18 replies to this topic

[rtzhjgg0]

Zap TV channels in fullscreen while hearing the audio of another radio-channel, TV-channel or movie-playback (How-To)

 

First you have to add my 'Maximize PiP' shortcut to MQB (MultiQickButton). This shortcut maximizes the active PiP-window to full size. So you watch the video of the maximized PiP and hear the audio of the main screen.

'Maximize PiP' shortcut content:

        <content>
            <name>Maximize PiP</name>
            <sel>1</sel>
            <module>Screens.Console</module>
            <screen><![CDATA[Console, "Maximize PiP", ["echo 0 > /proc/stb/vmpeg/1/dst_left; echo 0 > /proc/stb/vmpeg/1/dst_top; echo 2d0 > /proc/stb/vmpeg/1/dst_width; echo 240 > /proc/stb/vmpeg/1/dst_height"]]]></screen>
        </content>

After adding the 'Maximize PiP' shortcut to MQB you can use it in this way:

-switch to your radio-channel, TV-channel or start a movie-playback
-activate PiPzap: 'Activate Picture in Picture'
-activate PiPzap mode: 'Zap focus to Picture in Picture'
-DOWN button (ChannelList)
-TV button
-select a TV channel
-run the 'Maximize PiP' shortcut
At that point you can zap in fullscreen listening the audio of your radio-channel, TV-channel or movie-playback

To normalize the PiP-size: just press 'Disable Picture in Picture' and zap to another channel

Attached Files

•  MaximizePiP__PLi.png   152.54KB   58 downloads

Edited by rtzhjgg0, 6 December 2013 - 11:03.

[rtzhjgg0]

After the last OpenPLi update this method doesn't work anymore... When i run the 'Maximize PiP' MQB-shortcut or script, the PiP is maximized but just for a moment, than it reacquires his small dimensions.


The AudioPIP plugin doesn't work anymore too.

So now there is practically no way to zap TV channels in fullscreen while hearing the audio of another radio-channel/TV-channel or movie-playback
 

[littlesat]

You do not need this anymore... Change the pip to fullpip mode.. (Via blue green 0)

Possibly audiopip and/or mqb could adapt to this new feature by also correctly setting the proper pip mode.

When the scripts sets the correct pip mode (via the comfig, new since last weekend) you should be fine.

Edited by littlesat, 9 June 2014 - 11:12.

[rtzhjgg0]

Change the pip to fullpip mode.. (Via blue green 0)
 

Thanks, that was the right hint. The FullPiP-mode works perfectly

[rtzhjgg0]

Now all PiP combinations are possible:

like Zap TV channels while hearing the audio of another radio-channel, TV-channel or movie-playback
etc, etc.

in 5 PiP modes:

'Side by Side'
'Splitscreen'
'Cascade'
'Big PiP'
'Standard'

...and without workarounds or extternal plugins

Thanks to PLi Team for your great job with PiP
 

[Robinson]

I'm not very experienced in using PIP on my ET9000.

Can anyone please explain what options are posssible and what keys can be used on the remote.

Perhaps not all the information regarding various options is available on the screen.

[blzr]

Can anyone please explain what options are posssible and what keys can be used on the remote.

 

when you have PiP activated, blue > green and you can toggle between PiP modes with '0':
standard > cascade > splitscreen > side by side > big pip > external*

(and this 'big pip' mode is designed for 'mixing' audio from one service with picture from another)

* new features are great indeed, but with one quite big asterisk
from my experience (et9500) as soon as you just toggle through an external mode (and not even choose it with ok), the box is immediately starting  to become unresponsive:
- you can't exit pip (neither with exit nor with coloured buttons; extensions menu (blue) doesn't appear at all
- in channel selection and menus you can only navigate one line up <> one line down
- if you zap to another service it results in blackscreen,
- and the only 'solution' is a power switch on the back (init 4 / init 3 nor reboot commands don't help)

I don't use external PiP so it wouldn't be the big of an issue, if it doesn't create some practical difficulties - for example, if you have some latter mode stored as default, you're not able to change it to any prior in the queue, since you have to toggle through external mode (unless you manually edit e2 settings file)...

[littlesat]

This should be a bug in the latest et9x00 drivers... I cannot solve that... And I think we should not work-a-round this... but...

 

It can be considered to change SystemInfo.py (in /usr/lib/enigma2/python/Components) on line 39 such a way that it returns False in the test... 

 

SystemInfo["HasExternalPIP"] = fileCheck ("/proc/stb/vmpeg/1/external") and HardwareInfo().get_device_name() != "et9x00"

 

And remove this one as soon the drivers are fixed...

 

I'm not able to perform some tests right now with a et9x00... So when one of you will test it for me and offer me a new SystemInfo.py

 

Please note PLi does not like to commit such if box x then do y tests...

Edited by littlesat, 9 June 2014 - 19:51.

[littlesat]

Does the box also crash when you type the following from the console (putty/telnet/ssh)?

 

echo on >/proc/stb/vmpeg/1/external

[rtzhjgg0]

A question: can I switch the new PiP modes over telnet or script ?

[littlesat]

When webif adapt to it....

[blzr]

It can be considered to change SystemInfo.py (in /usr/lib/enigma2/python/Components) on line 39 such a way that it returns False in the test...

SystemInfo["HasExternalPIP"] = fileCheck ("/proc/stb/vmpeg/1/external") and HardwareInfo().get_device_name() != "et9x00"

 
it results in GS as soon as you try to enable PiP, something like below (off the top of my head):

TypeError: coercing to Unicode: need string or buffer, bool found

Does the box also crash when you type the following from the console (putty/telnet/ssh)?
 
echo on >/proc/stb/vmpeg/1/external

 
when I manually switch on an external pip mode (as above), when the PiP is active at this moment - the symptoms are exactly as these described in my previous post

[littlesat]

Could be i made a typo in the suggested code above... At least the box becomes also non responsive with the console command indicates this is likely a driver issue...
For you you could patch that line in systeminfo.py just by replacing everything behind the = by False.

[blzr]

actually don't think it's a typo, I double triple checked it;

(but in fact it seems to be a redundant /?/ space after fileCheck there in original code, but it was not the cause...)

even tried to swap conditions - no GS then, but surrprisingly hasExternalPiP still returned 'true' in that case

 

I'll test with hardcoded false when i'm back home

[littlesat]

Then the hardware info does not return et9x000 but et9000, et9200 or et et9500 instread... Replace it with .startswith("et9") instead of != "et9x00"

[blzr]

ok, after some testing:
- it turned out that get_device_name() is not the best way to determine actual stb type, it's reliable only for dm boxes, for other not so much (eg. et9500 name = dm800se)
- to use get_device_model() seems to give better results (kind of surprise to me since /proc/stb/info/model is dm800se here )
for my layman's logic something like this:

SystemInfo["HasExternalPIP"] = fileCheck("/proc/stb/vmpeg/1/external") and not HardwareInfo().get_device_model().startswith("et9")

would be the obvious solution, but it gives a familiar GS (coercing to Unicode: need string or buffer, bool found)

so finally, I ended up with something like this, FWIW:

SystemInfo["HasExternalPIP"] = not HardwareInfo().get_device_model().startswith("et9") and fileCheck("/proc/stb/vmpeg/1/external")

this starting 'not' somehow seems to me weird, but it works - external PiP mode is hidden on my et9500 (and if I replace et9 with something else, it appears again)

what do you think?

Attached Files

•  SystemInfo.py   1.66KB   18 downloads

[stdemonac]

Sorry to come with a stupid question, but what is needed on a fresh new OpenPLi4 installation on a DM8000 to enable this feature ? I have installed MultiQuickButton but I see no green option after pressing the blue button...

 

 

[littlesat]

First activate pip, then you see the green option..

[stdemonac]

OK, I missed the first pip activation. Actually, it works now like a charm.

Thanks for your help !!