VLC automation over TCP

[FuryCell]

I've been doing a lot of gaming lately and like to listen to music. Now a lot of other media players use up massive CPU cycles which kind of sucks when

your gaming on a 2ghz P4. So I turned to VLC. However,VLC seems to lack the ability to set global hotkeys so I could change tracks and such while in a full

screen game. I then decided to see if it had a com interface so i could script it. I had trouble,as others have had. Luckily,there is a solution to VLCs

lack of COM functionality. VLC provides an interface to its console commands over TCP. Here is a quick script to demonstrate it.

expandcollapse popup

#NoTrayIcon
#include<File.au3>
#include <GUIConstants.au3>
#Region::: connect to vlc over tcp on localhost
TCPStartUp()
Global $Socket=TCPConnect("127.0.0.1",2150)
If $Socket=-1 Then
    MsgBox(0,"Error","Failed to connect to VLC over tcp proctol on localhost.Is it running and set to listen for console commands on port 2150?")
    Exit
EndIf
#EndRegion


#Region::: create and show GUI
$Form = GUICreate("VLC Test", 350, 58, -1, -1)
$ButtonPT = GUICtrlCreateButton("9", 8, 8, 105, 41, 0)
GUICtrlSetFont(-1, 14, 400, 0, "Webdings")
$ButtonS = GUICtrlCreateButton("<", 121, 8, 105, 41, 0)
GUICtrlSetFont(-1, 14, 400, 0, "Webdings")
$ButtonNT = GUICtrlCreateButton(":", 238, 8, 105, 41, 0)
GUICtrlSetFont(-1, 14, 400, 0, "Webdings")
GUISetState(@SW_SHOW)
#EndRegion

#Region::: msgloop
While 1
    $nMsg = GUIGetMsg()
    Switch $nMsg
        Case $GUI_EVENT_CLOSE
            Exit
        Case $ButtonS
            TCPSend($Socket,"stop"&@CRLF) ;send stop command over tcp
        Case $ButtonNT
            TCPSend($Socket,"next"&@CRLF) ;send next command over tcp
        Case $ButtonPT
            TCPSend($Socket,"prev"&@CRLF) ;send prev command over tcp
        EndSwitch
WEnd
#EndRegion

For the example script to work you must set vlc to listen on 2150@localhost for console commands, and then click Add Interface>Console (See images for help)

Also,the small script above is just barely scratching the surface is what is possible. Here is a list of commands that can be invoked.

+----[ Remote control commands ]

|

| add XYZ . . . . . . . . . . add XYZ to playlist

| enqueue XYZ . . . . . . . queue XYZ to playlist

| playlist . . . show items currently in playlist

| play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . play stream

| stop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . stop stream

| next . . . . . . . . . . . . next playlist item

| prev . . . . . . . . . . previous playlist item

| goto . . . . . . . . . . . . goto item at index

| clear . . . . . . . . . . . clear the playlist

| status . . . . . . . . . current playlist status

| title [X] . . . . set/get title in current item

| title_n . . . . . . next title in current item

| title_p . . . . previous title in current item

| chapter [X] . . set/get chapter in current item

| chapter_n . . . . next chapter in current item

| chapter_p . . previous chapter in current item

|

| seek X . seek in seconds, for instance `seek 12'

| pause . . . . . . . . . . . . . . toggle pause

| fastforward . . . . . . . set to maximum rate

| rewind . . . . . . . . . . set to minimum rate

| faster . . . . . . . . faster playing of stream

| slower . . . . . . . . slower playing of stream

| normal . . . . . . . . normal playing of stream

| f [on|off] . . . . . . . . . . toggle fullscreen

| info . . . information about the current stream

| get_time . . seconds elapsed since stream's beginning

| is_playing . . 1 if a stream plays, 0 otherwise

| get_title . . . the title of the current stream

| get_length . . the length of the current stream

|

| volume [X] . . . . . . . . set/get audio volume

| volup [X] . . . . . raise audio volume X steps

| voldown [X] . . . . lower audio volume X steps

| adev [X] . . . . . . . . . set/get audio device

| achan [X]. . . . . . . . set/get audio channels

| atrack [X] . . . . . . . . . set/get audio track

| vtrack [X] . . . . . . . . . set/get video track

| vratio [X] . . . . . set/get video aspect ratio

| vcrop [X] . . . . . . . . . set/get video crop

| vzoom [X] . . . . . . . . . set/get video zoom

| strack [X] . . . . . . . set/get subtitles track

| menu [on|off|up|down|left|right|select] use menu

|

| help . . . . . . . . . . . . . this help message

| longhelp . . . . . . . . . a longer help message

| logout . . . . . exit (if in socket connection)

| quit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . quit vlc

|

+----[ end of help ]

Hope this proves useful for some. muttley Edited July 17, 2008 by P5ych0Gigabyte

[ptrex]

@P5ych0Gigabyte

This is realy great !!

I investigated the COM interface a while back, but didn't get far.

Thanks for this nice tutorial.

Regards

ptrex,

[FuryCell]

@P5ych0Gigabyte

This is realy great !!

I investigated the COM interface a while back, but didn't get far.

Thanks for this nice tutorial.

Regards

ptrex,

np. muttley I tried the com interface as well and it was frustrating as hell. This method seems to be a lot easier.

