Driver News: XBMC Eden Driver

The Recluse AV XBMC Eden Control4 Driver provides two way IP control over the XBMC media player. This driver utilises Control4's media database for cataloging and selection of movies and includes wake on lan functionality and provides the ability to send announcements to XBMC. The XBMC Eden update provides improved feedback that improves the user's automated experiance.

This driver is available for immediate purchase via Control4 Authorised Dealers.

Features

* IP based communications

* Transport controls

* They driver can display movies including coverart on Control4's Navigator user interface (available on the controller, touchscreens, remotes, iPad, iPhone, Android, PC and MAC hardware).

* Audio End-Point assignment for volume up/down/mute functionality

* Video End-Point assignment for those wanting control over their PC's

* HTTP basic authentication integration (XBMC web server username and password)

* Samba Authentication integration (Control4 Network File Storage username and password)

* Assignable buttons for non intuitive buttons

* Wake on lan functionality

* Power off options

* Ability to send custom messages to XBMC via XBMC Notification (similar to Control4 Announcements via Navigator).

* Compatible with all XBMC platforms (Windows, MAC, Linux, AppleTV2, iOS)

New Eden Features

* 2 way feedback via the JSON API for play, pause, stop, screen saver activated/deactiavted

* Media Type feedback for conditional programming ('MOVIE','EPISODE','SONG','UNKNOWN')

FAQ

Can you give us some examples of how we could use this driver?

*There are not many media players that have a nice user interface that is compatible with a big range of codecs / containers. XBMC is one of the more popular media players out there. In conjunction with Composer Media Edition you can manage your whole movie library.

*One of my pet hates is to be watching a movie and have navigator pop up and tell me that someone is at my front door or perhaps i have a new email or something. This driver provides the ability to send XBMC announcements. Like a Control4 Announcement this will pop up a custom message however in this case it will not interrupt the current XBMC activity. It will just pop up in the bottom right hand corner for a few seconds and then hide away.

*Unlike my older free XBMC driver this driver provides feedback with XBMC. It will tell you when the movie is playing, paused, stopped and what type of media you are playing ('MOVIE','EPISODE','SONG','UNKNOWN'). Using this information you can customise your lighting and environment to suit the your requirements.

Are there any other cool things we can do with this driver?

*By using the media type feedback and the play event you can essentially turn on your AV system to either your audio or video end points. This means for example you can utilise airplay to play a song on your iphone and it will turn on your receiver or if you play a youtube video on your iphone you can turn your receiver and tv on. You can even use 3rd party XBMC Apps to turn it on.

*One of my bad habits i have is that i pause a movie and walk off or perhaps i fall asleep in whilst watching a movie. In the past it was hard to track when this happens however now with the OnScreensaverActive event we know exactly when this happens. With some conditional logic (if source == xbmc) then we can essentially turn off our whole AV system when we are not using it to save power or prevent image burn in.

I bought a licence for the older Recluse AV XBMC driver. Do i get a free upgrade?

This Eden driver is an update of the older Recluse AV XBMC driver. As such it utilises the same licence as the Dharma driver. Your dealer will need to delete the driver and add in the new XBMC Eden driver. Same licence, extra features and no added cost.

Now if C4 would make XBMC its official media player with dealer support, that would be cool.

This is on my shopping list - just built a new XBMC 11 HTPC on the weekend, after stuffing around with a linux version and not getting the graphics card working and dealing with a known drive mapping issue, switched to windows and not one problem.

(what is it with Linux, been trying it out every few years for 20 years and they still don't have their act together.)

Anyway, Alan, interested in a contra deal... ? I'll drop 3 slabs of beer around to keep you company whilst you write the next driver, for a XBMC driver install.

Thanks danny but i don't program well whilst drunk (though when i am drunk i tend to think quite the opposite)

I hear you... We used to have a saying in the öld days.

Any work done on the friday afternoon ,(after a long lunch), took Monday morning to resolve.

Now I work for a beverages company we only promote sensible and responsible drinking. I miss the old days...

Sounds like I'll need to write you a check.

Alan - thanks for the updated driver. A few questions:

1) cost (curious only, as you deserve more due to the previous drivers)

2) in Eden as in dharma, if you hit the keyboard's right or left arrow key, xbmc skips forward +30 seconds or -30 seconds. Hitting the keyboard's up or down arrow, xbmc would go +10 minutes or -10 minutes. Your original xbmc driver did the same but one of your newer free xbmc drivers stopped this functionality. Any chance your new Eden driver has this functionality?

3) will one driver work for multiple xbmc boxes?

Thanks,

tum

I'm chomping at the bit to try this but my dealer hasn't/won't contact(ed) you to obtain this driver- pity.

I think I'm doing my first remote install of it today. Driver pricing should vary as its dealer based but its reasonably priced for sure.

James, let me know if you are comfortable with the remote job enough to do a second one. I can help on this end as well.

1) cost (curious only, as you deserve more due to the previous drivers)

We have set a RRP of $100au for this driver (this excludes programming/installation). Note that this is provided only as a guideline for dealers.

