[mythtv-users] Netflix under MythTV - Working

[Allen Edwards]

Thanks to input from this group, I now have Netflix Streaming Video
working under MythTV.

It is running under VMware-Player (free) running WindowsXP (not free).

First, I have a copy of mainmenu.xml in my .mythtv folder under my
home directory (dad).  In that I added this button

 <button>
     <type>VIDEO</type>
     <text>Netflix Streaming VM</text>
     <action>EXEC DISPLAY=":0.1"  /usr/bin/vmplayer
/home/dad/vmware/WindowsXP/WindowsXP.vmx</action>
   </button>

I installed vmplayer from the website and followed the simple
directions.  The install was extremely easy.  The only change I made
from stock was to set ALSA Audio as the audio player.  I installed
WindowsXP, the service packs, the extensions (which automatically
downloaded and installed), and silverlight (from netflix web site).  I
set the browser up to go to netflix.com as the home page and put the
browser in the startup menu in WindowsXP.  I used VMware-Player
program defaults of 512M memory and 40G HD max.  I didn't change
anything except the audio option.

When I click on the MythTv button for Netflix, it automatically goes
to the netflix web site where I can pick my movie.

My system is n AMD 5400+ with 2GB of RAM and a 6200 video card.  Audio
out is spdif.  Netflix runs 85 to 90% CPU when run in Chrome. It is
within 5% in IE one way or the other, not sure yet.  The screen is a
46 inch Sony LCD at 720x1280.

VirtualBox doesn't work.  There is some interrupt timing bug or
something. Nobody has Netflix running under VirtualBox with anything
short of a computer that doubles as a space heater.  The most
interesting post in the VirtualBox forum is the question: does anyone
have this working with Netflix? No replies.

Again, thanks to everyone who replied and especially Andrew Cover for
the key tip to use vmplayer instead of VirtualBox.

Allen