# Netflix / HR21 / Tversity



## Mantis (Dec 23, 2007)

I am using TVersity and would like to stream video from my PC over to my HR21. It would be great if I could add my NetFlix queue as a Video URL and watch the videos on my TV instead of my PC.

Anyone doing this?


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## Spanky_Partain (Dec 7, 2006)

Mantis said:


> I am using TVersity and would like to stream video from my PC over to my HR21. It would be great if I could add my NetFlix queue as a Video URL and watch the videos on my TV instead of my PC.
> 
> Anyone doing this?


If someone is and responds with a solution on how-to-do this, software, and setup, it would be a much appreciated thing.

I would be interested in this and would upgrade my netflix if this is possible.


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## bhelton71 (Mar 8, 2007)

Specifically on TVersity:

posted by ronenmiz on TVersity forums:

http://forums.tversity.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=9788&p=49193#p49193



> Netflix is providinf DRM protected videos and so playing them on the PS3 won't be possible. On the 360, as far as we know it is possible only via media center, however we are looking into this and if there is a legal way to make it happen, we will.


XBox 360 has the proper drm mechanisms - but the HR2x like the PS3's does not have this so I do not see how there could be a legal way to do it.


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## LarryFlowers (Sep 22, 2006)

Take Tversity out of the equation...

You can use the new Netflix $99 box to accomplish the same thing OR, dun a DVI to HDMI cable from your PC to the TV (also audio connectors) and you can run the built in Netflix movie player directly on the TV screen. The Netflix box is the simplest method, and apparently while not currently supplying HD, the box is capable of it.


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## Mantis (Dec 23, 2007)

While the NetFlix box works, I have enough equipment hooked up to my TV, and really don't want to add another box. That's the nice thing about TVersity and the HR21. I can watch shows from a computer that is in another room and don't need to dedicate a PC to the living room or hook up yet another device in the room. 

It's all about the ease of use and consolidation from a user interface perspective.


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## groove93 (Jun 10, 2008)

How about through the use of Media Player 11 along with your DVR? I recall having to upgrade my PC to WMP11 in order for me to view videos from Netflix.


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## Mantis (Dec 23, 2007)

Windows Media Player may be an option. I tried doing using that, and didn't have as much success getting the files streamed over to the HR21, which is why I installed TVersity in the first place. Anyone have a how-to written up on WMP11?


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

I can access my Netflix queue via my Xbox360 via plugin for the Windows Media Center Extender. Works great.

I have not tried with Tiversity, was unaware that it was possible.


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## JerseyBoy (Sep 1, 2006)

I have tried 2 netflix plugins for Vista Media center MyNetfliix and vmcNetflix. Does having these plugins in media center provide a path to getting the netflix videos to the HR2x? I have not even tried the basic HR2x PC interface yet so I am not sure what options there might be for this.


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## vansmack (Aug 14, 2006)

This feature is also being added to the Xbox 360 without the need of a Media Center PC in the not too distant future, so DirecTV could add this feature to the DVR, if they wanted to. 

But why would they want you to watch another Movie service on their DVR which provides movie services? 

They wouldn't.


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## JerseyBoy (Sep 1, 2006)

I figured out how to turn on the PC Media Share stuff. In vmcNetflix it has a download option. The files that I downloaded from Netflix and can play in media center or media player show up in the video list on the HR20 but there is a X next to the file name and it will not play on the HR2x. The files have a wmv file extension.


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## ozonedan (Dec 27, 2005)

Mantis said:


> I am using TVersity and would like to stream video from my PC over to my HR21. It would be great if I could add my NetFlix queue as a Video URL and watch the videos on my TV instead of my PC.
> 
> Anyone doing this?


