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[Zukros]

Good afternoon.

At present, there is no option to play user-based mixes or recommended radio from last.fm. Could this be added on for the next build? As far as I can tell, their addition would be relatively simple using the last.fm API (or so this page makes it appear), and would, in my opinion, make the last.fm feature even more fantastic.

Thanks for a great program,
Alex.

[Supersnake]

Hi Alex,
Hopefully I am not telling you information that you already know...

Media Center has the capability to access and play your  Last.FM "Your Recommended" plus "Your Loved" and other default categories, in addition to having the capability to request and play your user defined artists.  After you subscribe to Last.FM open up Media Center and access Player > Play Last.FM Radio.
Here is a snapshot of Last.FM  "Your Recommend" music being accessed by my Media Center:
http://i386.photobucket.com/albums/oo303/Supersnake_01/LastFM.png

Keep in mind that you must subscribe to Last.FM before you can do that. They charge a nominal fee of $3.00 per month. After you subscribe, go to the Last.FM web site and sign in to your account. Then look along the top of the window for your account name.  To the right of your name will be a little drop down menu arrow.  Use it to select Settings, when the Settings page opens click on the Application tab and instruct Last.FM to connect to Media Center. You only have to do that one time, Last.FM will remember it was done.
=====================================================================================
However, if you are on the Last.FM website and click their web site links or buttons for "Your Recommended" (or any other category or Radio Station) Last.FM will not call your Media Center.  The same limitation applies if you request some music via the Last.FM program per se.  Am referring to the program that you download and install from Last.FM. However, if you have the Last.FM program running while you play music through your Media Center (it doesn't have to be Last.FM music) then Media Center will scrobble to Last.FM which enables Last.FM to add your musical selections and tastes to your Last.FM profile.

Media Center will scrobble to Last.FM whenever you have the Last.FM program playing on your computer.
Personally I rarely go to the Last.FM web site to play their music and always use Media Center to communicate directly to Last.FM music - that way I get to watch the slide show of all the web pages and photos related to the artist and music that I am listening to via Media Center.  Such is done if you listen to your Last.FM streams while in the Media Center Theater View.  

Until the prior said limitation is rectified Media Center can call Last.FM but not vice-versa.

[EDIT] Added 01.10.11
Use any of the following to enable scrobbling to Last.fm :

Tools > Options > Services > Last.fm > [   ]  Submit playback information to Last.fm (scrobble)

Player (menu item) > Playing Now (menu item) > Scrobble 'Listening To'

Right-click "Playing Now" in the left tree and select "Scrobble  'Listening To' "

[Zukros]

Hi Alex,
Hopefully I am not telling you information that you already know...

You were not, thank you.

I am a last.fm subscriber, and was using the radio frequently, just hadn't noticed the drop-down radio with my recommended radio on. Says a lot about how observant I am, I guess.

Thank you again, much appreciated.

[Supersnake]

You were not, thank you.

I am a last.fm subscriber, and was using the radio frequently, just hadn't noticed the drop-down radio with my recommended radio on. Says a lot about how observant I am, I guess.

Thank you again, much appreciated.

Glad to read the information was helpful.  It's likely that all of us at one time or another have overlooked, and will continue to overlook, a facet within Media Center.  

[lise]

Media Center will scrobble to Last.FM whenever you have the Last.FM program playing on your computer.
Personally I rarely go to the Last.FM web site to play their music and always use Media Center to communicate directly to Last.FM music - that way I get to watch the slide show of all the web pages and photos related to the artist and music that I am listening to via Media Center.  Such is done if you listen to your Last.FM streams while in the Media Center Entertainment View. 

Hi Supersnake.

Thanks for all the info on LastFM. The wiki has zero info.

Something in your post isn't clear to me.
I just signed up to Last.FM (subscribed) and downloaded/installed their scrobbler.
I've set MC to connect.

