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[6233638]

I was wondering if anyone had figured out a way to send audio to an AirPort Express via Media Center as a zone?
We have an old v1 device that was being used as a print server, but has since become unreliable for that task, and is now being re-purposed elsewhere as an audio receiver for an older stereo in the house.
I have no problem sending audio to it from our Macs or iOS devices, but there's no way for Media Center to interface with it.
 
Has anyone figured out a good solution?
 
There was Air UPNP which runs as a service on the PC and displays AirPort devices as DLNA receivers, but it relies on using Bonjour (I'd rather not have that installed) and is no longer supported. That would be fine if it actually worked, but it just crashes any time I try to send audio to it.

There's Rogue Amoeba's AirFoil application to send audio to an AirPlay device, but it works by capturing audio from an application, so I'd have to play it locally rather than being able to send it as a zone.



I have come across an open-source solution, JustePort. It's a command-line utility, so it's not really usable, but as a proof of concept, it does seem to work well.

Is there any chance of getting this integrated with Media Center, or are there already other solutions that work which I am not aware of?

[pcstockton]

I have used AirUPNP by the dbPoweramp folks in the past.  I think it is a legacy product at this point. 

[6233638]

I have used AirUPNP by the dbPoweramp folks in the past.  I think it is a legacy product at this point.

Yes, it's not longer supported and just crashes when I try to send it audio.
 
 
I spent some time with Airfoil earlier this evening, as it seems that they have a driver that adds a virtual device you can send audio to, and have that piped out to your AirPort devices.
This works well, but there are some implementation issues:
 

• The Airfoil software has to be open and running for it to work. You can't just send audio to the device. I'd much rather it ran as a service and was hidden away.
• As soon as you open the Airfoil software, it sets this as your default system device so that all audio is sent to it. I couldn't find a way to disable this behavior.
  
• As far as I can see, you can only have one virtual device, so audio gets sent to all the AirPlay devices you have configured. You can't send audio to a specific device without disabling others.
• It requires Bonjour to be installed.

 
With a few changes, it becomes a workable solution for my setup - right now I only really need to send to one AirPlay receiver, but as soon as you have more than one it starts to become problematic.
 
I'd really prefer something built into Media Center though.

[pcstockton]

I'd really prefer something built into Media Center though.

Then buy a legit music streamer with UPNP/DLNA

[6233638]

Then buy a legit music streamer with UPNP/DLNA

I would definitely prefer to be using more open standards, but that's not really an option.

1. I'm trying to re-purpose fully-functioning* hardware that I already own. Other than possibly buying a license for Airfoil, it costs me $0 to do this.
2. Most people here are fully invested in the Apple ecosystem which does not support UPnP/DLNA audio streaming. The option to stream just shows up next to the playback controls, so no-one has had trouble figuring it out.


*outside of Media Center

[pcstockton]

I would definitely prefer to be using more open standards,

Open?  Like Airplay??
 

2. Most people here are fully invested in the Apple ecosystem

Ummmm really?

[pcstockton]

I prefer being able to send multiple streams to multiple devices (of video and audio) NOT have it resampled, with HiRes support and the ability to stream away from home to my iPhone.  Airplay can do none of that. 

MC>JRemote App = $$$$$$$$$$$$

[6233638]

Open?  Like Airplay??

Like I said, I already own the hardware. It was originally purchased to extend our WiFi range and act as a print server. Recently though, the print server side of things has not been working (seems like the newer versions of OS X don't like the old hardware) so I've now started to use it as an AirPlay receiver.

Ummmm really?

When I said "most people here" I meant most people that live here or visit. Not "most people here" as in "most people on Interact".

I prefer being able to send multiple streams to multiple devices (of video and audio) NOT have it resampled, with HiRes support and the ability to stream away from home to my iPhone.  Airplay can do none of that.

Great, but that's not what I'm trying to do.