I would like do be able to do something similar. I have a Vista PC with a TV card and have been recording programs OTA. I would like to be able to stream them to my HD TV. But the HR21-700 will not recognize them, either using WMP11 or TVersity. I know I would be able to do this with xbox, but I really don't want to spend the money. I believe part of the problem may be the extension that microsoft uses. It is (.dvr-ms). Anyway it isn't the end of mankind if I can't. :nono: It just would be nice.


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## bhelton71 (Mar 8, 2007)

ozonedan said:


> I would like do be able to do something similar. I have a Vista PC with a TV card and have been recording programs OTA. I would like to be able to stream them to my HD TV. But the HR21-700 will not recognize them, either using WMP11 or TVersity. I know I would be able to do this with xbox, but I really don't want to spend the money. I believe part of the problem may be the extension that microsoft uses. It is (.dvr-ms). Anyway it isn't the end of mankind if I can't. :nono: It just would be nice.


WMP11 will not transcode so it won't work with the HR21 to stream dvr-ms.

TVersity will transcode - but if it is an HD video stream when it transcodes something weird happens - the image is 'super-sized'; here is a thread from TVersity's forum: http://forums.tversity.com/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=10504

Basically for either of those servers I think you need to convert the content. I don't know how the other servers handle HD dvr-ms.


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## ozonedan (Dec 27, 2005)

bhelton71 said:


> WMP11 will not transcode so it won't work with the HR21 to stream dvr-ms.
> 
> TVersity will transcode - but if it is an HD video stream when it transcodes something weird happens - the image is 'super-sized'; here is a thread from TVersity's forum: http://forums.tversity.com/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=10504
> 
> Basically for either of those servers I think you need to convert the content. I don't know how the other servers handle HD dvr-ms.


This is new to me. How do you convert the content.


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## Bushwacr (Oct 31, 2007)

Mantis said:


> While the NetFlix box works, I have enough equipment hooked up to my TV, and really don't want to add another box. That's the nice thing about TVersity and the HR21. I can watch shows from a computer that is in another room and don't need to dedicate a PC to the living room or hook up yet another device in the room.
> 
> It's all about the ease of use and consolidation from a user interface perspective.


I think MediaMall/Active TV is working to include Netflix streaming in their software. I haven't worked with it though.


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## bhelton71 (Mar 8, 2007)

ozonedan said:


> This is new to me. How do you convert the content.


DVR-MS is just a container - so if the video is mpeg2 you should be able to use something like SUPER to put it into a regular MPEG2 program stream - and either should be program should be able to stream it. If the video is WMV - then for WMP you would have to re-encode to MPEG2 or TVersity can transcode it on the fly. Mainly the issue is getting it out of the dvr-ms container.


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## ozonedan (Dec 27, 2005)

bhelton71 said:


> DVR-MS is just a container - so if the video is mpeg2 you should be able to use something like SUPER to put it into a regular MPEG2 program stream - and either should be program should be able to stream it. If the video is WMV - then for WMP you would have to re-encode to MPEG2 or TVersity can transcode it on the fly. Mainly the issue is getting it out of the dvr-ms container.


bhelton71,
Thanks for the information. I downloaded a shareware program called AVS Video Converter. Its very simple to use. And it works great!! It does take awhile to convert. But it works. Thanks, again.


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## neocharles (Aug 4, 2008)

Any updates on this being capable?


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## Bushwacr (Oct 31, 2007)

neocharles said:


> Any updates on this being capable?


Have you tried PlayOn from MediaMall?

There's a thread around here somewhere about it.


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## tcusta00 (Dec 31, 2007)

PlayOn is a capable player in this capacity but you need to have the old player that was available before 10/31/08. If you have the new Silverlight software it won't work (yet). They're working on it.

More here: http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=146003


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## weathertom (Feb 9, 2009)

After exploring various options, decided to just purchase the $99 Roku box. It looks like the simplest solution, and isn't too bad in price (and will soon allow streaming of the Amazon database as well as Netflix). I was sort of able to get things working through MediaShare, but only after monkeying with file conversion via SoundTaxi to remove DRM, etc. This will be pretty nice, since I'll likely drop down my Netflix subscription from the 3 at a time to at least the 2 at a time option (and eventually 1 if things work well).


