RE: PC OSD software?

["Chris McGookin" <chris@xxxxxxx>]

thanks, for your replies, I think I'll look at the Girder OSD first....
Slimp's (or other VFD) later. In reality I probably need both.

Sorry, it's a bit of a long one...

I'm trying to display the volume, input source, sound settings, CLID,
temp, etc from RS232 connected receiver, etc and Homevision on a plasma
in the living room.
The plasma spends most of it's life running XGA from a HCPC with a
DigiTV freeview card/ HDD recorder, Theatertek DVD and an ACE client
(and internet/ terminal sessions!). The plasma also has a component
input from a receiver which converts composite and S-video inputs from
cameras, legagy DVD, another freeview box, etc to component.
I nearly always use a Gyration keyboard/ mouse as the living room
'remote' now, I've got a Pronto with RF which I might get around to
reprogramming for the new AV kit sometime (or replace with a 802.11
PDA).

A second PC runs the Homevision/ ACE server and has an 8 port serial
card which connects to the Meteor CLID, Denon AVR-3803 AV receiver and
Hitachi 42PMA400e plasma. I have a Homevision phone but with the new
DTMF support for Meteor in Ace I'm probably going to try to lose this as
it drops my modem rate.
An Ademco Galaxy 60 alarm connects RS232 'autoprint mode" directly to
a
Homevision RS232 port for contact/ movement and home/ away data.
Virtually all the AV kit is co-located with node 0 under the stairs. The
plasma hangs on an adjacent wall. The receiver is 2 zone, plus I've got
a further IR controlled amp located in the loft providing pretty good
coverage around the house..



>from
produce an overlay for vol, source, CLID, etc when the HCPC is on, and
probably do what my wallet has been trying not to do and get a Slimp (or
serial VFD) to display the info when the plasma is switched to the
component input.The slimp looks shallow enough that it would sit nicely
below the screen possibly with a couple of shallow powered speakers
either side for voice announcements when the screen is off. But Slimp is
later...prob in the next BB. I'll probably get one for the bedroom
too...

It's mainly the receiver interfacing I've been looking at just now- the
main reason I replaced the last one (Denon AVR-2800) is because a few
functions demanded a walk to node 0, such as trying to have the TV video
selected whilst listening to CD. It also lets you set volume up/ down/
to a level AND transmits back what the level is as you are adjusting it
(or when interrogted).
I think the command set runs to around 150 commands (thats how many ACE
command files I've created for it anyway!).


I'm still not too sure if ACE is the best interface to the receiver or
if I'd be better using Girder on the server as well as on the HCPC. I've
not got a port scan task yet to watch for events such as vol change, etc
being reported by the amp and made available for the HCPC OSD and other
'future' displays. Incoming data from the receiver should also trigger
the OSD/ slimp display.
It would be nice to report the volume as it was changing or a
reasonable rate of change, maybe as a bar. Originally I was going to get
Homevision to run a looped event to fetch vol, source, etc and put them
into variables, but that might not be too good idea given the potential
rate of change- it would be far better if the 'pushed' data from the
receiver was extended to pop an OSD on the plasma and/ or Slimp display.

I'm hoping I can also configure Girder to capture the multimedia volume
keys on the HCPC and use them to control the amp vol by sending RS232
codes.



So, given that Girder looks a good fit for the HCPC OSD and Slimp's will
need the data at some point, any suggestions on whether I should carry
on with ACE to try to interface with the receiver/ devices, or whether
Girder would be better (remembering that the amp is connected RS232 to
the server and it's the HCPC that the OSD needs put on)? I'd think I
need to be a bit careful in choice that I don't tie up the port with the
scanning app and can't get data to the port from Homevision, etc for
tricks like mute or reduce vol on door/ call, adjust volume up or down
by x as you change source/ channel so that the output level is constant
(and for 'legacy' IR/ X10 amp control).

Anyway, think I've rambled enough...I am getting round to doing a review
for the receiver but so far I've only really got some of the control and
no status display...and that's before I even start on the TTS
announcements for where there are no displays...

Just out of interest, has anyone actually ever got to the stage of
thinking you havce a finished HA system (and closed wallet!) ;-)

Chris



-----Original Message-----
From: Paul Gordon [mailto:paul_gordon@xxxxxxx]
Sent: 22 April 2003 08:20
To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [ukha_d] PC OSD software?




Chris,

>
>
>is anyone aware of software which can produce a transparent OSD which
can
>be
>called by events and use data from either ACE or Homevision server?
Ideally
>it should work when overlay is off and also on for DigiTV freeview
card,
>Theatertek DVD, etc.
>

Girder (www.girder.nl) has both a built-in OSD funtion, and an enhanced
OSD
plugin module available as well. I believe the enhanced one does allow
setting the transparency/opacity... Not sure about how (if) it works
with
video overlay though...  It would also be trivial to get Girder to
interoperate with ACE/Homevision, as there are no end of ways of
interfaceing with it....


>I've finally managed to get some real data from my AV kit and it would
be
>really nice to get some feedback on what is going on more
interactively-
>Homevision's overlays would be great but composite doesn't really fit
into
>the solution any more... :-(
>

Interesting! - please elaborate!

>Failing software, has anyone seen a nice serial or ethernet display
maybe
>12" long that could be built in below the plasma to display the
data?
Would
>need to be a reasonable size to be seen about 10' away...
>
>Cheers,
>

SliMP3 is pretty darn readable!... (but expensive for just a display!)


Paul G.

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