I have an old stereo in the house, which sounds much better than any of those cheap iPod docks/bluetooth speakers, and an old (almost 10 years at this point!) AirPort Express. For probably at least five years now the stereo has just been sitting there with a 3.5mm cable lying out for anyone to plug in their portable devices and play music.
With the AirPort Express hooked up, anyone that's on the WiFi network is able to send music straight to it from their phones or tablets wirelessly now, because it just shows up in the music app next to the playback controls - it's easier than plugging in a 3.5mm cable. The same cannot be said for any DLNA/UPnP solution.
And not that it matters, but the AirPort Express does bitperfect 16/44, so CD-quality audio is untouched.

I set this up last week and it's been working out great so far. The only problem is that I haven't found a good solution for sending music to it from our home library. (Media Center)

[fitbrit]

I would probably buy a used Airport Express if MC were able to do this. I've been looking to use my iPod HiFi speaker in the kitchen, but am having trouble finding a cheap DLNA device to act as renderer. I was initially hoping to use an Android tablet as a renderer to stream music to from a PC, but that doesn't seem to work; MC does not 'see' the tablet as a zone, even with BubbleUPNP installed.

[rjm]

I'm with you 62..

I'm thinking we should periodically scout around for a new solution. People seem to be breaking through the Apple proprietary wall and coming up with low cost solutions that work well. In just the last few weeks I have found:

1) Shairport4w - superb free Windows AirPlay receiver

2) iTools - free app for managing iDevice content without iTunes

3) Syncios - another free app for managing iDevice content without iTunes

My bet is it won't be long before we have exactly what we want.

[pcstockton]

it already exists.  It is called JRemote

[rjm]

it already exists.  It is called JRemote

Yes, almost, if you don't mind using an iPad for all media activities. I still prefer to drive with my desktop sometimes.

Almost, because JRemote needs to add real time conversion of all video formats to mp4, just like Air Video HD.

[6233638]

it already exists.  It is called JRemote

JRemote streams from the MC library (which I have had mixed success with) and then streams that to the AirPlay receiver. That doubles the bandwidth requirements, and I've found it to be somewhat unreliable.
If I recall correctly, JRemote also only has the option of "Native" or "320K MP3" for audio quality. "Native" won't work with things like DSD, and MP3 is worse than the Apple Lossless format most of my library exists in.
It ties up the device and relies on the battery. You can't use JRemote to play music to the AirPort in one room, and watch a video on the iPad itself in another.

And personally I'm no longer using an iOS device so JRemote isn't even an option, which is why I'm looking for a solution that runs alongside Media Center so I can send audio to the AirPort Express directly, configured as its own zone. (preferably without requiring Bonjour to be running on the PC)

Almost, because JRemote needs to add real time conversion of all video formats to mp4, just like Air Video HD.

Actually, the fact that the iPad requires everything to be converted to its own specific MP4 format (use the right profile, correct audio codecs, subtitle format etc.) is the main reason I recently got rid of my iPad.

Unfortunately I thought the new Surface Pro 2 was going to be the solution for my video streaming woes, but it turns out that they didn't improve the battery life nearly as much as expected, and they kept the same screen as the original despite claims of "46% better color accuracy" - they just loaded an ICC profile for the display, rather than using a more accurate display.

[6233638]

Considering that Jim has moved this to the "Third Party Plug-ins, Programs, and Skins" section, I take it that means there are no plans to add AirPlay support to Media Center then?

[pcstockton]

You can't use JRemote to play music to the AirPort in one room, and watch a video on the iPad itself in another.

Sure you can.

And personally I'm no longer using an iOS device so JRemote isn't even an option, which is why I'm looking for a solution that runs alongside Media Center so I can send audio to the AirPort Express directly, configured as its own zone. (preferably without requiring Bonjour to be running on the PC)
Actually, the fact that the iPad requires everything to be converted to its own specific MP4 format (use the right profile, correct audio codecs, subtitle format etc.) is the main reason I recently got rid of my iPad.

Now you lost me.  I thought you were all about the Apple ecosystem?  Are you using a Mac or a PC?  You don't seem to want any part of the Apple world with the exception of re-purposing an AE.

