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[JimH]

Some of you have been around long enough to remember the test of music streaming we did, using Media Server.  In the end, we decided that the licenses needed weren't available at a reasonable cost, so we shelved the project.  It was fun while it lasted.

Now that we can stream images, I wonder if we should revive it.

My Media Server is running right now.  You can try it.

If you're running 9.0.123 (or maybe one of the very latest), try entering this address in IE:

[I've pulled it off line for now.  It wasn't working right.  Next week maybe.]

Under Media Library/Images, you'll see how I've got my pictures organized.

Jesse Ventura, our former governor is under year 2000, Ventura, for example.  You can see our old brick building in these pictures, not far from the place pictured in the image Zevele put up yesterday.  We work across the street now in a bigger, slightly newer building.

My real question is this:

Are you interested in sharing images (which aren't normally subject to the same copyright problems as music)?

Edit -- the music files won't work well because they are too big -- ape files.

[KingSparta]

>> Now that we can stream images, I wonder if we
>> should revive it
it kind of locks you in when it is sending, Hour glass untill done.

A Way To Abort Current Stream (Pictures) woud be nice

[Jaguu]

Hi JimH,

I had the same idea two days ago and tried it out between my two pc's. I was wondering whether I could run a slide show over my home network. Works great with the exception probably that Media Server cannot handle very long filenames (see bug report).

Tried out your connection! Could manage to see a few pictures, but over the ocean it is very slow, the slide show does not seem to work and most of the time it is hanging. But between my 2 pc's it's fine!

[dragyn]

cool stuff!

only thing I would change with media server and images is to download the thumbnail image instead of downloading the file and converting it to the thumbnail to be displayed.

If you don't have the thumbnails already, then I guess it wouldn't work. That would have to be premade on the server side before running an image server.

[sraymond]

JimH,

I tried this months ago as a way to "share" digital photos with my family.  I stopped (if memory serves me correctly) for a few reasons:

- Too slow...  maybe thumbnails would be a way around this.

- No "feedback" (combined with too slow) made for a lot of confusion on the other side.

- No way for the remote end to easily "save locally" the image (which was the whole point behind sharing!)

I ended up creating an FTP server - but it's still a pain-in-the-ass, as I have to copy the images into a folder to share them (I don't want to share *all* my photos).  I tried creating a website, but performance (and maintenance) problems made it too much work.

It would be GREAT if MC could fill this niche as well...  the requirements (for me) would be a solution to the problems above.

[Charlemagne 8]

Browsing around and reading a few posts, I realized that Media Server conforms to legalities because it is read-only. So I had an epiphany (don't worry, it doesn't hurt):
Don't abandon the Music01 idea of music  --- instead of trying to integrate Media Server completely into Media Center, use a web page like M01 had and offer members libraries that other members are offering. It would simplify things greatly. Picture this: Log on to Media Server 01 when you get up in the morning and share (ok, bad word these days but I couldn't think of another) a library of your choice.
Go to work, log on to Media Server 01, pick that library and listen to the music of your choice the rest of the day. No worries about changing IP's (many high-speed ISP's don't like static IP's) or even remembering what the IP address is. You get tired of your music and go see what King Sparta, JimH or Gateley is offering today. They, in turn could check to see what YOU were offering for the day.
You could still do pictures by including them in the library.
Just a thought.

CVIII

[Charlemagne 8]

Good article on all this in NYT today.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/03/technology/03TUNE.html?th

CVIII

[sub-24]

i remember music01

i think now that bandwidth etc have increased over the years that maybe music01 might be worth a revival.

As for images - ??

[Harry_The_Hipster]

Don't abandon the Music01 idea of music  --- instead of trying to integrate Media Server completely into Media Center, use a web page like M01 had and offer members libraries that other members are offering. It would simplify things greatly. Picture this: Log on to Media Server 01 when you get up in the morning and share (ok, bad word these days but I couldn't think of another) a library of your choice.
Go to work, log on to Media Server 01, pick that library and listen to the music of your choice the rest of the day.