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## majones1973 (Feb 26, 2009)

I primarily use my Xbox (nice interface and HD content) but also use PlayOn to get Netflix (and Hulu) to Boxee. It works well but you need a PC fast enough to transcode and you will lose fast fwd, rewind and "place holding" of previous plays. Considering the license for PlayOn is now close to $50 you might as well just get the Roku device for $99.


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## pajamas (Mar 16, 2010)

I have been looking into this because i now have an xbox 360 which can play games, access tversity, and access netflix, which we have been watching a lot.

The problem is I am worried about how much I am playing games, so I want to get rid of the xbox. But I want to keep accessing my downloaded video content and hulu via tversity, and I also want to keep my netflix sub working.

So the problem is getting an inexpensive setup that will work with both netflix and tversity. I tried playon at the same time I installed tversity, and couldn't get playon to work on my network--that's why i use tversity.

The conclusion I came to is that the most cost effective way to get netflix and tversity is to buy an xbox 360 (available new for $199). 

There are boxes that do netflix (cheapest is SD roku box for $79), or bluray and netflix, and there are boxes that are upnp compatible, but rarely in my price range do you get both. I didn't even pay attention to boxes costing more than $100.

I am assuming playon won't work for me because of my past experience with it. anyway i don't want to pay playon for their software. 

So here is apparently the cheapest solution: a roku SD box ($79) for netflix and a cinematube ($99) for tversity. 

Another possibility for tversity is a dreambox fta satellite box (i'm not sure if 500 model or 600 model), which you can get a clone for about $60 to $75. This would be for upnp / tversity. However I am concerned about the learning curve--might be pretty steep just to access tversity. conceivably might not even work.

Boxee box would be a nice alternative if it could do netflix, but I don't believe it can.

kind of a pain to have two or more set top boxes to replace one.


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## ajiuO (Jun 17, 2006)

the PS3 & wii also do netflix


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## HDB (Dec 11, 2010)

Mantis said:


> I am using TVersity and would like to stream video from my PC over to my HR21. It would be great if I could add my NetFlix queue as a Video URL and watch the videos on my TV instead of my PC.
> 
> Anyone doing this?


TVersity won't do this but PlayOn will.

Search for PlayOn media server in Google to get the current URL.

It installs as a service like TVersity. Once you set up your Netflix account in it the DirectV devices on your network can see it like they see TVersity under the Menu, Music, Photos & More menu option. Because Directv devices aren't officially supported by PlayOn for streaming NetFlix getting the movie to start can be hit and miss. I often have to go through the process 3-4 times. Once the movie starts it will run to completion. You can pause but cannot rewind, (without going to your computer and calling up the same movie and using the player controls there to go to the beginning or to the section you want to replay).


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## The Merg (Jun 24, 2007)

HDB said:


> TVersity won't do this but PlayOn will.
> 
> Search for PlayOn media server in Google to get the current URL.
> 
> It installs as a service like TVersity. Once you set up your Netflix account in it the DirectV devices on your network can see it like they see TVersity under the Menu, Music, Photos & More menu option. Because Directv devices aren't officially supported by PlayOn for streaming NetFlix getting the movie to start can be hit and miss. I often have to go through the process 3-4 times. Once the movie starts it will run to completion. You can pause but cannot rewind, (without going to your computer and calling up the same movie and using the player controls there to go to the beginning or to the section you want to replay).


You realize that the OP's question is now 2-1/2 years old, right?

BTW, :welcome_s to DBSTalk.

- Merg


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## gully_foyle (Jan 18, 2007)

At this point in time, it costs extra to get a Blu-ray player that _doesn't_ have Netflix access. By the end of the year, streaming capability will be in everything. And the basic Roku box is what, $70? Why make it difficult?


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