Also, what does this have to do with Airplay to an AE?  Wouldn't you be watching video at your HTPC and control with remote, mouse, or JRemote?


None of this is MC's fault.  I am sure they would love it if Apple embraced UPNP.

[JimH]

None of this is MC's fault.  I am sure they would love it if Apple embraced UPNP.

Or made their "standards" open.

[6233638]

Sure you can.

Please tell me how then, because as soon as I start watching a video on the iPad, it breaks AirPlay streaming in another app.

Now you lost me.  I thought you were all about the Apple ecosystem?  Are you using a Mac or a PC?  You don't seem to want any part of the Apple world with the exception of re-purposing an AE.

I have Media Center running on a Windows PC. We also have a couple of MacBooks, iPads and a mixture of iPods/iPhones here. Just about anyone that visits has an iPhone with music loaded on it.
For anyone using the Apple hardware, it's trivially simple to send audio to the AE.

The problem I'm having is trying to get the main Media Center library streaming to the AE.
Media Center might work well with UPnP/DLNA hardware, but none of the Apple hardware, which is the majority in use here, supports UPnP/DLNA at all.

I was previously using an iPad myself, but I've been getting frustrated with how restrictive that device is, and sold it a couple of months back, in anticipation of the new tablet hardware from Microsoft. (though it now seems that may not meet my requirements either)
Apple's stuff works perfectly in an all-Apple world, but as soon as you try to do something outside of that (e.g. rip your DVDs to MKV) it causes all sorts of headaches.

Wouldn't you be watching video at your HTPC and control with remote, mouse, or JRemote?

Not always. Sometimes it would be a lot more convenient to be streaming video to a tablet than watching on the main TV.
And I've yet to find a remote solution that I consider to be acceptable, whether that's JRemote or an IR remote. The HTPC is controlled with a keyboard & mouse.

None of this is MC's fault.  I am sure they would love it if Apple embraced UPNP.

You're not wrong, but I don't recall UPnP/DLNA hardware being widely available 10 years ago. It only seems to have been in recent years that it's gained traction.
I also have a Slimdevices Squeezebox from around the same time which was not using UPnP/DLNA either - it used its own server software. There are apparently ways to get that working with MC too, but while it might work with Media Center (though it requires running two other pieces of software to interface with it) it doesn't work with Apple hardware at all.

When you consider Apple's marketshare these days, being unable to interface with Media Center seems like a glaring omission.

Or made their "standards" open.

That would be ideal, yes, but people have figured out how to send audio to these devices a long time ago.

As I mentioned in my first post, there's an open-source command line utility which works: http://nanocr.eu/software/justeport/
That in itself is no use (good proof of concept for audio streaming) but seemed like it could be the basis for support in MC.

There are other third-party utilities that send audio to these devices, but I've yet to find one which interfaces well with MC. Most are designed to simply stream all system audio to the device, rather than something which would work well as a zone in MC.

[pcstockton]

Please tell me how then, because as soon as I start watching a video on the iPad, it breaks AirPlay streaming in another app.

Understand.  I thought you were talking about a restriction in JRemote.  You are talking about an AirPlay restriction.  Nothing can send more than one AirPlay stream.  Not even the best Mac with the newest iTunes.  Multiple zones ("Speakers")?  Yes.  Multiple Streams? No.  So dont complain that JRemote cant do it.

If you have all manners of iPhones and iPads, why not just use JRemote on those?

-Patrick

[6233638]

Understand.  I thought you were talking about a restriction in JRemote.  You are talking about an AirPlay restriction.  Nothing can send more than one AirPlay stream.  Not even the best Mac with the newest iTunes.  Multiple zones ("Speakers")?  Yes.  Multiple Streams? No.  So dont complain that JRemote cant do it.

Which is why I said that using JRemote as an intermediary between Media Center and the AirPort Express is not a workable solution.
 

If you have all manners of iPhones and iPads, why not just use JRemote on those?

