Win iMON / VFD display shows only XBMC [Stop]
#1
Hi folks,

I new to XBMC, and I like it a lot.
But I have an Antec Black Fusion chassi with a VFD display
(iMon from Soundgraph) - and the display isn't easy to configure.

Difficult to find the "latest" driver (8.12.1202) from Soundgraph.
But now it's installed and seams to working. A bit crappy, but I have a
plain clock running when no media software is running.
Winamp and Windows Media center display proper info on the
display when they are started.

However, XBMC only displays "XBMC [Stop]" regardless if a movie
or music is playing or not!


I found two differnt ways to go:
1. Installing the XBMC LCDproc inside the XBMC software.
I also have assigne a port (matching the one in iMon).

2. I've tried the XBMConIMON software. and sometimes it crash,
maybe because it can't coop with built-in LCDproc in XBMC.
Futher on, the software is rather old now.

Is the built-in add-on a replacement for the old XBMConIMON?
Which one shall I use?
And if so - how can I configure it a proper way?

Thanks in advaned, and for a great software.

best regards,
Bodozer
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#2
You should set "Frontview" to run in automatic mode "Automatically" or "Always" from the iMon Manager taskbar icon (iMon Utilities Option) to show News RSS Feeds, info about the HTPC, etc, etc when XBMC is not running, you also need to run XBMConiMon alongside XBMC (Put the shortcut to XBMConiMon in your Startup folder to achieve this automatically if you start XBMC as soon as the HTPC starts. You can also use an addon called XBMCLauncher by Baijuxavior. That can be found here.

If you have the LCD type display (Spinning Disk icon, codec icons, progress bars) you need the latest version by Parslej. If you have the more basic looking VFD version with aqua-green colored text (Like a VCR/DVD/DVR/Amplifier) and NO icons of any description, then you need to use cdenfert's version.

Don't select any options relating to XBMC within iMon Manager (Media Display) section. The functionality provided in the drivers there, became broken a LONG time ago, hence the need for XBMConiMon to begin with. Selecting that option may cause iMon manager to fight for control of the display with XBMConiMon when XBMC is running and cause flickering/stuttering on the display.

Check out this thread. The last 10-20 pages will be the most relevant to you I expect.

XBMConiMon ONLY works with the monochrome LCD/VFD iMon displays found in cases, (also Antec Veris-Elite bay mod). Not the newer full-colour 4:3 LCD displays. These are what caused the software for the older style displays to be EOL'd by SoundGraph (IMHO).

If you use WASAPI output you will get no graphic equalizer on the display, as only XBMC and it's built-in add-ons (1st or 3rd party) will be able to access the sound stream for display purposes as XBMC will be running in exclusive mode.
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#3
Smile 
Thanx alot gibxxi.

Now it works real nice.
I had an old version of "XBMConIMON",
and a newer one did the trick.
I found it in the link you provided (post 747).

A minor drawback:
The progress bar don't work when
fastforward or jump inside a movie.
but what the hack - I can coop with it. Wink

Next "fight" is with the movie database,
but that's another story.

I also learned that I have a LCD display.

best regards
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#4
I found one perfect, stable, nicelooking and hasslefree way of utilising imon display with XBMC.
There are some XBMC builds with Dsplayer _and_ IMON support included which work out-of-the-box, stable not like XBMConIMON used to work, and looking pretty, not like disgusting lcdproc implementation.
Unfortunately thats only for Frodo, I wish there would be patch for Gotham with this IMON implementation, but couldnt find that anywhere.
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#5
Hi Dinth,

Been off the XBMC stuff for a long time...

That's interesting - I also found XBMConIMON more than instable.
Where can I find these Frodo builds?
Do you know if its working in Gotham by now?


best regards
Bodozer
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#6
No it's not. Like many others I also used the frodo dsplayer build with full imon implementation including video name, progress bar, time elapsed/left etc. Now with xbmconimon I just get "Xbmc" when stopped and the looping video name and progress bar when playing.

I think the way the dsplayer build interacted with frodo has been changed in Gotham but if someone could find a way to do it, it would be great. But, for the minute, it's good to have the display doing something other than just showing the date and time.

Maybe they'll pull it out of the hat with Kodi when it arrives.
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