I have been wanting to expand my knowledge when it comes to plugins on Enigma2. I have been gaining a lot of experience in Python over the last couple years, and a lot of my other projects have shored up. Using AI as a reference guide, I was able to pull off a bucket list item.
Those that have been keeping track of my posts, I wrote a program that ran on windows and that would query the enigma2 server every few seconds asking what is the current active channel. Its a bit messy in terms of overhead, although its worked great for years. But, over the last week, i wrote my first Enigma2 Plugin. I call it UDPservice and it only does one thing.
The plugin runs and when ever you change a channel in the STB, it sends a UDP (non connection-less) internet packet to the IP/port of my choosing which can be modified in the Plugin setup screen within the STB. My windows program catches that UDP message and does its magic. My windows program no longer needs to keep checking with the STB to see if the channel has changed. The program just listens for the channel update messages. This is MUCH more efficient.
One of the other things my windows program did, was detect when you were on certain music services, and push a timed message box onto the Enigma2 STB showing you what the song is. I always believed this would be MUCH better as a Enigma2 Plugin built into the satellite receiver itself. Just could never find all the resources i needed. Not the case any more! This second plugin is called Muzak. It currently works with all Muzak services and the St Barth music service on 34.5w. This plugin automatically detects when your on a valid music channel, and fetches the song/artist information and displays it as an overlay that is non disruptive and maintains full remote functionality.
OLDER windows program method :
This is the original way where my windows program sent a timed message box to the Enigma2 STB.
Here is the new way where the song/title/channel information is handled completely internally via a enigma2 plugin. It overlays onto your music background, and automatically updates the channel/artist/title automatically without any user input.
If you turn to any other non supported music channel, the overlay goes away, only appearing when you turn to a supported music channel.
This new feature allows me to add the plugin to all my satellite receivers in the house, and not just the one that the windows program was monitoring. It also makes it very user friendly. Anyone could install this plugin and get the same functionality. I still have more work to do on this plugin. I have to add some configuration to the plugin that can be configured at a user level. Right now, i have it hard-coded.
Those that have been keeping track of my posts, I wrote a program that ran on windows and that would query the enigma2 server every few seconds asking what is the current active channel. Its a bit messy in terms of overhead, although its worked great for years. But, over the last week, i wrote my first Enigma2 Plugin. I call it UDPservice and it only does one thing.
The plugin runs and when ever you change a channel in the STB, it sends a UDP (non connection-less) internet packet to the IP/port of my choosing which can be modified in the Plugin setup screen within the STB. My windows program catches that UDP message and does its magic. My windows program no longer needs to keep checking with the STB to see if the channel has changed. The program just listens for the channel update messages. This is MUCH more efficient.
One of the other things my windows program did, was detect when you were on certain music services, and push a timed message box onto the Enigma2 STB showing you what the song is. I always believed this would be MUCH better as a Enigma2 Plugin built into the satellite receiver itself. Just could never find all the resources i needed. Not the case any more! This second plugin is called Muzak. It currently works with all Muzak services and the St Barth music service on 34.5w. This plugin automatically detects when your on a valid music channel, and fetches the song/artist information and displays it as an overlay that is non disruptive and maintains full remote functionality.
OLDER windows program method :
This is the original way where my windows program sent a timed message box to the Enigma2 STB.
Here is the new way where the song/title/channel information is handled completely internally via a enigma2 plugin. It overlays onto your music background, and automatically updates the channel/artist/title automatically without any user input.
If you turn to any other non supported music channel, the overlay goes away, only appearing when you turn to a supported music channel.
This new feature allows me to add the plugin to all my satellite receivers in the house, and not just the one that the windows program was monitoring. It also makes it very user friendly. Anyone could install this plugin and get the same functionality. I still have more work to do on this plugin. I have to add some configuration to the plugin that can be configured at a user level. Right now, i have it hard-coded.