Because:

• I don't personally use Apple devices any more. (other family/friends do though)
• It's unrealistic to expect people to buy a $10 app for their phone/tablet just to stream music from the main library to that AE.
• JRemote is a complex app that requires being configured to access the library.
• JRemote ties up the device when you want to stream music, and relies on the battery for playback.
• JRemote has to convert audio to MP3 for full library access. (rather than CD-quality lossless)
• JRemote relies on streaming data in from MC, converting it, and then streaming it out to the AE, rather than having a wired connection between MC and the AE.
• JRemote has proven to be unreliable in the past - even just trying to connect to my MC library was unreliable. Audio playback was even less reliable, often skipping tracks or throwing up errors.

 
Maybe it works for you, but I don't consider JRemote an acceptable solution, which is why I was hoping to find something which lets MC send audio directly to the AE, or that the JRiver team would consider adding support.
There are a couple of tools I've found so far that work to send audio directly to an AirPort Express without requiring Bonjour to be installed (you just give it the device IP) but those don't integrate with MC at all.
Airfoil is the best solution I have found so far, but that requires Bonjour to be running (which I really don't want) and sends all system audio to the AE by default rather than operating as a separate zone.

[pcstockton]

JRemote as an intermediary between Media Center and the AirPort Express is not a workable solution.

Nothing will be a viable solution given your criteria is impossible with AirPlay.  No AirPlay device will stream more than one stream.

Who is unrealistically expecting people to pay $10 to stream to an AE?  I simply offered a solution to something that should be impossible within MC's world since they do not stream via AirPlay, which I am just fine with.

JRemote is not complex.
JRemote does not tie up the device, it happily runs in the background.
JRemote does not require transcoding.  It will play FLAC, ALAC, AAC, MP3, OGG and WAV in their full glory.
JRemote is rock solid.  I have no idea what you are talking about here.

I dont think I can help you further.  Good luck!
-Patrick

[6233638]

Nothing will be a viable solution given your criteria is impossible with AirPlay.  No AirPlay device will stream more than one stream.

I think you're misunderstanding what I'm trying to do.

I don't want multiple streams going to one device, what I'm saying is that if you use JRemote to send audio to the AirPort Express, you can't do anything else involving multimedia on that device locally. As soon as something else tries to play audio, it takes over.
It also requires you to use the iOS device for control, rather than being able to control playback via MC itself.

JRemote is not complex.

I disagree. When sending audio from a device's normal library, you just use the standard music app and a button shows up next to the regular playback controls.

It may have been updated since I last used it, but JRemote had a completely different style of UI, which required you to go to different "modes" to access the full playback controls, and I seem to recall having to enable AirPlay on a system level rather than it being supported in the app itself.

JRemote does not require transcoding.  It will play FLAC, ALAC, AAC, MP3, OGG and WAV in their full glory.

I have quite a few DSD albums in my library - you can't play those without conversion, and JRemote was all or nothing last time I used it.

JRemote is rock solid.  I have no idea what you are talking about here.

I can only speak to my experience with it. I found it to be quite unreliable.

[xeroian]

To 6233...

Whatever solution anyone puts together is going to require extra software, either inside MC or outside.  So to me it seems unreasonable to embrace Justeport as a proof of concept but reject other solutions such as Airfoil (which according to Jon Lech builds on Justeport) and then Bonjour just  because it is part of the Apple ecosystem while at the same time suggesting that everyone here has bought in to Apple.

I also struggle with the concept of buying iPads, iPhones and iPods but not being prepared to spend money on apps. for them.

In my home office I have a Windows 7 PC running JRiver and Rogue Amoeba's Airfoil. Spread about the house I have 2 current model Airport Express devices and an Apple TV. To minimise the chances of dropouts one AEX is connected through Ethernet and one using a powerline solution but that's not particularly relevant.

Although on entering my main listening room I have to manually switch on my 1990's amplifier everything else is done remotely via my iDevices.

