Topic: Transferring files from MC Client to Handheld? (Read 3380 times)

Robert Taylor · « **on:** November 18, 2003, 06:53:42 am »

I use Media Server to access my MP3's from various clients scattered around my house.

Should I be able to connect a handheld (in this case a Creative Nomad 3) to one of the client machines, and queue tracks to be transferred to the handheld, or is this only possible from the server machine (ie. the machine where the MP3's actually sit) ?

I've tried a couple of times, and the client just seems to sit there saying it's transferring files, but doesn't seem to do anything.

I end up cancelling the transfer after a little while...

crowfan · « **Reply #1 on:** November 18, 2003, 07:47:00 am »

LunchmeatVoom,

I've never used Media Server myself, but I seem to remember someone saying that files can't actually be transferred from the server to the client. I would imagine that if this is true, that a client wouldn't be able to transfer files to a handheld. But I am by no means an expert on this, so I'm sure someone more experienced than myself will jump in to confirm or deny.

crow

JimH · « **Reply #2 on:** November 18, 2003, 09:09:33 am »

Crowfan is correct....again.

Media Server can only be used for streaming. Other uses are legally unclear, so we don't allow them.

nameuser · « **Reply #3 on:** November 18, 2003, 11:45:10 am »

JimH wrote, "... Media Server can only be used for streaming."

I want to take my handheld to the den.
I have powered speakers in the den.
I want to connect my handheld's stereo out jack via a cable to my powered speakers.

I have MP3s on my desktop in another room
I have wireless on my desktop and on my handheld.

Question is: Can I get the MP3s on my desktop, to be sent wireless to the handheld, and played on the powered speakers connected to the handheld's stereo out jack?

I am trying to avoid having computers in each room just to play MP3 on speakers in each room. It would be nice to carry the wireless handheld to any room, and connect a wire from the handheld to the powered speakers. Can this be done?

Anyone??

nameuser · « **Reply #4 on:** November 18, 2003, 03:38:52 pm »

bump??

Robert Taylor · « **Reply #5 on:** November 18, 2003, 03:48:57 pm »

Oh well!

I guess I'll have to use the Creative software to do this part...

No sweat...

nameuser · « **Reply #6 on:** November 18, 2003, 04:02:14 pm »

Will the creative software allow you to:
1- connect your Nomad Creative 3 to powered speakers
2- select MP3 files on your Media Center Computer
3- play the selected songs

No way!!
1- You would have to walk to you Media Center Computer
2- Use the firewire cable to transfer desired songs to you Nomad Creative 3 Jukebox
3- Walk back to the room with your powered speakers
4- Connect the Nomad Creative 3 Jukebox to your powered speakers
5- Play

I guess you could transfer your Top Hits periodically.
But better would be to buy an inexpensive wireless handheld.
Even monochrome.
Maybe you could return your Nomad Creative 3 Jukebox and pocket the difference compared to the more capable wireless handheld? ;-)

You could then beam any of your Meia Center Computer song's to the handheld which would be wired to the powered speakers. This would be more capability for less money ... if Media Center sotware and handheld based software could do this?

Can it?
JimH seems to be the expert here.
Maybe he can respond??

toniann · « **Reply #7 on:** November 19, 2003, 12:28:25 am »

I have a new Dell wireless Axim handheld. I would also like to be able to beam music from my desktop running Media Center to the Axim, and then through the Axim cable connected to powered Logitech speakers.

Is this possible??

I think a version of Microsoft's Media Player running on the handheld Axim can do this .. i.e. select music residing on the desktop computer. Can Media Center do this as well??

SteveG · « **Reply #8 on:** November 19, 2003, 09:13:19 am »

toniann and nameuser,

Quote

I would also like to be able to beam music from my desktop running Media Center to the Axim, and then through the Axim cable connected to powered Logitech speakers.

It depends. If Axim appears to PC as a removable or fixed drive then file transfers from MC to Axim will be possible and subsequent playback should work.

nameuser · « **Reply #9 on:** November 19, 2003, 09:36:15 am »

Steve G,

Thanks for response ;-)

Would you push the file from Media Center or pull it from handheld?
Could you play the songs in real time .. stream?

Suggestions for handheld based software to do this?
Suggestion for most cost effective handheld with these capabilitites?

nameuser · « **Reply #10 on:** November 19, 2003, 12:26:40 pm »

Steve G,

I see that you mentioned in another thread [Re:Handheld Portable Drives PU work with ihp-120?], that Media Center uses WMDM (Windows Media Device Manager).