When I first listened to LastFM via their website, I could see cool things like images, similar artists, etc.
When I listen via MC, there isn't much (not that I expected anything), just the Playing Now view that I selected
.
I wanted to view the LastFM stuff while listening through Media Center.
Is that what you are referring to when you say that you get to "watch the slide show" etc?
How are you watching this? When I tried opening the LastFM webpage, it just asked me to choose what to play (even though it was already playing in MC)_.  The LastFM program on my computer doesn't show me anything either. 

What do you mean by "Media Center Entertainment View"? Is this Theatre View?

[Supersnake]

Hi Supersnake.
Thanks for all the info on LastFM. The wiki has zero info.

You're welcome Lise.

What do you mean by "Media Center Entertainment View"? Is this Theatre View?

Yes, it is Theater View [Edited]. Thank you for pointing that out.

The manner in which one accesses the Media Center/Last.Fm/Slideshow could be varied.
As a matter of personal preference this is the way I access it.

1. Start up Media Center then launch a Last.fm categorical selection: Player > Play Last.FM Radio > drop down menu [using the downward pointing arrow to the right of the field box]
2. Now, using your keyboard press Ctrl + 4 (brings you to Theater View)
3. Using your mouse or right/left  <--  -->  arrow keys, select Playing Now.
4. Press your down arrow key two or three times until you see a very wide white rectangle going from left to right in the center of your screen. The rectangle remains present for only two seconds.
5. Now press your right arrow key a sufficient number of times to progress through the following displays that will be showing within that now removed rectangle (a) album art cover and (b) special effects.  Press the right arrow key once more and you will view full screen slide show images unhindered by album art and special effects.

To Exit the Theater View press the Escape key.  The next time you access the MC/Last.fm/slide show you may find the path involves less use of the arrow keys (or mouse if you prefer the mouse) because Media Center tends to remember where you last were in Theater View.

There has been forum discussion concerning what makes up the content of the slide show images. At the present time you can choose as many, or as few, of the following image archives: Google Images, Last.fm images, HTBackdrops
Finding the filter is a slight challenge, here is how...

Tools / Options / Theater View / Appearance / left click on  [...]Theme: Default / Online media slideshow / Show online media
slideshow in artist views / [Place check marks by] Google Images, Last.Fm, HTBackdrops]

If you want to see a slideshow comprised of images obtained solely from the Last.fm image data bank, then place a check mark only next to "Last.fm" and remove any check marks next to Google Images and HTBackdrops.  Including Google Images in the mix will display a greater amount of images, many of which are directly pertinent to the artist you are listening to. Google will also retrieve images, which may or may not be pertinent to the artist, but will as a rule bear relevance to the title.  As Google searches deeper it may also retrieve images which may seem unrelated to the artist or title but the number of such retrievals are usually minor by comparison.

Enjoy

[lise]

Thanks so much Supersnake. Your explanation is very clear.
I'll give it a shot.

lise

[NadCu42]

Hello, I registered to ask a question that I think is related to the topic:
I filled my Last.fm account details so I can scrobble my music, but upon playing of every song, my browser opens a new tab in the Last.fm site, asking me to press "allow access". This happens for every song I play, and I would really want it to happen only once and then to automatically scrobble when I'm listening, without problems (the normal situation that supposed to happen anyway). Does someone know how to fix this?

Many thanks

[Matt]

Hello, I registered to ask a question that I think is related to the topic:
I filled my Last.fm account details so I can scrobble my music, but upon playing of every song, my browser opens a new tab in the Last.fm site, asking me to press "allow access". This happens for every song I play, and I would really want it to happen only once and then to automatically scrobble when I'm listening, without problems (the normal situation that supposed to happen anyway). Does someone know how to fix this?

Many thanks

In Options > Services > Last.fm, try reconnecting to your Last.fm account.

It will ask you to authorize on the webpage.  Finish authorizing on the webpage before clicking 'OK' on the popup in Media Center.

[Mitch Sowden]

This Integration is good!   Fantastic Thank you!