A RemoteBoot app. (Free) is used to start the PC
JRiver and Airfoil start automatically
The Remoteless app. is used to control where Airfoil directs its outputs and also which program Airfoil uses as the source. Contrary to what has been suggested here Airfoil can capture all system output or capture selectively from individual programs such as JRiver or Firefox or Spotify etc etc
The JRemote app. is used to control JRiver and to remotely shutdown my PC when I am done listening.

Working in this way JRiver and Airfoil do all the processing and send music to the AEX. The iDevice is only operating as a remote. No music is sent to it. So I could watch a video stream simultaneously. But since I take listening seriously then this is not an option I need. The elegance of this solution means better sound quality, less network traffic, lower battery consumption, no wireless dropouts.

Sound quality is superb, particularly when playing high quality material from HDTracks. The difference between a CD rip and the HDTracks version of the same material is clearly audible.

As for setting this all up as a zone then I have not tried but do not expect it to work. However if JRiver is directing this output through the 'player' (which is where Airfoil is grabbing it from) then could other zones be configured to meet your non-airplay needs?

Ian

[6233638]

Whatever solution anyone puts together is going to require extra software, either inside MC or outside.  So to me it seems unreasonable to embrace Justeport as a proof of concept but reject other solutions such as Airfoil (which according to Jon Lech builds on Justeport) and then Bonjour just  because it is part of the Apple ecosystem while at the same time suggesting that everyone here has bought in to Apple.

Well I had been hoping that with a couple of open-source solutions existing, the JRiver team might have taken an interest in adding AirPlay support to MC. I'm just surprised that they don't seem to care about integrating with Apple hardware, considering how popular it is these days. Not only do you have the AirPort Express devices, there are a lot of wireless speakers and AVRs which use AirPlay now.

Bonjour is really only used to automatically find the AirPort devices on the network, it's not used when sending audio. I've had Bonjour cause problems in the past, which is why I'd like to avoid it.
I have my AirPort configured to have a static IP, so it should be possible to send audio just by giving the software an IP address. Airfoil refuses to load with Bonjour disabled though.

I also struggle with the concept of buying iPads, iPhones and iPods but not being prepared to spend money on apps. for them.

I have JRemote on my iTunes account, but as I said above, I no longer own any iOS devices. We have other iOS devices here, and all my friends/family that visit use them, but it's unrealistic to expect them to buy a $10 app if they want to control the music library. (and it requires manual configuration to work)
There are just too many reasons why JRemote doesn't work as an intermediary between MC and the AE to handle audio streaming.

With the AirPort Express acting as a Zone in Media Center though, it then becomes trivial to control music playback without requiring a $10 app on each device.

In my home office I have a Windows 7 PC running JRiver and Rogue Amoeba's Airfoil. Spread about the house I have 2 current model Airport Express devices and an Apple TV. To minimise the chances of dropouts one AEX is connected through Ethernet and one using a powerline solution but that's not particularly relevant.

It's funny, I was just thinking how it's a shame that Apple never integrated powerline into the AirPort Express design, as that would be ideal. They also moved away from the self-contained "plug" design to another small box though, so I don't really know what they're doing. It just seems like an AppleTV variant now.

As for setting this all up as a zone then I have not tried but do not expect it to work. However if JRiver is directing this output through the 'player' (which is where Airfoil is grabbing it from) then could other zones be configured to meet your non-airplay needs?

This is the tricky part. It's relatively easy to set up Airfoil if you're happy with it capturing system audio, or local audio from Media Center. The problem is that I don't want that; I want my system/local audio to remain local (speakers built into the display) and the AirPort Express to operate as a zone.

I've reinstalled it and had a play around with some of the other settings, and it does look like it's almost workable.
If you install their virtual audio device and set Airfoil to "System Audio" you can now control that device as a Zone in MC.
The problem is that when you set Airfoil to "System Audio" it changes your default sound device to their virtual one. But if you change it back after you launch Airfoil, it no longer captures all system audio and works perfectly as an isolated Zone in MC.