Microsoft recently announced that WMDM now has a Voice-Controlled Media Player add on. Here is the blurb:

Quote

"Voice-Controlled Media Player
Use your voice to select the music you want from your collection by album, artist, or genre.

Now you can select the music you want to listen to the way you think about it. You can even ask Voice Command to “play everything” in your entire music collection, turning your Pocket PC into your own personal DJ.

Choose to control your music with your voice or use the large button interface just like radio buttons on your car stereo. If you are listening to new or unfamiliar music you can ask “What song is this” and the name of the song and artist will be read to you.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/products/voicecommand/features.mspx

Works with Windows Mobile™ 2003 software for Pocket PC and Pocket PC Phone Edition"

Will Media Center support selecting songs from the handheld's built in microphone? Then the song could be streamed to the handheld and played on the powered speakers attached to the handheld.

Is Media Center's interface to the Windows Media Device Manager SDK well documented and available for use by users?

SteveG · « **Reply #11 on:** November 19, 2003, 01:38:23 pm »

nameuser,

In the Axim example, one could copy the file from MC to the Axim or play the songs in MC from the Axim.

I do not have suggestions for wireless devices that do this well ( which does not mean that there aren't any).

In regards to the voice activation stuff, we would have to do some work testing this to see if it is possible/practical.

MC's recognition of WMDM devices can be enabled by going to Tools->Plugin Manager->Handheld->Portable Drives->Configure. There is not much to document other than that when this is enabled, MC will recognize any WMDM devices through the WMDM interface when this option is enabled.

Steve

nameuser · « **Reply #12 on:** November 19, 2003, 02:31:07 pm »

Steve G, thanks for your response. You wrote, "... or play the songs in MC from the Axim."

Are you saying that JRiver's Media Center will run on Dell's wireless Axim??
On any Pocket PC 2003 capable platform?

That would be a great integrated solution. We could then run any of these PPC platforms as a streamable client from Media Server running on one PC, as JimH mentioned in this thread above.

But I suspect this is NOT what you meant???

SteveG · « **Reply #13 on:** November 19, 2003, 04:04:41 pm »

Quote

Are you saying that JRiver's Media Center will run on Dell's wireless Axim??
On any Pocket PC 2003 capable platform?

No. I am saying that if a wireless Portable appears as a drive letter on your PC, you can play the files from within MC on your PC.

nameuser · « **Reply #14 on:** November 19, 2003, 05:09:04 pm »

Steve G, the intention here is to play the files on powered speakers connected to the handheld, like a wireless Axim, in real time.

Quote

Steve G wrote, "No. I am saying that if a wireless Portable appears as a drive letter on your PC, you can play the files from within MC on your PC"

I think you are saying that you can play files resident on the handheld, on your desktop PC, if the PC sees the handheld as a drive letter??

Fine, but that is NOT my undestanding of the sense of this thread started by LunchmeatVoom:

Quote

Lunchmeat wrote, "... queue tracks to be transferred to the handheld ..."

Since powered speakers can be a lot less expensive than a computer, and wireless handhelds are available for less than $200, especially with monochrome screens, it would be really nice if music could be beamed from the PC to the handheld and to the powered speaker connected to the handheld's stereo out jack.

In fact wouldn't it make sense to make Media Center installable on Microsoft's Pocket PC 2003 OS. Then we could stream from PC Media Server to the client handheld running JRiver Media Center.

Seems that way of writing software would give the most bang for the bucks. Not that I like Microsoft, but you already write for the platforms that run their software because that is where the most cost effective volume hardware is found. In fact given the speed of the processors now included in inexpensive wireless handheld PPCs, I bet Matt could provide a Monkey .ape decoder that resides on the handheld and would provide a bit perfect stream to the handhelds audio out jack. That would allow JRiver to outflank its competition. In fact build the .ape capable wirelesss handheld inside the speaker and go into the speaker business!! ;-)

JMHO

SteveG · « **Reply #15 on:** November 20, 2003, 09:34:53 am »

Quote

I think you are saying that you can play files resident on the handheld, on your desktop PC, if the PC sees the handheld as a drive letter??

Yes.

JimH's position is that we do not want to go down this path at this time. This is not only an issue of can it be done, but a choice based on legal implications of will it be done.