Edited July 18, 2008 by P5ych0Gigabyte

[Ibrahim]

truely nice work

[system24]

Nice.

[Bozzman]

expandcollapse popup

#cs
+----[ Remote control commands ]
|
| add XYZ . . . . . . . . . . add XYZ to playlist
| enqueue XYZ . . . . . . . queue XYZ to playlist
| playlist . . . show items currently in playlist
| play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . play stream
| stop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . stop stream
| next . . . . . . . . . . . . next playlist item
| prev . . . . . . . . . . previous playlist item
| goto . . . . . . . . . . . . goto item at index
| clear . . . . . . . . . . . clear the playlist
| status . . . . . . . . . current playlist status
| title [X] . . . . set/get title in current item
| title_n . . . . . . next title in current item
| title_p . . . . previous title in current item
| chapter [X] . . set/get chapter in current item
| chapter_n . . . . next chapter in current item
| chapter_p . . previous chapter in current item
|
| seek X . seek in seconds, for instance `seek 12'
| pause . . . . . . . . . . . . . . toggle pause
| fastforward . . . . . . . set to maximum rate
| rewind . . . . . . . . . . set to minimum rate
| faster . . . . . . . . faster playing of stream
| slower . . . . . . . . slower playing of stream
| normal . . . . . . . . normal playing of stream
| f [on|off] . . . . . . . . . . toggle fullscreen
| info . . . information about the current stream
| get_time . . seconds elapsed since stream's beginning
| is_playing . . 1 if a stream plays, 0 otherwise
| get_title . . . the title of the current stream
| get_length . . the length of the current stream
|
| volume [X] . . . . . . . . set/get audio volume
| volup [X] . . . . . raise audio volume X steps
| voldown [X] . . . . lower audio volume X steps
| adev [X] . . . . . . . . . set/get audio device
| achan [X]. . . . . . . . set/get audio channels
| atrack [X] . . . . . . . . . set/get audio track
| vtrack [X] . . . . . . . . . set/get video track
| vratio [X] . . . . . set/get video aspect ratio
| vcrop [X] . . . . . . . . . set/get video crop


| vzoom [X] . . . . . . . . . set/get video zoom
| strack [X] . . . . . . . set/get subtitles track
| menu [on|off|up|down|left|right|select] use menu
|
| help . . . . . . . . . . . . . this help message
| longhelp . . . . . . . . . a longer help message
| logout . . . . . exit (if in socket connection)
| quit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . quit vlc
|
+----[ end of help ]
#ce
#include "file.au3"

$vlcconfigfile = @AppDataDir&"\vlc\vlcrc"
$listen = " "

Opt("tcptimeout",500)

;Write correct settings to config file.
$vlcfile = FileOpen($vlcconfigfile,1)
_FileWriteToLine($vlcconfigfile,2529,"rc-host=127.0.0.1:2150",1);hostname and port
_FileWriteToLine($vlcconfigfile,2526,"rc-quiet=1",1);use quiet mode
FileClose($vlcfile)

;Run VLC Media Player and opens console
$vlcexe = Run(@ProgramFilesDir&"\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe --extraintf rc")

Sleep(1500);Gives some time to start VLC

;Connect to VLC console
TCPStartup()
Global $vlcmp=TCPConnect("127.0.0.1",2150)
If $vlcmp=-1 Then
    MsgBox(0,"Error","Connecting error.")
    Exit
EndIf

;Main Loop
While 1
    $input = InputBox("VLC Console writer",$listen);Use above CMD list or "exit"
    If $input = "exit" Then
        OnAutoItExit()
    Else
        _SendData($input)
    EndIf
WEnd

Func _SendData($command)
    If $vlcmp = -1 Then;Checks if connected else gives error code see help file TCPConnect
        MsgBox(0,"",$vlcmp)
    Else
        TCPSend($vlcmp,$command&@CRLF);Send data to console
        $listen = TCPRecv($vlcmp,4096);Check if it gets someting back and shows it in inputbox
        Return $listen
    EndIf
EndFunc;=> _SendData()

Func OnAutoItExit()
;   TCPSend($vlcmp,"logout"&@CRLF)
;   TCPSend($vlcmp,"quit"&@CRLF)
    TCPShutdown()
    Exit
EndFunc;=> OnAutoItExit()

I made this out of it who can test it for me:P

i want to make it with hotkeys for in full screen apps like the TS said

[Techone]

one question,

all of the controls is being done via localhost, is there a way to control VLC from outside the PC.

i have tried using Docklight, but i cant ever connect to VLC. is it a Windows thing?

[TheDcoder]

@Techone Welcome to AutoIt forums! This thread is almost 6 years old, so most of the script would be broken (I didn't test) also there is an chance that VLC has changed/removed the functionality you are looking for.... I recommend to look for an other solution.

 

If you would still like to do that using this script then: Assuming that the script is working, you can replace 127.0.0.1 with the IP of the remote computer.

 

TD

Edited July 10, 2015 by TheDcoder
Welcome

[argumentum]

for the next one looking to make this work.

When you start vlc you'll need the next command line:

vlc.exe --extraintf rc --rc-host localhost:2150

for more info read the vlc wiki ( https://wiki.videolan.org/Documentation:Advanced_Use_of_VLC/#Modules_selection ).