I've sent the developers an email to see if they can add an option to prevent Airfoil from changing the default audio device.
I'd still prefer not to be running Bonjour on my system, but if they can make that one relatively minor change, it should work well.
Granted, it only works well as long as you have a single AirPlay device (or don't mind them all playing the same audio) but I only have one device here, and don't plan on buying any more.

[xeroian]

I too am surprised that the JRiver team don't seem to be interested in integrating with Apple hardware. Seems particularly odd when they produce a version of JRiver for MAC.

Quite frankly I think they need to embrace these features if they are going to keep a healthy revenue stream. I bought JRiver 19 a while ago but only installed it this week. From an audio perspective the changes between MC17 and MC19 seem minimal. If I am expected to upgrade regularly so as to keep the developers fed then JRiver need to provide me with serious reasons for upgrading.

Ian

[JimH]

Thanks for the advice.  You may have come in after the part where Apple broke our support for iPods 6 or 7 years ago.  We're not going to pursue an expensive project like that with Apple again.

[rjm]

Success often requires forgiveness.

[6233638]

Well AirPlay is a standard that Apple licenses out to other companies (as a receiver) and has been around for almost 10 years at this point (originally branded AirTunes) so I don't think it's likely that it will be dropped any time soon. It has also been expanded to handle video streaming as well, rather than being replaced with another standard, and is now available at the system-level on iOS devices.

Moving from the basic iPod music-only structure to syncing iOS devices (music, apps, videos, data etc.) involved a lot of changes, which is why you have to sync through iTunes now.

[JimH]

Success often requires forgiveness.

Don't hold your breath.

[rjm]

Jim, if it is indeed possible to buy a license from Apple so they won't break you in the future, how about initiating a survey to see if sufficient people would pay for an MC option to recover your license costs?

[pcstockton]

We have other iOS devices here, and all my friends/family that visit use them, but it's unrealistic to expect them to buy a $10 app if they want to control the music library. (and it requires manual configuration to work)

What is unreasonable is for you ask for two companies to come up with a free and custom solution for YOU and YOU ONLY, with your one AE.  Does that seem reasonable?

iTunes Remote requires authentication as well, FYI.  Everything will the first time.

Lastly, why not just use iTunes and their Remote App for guests.

-Patrick

[6233638]

Jim, if it is indeed possible to buy a license from Apple so they won't break you in the future, how about initiating a survey to see if sufficient people would pay for an MC option to recover your license costs?

I think Apple only license the receiving part, and I think it's a hardware license rather than software. I may be mistaken, but I don't think OS X can even act as an AirPlay Receiver. I'm fairly sure it does now have AirPlay streaming built in at the system level though, similar to iOS.

What is unreasonable is for you ask for two companies to come up with a free and custom solution for YOU and YOU ONLY, with your one AE.  Does that seem reasonable?

It seemed like Media Center was designed to be at the center of any home audio/video distribution; without support for Apple hardware, that's a massive part of that market left unsupported, relying on third-party software for a solution.

Of course I could be completely wrong, but it seemed like JustePort, which is open-source, would cover most of the code that would be required for Media Center to implement AirPlay support—at least if you were to manually configure receivers by IP address. Implementing Bonjour support for auto-discovery would probably be a lot more work.
 
 
And from spending some more time with it, Airfoil almost does what I need. It's not ideal, but if Rogue Amoeba can add an option to prevent Airfoil changing the default audio device when it starts, then it at least works for me as a zone in MC. That change, which seems really minor, would sell me a copy of their software.

And I'm not sure why you think that AirPlay support in Media Center would be a change that only affects me. Someone else was just asking about it not long after I started this topic: http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=84866.0
Isn't the goal to try and replace iTunes for most people? (pretty much the default media player these days) Without having feature parity, you automatically lose some of your potential market. It sounds like Apple may be expanding iTunes' support to include UPnP/DLNA devices, which is one less reason to buy MC.
 

iTunes Remote requires authentication as well, FYI.  Everything will the first time.

iTunes remote does, but to simply play music from their device to the speaker does not - they just need to be connected to the WiFi network. (which they already are)
Unfortunately, I don't think anything happened with AirPlay Direct, which would have allowed devices to connect without even requiring them to be on the network. (similar to Bluetooth, but allowing for CD-quality lossless streaming)

Lastly, why not just use iTunes and their Remote App for guests.

