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Directly Starting Windows Media Center Netflix, Live TV, etc..


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Hi, I just moved to XBMC from Windows Media Center (had to upgrade my HTPC to Windows 8 preview, because of a driver issue in Windows 8). But I am not entirely happy with the integration of TV and Netflix into XBMC, so I've been exploring ways to seamlessly start WMC's TV function and Netflix pluging into XBMC.

I went through trying AutoHotKey and batch files and it worked, but it is not as seamless as it could be. In addition, I'd like to suspend XBMC when WMC is in focus, because XBMC can be pretty resource-hungry and there is a bit of a slight stutter to the video in WMC, if XBMC is running in the background. This can be accomplished with pssuspend.

Someone very helpfu at the XBMC forum wrote an Autoit script, which works well and which I am pasting here:

HotKeySet("{ESC}", "Terminate")

Run(@WindowsDir & "ehomeehshell.exe", "", @SW_MAXIMIZE)
WinWaitActive ( "Windows Media Center" )
Run(@WindowsDir & "pssuspend XBMC.exe")

While 1
    Sleep(100)
WEnd

Func Terminate()
    Run(@WindowsDir & "pssuspend -r XBMC.exe")
    Run(@WindowsDir & "nircmd win max process XBMC.exe")
    ProcessClose ( "ehshell.exe" )
    Exit 0
EndFunc

The problem is that I am a complete novice and while I have made numerous attempts to insert the direct call to the appropriate section within WMC (such as Netflix or Live TV), I can't seem to get it right.

The direct calls should be something like this:

For Netflix:

Run(@WindowsDir & "ehomeehshell.exe", "/url:windowsmediacenterapp:{e6f46126-f8a9-4a97-9159-b70b07890112}{982ea9d3-915c-4713-a3c8-99a4688b7c59}?EntryPointParameters=", @SW_MAXIMIZE)

For Live TV:

Run(@WindowsDir & "ehomeehshell.exe", "/nostartupanimation /homepage:VideoFullscreen.xml /PushStartPage:True", @SW_MAXIMIZE)

Neither actually starts anything (at the same time, these are the calls that work for AutoHotKey, for batch files and for lnk files, so I can't figure out why they don't work for Autoit). I have tried all sorts of variations, with no luck.

While I am asking questions, here is another one, which would be gravy:

To make the transition seamless, it would be ideal to have WMC Netflix, or Live TV, or TV Guide, etc., maximized in the background, before XBMC minimizes. As it is now, the deskop shows at times (for about a second a little longer) when XBMC minimizes, and only then WMC maximizes and comes into focus.

I would imagine than on even slower HTPCs (mine is 2.5GHz CD2 Intel with Integrated GM45 chipset) HTPCs the transition may take longer, so it'd be great if it can be eliminated in the above script, but I have no idea how to preload WMC (and later XBMC).

BTW, the script above also closes WMC with the ESC key, which is great.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Edited by Zellig
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I just reread my long-winded post above and realized it may not be immediately clear what I am asking. Since I can't edit it anymore, here is a summary:

1. What are the exact strings I should enter to open Netflix or Live TV directly? The once I have above work well in AutoHotKey, batch and llnk files, but fail to open anything in the Autoit script, so I must be doing something wrong. What is it?

2. Is there a way to smooth the transition between XBMC and MCE (and back) by "preloading" the maximized next window, to avoid the jarring experience of seeing the desktop during the transitions?

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