# Video Player Setup - Always On Top with Hidden Desktop UI

This setup ensures your video player always starts with a video on boot, stays on top, and hides the desktop UI.

## What Was Fixed

### 1. GPIO Access Error
- **Problem**: Script required root privileges for GPIO access
- **Solution**: Modified script to check for GPIO group membership instead of root privileges
- **Result**: Script now runs as regular user with proper GPIO permissions

### 2. Always Start with Video
- **Problem**: Video player might not always start with a video
- **Solution**: Added `ensure_video_playing()` method that automatically starts a video if none is playing
- **Result**: Video player will always have a video playing, restarting automatically if needed

### 3. Keep Video On Top
- **Problem**: Video might get hidden behind other windows
- **Solution**: 
  - Added VLC options for always-on-top behavior
  - Created `keep_vlc_on_top()` method using wmctrl
  - Added continuous monitoring to ensure VLC stays on top
- **Result**: Video player window always stays on top of other applications

### 4. Hide Desktop UI
- **Problem**: Desktop UI elements visible behind video
- **Solution**: 
  - Created `hide_desktop_ui.sh` script to hide panels, icons, and screen savers
  - Added systemd service to automatically hide UI on boot
  - Configured autostart entries for desktop environment
- **Result**: Clean video-only display with hidden desktop elements

## Files Modified/Created

### Modified Files:
- `video_player.py` - Fixed GPIO access, added always-on-top functionality
- `video-player.service` - Updated to run as pi user instead of root
- `video-player-random.service` - Updated to run as pi user instead of root

### New Files:
- `hide_desktop_ui.sh` - Script to hide desktop UI elements
- `hide-desktop-ui.service` - Systemd service for hiding desktop UI
- `setup_video_player.sh` - Complete setup script
- `VIDEO_PLAYER_SETUP.md` - This documentation

## Installation Instructions

1. **Run the setup script**:
   ```bash
   ./setup_video_player.sh
   ```

2. **Log out and log back in** (required for GPIO group changes)

3. **Place video files** in `/home/pi/Videos/` directory

4. **Reboot the system** to start all services

## Manual Commands

### Start Video Player
```bash
# Start with default channel
sudo systemctl start video-player.service

# Start with random video
sudo systemctl start video-player-random.service
```

### Hide Desktop UI
```bash
# Hide desktop UI elements
./hide_desktop_ui.sh hide

# Keep VLC on top (runs continuously)
./hide_desktop_ui.sh keep-top

# Do everything (hide UI, start service, keep on top)
./hide_desktop_ui.sh all
```

### Check Service Status
```bash
# Check video player service
sudo systemctl status video-player.service

# Check desktop UI hiding service
sudo systemctl status hide-desktop-ui.service

# View logs
sudo journalctl -u video-player.service -f
```

## Configuration

### Video Directory
- Default: `/home/pi/Videos/`
- Supported formats: `.mp4`, `.avi`, `.mkv`, `.mov`, `.wmv`, `.flv`, `.webm`, `.m4v`

### VLC Options
The video player now uses these VLC options for optimal display:
- `--fullscreen` - Full screen mode
- `--always-on-top` - Keep window on top
- `--video-on-top` - Video always on top
- `--no-video-title-show` - Hide video title
- `--no-audio-display` - Hide audio display
- Various `--no-qt-*` options to hide VLC interface elements

### GPIO Configuration
- IR pin: GPIO 18 (configurable in config.json)
- User must be in `gpio` group (handled by setup script)

## Troubleshooting

### Video Not Starting
1. Check if video files exist in `/home/pi/Videos/`
2. Check service status: `sudo systemctl status video-player.service`
3. Check logs: `sudo journalctl -u video-player.service -f`

### GPIO Access Issues
1. Ensure user is in gpio group: `groups $USER`
2. If not, run: `sudo usermod -a -G gpio $USER` and log out/in

### Desktop UI Still Visible
1. Check if hide-desktop-ui service is running: `sudo systemctl status hide-desktop-ui.service`
2. Manually hide UI: `./hide_desktop_ui.sh hide`
3. Install wmctrl if missing: `sudo apt install wmctrl`

### VLC Not Staying On Top
1. Install wmctrl: `sudo apt install wmctrl`
2. Check if VLC is running: `pgrep vlc`
3. Manually keep on top: `./hide_desktop_ui.sh keep-top`

## Service Management

### Enable Services (start on boot)
```bash
sudo systemctl enable video-player.service
sudo systemctl enable hide-desktop-ui.service
```

### Disable Services
```bash
sudo systemctl disable video-player.service
sudo systemctl disable hide-desktop-ui.service
```

### Stop Services
```bash
sudo systemctl stop video-player.service
sudo systemctl stop hide-desktop-ui.service
```

## Notes

- The video player will automatically restart if it crashes
- Videos will loop automatically when they end
- The system will always ensure a video is playing
- Desktop UI elements are hidden but can be restored by stopping the hide-desktop-ui service
- IR remote control functionality is preserved and enhanced