Its a nice function, but it may also be looking for trouble. How is it any different from on-demand webcasting? Not very, when you think about it. Rather like Live365.

I think that's what Jim was getting at when he referred to the complexities of obtaining necessary licenses.

HTH

Listening to: 'It Never Entered My Mind' from 'Ballad Essentials' by 'George Shearing' on Media Center 9.0

[Charlemagne 8]

HTH,
Suprisingly, I remember all that. I'm basically having trouble getting my mind around "Why is Media Server legal but Music01 is not?" Music01 was the impetus for my getting DSL and it was operational on the day they quit.
Also, the link I posted above talks about how the Music Industry's licensing policy is being relaxed. It seems that they can now begin to see an advantage to letting people listen to music on line.
BTW, I asked Rhapsody why I wasn't eligible for the $0.49 per track special price and they told me:

At this time the $.49 cd burning is only available through select partners. (Whatever THAT means)
We hope to make this pricing available to all of our customers in the near future.

Then they went on to say:

Since you have been with us for such a long time, we've given you a full free month of service (a $9.95 value!). You will not be billed until 4-23-03.

That's nice and I'll take it but I would rather have been able to burn 20 songs for that price.

CVIII

[JimH]

After trying to understand the law for the last five years, I still don't.

But one important distinction about a "performance" (streaming) as opposed to a "mechanical" (download) royalty is how "public" the stream is.

If you invite me over some day and we play your old Montovani records, I'm listening to a "private" "performance".

If you and I play the same record at Carnegie Hall for a paid or unpaid audience, you've made a "public" performance of it.

The first is not a royalty event.  The second is.

I think.

That's why Media Server is arguably for private use, where Music01 could obviously be used "publicly".

I think.

But thanks for trying to make it happen.  Nobody wants to more than we do.  We just want to do it legally.

[Harry_The_Hipster]

CVIII:

From Listen's Help/FAQ:

2. What is a subscription plan?
A subscription plan includes a collection of music combined with the things you can do with it, such as listening to music on-demand, listening to Internet radio, or burning CDs. RHAPSODY offers 2 subscription plans: All Access and Radio PLUS. All Access is our most complete subscription plan and offers access to everything we've got for just $9.95 per month. When you are subscribed to All Access you also get the ability to burn CDs for an additional fee per track, on a pay-as-you-go basis. Radio PLUS is the Internet's best radio for only $4.95 per month.

Sounds as if you have the first tier. I subscribe to All Access and am able to burn. and you're right - $0.49 a file is a real sweet spot. Too good to last, however.

On the other topic: Jim states the distinction correctly. There's no absolute formula on these things, but by limiting access, they've made MS look more like a private application for purely personal use  than a publicly-available resource. I (dimly) recall Jim making that point in the original thread, and I think he got good advice in structuring it that way.

HTH

Listening to: 'When Darkness Falls' from 'From Battersea To Broadway - So Rare' by 'George Shearing' on Media Center 9.0

[JimH]

I (dimly) recall Jim making that point in the original thread, and I think he got good advice in structuring it that way.

We've received great advice all the way along (Faegre and Benson).  One of the best was what we received when we asked if we could sell CD's, but allow a download of all the tracks immediately.  Faegre said, "Well you could do that, but if the RIAA didn't like it, they could probably collect $40,000 for every track you had provided."

That was before MP3.com was sued and before Napster existed.  We then watched them do it and pay.

We owe Faegre a big debt of gratitude.

[Harry_The_Hipster]

That was before MP3.com was sued

And now they're suing the law firm that told them it was OK to permit that. It can get nasty out there.

Worked with Faegre years ago. Top flight people. They saved you a world of hurt. Sometimes when you get out on the cutting edge you wind up with razor burn.

Thinking about it further, MS functions like a VPN.  Open it up more, and you begin to look like Live365 or Shoutcast.

HTH

Listening to: 'Johnny One Note' from 'Live! At Cafe Bohemia' by 'George Wallington' on Media Center 9.0