle the WiFi off/on it decides to pck it up again. Are you on a Mac also?

---------- Post added at 12:47 ---------- Previous post was at 12:44 ----------

OK, I installed Bonjour Browser for Windows and indeed, the TiVo service wasn't showing however after about 60 seconds, it did appear in Bonjour browser and now the script works and I can connect. Excellent work sn00p, thanks very much.

zantarous · 03-12-2011, 12:49

I just googled what a bonjour browser is and it all seems to be Mac related. Yep I downloaded the new zeroconf file and renamed both files to me the same as previous ones. I have tried with and without including the remote1 and 2.py files.

I get the following in the command window:

Registering Tivo OF97 as VM 0F97
Registering Tivo C172 as VM C172
Running mDNS daemon

idbirch · 03-12-2011, 12:53

The script is definitely working then zant and your TiVo's are also advertising themselves correctly otherwise you wouldn't get the "Registering" messages.

The only other thing I did which I didn't mention is I deleted the Zeroconf.pyc file from C:\Python27\Lib\site-packages because I noticed when I first started playing with this that the .pyc was only created when the script ran - maybe you need to clear the old one out so a new one can be created which matches the new Zeroconf.py? Just a guess.

Also, don't forget to just try toggling your WiFi on the iPad.

zantarous · 03-12-2011, 13:19

I removed all the old files that worked to a new directory call old. Then downloaded the new files. I also just installed Bonjour for Windows and prior to running the script I can see the services running that relate to both Tivos and after I run the script I can see the spoof services running.

Also I just removed the remote1 and 2 files as i didn't know if they were needed anymore and installed fresh ones and when I now run the script it picks up one Tivo

idbirch · 03-12-2011, 14:11

Reboot router, TiVos and PC for good measure but other than that, I can't think what the problem would be.

---------- Post added at 14:11 ---------- Previous post was at 13:25 ----------

I figured out what's causing most of the app crashes and it actually makes sense. If you do a search where any of the results are from On Demand, the app will crash. Makes sense seeing as the yanks don't have the same On Demand offerings on their boxes.

I used the TiVo box to browse into the musical movies section which contains a lot of movies which are only availabe through On Demand. Entering any of their titles causes a crash - try Poppins, Oliver, Sound of Music etc and you'll get a crash but search for "calamity jane" from the same section and it's fine - because that movie is on TV and not OD.

toady · 03-12-2011, 14:26

For me this new version works far better

I created a new empty folder and just downloaded the two files into it and renamed them

Again many thanks

zantarous · 03-12-2011, 16:56

Something very odd is going on here I just deleted everything and set it up again and this time it saw both Tivos and asked for the MAK of the second box, whacked that in and then it told me it couldn't see either box.

Just in the process of rebooting everything.

Edit: and now after a reboot everything connects.
Edit 2: And a few minutes latter the devices can no longer be seen.

sn00p · 03-12-2011, 18:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by zantarous

Something very odd is going on here I just deleted everything and set it up again and this time it saw both Tivos and asked for the MAK of the second box, whacked that in and then it told me it couldn't see either box.

Just in the process of rebooting everything.

Edit: and now after a reboot everything connects.
Edit 2: And a few minutes latter the devices can no longer be seen.

When this happens, are you able to run a bonjour browser to see what services are being advertised?

---------- Post added at 18:44 ---------- Previous post was at 18:26 ----------

Ok, I noticed that it was taking up 100% CPU time here, so I modified it again and now it doesn't do that, I suppose that could possibly explain some things.

http://pastebin.com/c2FSm3vR

sn00p · 05-12-2011, 09:06

The python Zeroconf seems very flakey. I'm going to knock something up in 'C' tonight (time permitting!) that should be robust.

zantarous · 05-12-2011, 13:50

Yeah I find sometimes it finds and registers both Tivos and I can connect to both. Sometimes it only finds one and sometimes it can't find any.

zekeisaszekedoes · 05-12-2011, 15:39

This is a great project! People pitching in with their coding knowledge to help other users out. Now to me, that's what the internet is all about. Just wish I had access to an iPad to help with testing (and that is the first time I've ever wished that... not a big iPad fan!)