Quick update
I haven’t had that much time in the last few days to focus on coding, but here’s what’s on my plate:
- With the help of the ever-so-talented d4rk, we’ve established that the “washed out” look of video is a cross-platform issue (Linux and OS X, at least) with the YUV to RGB conversion. People more skilled than I at OpenGL will likely have a fix soon.
- We’re planing to make another release in the next few days that will incorporate some fixes and updates (like AAC support in videos). I’ll give SMB a try as well.
- After the next bug-fix release, we’re going to have a look at supporting the Apple Remote (probably the most asked about feature, to be honest) to some degree. The key thing (no pun intended) that Scott figured out is that the Apple Remote supports “press-and-hold” as well as “press”, so we can use that to good effect, like holding down play to get information on a file, or holding down “right” to fast forward.
- Cayce is working on some key portions of the virtual filesystem support.
- For *simple* support issues, I’d like to request that people start using the forums as much as possible as opposed to posting questions here. The less time I have to spend answering basic questions, the more time I can be cranking out code, and for whatever reason I have the obsessive desire to answer every question that is asked here.
- Also, I hate to have to mention this, but please don’t post anything about Hackintoshes or Apple TV support here. We’re really trying to stay on the right side of Apple here, and so we’d like to keep things completely legit.
- Finally, you can read an interview I did with 9to5mac.com, which discusses the project and some future directions we’re considering.
On a lighter note, I’d like to thank my lovely wife for being so supportive of my late hours working on this project. She’s pictured below, looking happy because she’s watching an episode of So You Think You Can Dance using XBMC on OS X. That’s our dog Barkley, who looks rather unamused, probably because of the lack of dogs on the show. He does look pretty comfortable, however.
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Happy Thanksgiving Elan and everyone celebrating it! I make a toast to all the things done..."
What can I say… THANKS
Keep up the good work Elan!
The best to you and your family (…and dog too)
Yeah keep up the good work
thanks a lot.
Looks really promising Elan! I’ll be trying the 0.1 out on my Intel MacMini soon
Keep up the great work and good luck.
Don’t forget to donate using the link on the right hand side to support the development effort!
I´ve donated some money … Who´s next?
I must buy me a MacMini soon, or maby I should wait for update….(I Have 1year old MacBook)
MacMini Days Since Update : 184 (Avg = 188)
http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/
I guess the updated MacMini will have x3100GPU.
Thank you so much Elan! I am already addicted to checking this blog several times a even though I have not yet bought my first Mac
Anyone heard any rumors when Apple will announce a faster Mac Mini?
I think I will wait with my purchase as I would very much like to get the next Mac Mini with the next generation 45nm Intel Core2 processor family (Penryn or Nehalem) that features SSE4 SIMD Extensions support as those are suppose to speed up video decoding twice as much compared to the now old SSE3 once support is added for it to ffmpeg. I guess that the next Mac Mini will also have a better graphics chip and a 802.11n WAN adapter, it will probably also have RAM and a larger harddisk, all for the same price as the current Mac Mini
Thanks Elan! Plese don’t break the output to HDTV’s, The ouput on my monitor is washed out but on my 50″ plasma (DVI/HDMI) it looks great :/
hi you are really doing a great job, this is the first time o can use the mac mini to everything !!!!thanks
@Tom N.: Interesting, it definitely looked washed out on my LCD TV via HDMI. The thing is, on my TV I can correct for it, but if I have the settings on “leave everything untouched” blacks are definitely not black. Do you have any image processing on?
Elan, there is an issue with the washed out look even if some people are reporting no problems. As I said before, just doing an A-B-C comparison of the same video file between XBMC, VLC and FrontRow(Perian) the difference is noticable and this is without fiddling with any settings on my 45″ DLP HD RearPro.
If/when a fix does come, is it possible to include some calibration functionality in case those that are getting ok results already, prefer to revert their settings?
elan: I haven’t had to adjust anything but the panasonic plasma’s are known for being really good at blacks.
@Tom N.: It’s possible that your plasma is automatically adjusting the black and white points and that you’ll notice no difference if we moved to doing the “stretching” in XBMC. If it turns out to be an issue, we’ll make it optional, but from what I can see every other player out there does the “modified” YUV->RGB conversion.
Your wife’s gorgeous!
Again: great work ! Just donated some beer
looks like elupus fixed dvd image playback
http://www.xboxmediacenter.com/forum/showthread.php?t=30955&page=2
Will this be in new build of Mac version?
This has to be be the greatest F*#&king thing ever! If this can get fully ported and I can use my harmony remote with a mac mini I will be in heaven…. Do you have a command map? eg… what is the info button, display button etc….
@Tyler: Check the keymap.xml file in the XBMC package contents (XBMC.app/Contents/Resources/XBMC/UserData/keymap.xml).
Has libdts not been replaced by libdca?
http://www.videolan.org/developers/libdca.html
Noticed that you include libdts-osx.so
25bux donated. keep up the good work. You’ve given me a reason to not be sad about my 24″ imac becoming obsolete one day. With a full on xbmc port, I can put that in the bedroom and be better off than a TV. I wonder if it would be possible to get a plugin to pull in the mac’s firewire video input a la VLC… get a cable box and watch live tv as an option on xbmc….!!!
