Is it possible to have Zidoo trigger a command on startup or stop of playback? For instance, if I wanted to have an IP controlled masking system adjust based on whether the movie is 16x9 to 2:35 or 2:40, could I provide a script whereby the Zidoo would send a telnet, SSH or HTTP Get command? This would also be very useful for setting TV/Projector variables based on the title, then returning them to defaults when playback is stopped.
Kind of problematic since there is no way for the Zidoo to know the aspect ratio of the movie if it's full frame. Ok, if it's cropped it's obviously not a problem but remuxed Widescreen or 'Scope content is always full frame letterboxed so there's no way to detect aspect ratio without image processing which the Zidoo doesn't do. So you need a database of some description and the Zidoo database doesn't contain that information. One way to do it would be to use GET/ZidooVideoPlay/getPlayStatus which returns file information, including image size, filename etc - so aspect can be calculated for files with a non 1.78:1 aspect ratio and then lookup tables used for standard sized files. But it's a bit clunky and requires maintaining a separate database - at a minimum, say a csv file with filename and aspect ratio - not hugely elegant. I just programmed aspect ratio buttons on my touchpanels (2.35, 2.20, 1.85) so I can set aspect once a movie starts and then it's programmed to return to 1.78:1 on pressing <Stop> - I also have nudges for some movies where the aspect ratio is slightly offset which happens occasionally and software masks for VAR presentations which I hate.
Thank you. The masking was just an example. The crux of the question was the ability to run a command from the Zidoo, preferably on a per title basis. My main desire is to setup HDR brightness settings and tone mapping on my projector so that I can optimize the video quality on each title.
Not sure I understand - HDR info is passed to the projector anyway - MaxCLL/FALL for static HDR10 or HDR10+ metadata if the PJ supports it - what else do you need?
On my projector it sets the tone mapping starting point based on the data received and it applies a value from -2 to 2. Sometimes it gets it right, sometimes the setting it chooses is not optimal. Additionally, many HDR titles do not have Max CLL/FALL data (--/--) or they are mastered incorrectly (Like The Fifth Element, which has MaxCLL at 10,000, which causes the picture to be horribly washed out). Regardless of the actual application or its intention, the point is moot if the Zidoo is not capable of initiating a command. Ergo, my query could be simplified to: Is it possible for the Zidoo to trigger a command, any command (dim the lights, close the shades, etc), via IP or otherwise.
I think the easiest answer here is no, not on its own. A more complicated answer is yes, of course - but you need to query the Zidoo to find its status then further events could be based on parsing that query return - but really this is the job of a control system, not a media player.
