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[RxMan]

I am a long time user of MC and I love it. I have the following setup. Main computer running MC and connected to my home stereo system. I have a laptop connected via router (hardwired with cat5). I use a PCAnywhere type software to control MC to play my music, etc...  I recently setup a router that has wireless capabilities.  I am tempted to buy a PDA (I don't already have one) and use it via the new wireless setup to control MC. I have searched and have done quite a bit of reading and am still undecided if this is a good method.  I like my laptop setup as it is now, but, I would like the freedom to move around that a PDA would bring. Is NetRemote the best option at this time? All I want to do is be able to select songs from the Library and also control the volume if possible.  Any recommendatoins on a PDA? This would basically be the only thing I would use it for so price would be a major consideration. Is there a better method out there for using MC wirelessly/remotely?

THANKS!

[toniann]

Hi RxMan,

Yours is a very interesting post.
The price of PDA hardware is now not much of a problem.
Less than $200, with slot for wireless cards.
Dell seems to alway have their basic vanilla Axim on sale for $179.
These prices would seem to make it a more cost effective choice than less capable handheld remotes.

But the software is the problem.
Most software mentioned here was written before these handheld PPC 2003 capable handhelds appeared.

The more modern way to go is to simply connect your handheld's stereo out jack to your powered speakers and go at it.
Except for software to provide the screens.

MC does not have this ... yet??
There are others that work now, but I do not think we are allowed to post them here.

Do a web search and look for the ones that actually provide streaming of files from the desktop to the handheld.  Some even allow tag editing while the song is playing!!

BTW, this new architecture also allows for both multi-zone and synchronized playing in more than one location, since ethernet packets already have a broadcast packet header capability and the decodes are done in real time on the handheld.

[mindracing]

I'm running Remote Server on an iPAQ 3970 with an SD WiFi card.

It works well (apart from the interface being a bit boring). The great thing is that I can use it all over the house - no line of sight required.

[toniann]

mindracing, do you stream the music to your handheld?  How are your speakers in your house wired? How many zones?  I like the idea of using separate handhelds with wireless streaming, rather than multiple sound cards with a lot of speaker/computer wiring all over the house.

[Mastiff]

I don't know about streaming, but controlling is my game! You may look at my website, it can give you a few ideas. I use NetRemote religiously, almost fanatically.  

[RxMan]

I don't care about having my handheld wired into my speakers. My main computer is already wired into my a/v component. The a/v component also has a 2nd room function which is connected to another system. All I need is the ability to select songs anywhere (patio, etc).  

Is Remote Server software that is installed on a PDA?

Controlling is all I want as well. I am looking at NetRemote and have posted in the general discussion there as well.

[mindracing]

I don't stream music. I just use the iPAQ for control.

Remote server runs on your PC and allows control via Pocket Explorer.

[Mike Noe]

If all you want is control, then the simplest way is to just use the built-in remoteserver and control MC with Pocket IE from your PDA.


However, Netremote opens up all kinds of possiblities and is very easy to setup.  I am also a bit of a fanatical NR user.

Those IPaqs sure are looking nice these days...

[toniann]

Mastiff wrote, "... You may look at my website, it can give you a few ideas"

I finally got a moment to do this.
Wow, what a collection of wires, IR-RF converters, control amps, software, etc.  What a magnificent history lesson.

I could not imagine putting the time into all this eclectic system engineering .. but with a modern wireless handheld and powered speakers such labor is now unnecessary.  I know that when you began your efforts no other way was possible.  But now I can just walk into a room with my  handheld, plug in the powered speakers wire, and stream away.  Plus any tagging changes make it back to the server.  If you can get bit perfect data, wirelessly through the walls, and offload server to boot, with handheld based decode, why not?  Do the decodes as close to the powered speakers as possible.  Provides multizone playing of different songs, or synchronizeding playing of the same song at multiple locations.  Since the ethernet already solves the data distribution and control problem why do it again?

Thanks for making your web site available.  Lots to learn.

[Warlock]

Toniann, what is the sound quality like coming from your handheld?  I can't imagine the DSP in a handheld is very robust.  Do you get skips or other artifacts?

I am considering getting an Exstreamer (http://www.barix.com/exstreamer/), which I think JRiver is trying to support.  It purports to have great sound, but is a bit pricey and doesn't have a display.