2) in Eden as in dharma, if you hit the keyboard's right or left arrow key, xbmc skips forward +30 seconds or -30 seconds. Hitting the keyboard's up or down arrow, xbmc would go +10 minutes or -10 minutes. Your original xbmc driver did the same but one of your newer free xbmc drivers stopped this functionality. Any chance your new Eden driver has this functionality?

Yes this has been reimplemented

3) will one driver work for multiple xbmc boxes?

Our licencing allows for multiple copies of the same driver to be installed on the same project much like a site licence.

I'm comfortable enough and I'll get Alan' guidance as needed. Plus he has an awesome thick manual for it with step by step.

Should I be going through Kevin for my wants?

I'm comfortable enough and I'll get Alan' guidance as needed. Plus he has an awesome thick manual for it with step by step.

Thanks for the compliment james. i used to be a tech writer in a past life:) i still have nightmares of dial up networking

1) cost (curious only, as you deserve more due to the previous drivers)

We have set a RRP of $100au for this driver (this excludes programming/installation). Note that this is provided only as a guideline for dealers.

2) in Eden as in dharma, if you hit the keyboard's right or left arrow key, xbmc skips forward +30 seconds or -30 seconds. Hitting the keyboard's up or down arrow, xbmc would go +10 minutes or -10 minutes. Your original xbmc driver did the same but one of your newer free xbmc drivers stopped this functionality. Any chance your new Eden driver has this functionality?

Yes this has been reimplemented

3) will one driver work for multiple xbmc boxes?

Our licencing allows for multiple copies of the same driver to be installed on the same project much like a site licence.

Sold!!! Just contacted my dealer to get it installed.

many thanks for all of your contributions!

tum

This driver is very easy to install remotely. As long as the customer can make the very minor setting changes within xbmc and tell you the ip and port it's easy.

Thanks for posting how much the driver costs. I'll never buy an EV driver because of their hidden pricing scheme. I'd rather use IR than give them $.01 of my business. Once again I commend you for listing a price and I understand that a dealer may mark it some but atleast I have a starting point to go by.

Really?

your distrust of anyone is that much?

Man it must hurt living with such a jaundiced opinion,

But if listing a MSRP makes you happy, then go for it.

Brent

I think $100 is more than reasonable for this driver...

We price our drivers on the demand. The more people buy it (or based forecasted sales) the cheaper it is. Simple really.

Thanks for posting how much the driver costs. I'll never buy an EV driver because of their hidden pricing scheme. I'd rather use IR than give them $.01 of my business. Once again I commend you for listing a price and I understand that a dealer may mark it some but atleast I have a starting point to go by.

Curious by what you mean "hidden pricing scheme"?

Alan, thanks for updating this. Cant wait to get my system installed and implement XBMC.

Thanks for posting how much the driver costs. I'll never buy an EV driver because of their hidden pricing scheme. I'd rather use IR than give them $.01 of my business. Once again I commend you for listing a price and I understand that a dealer may mark it some but atleast I have a starting point to go by.

Curious by what you mean "hidden pricing scheme"?

Alan' date=' thanks for updating this. Cant wait to get my system installed and implement XBMC.[/quote']

I'm pretty sure he means they won't tell anyone other than a dealer that has an account with them the MSRP of the driver.

I am with x420, though probably not to the same extreme. I really don't like when a company will not tell what the suggested retail of their products are.

Imagine if you went to buy a new Ford, and none of them had a window sticker? Get the drift?

Remember it is Manufacturer SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE!

What the Crap does that mean, you can find items online everyday at 20% of MSRP, does that make it a good deal?

Or does that mean tha the MSRP is just a fictional number set up to make you think you get a deal.

Really what is you hang up with MSRP? it can be or it cannot be a real number. That is the fact.

Brent

Usually for products though its a bit different. Due to import tax and other duties pricing ranges from country to country. When i worked for a distributor one of our headaches was that people used to quote msrp pricing. As we had taxes, shipping, warehousing, staff wages to pay, dealer margin our RRP pricing would generally be almost double the MSRP pricing by the time it hit the shelves. Anyway the topic is getting off hand. Please try to leave this thread for XBMC Eden related posts if possible to keep it clean for future consumer research..

Remember it is Manufacturer SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE!

What the Crap does that mean, you can find items online everyday at 20% of MSRP, does that make it a good deal?

Or does that mean tha the MSRP is just a fictional number set up to make you think you get a deal.

Really what is you hang up with MSRP? it can be or it cannot be a real number. That is the fact.

Brent

I'm going to honor the request that Alan made and not go down this road with you other than to say obviously it's "Suggested". They can't fix the price...it's illegal.

Alan, good work with the driver.

Remember it is Manufacturer SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE!

What the Crap does that mean, you can find items online everyday at 20% of MSRP, does that make it a good deal?

Or does that mean tha the MSRP is just a fictional number set up to make you think you get a deal.

Really what is you hang up with MSRP? it can be or it cannot be a real number. That is the fact.

Brent

Did you take any psych classes in school? Sorry Alan, I will buy the driver though.