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[fm_guy_2002]

I'm curious if anyone has come up with a means to control MC9 from a Pocket PC connected via WiFi?  The Turtle Beach Audiotron comes with a "thin web client" for just that purpose, and it's great.  You can access your entire music library from the palm of your hand.

I realize you can do IR/RF remotes with MC9 but those are only one way and don't allow access to the library.  Is two way control possible with a plug-in?  Is there anything under development?

Thanks!

[JimH]

NetRemote can do that.  It's at http://netremote.org .  The FAQ on our site has some info in it.  See one of the top posts on this board.

[fm_guy_2002]

Thanks for the quick reply.  It looks interesting!  

[8thNote]

That's awesome and exactly what I'd like as well, but the installer returns an error.

Error opening http://ftp.jriver.com/pub/downloads/music/MediaCenter9.exe.
The server returned status code 404.

[JimH]

I don't think that link will work.  Try a download from the main page here.

[kiwi]

Just a general note.  While netremote does works, I've found that it can get complicated to change and sometimes it doesn't seem to function.

I would definitely be willing to pay $25-35 for control software for the PocketPC that was extremely well integrated with MediaCenter.  It doesn't really need to do anything else, just give me full control over MC.

It could have an interface similar to the MiniMe skins, with a reasonable ability to search and do playlists.  Ideally, it would either import in a "small" version of the library or it would perform searches in MC, and only return the results.

kiwi

[toniann]

Kiwi wrote, “… I would definitely be willing to pay $25-35 for control software for the PocketPC that was extremely well integrated with MediaCenter…. “

Matt would be the man to provide this.
I essentially asked this in the closed thread below, but apparently JimH will not allow Matt to respond in this forum:
http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?board=3;action=display;threadid=17073

Here is a JRiver collaborative product I found:

http://www.tightaudiosystems.com/products.htm

http://www.tightaudiosystems.com/partners.htm

http://www.tightaudiosystems.com/taz_pop.htm

[fex]

NetRemote can do that.  It's at http://netremote.org .  The FAQ on our site has some info in it.  See one of the top posts on this board.

I use NetRemote. It's great (and free). The only problem is speed. If you have more than a few thousand files, it becomes almost unusable.

Even worse with MusicLobby Pocket PC (http://www.cinemaronline.com/musiclobbyppc.html). I 'invested' some money, but can't really use it. If you have more than a few thousand tracks in Media Center, ML PPC becomes terrific slow. You have to wait a few minutes (if it ever comes) to only show a list of artists.

It could work. A little freeware application called Vinyl (http://www.pocketwerks.com/description.php) shows all my 19'000 tracks in a second or two, but it requires Winamp...  

[toniann]

Fex, thanks for the pocketworks link.  That product does not appear to send the selected file(s) to the handheld.  Rather it is for control of speakers connected in some manner to the desktop.  IMHO the best way to do these things, now that handhelds are fast, and wireless, and inexpensive, is to have the handheld receive the file and perform any necessary decodes on the handheld.  With Monkey's .APE that would mean bit perfect audio source right next to the room's powered speakers.  The desktop is free of decoding tasks, and free of multiple soundcards for multizone.  I predict that the destop will go back to its roots of fileserver.  Generic fast databases abound. Why reinvent the wheel?  Choose the attributes of the desired files and transmit to handheld.

[Mike Noe]

I use netremote as well, I have about 7000 songs in my library and roughly 3000 images.

I'm using .992 netremote (Custom CCF) both on the Toshiba E740 and on a Win32 desktop and I have no performance problems and it was a breeze to install and setup with the latest suite that Ben provides.

The coolest thing for me (beyond MC control) is that I can just hit a button and bring up a panel to send Girder/X10 commands out into my home for lights, etc.

The keys to keeping it running properly all the time in my setup:
1.  Turn of the blinking function for commands (Toshiba bug?)
2.  Make sure to use the proper remoteserver.dll everytime MC is upgraded.

[toniann]

Mike Noe, how many listening areas do you have in  your home and how are these wired?  My home is not prewired and I like the idea of not having to put PCs in each listening area or putting in wiring all over.  A wireless handheld, with the right software, could do the control functions, do the decodes, and connect to powered speakers without any new wiring or PCs.

[fex]

I use netremote as well, I have about 7000 songs in my library and roughly 3000 images. I'm using .992 netremote (Custom CCF) both on the Toshiba E740 and on a Win32 desktop and I have no performance problems and it was a breeze to install and setup with the latest suite that Ben provides...

Agree with the breeze (it's really great). I use an iPaq 2215 (PPC 2003) connected over a wireless-G Router. And I have to wait 5 or 6 minutes just to show the artist's list.

[fex]

Fex, thanks for the pocketworks link.  That product does not appear to send the selected file(s) to the handheld.  Rather it is for control of speakers connected in some manner to the desktop....

I don't understand this. Neither NetRemot nor MusicLobby are sendind the files to your handheld. Vinyl uses a server application (like all others). You are able to install the server application on your client (in a room of your choice, remoted by your handheld) and play your files this way over any network from your server. Where is the difference?

[lOth]

What about us, poor Palm OS users?  

[toniann]

Fex, Yes, neither netremote nor MusicLoby nor Vinyl send files to the handheld.  I was not trying to make a distinction among them.

But microsofts handheld PPC Windows 2003 products, and the tightaudiosystems products use the  handhelds's CPU to receive the files and do docoding locally on the handheld.  Kind of 'last minute decode', just before being passed on to speakers wired to the handheld's out jack.  To me, that is an advantage, in terms of costs and wiring.  One device, the handheld, turns powered speakers into 'smart speakers'.  There is even a new speaker coming out with the handheld embedded into the speakers.  Plop the intelligent speaker into any room and your wife can make any song stored on your desktop server play.

Tightaudiosystems mentions JRiver on their web pages.

www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/software/pocket/9Series.aspx

www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/products/voicecommand/features.mspxbetsy123

http://www.tightaudiosystems.com/products.htm

http://www.tightaudiosystems.com/partners.htm

http://www.tightaudiosystems.com/taz_pop.htm

[fex]

Toniann, thanks for your reply, got it so far. Sounds interesting. And what about the speed over an usual handheld with a bigger media library?

[Rob L]

What's wrong with just using the web browser on your PDA to connect to the web page that MC serves up?

I'm not sure you're all talking about doing the same thing, but that's got to do what the original poster wanted, surely?

[kiwi]

The problem with it, is that it's not a great interface for truely working with/controlling your system.  It's great for occasionally changing tunes, but I'd never want to use it for complete control.  Right now, vnc/Remote Desktop is the only way that I find I'm able to use the program effectively.  Netremote was just way too slow when large playlists get loaded.  Or if now playing gets too large.

kiwi

[Mike Noe]

...how many listening areas do you have in  your home and how are these wired?  My home is not prewired and...

I have 3  areas (2 zones), all with pre/amp/speakers.  One is hard-wired to the media PC, the other two are wireless connected via those "media" sending/receiving units you see (Audio/video anywhere).  This wireless audio/video is new and I'm having some interference problems with the WiFi, but I'm close to getting that solved I hope.