@homEntertainment Designs

Basic Background of Secondlife Media Products

While we are in world, we are available to provide product care and user support for all @home products. After speaking with customers we have seen the need to provide a form of self-help for customers, and to help all media enthuisiasts understand media and what we do in secondlife. This document would also make it intuitive to troubleshoot any issues relatted to @home products.

Second life plays VIDEO using the url of a video file from a web server. It converts this file into a stream and plays it with apple's quicktime media player software. Quicktime can be downloaded for free from www.quicktime.com.

The video files that can be played are those supported by quicktime files in the following formats: .mov, .mpg, .mp4.

SL also plays MUSIC from an audio stream on the land's audio stream url entry. This Land stream could be an mp3 from a web server or an internet radio stream

SL land restrictions on media products:
1. Only one video stream can be playing on the same land parcel at any give time. The land has entry for only one video url to be converted to be streamed. So if a user has more than one tv/dvd player then only one could stream into the parcel at a time. This rule also applies to the music/audio stream.

2. Only the land owner can change the media entry or the stream url on their land. If it is a group owned land then only an officer of the group could change the media url of the group owned land. see the above pics of the media entry.

3. Only a scripted object (TVs, Radio,scripted screens, DVD players, rental movies) owned by the land owner could change the media entry or stream url on the land. So, only a TV/DVD player or radio owned by the land owner would work on the land. For rental land, the landlord must be given the object to set it on the land, unless the tenant has the appropriate rights and permissions.

4.For Group land, only a scripted media object (TV, video screens, Radio or rental movie) deeded to the group that owns the land could change the media setting url entry on the group land.

(a good way to remember this is that whoever shows as "owner" on the land must also show as "owner" on the scripted object that changes the media entry. An exception to this rule is listed below.)

The Audio/Video Receiver:

The Audio/Video Receiver is a device that receives a url from a scripted media object (TV,DVD player, Radio or rental movie) and sets it on the land media url entry. This means that a TV or radio that uses the video receiver can work on any land (group land, rental land, owned or OPL (other peoples land)). The land simply needs to have the video receiver set on the land by the land owner. The TV or DVD player does not have to be deeded as it does not change the land settings in this case. It simply passes the url to be played to the video receiver which has already been deeded by the land owner, then the video receiver changes the land url accordingly.

The video receiver is still limited to only a few @home products such as: @home video streamer @home Radio Streamer @home Mobile TV wonder, Upcoming DVDs are now built with the Video REceiver Technology.

A scripted SL TV has 2 basic functions,

1. It sets the media entry video stream url for the land on which the video is to be streamed.
2. It also sets the texture on which the video will be displayed. In the case of the HDTV wonder it sets the media texture to @home logo. All video on the land would then be displayed on that texture. @home HDTV uses only a particular texture, if the texture is changed the tv becomes useless, it would then have to be replaced.

A Video Extender is a tv-like prim design with no script that has the same texture on its screen that is used by the HDTV wonder. This allows it to mirror whatever is playing on the HDTV texture.

SL also has a media entry for audio streams. Only one audio stream can play on the land at any given time. SL supports shoutcast and other internet radio stations as well as mp3 files uploaded to web servers.

SL radios have the same rules as TVs and all the same restrictions. They also have to be deeded on group land, and they have to be set on the land by the land owner. Unless otherwise stated.

An SL radio is a scripted object that sets the audio stream url entry on the land with an audio stream over the internet. @home has a full line of radios as well as HDTVs.

Introduction to the Product line

The @home line of products includes the following:

1. The @home HDTV Wonder Video Player

This is our popular TV which includes 7 live TV channels, over 250 music videos and over 180 minutes of XXX adult entertainment.

2. @home Video Extender What is a Video Extender?

A video extender is a non-script prim that looks and has the shape of a TV or picture frame, but also has the media texture used by @home HDTV. This allows the extender to display any video stream set on the land by the HDTV Wonder.

Basic Rules for Video Extenders

a. The Video Extender must be on the same land /parcel as a working @home HDTV Wonder or @home Media Center Computer. It can be anywhere on the same land parcel.

b. An Extender is not a standalone TV. It only works because it has the media texture which is set on the land media settings by a HDTV Wonder TV.

c. @home Video extenders ONLY work with the @HOME HDTV Wonder. It will not work with any other brand of TV and is exclusive to @home products.

3. @home DVD players and rental movies

The only difference between DVD players/rental movies and a the HDTV wonder is that the DVD players set the media url on the land but do NOT set the media texture. Only a TV sets the texture, the DVD only sets urls on the land. Every other rule that applies to the TVs also applies to the DVD players and rental movies.
This means that the TV has to be turned on for the DVD/rental movie to work. When the TV is turned on it sets the media texture of the land to be the TV screens texture. The DVD/rental movie would set the land media url with its stream. This stream would then be displayed on the TV screen.

Troubleshooting Steps and checklists

HDTV Wonder self-help troubleshooting

PROBLEM 1.

We hear sound but no video on TV

Cause: the TV may be backwards, very often the HDTV or video extender may rezz backwards from the users inventory and is not easily noticed.

Check: See if the TV is facing backwards

Solution: Rotate the tv or video extender screen to face the front.

PROBLEM 2.

The TV seems to respond to my commands (it shows on the chat display) but still no video

Cause: TV may be on group land and has not been deeded to the group.

Check: Do you have your TV on group land or rental land.

Solution: if on group land ask him to deed TV to the group. If he is not an officer of the group ask him to inform his landlord or an officer of the group to deed the tv to land group.

PROBLEM 3.

The TV doesn't respond to commands, nothing appears on chat when I give commands

Cause: Missing script in TV, this is an SL bug that shows up from time to time.

Solution: Check if there is a script on the TV contents. The script is named "Video Player". If no script instruct them to send the tv to nightlife Overlord for replacement.

PROBLEM 4.

I have no movie controls, no video, no picture on TV

Cause #1: "Play Video Streaming ..." not enabled on the audio/Video tab of preferences OR no Quicktime may need to be reinstalled .

Solution: May require Walk thru, ask the the user to enable Streaming on preferences, if streaming video box is checked and still not working have them reinstall quicktime on their computer.

Problem 5.

Adult Channel not working

Cause:TV is an earlier version and some urls have expired

Solution:TV needs to be updated, refer user to the main store to get an update for 1L. if user need extra help provide the walk thru for the update.

Problem 6.

HD Music Videos not working, showing scrambled colors

Cause:TV is an earlier version and some urls have expired

Solution:TV needs to be updated, refer user to the main store to get an update for 1L. if user needs extra help provide the walk thru for the update.

Problem 7.

my friend/brother/sister mistakenly replaced my TV's texture, now its not working, pls help

Issue: The TV would only work with the original @home entertainment texture, any other texture would result in no video.

Solution: Pick up the tv and send to nightlife overlord, we would replace it for you.

Problem 8.

I see a pink screen for channels TV1 7 of the HDTV wonder live internet tv stations,

Issue: missing codec on the users computer

Solution: advise the user to update their quicktime software on www.quicktime.com , this usually solves the problem, but in some cases it does not, its something missing on there computer. nightlife is still investigating this particular problem to get it resolved and hopes to get it resolved quickly.
To be Continued...