It only supports some of my media, and I would prefer to have Media Center handle everything. Playing as a zone gives you access to Media Center's DSP functions for example.

[pcstockton]

Well good luck to you.

It seems like we are talking past each other.  I mentioned the authentication point in response to you saying it was a negative for the JRemote app and other coming to your house.  Anything they would use would require this.

[6233638]

I mentioned the authentication point in response to you saying it was a negative for the JRemote app and other coming to your house.  Anything they would use would require this.

AirPlay directly from any Apple device (its local library) does not require authentication, they just have to be on the network.
If I can get MC to send audio to the AE as a zone, that would not require authentication either.

Using JRemote with Media Center, or Apple's Remote app with iTunes does require authentication though.
JRemote is not free, and has an unfamiliar interface, which are negatives compared to Apple's solution though.

[JimH]

You might take another look at JRemote.

[pcstockton]

How about you take your list to Apple and see why they wont support DSD and whatever other codecs you are using.

It would be FAR less expensive and easier, for them to implement DSD, than for MC to support a streaming method that does not even come close to their current method.

[Matt]

We've had an important partner recently request AirPlay support.  I spent some time learning about the technology.  Encryption is a core part of the whole thing, and it's only possible to support in third-party programs because users have sniffed the master keys.

This means Apple could render any investment useless through updated encryption like they did to the iPod.

My best guess is AirPlay support would be around a $50k investment for JRiver.

Money aside, I'm not eager to chase a closed ecosystem.  It's a quality of life thing.

[6233638]

This means Apple could render any investment useless through updated encryption like they did to the iPod

Iʼm not sure thatʼs likely; the standard has remained relatively unchanged for the last 10 years, and they chose to expand it to include video rather than replacing it. Millions of devices out there—including devices which are not made by Apple (but licensed by them)—rely on it.
Iʼm not sure they really could change it at this point, nor do I see why they would when they have just recently included much tighter integration of AirPlay inside both iOS 7 and OS X.

As far as I know, Apple has never pursued any of the other companies selling AirPlay compatible software.
They did require Rogue Amoeba to remove AirPlay Receiver functionality from their “Airfoil Speakers Touch” App though, until they removed the use of “private APIs”—so they are obviously aware of, and seemingly OK with the existence of the PC/Mac Airfoil application. http://weblog.rogueamoeba.com/2012/06/06/7073-users-can-be-wrong/

My best guess is AirPlay support would be around a $50k investment for JRiver.

Do you mean to license the technology from Apple? Because I donʼt believe they sell a license to serve AirPlay content, only a hardware license to receive it for things like AVRs and wireless speakers.

Money aside, I'm not eager to chase a closed ecosystem.  It's a quality of life thing.

Well, I wonʼt pursue it any further, but I think itʼs a shame, especially when you are trying to expand into the Mac world with Media Center.

Hopefully I can at least convince Rogue Amoeba to make a tweak or two to their program so that it will at least integrate better with Media Center.

How about you take your list to Apple and see why they wont support DSD and whatever other codecs you are using.
It would be FAR less expensive and easier, for them to implement DSD, than for MC to support a streaming method that does not even come close to their current method.

Good luck trying to get in touch with anyone that has any influence at Apple—especially as a single customer. Why would they ever support a format that they donʼt sell, that largely relies on a format they donʼt support (physical media) and dubious methods of ripping it. (using a hacked PlayStation 3)
People have been requesting FLAC support for years, which is far simpler for them to implement, and doesnʼt require a license from one of their competitors—especially when those competitors are now making moves towards selling the format digitally.

[JimH]

Well, I wonʼt pursue it any further ...

Thank you.