Understudy plugin offers Hulu and Netflix in Front Row

I think one of the coolest features in Boxee, the XBMC-based media center software for Macs and Apple TVs, has been the relatively recent addition of Hulu and Netflix streaming. Now Understudy offers similar functionality for Front Row users.

The plugin adds an Understudy menu item to the Front Row interface. You can use it to add feeds from those two streaming services (e.g. most popular, etc.) or URLs from the clipboard. Frankly, if it were me I think I'd go whole hog with Boxee, but if you're happy with Front Row but want to add a little streaming content, Understudy is worth a look.

Understudy is a free download from Google Code.

[via Macworld]

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Source: http://code.google.com/p/understudy/

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I think one of the coolest features in Boxee, the XBMC-based media center software for Macs and Apple TVs, has been the relatively recent...

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Katie

Works well for me. I became very interested in this product when we heard that Hulu was being pulled off Boxee. I have a hacked AppleTV and primarily use Boxee/Hulu for my content so this came as a huge disappointment. I wonder if understudy could be ported to the AppleTV as a way get some Hulu content without having to go through Boxee?

February 19 2009 at 8:32 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Cotton

I just use the hulu widget - works great for me: http://gingagadgets.com/hulu/

February 18 2009 at 3:21 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Jose

How do you remove this, I was curious about it but boxee does what I need.

February 18 2009 at 11:51 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Adam Schoales

I may have to try this out.

Everyone swears by boxee, and I've tried to like it a few times but have never had as much luck as everyone else. It just never seems to work the way its supposed to, not to mention I personally detest the look (and it takes over my Apple Remote no matter what settings I select).

not to mention what with being in Canada the streatming content is rather useless.

February 18 2009 at 11:44 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to Adam Schoales's comment

Paul

I've tried this out on two Macs and each time was able to get Netflix working - you need to be logged on to Netflix and Hulu on Safari so that Understudy can access its cookies. But although I was able to add a link to my Hulu subscriptions, nothing shows up when I select the feed.

It still needs some work. Boxee (with a Front Row plugin) is still the best way to get access to streaming video on a computer. But when the issues are ironed out, I'd prefer to have something like Understudy accessible from Front Row handle streams directly rather than: select Boxee from FR's menu, select my name, left click remote, select video, scroll down to Internet, multiple clicks to scroll right to Hulu or Netflix - repeat in reverse to return to Front Row.

I don't use Boxee for anything else (mainly because, no matter what I do, it never seems to pick up on all my iTunes content - it has found some, 14 artists and 47 albums, 10 or so movies, but that's only a small fraction of my iTunes library)

February 18 2009 at 12:07 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

jwilliek

I love Front Row, and I've been playing around with Understudy for the last week or so. For those having problems, keep in mind that it is still very much a work in progress.
There is a thread at 123macmini for those interested in joining the discussion:
http://www.123macmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=21841

February 18 2009 at 11:36 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

b3studios

I have a core duo Macbook hooked up to the TV acting as a media center. Boxee makes the fans go crazy on that thing, even when idling and not playing video.
Understudy works just fine, and I can watch my Hulu and Netflix stuff with my apple remote...

February 18 2009 at 8:55 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Chris

I tried it this morning and couldn't really get it to work properly. Each time I tried to add my own feed from Hulu Understudy gave me an invalid feed error. I had to go back to their Google Code page to figure out how to uninstall it.

To uninstall:
1. Remove build/Release/frUnderstudy.frappliance from /System/Library/CoreServices/Front Row.app/Contents/PlugIns/
2. Restart Front Row (logging out should suffice).

February 18 2009 at 8:52 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to Chris's comment

Paul

I found a way around this issue. You need to add your feeds using http:// instead of feed://.

For instance, for Battlestar Galactica, copy http://www.hulu.com/feed/show/72/episodes into your clipboard instead of feed://www.hulu.com/feed/show/72/episodes.

If you find you get nothing listed in your subscriptions or Hulu queue, you need to modify your ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.frontrow.plist to add http:// to your Hulu feed URLs.

February 18 2009 at 12:32 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

TBone

What I wouldn't pay for this or Boxee to work on my apple tv (Netflix & Hulu)

February 18 2009 at 8:50 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

2 replies to TBone's comment

Raj

I know Netflix doesn't work, but doesn't hulu work on boxee for appletv?

February 18 2009 at 8:52 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

MrBlank

Hulu cut off Boxee: http://mrblank.tumblr.com/post/80309289/hulu-blocking-service-on-boxee

Dumb move ...

February 21 2009 at 7:44 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Chris

I installed on Leopard, not a big fan. Anyone know how to uninstall...it says the file is in core services, but I don't see it in the Library.

February 18 2009 at 8:31 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Raj

Someone has created a plugin for FrontRow that'll call Boxee directly.. It works pretty well on my MBP.

It's called FrontBoxee and the link to the package can be found on the boxee forums here:

http://forum.boxee.tv/showthread.php?s=15632f3914963c3c68716b7ccf8c3891&t=1582&page=2

February 18 2009 at 8:21 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply