Linux HOW-TO playback Blu-ray Disc in XBMC for Linux with MakeMKV (Plugin Addon)

Ok, a new version is now available which has some support for browsing.

Changelog:

• Fixed makemkvcon not being killed
• makemkvcon now also killed in windows (probably)
• Added settings for host/portname
• Added remote/local option
• Added support for browsing
  

The script now has a settings section with the following options:
"Autoplay main feature" -> Turn this off to enable selecting the stream from the BR
"Use local or remote MakeMKV" -> If set to remote, the script will simply wait for a stream to become available on the configured IP and Port. It will not try to load MakeMKV itself (means no MakeMKV required on XBMC machine)
"MakeMKV location" -> Point this to the makemkvcon executable. If it's on your path you should not need to change. On windows, you will probably need to browse to the location
"IP address" -> The IP of the machine with MakeMKV. When in localmode, you cannot change this
"Port number" -> The portnumber to listen to.

When starting the script it will ask if you want to play a disc or browse. When you select play a disc it will simply take the BR in your player and load it. When you select browse a browse window with your video share should come up. Simply select an ISO or and index.bdmv file (note, only select index.bdmv if you want to run directory structure BR's, other files like MediaObject.bdmv won't work for now.)
If you've deselected the autoplay main option a select should come up which lets you select which chapter to play.

I'll admit to it being ugly as hell, but it seems to work for now. Let me know how you get on when trying this.

Note As mentioned earlier iso's and dirs on SMB shares won't work on linux at the moment if they've been added to the source of XBMC as such.

I'll update the first post of this thread sometime later this week.

is it possible to make it work with Mac OS X ?

I tried bur nothing happens. it goes to 100% and than nothing.

playing the mts files is fine

do i have to make the changes in the settings.xml file in the scripts directory? or can is make this settings from within xbmc somewhere? i don't have any experience with scripts. i can open the settings.xml file and make changes, but don't know excactly what to edit. i want to launch makeMKV on a windows pc, stream it from there with ip 192.168.2.3:51000.
so i should set settings to remote i think, ip 192.168.2.3 and port 51000. how should my settings.xml look like then?

edit: ok, i'm an idiot :-) just found out when connecting a mouse to my xbmc machine that i can rightclick on the script, and edit settings.... it works like a charm!
@magnetism: this is genius! very very nice work. Just as simple as launching a script. I'm using a selfbuild ION mediacenter with xbmc live 9.11 karmic updated with latest SVN. Since i don't installed a blue ray drive in it, i'm using the blu ray drive on my windows PC to play the disc. Installing Makemkv for windows and then stream the blu ray disc is really all you have to do. Plays very smooth through my gigabit network. Can select all audio tracks, subtitles, everything!
Next thing i'm gonna buy me a nice slimline blu ray drive for my ion machine, so i can play the disc directly from there, no need for running two computers then. Any way, this completes the xbmc live experience! can really play everything now! including blu ray discs! THANKS!

Just a quick update that I've uploaded a new version. Nothing new in this one, but it solves a major issues I've experienced on my linux machine: Chapter Browsing wouldn't work.

Download at the same place.

idioteque Wrote:is it possible to make it work with Mac OS X ?

I tried bur nothing happens. it goes to 100% and than nothing.

playing the mts files is fine

I don't have a mac, so there is no way to test this for me. I'll add proper logging in the next release so I can experiment some to see where it goes wrong.

Just to check: You do have MakeMKV installed yes? Also, make sure you use the settings to point to the proper makemkvcon file.

3choTh1s Wrote:I just have a small problem that when I try to play a bluray my audio craps out with a "Failed to initialize audio device." Which actually makes all the sound from linux stop not just xbmc. But I'm pretty sure that's the fault of xbmc(or linux configuration?) not this script or Makemkv. So I'll put that as a question in another thread.

Anyways thanks again!

I had the same problem. What I did to get it working:

I don't know all of the steps are necessary so just try. Maybe it already works after step 2.

1. Install the new script.
2. Start a movie.
3. If no sound select the sound settings of the movie and select analog.
4. If no sound go to this page(registration required) and update alsa by following the steps.

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1046137

After the last step don't forget to unmute your alsamixer channels.

I have a AsRock Ion 330 and it worked for me.

Hey All.

Is anyone using the Lite-On 4X Blu reader with this stuff. I have tried this on every machine in my house from ION to C2D 8400 with up to 8MBs of ram and the only disc I can play is Gone in Sixty seconds. I have tried 15 movie minimum and actually patriot games plated a little last night on my Asrock ION330 with the lite-on in a USB chassis but the audio kept going away.

I am checking out the latest SVN and will build that and try. I am GLX 195 on every machine with .17 kernel and all Karmic. I think I recall testing on Intrepid and it worked the same way.

I am currently on XBMC 9.11 SVN.

rgds,

Dave

olafvs Wrote:I had the same problem. What I did to get it working:

I don't know all of the steps are necessary so just try. Maybe it already works after step 2.

1. Install the new script.
2. Start a movie.
3. If no sound select the sound settings of the movie and select analog.
4. If no sound go to this page(registration required) and update alsa by following the steps.

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1046137

After the last step don't forget to unmute your alsamixer channels.

I have a AsRock Ion 330 and it worked for me.

You are the man! Didn't realize that alsa wasn't updated. Watching BluRays works great now. Seriously thanks for pointing that out. I've been ripping out my hair trying to figure it out.

I updated to the latest SVN from Camelot 9.11 SVN and voila we have playback. Although now I am getting very large block frame drops/tearing, if they can be described as that. I think it has to do with switching resolution to 24fps. seems to play fine at 60h.

dave

I have the exact same burner and have tried a few movies (Superman, Snow White..), but none of them play on my ION Build. I'm using erhnam's Live CD V10.. Have tried the older builds as well .. no luck ..

rodercot Wrote:Hey All.

Is anyone using the Lite-On 4X Blu reader with this stuff. I have tried this on every machine in my house from ION to C2D 8400 with up to 8MBs of ram and the only disc I can play is Gone in Sixty seconds. I have tried 15 movie minimum and actually patriot games plated a little last night on my Asrock ION330 with the lite-on in a USB chassis but the audio kept going away.

I am checking out the latest SVN and will build that and try. I am GLX 195 on every machine with .17 kernel and all Karmic. I think I recall testing on Intrepid and it worked the same way.

I am currently on XBMC 9.11 SVN.

rgds,

Dave