Just wanted to say thanks. I’ve been using XBMC for over 5 years, since before it could only stream video for 10-15 minutes without crashing (due to the SMB implementation at the time). Looks like I’ve finally figured out my next move for a HTPC after the Xbox.
@charlesv, they are working on live-TV support in XBMC Linux port, but via MythTV backend-server (Linux only), so maybe if you could find a Mac OS X compatible backend-server with an native open API or API plugin then maybe the same type of frontend-interface could be added to this XBMC Mac OSX port making it possible to not only view live-TV in XBMC but also fully control and command the backend-server to do recodings and more.
@elan, would it be possible to add some kind of first time startup checkup process to the DMG so that if someone tries to start it on an older Mac OS X version than Leopard then it just pops-up a message saying that it is not compatible with this version and that they should upgrade to Leopard.
I do not know but it might even be possible to create anothr first time startup checkup that checks if is and PowerPC or Intel Mac that it is trying to load and give a message on that. Since it is only a first time startup check it does ot even have to be built into XBMC, it could be a seperate executable or even a Java script, once it been runned the first-time it could write a external log file on that system so that it will see that and know not to run the checkup the second time the user starts the XBMC dmg, the log file has to be external in case the user copies the DMG to a other computer and it will need to run the check again aat the first startup on that.
lifehacker writes about xbmc on mac
http://lifehacker.com/353955/xbmc-finds-a-home-on-your-mac
Automated Home UK writes about XBMC on Mac http://www.automatedhome.co.uk/Software/Finally-a-HiDef-Replacement-for-XBMC.html
Can we please get a .app release of XBMC next?
There already is one… its 0.1!
Everyone should try the AEON skin for XBMC, it’s absolutely amazing!
Works perfectly in OSXBMC: http://aeonismine.com/
Btw. Remote Buddy supports setting up more Apple remotes (each with it’s own ID), to get more buttons. I have yet to try it out.
Martin I totally agree. AEON is really wonderful! It’s only alpha but soon to become beta.
I’ve only tried it on my iMac but I’ve heard that it should work on Mac Mini also (though it specifies Pixel Shader 3.0 as a requirement which Mac Mini with GMA 950 doesn’t have)
Shameless plug for my skins
Basics-Vision - New version download on about page 7
http://www.xboxmediacenter.com/forum/showthread.php?t=30789
Is it possible to run the GUI in 1080p but run video playback at only 720p? My oldish Mac Mini seem to be able playback practically all 720p videos I through at it, however all 1080p videos stutter, aà am fine with that fine with that hardware linitation as I will only download 720p videos, but I would still like to have the GUI in glorious 1080p resolution as it makes a huge difference for the sharpness look of skins on my 1080p capable LCD-TV. I would like XBMC on Mac to automaticly switch resolution from 1080p to 720p when I press play on a video file and then switch back to 1080p when I press stop. Could that be made possible?
@Two Reslutions: Set the resolution to 720p in the video player settings. However, with fullscreen I don’t think it actually switches the resolution. But hey, it’s a start!
Just picked up a Macbook Air this weekend and will install the .1 version of XBMC to try out.
Let me know if there is something you want me to test on the MBA.
I also have a first edition Macbook Pro and a MacPro tower (last version, not the new ones) as well. As to the Apple Remote thing, perhaps this might be of help.
http://www.filewell.com/iRedLite/
Could be used to drive XBMC as a stopgap. I’ve not looked at Remote Buddy yet.
I think you guys are doing FANTASTIC work on this. Keep those releases coming!
are there any open source IR remote application or library available for OS X that we can use as a base?
@iDavid: You’re a lucky guy to have a Macbook Air; unfortunately, you’re unlucky in that we’re having trouble with the graphics chip in that model (Intel X3100). Video playing will produce a pink screen. Hopefully we’ll figure out a fix soon.
Are there any plans to make a intel tiger compatible Version?
im still using it and dont plan to upgrade (it is faster on my hardware).
I am not sure what version of Open GL Tiger supports, but I do know that Leopard supports OpenGL 2.1
Open GL 2.0 is a requirement for XBMC, check the wiki:
http://www.xboxmediacenter.com/wiki/index.php?title=Linux_port_project#Why_is_OpenGL_2.0_needed_for_XBMC.3F
@LaLocaChica: VLC has support for the Apple remote if that is what you mean? VLC = open source so usable. I am not a programmer btw so cannot help you with it.
Greetings from Sweden! You are doing us all an enormous favor!
I have a late 2007 macbook with a GMA X3100 so I actually don’t get a pink screen but actually a green one just a btw if that helps at all
Hmm, this build works nothing like the real
XMBC for the Xbox. The whole point with XBMC
is that EVERYTHING just works (Except HD-movies).
That is the strength of XBMC.
Iv’e been fiddeling around with this build for
some hours now and there is sadly not much that
it plays without flaws or crashes.
Movies speeding away at different speeds etc.
(Running it on the latest Mac book Pro)
Step one whould be that it should at least
play everything that the Xbox ver. can.
Step 2. High def.
Im sorry for being so negative. I really
enjoy your efforts and I’m looking forward
to the day when I can throw out my ugly Xbox. =)