[Mastiff]

Toniann, thanks for the praise. My system works 100 % in real life. your system works...in theory. The problem is threefold:

1. Try to make my wife carry any kind of computer with her! I have tried, and my butt is still sore...

2. You want to pay for handheld units for my kids? I sure don't, since they probably won't live long. The same goes for any houseguests spending a few days. It takes me max five minutes (for my parents and other technically challenged people) to make them understand how to put on the music  they want to hear with IR remotes.

3. Powered speakers are generally lousy. If you're talking about the computer type, you simply didn't get the point. I'm using receivers/boom boxes that are bought for the rooms they're in. To do that with powered speakers would be hopeless.

So what you're suggesting is basically a "nerd only system". Not many people walks around with PPCs.

[toniann]

Warlock wrote, "Toniann, what is the sound quality like coming from your handheld?  I can't imagine the DSP in a handheld is very robust.  Do you get skips or other artifacts?

I am considering getting an Exstreamer (http://www.barix.com/exstreamer/), which I think JRiver is trying to support.  It purports to have great sound, but is a bit pricey and doesn't have a display."
 

Sound is a relatively low data rate application these days.  Any skips or artifacts are software problems, like inadequate buffers, and non-cooperating software that does not release the processor for needed streaming chores.  Don't write a letter on your handheld while listening to music, and don't post to Interact while streaming and you should be fine ;-).

Mastiff wrote, "... So what you're suggesting is basically a "nerd only system ... "
and in thread http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?board=3;action=display;threadid=17609 :
"Second: The correct settings are these: Go into the kX DSP, right click and tweak the surrounder and set it to 5.1, with surround off. That should separate your channels. Also you should bypass both reverb and chorus. And you should be set. Remember that 0/1 are not to be used in this setup since they spread all over the three stereo pairs. You start with 4/5. But you can use 0/1 for synchronized play over more than one zone (party in the whole house, maybe). This should help you on the way."

High Mastiff ;-) Your 'settings' seem pretty nerdy to me ;-).  Before 300-400 Mhz processor handhelds and inexpensive WiFi your approach was needed.  Mulitple sound cards, separate IR/RF control paths, wires of various sizes and connectors galore.  This approach treated sound, data, and control as different species, each with its own special need for engineering.  Today we have convergence. Sound, data, and control are built of the same stuff .. bits.  The ethernet and WiFi already solve the distribution, multicast, and sharing the bandwidth in real time problems .. at least for sound data rates.  There are some very rave review powered speakers these days Klipsch .. I bought the originally priced $200 Telex Sonix XS for $35  .  Slightly older WiFi Handhelds, sometimes black/white are cheap enough to be left in the room and replace vestigial IR/RF remotes.  I have even experimented with some of the almost free database creation and indexing software to quickly find my server based music.  Except it is not music, just data .. and no slowdowns when scaled to anything that is going to fit in one home.  Here are some resources:
http://www.pocketmind.com/pocketmusic.htm
http://www.resco-net.com/Documents/RExplorer2003.pdf
http://www.turnstyle.com/andromeda/gettingStarted.asp

[Mastiff]

I'm afraid I still disagree. Again if it's not possible just to pick up an IR remote in the room you're in, my system won't work for my wife or kids. And what am I left with? Something I have to be there to use. Which is exactly the opposite of what I've got now. Also 200 dollars? Each of my bedroom speakers costs a lot more than that. And then comes the receiver. And in the living room I've got speakers that I wouldn't sell for less than 500 dollars each. Not to mention downstairs, in the home theater and the game room. We're talking totally different ends of the spectrum here. Even if you can't hear much of a difference on your system between a good sound card (like the Audigy/Audigy 2) and the "sound card" on a PDA on good files (VBR, audiophile settings) I sure can!  

[johoe]

I control MC with my palm TungstenT with BTAmp (available vor 5 $ at Palmgear) via bluetooth. Originally designed for Winamp it works with the freely available bemused server (opensource) for windows/linux. Which supports Winamp2/3, MS Mediaplayer, Powerpoint and MC (http://www.lilacsoftware.com/Bemused/).
Bemused supports Nokia 7650/3650 or a Sony Ericsson P800. Have a look at http://www.compsoc.man.ac.uk/~ashley/bemused/

Works really great.

    joho