Steve

nameuser · « **Reply #16 on:** November 20, 2003, 05:43:06 pm »

Quote

Lunch wrote, "... I use Media Server to access my MP3's from various clients scattered around my house. Should I be able to connect a handheld (in this case a Creative Nomad 3) to one of the client machines, and queue tracks to be transferred to the handheld, or is this only possible from the server machine (i.e. the machine where the MP3's actually sit ..."

Quote

It is not clear whether your requirement is to:
1- hear the songs you want throughout your house, in which case streaming from Media Server would be adequate
or
2- Transfer a file to you Nomad, so you could take the file elsewhere and play independently of JRiver's Media Center.

Quote

JimH responded to requirement 2, with a 'legalese answer' about the propriety of such things .. i.e. a physical 'transfer' of a file is a copy of the file.

I doubt that JimH views a real time stream of a file, from one computer you own to another computer you own, as having any such 'legalese' concerns .. else there would not be the existing Media Server module???

I am only interested in requirement 1, i.e. streaming in one's home.

Steve G, so to get back on track, and since you seem to be 'the man' for handhelds:
1- Does it make sense to leverage JRiver's already written Media Server software to run on a Microsoft's Personal PC 2003 handheld environment?
2- Doesn't Microsoft's current handheld 'Windows' OS use most of the APIs, etc, that desktop Windows already uses?

My thinking is that if this was not too much of an effort, committing to support the handheld Windows OS would give the most leverage for JRiver's already in place technology for playing media anyplace in a house, including multiple wireless streams. Sheeeesh ... with wireless you could even be in your backyard or in your car in driveway and have access to you Media Center files and organization.

Could you have this is place for next Monday? Dell has a special for their wireless Axim for only $299 ... ;-) lol.

Keep up your good work on handhelds. Thanks.

Robert Taylor · « **Reply #17 on:** November 20, 2003, 07:06:19 pm »

I see the legel aspects of this.

I can't see much difference if I wanna transfer stuff to my Nomad from my server machine or my own workstation (which are sitting right next to each other)...

BUT

What if I allow someone across town to stream my songs from my server, and then they can download the files themselves to their own device - that's a different kettle of piscatorial creatures altogether...

So I'm happy, I'm just gonna bung a firewire card into me server, so's I can do the transfers directly...

Me happy...me on 2 weeks holidays after today...me getting married to tasty woman 1 week from today...me happy...

nameuser · « **Reply #18 on:** November 20, 2003, 07:25:01 pm »

Quote

LunchmeatVoom wrote, "... What if I allow someone across town to stream my songs from my server, and then they can download the files themselves to their own device - that's a different kettle of piscatorial creatures altogether...

By pointing out how easy it already is to copy files quickly via firewire, you already make clear that those that want to copy and then share files illegally already can do this. This somewhat mutes the legalese 'stream only versus file transfer issues'.

Quote

LunchmeatVoom wrote, "... me getting married to tasty woman 1 week from today...me happy..."

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

My gift to you will be to try and persuade SteveG, JimH, et. al., to invest the time to have a version of Media Center that will install under Microsoft's handheld PC 2003 operating system.

You should not have to run to your desktop computer and plug in a firewire each time your library changes.

You should be able to use MC terrific organizational facilities to stay next to your new Mrs, and enjoy uninterrupted listening from a handheld PPC you can now buy for less than $200.

Will JimH and his crew commit to doing this as a wedding present for you for next week??

Robert Taylor · « **Reply #19 on:** November 20, 2003, 07:43:56 pm »

There's no hurry!

We shall be in the Cook Islands from Monday for 1 week. No phones...we will be in a little seaside villa www.sokala.com, we will not see Media Center during this time, and will miss it.

We will however have our Nomad with us, some powered speakers, so we have our fave toons to listen to, and a few litres of some tasty beverages(made extra tasty by virtue of being duty-free), and, no doubt, some sort of local rocket-joose to ice the cake of our inebriation

We will be quite a long way from the day to day crap of the wirld, methinks...

We shall fish and snorkel, and lie around on the beach...

We will think of all you guys ocassionally...

Keep up the good work all!

SteveG · « **Reply #20 on:** November 21, 2003, 08:54:40 am »

nameuser,

Quote

1- Does it make sense to leverage JRiver's already written Media Server software to run on a Microsoft's Personal PC 2003 handheld environment?

Maybe. It is not something we are ready to pursue at this time, but it may be something we pursue in the future.

LunchmeatVoom,

Congrats. Enjoy your wedding and vacation. Snow expected here in Minnesota this weekend

INTERACT FORUM

Author Topic: Transferring files from MC Client to Handheld? (Read 3380 times)

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