https://github.com/dnschneid/mediachooser

Simple pygtk media library browser and queuer, designed for remote controls.
https://github.com/dnschneid/mediachooser

Last synced: 3 months ago
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Simple pygtk media library browser and queuer, designed for remote controls.

• Host: GitHub
• URL: https://github.com/dnschneid/mediachooser
• Owner: dnschneid
• Created: 2011-03-29T06:54:29.000Z (about 14 years ago)
• Default Branch: master
• Last Pushed: 2014-10-21T05:12:52.000Z (over 10 years ago)
• Last Synced: 2025-01-30T07:27:42.212Z (5 months ago)
• Language: Python
• Homepage:
• Size: 141 KB
• Stars: 1
• Watchers: 4
• Forks: 0
• Open Issues: 0
• Metadata Files:
  • Readme: README

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README

        
Simple pygtk media library browser and queuer, designed for remote controls.

Background:

 

I wanted a simple application that would allow me to create a quick playlist of

files in my media directory and play them. XBMC and others are overkill, as

mplayer works nicely and my files are already named and organized into

directories.  It needed to be dark so that ending a movie does not blind people,

and it needed to be quick and simple to operate with a remote control. Finally,

it might as well perform a couple tricks to get my environment set up for

movie-viewing, such as by setting my instant messaging program to 'busy' and

silencing my mail program and music.

Thus, I created this script.

Features:

  - Scans a media directory for files and presents the hierarchy as a tree.

  - Allows for quick creation, playback, and destruction of a queue.

  - Minimizes remote presses by intelligently moving the cursor at each action.

  - Allows for environmental tweaks during launch and close, such as setting an

    instant messaging program to 'busy'.

  - Uses dbus for receiving remote presses, and includes a helper script that

    lirc users can easily launch with irexec.

  - Displays the time, so you know when to call it a night!

Prerequisites:

  - Python 2.6. Other 2.x versions should work but are untested.

  - pygtk

Recommended Prerequisites:

  - A well-organized, centralized media directory. What you have is what you

    see, so if your media directory is a mess, this program won't help.

  - Takao fonts are ideal (particularly for Japanese), but pygtk will fall back

    on whatever you have.

  - A media player that you like.

    Recommended: smplayer; you'll have to change the script to support other

    players.

  - A remote control system. The keyboard works fine (particularly if you have a

    wireless keyboard), but this program really shines with a remote control.

    Recommended: lirc, with a config that uses irexec to run

    mediachooser-command with the correct command name for each button press.

Setup:

 1. Change self.ROOT to match your media's root directory.

 2. Completely redo the Environment class to make the environmental

    modifications you care about, or just replace the contents of the functions

    with 'pass' to not do anything.

    The current config sets Pidgin to 'busy', closes claws-mail, and throws the

    mouse to the bottom-right part of the screen using xdotool. If you happen

    to use the exact same setup as me, then congratulations, you don't have to

    change anything.

 3. Modify Ui.on_play_clicked() to perform any final environment changes and

    launch the media player of your choosing.

    The current config stops MPD from playing music and launches smplayer.

    Be sure to set whatever media player you use to quit at the end of the

    playlist.

 4. Set up whatever remote system you have to call mediachooser-command at

    appropriate times. The supported command strings (passed as a parameter to

    mediachooser-command) are listed in the Service.commands definition in

    Service.main

 5. To run, simply run mediachooser. If you run it with one or more commands as

    parameters, it will attempt to connect to a running instance and run those

    commands. If there is no running instance, it will just open. You can use

    this to your advantage to always launch mediachooser with the "quit"

    command, which will cause it to launch if it is not running and quit if it

    already is. Tie this command to Super+Esc to have a keyboard shortcut like

    Apple's FrontRow, or to a dedicated button on your remote control for quick

    access. You can also run with a --noenv parameter to disable environmental

    tweaks such as disabling e-mail notifications and whatnot.

Usage:

 (Note that keyboard keys are listed; these keys would normally be replaced by

  calls to mediachooser-command through your remote control software)

 1. Up and down will scroll through the media library.

 2. Select will expand or collapse a directory, or add an item to the queue and

    advance to the next item.

 3. Left will collapse the current directory. Convenient!

 4. Tab will change focus to the queue.

 5. Selecting a queue item will remove it from the queue.

 6. Tab will move to the 'play' button.

 7. Select will launch the media player with the specified playlist.

    Upon exiting, the 'clear' button will be selected.

 8. Selecting on the 'clear' button will clear the playlist and move focus back

    to the library.

 9. You can, of course, just move focus back to the library without clearing

    anything, by pressing tab.

Enjoy your custom media library browser and queuer!