Remote Music

[raro]

ok, we have one comp with all the MP3s. We have one laptop. We have wireless. And we have a stereo.

At the moment the laptop is connected to the stereo and plays the MP3s via WiFi from my other comp. this somewhat deprives me from my laptop.

Now you could say get an MP3 player and hook it up to the stereo. Naaaa...not such easy solutions, pu-lease! I wanna sit on the patio and get up only to get a new beer from the fridge, but not for changing the music. So this must be done from my laptop. The laptop I want on the patio with me to be able to change music, browse the internet and post idiosyncratic BS on this board. The stereo needs an overhaul (this is worth a separate thread) but otherwise quite decent. No comparison to the crappy laptop speakers, so no the music must come out of the stereo. This is the other requirement.

So again: Music out of the stereo, me sitting on the patio with the laptop and selct the music from there.

Over to you!

[Tywais]

One possibility is to get something like Ultra VNC then you can remotely control the other computer directly from the laptop. Just switch back and forth from your work/browser/etc on your notebook to the remote screen to change your song etc. It's free and I use it for remote controlling at the office. Or just the built in Remote Desktop feature of Windows XP Pro or Vista Ultimate will do similar functions, just don't find it quite as efficient or flexible as using VNC.

[malcolmswaine]

I have the same setup. I machine used for playing MP3's, movies etc. hooked up to a sound system. Just connect the output of the sound card on the MP3 machine to your stereo (you may need to get some converters if the connections are different) . Next install VNC (download from here) and make sure you set it up running as a service on the MP3 machine. Install VNC on your laptop also (you only need the viewer components on the laptop). Obtain the IP address of the MP3 machine. Run the VNC viewer client from the laptop and try to connect to the IP address of the MP3 machine.

If you get stuck feel free to PM me.

[marcus]

If I understand well, there are 2 problems you have to solve :

1. Control the pc with the mp3's. A very elegant solution is to use Orb (freeware www.orb.com) - server soft on the mp3 pc, and clients on any other pc you have. This way, you can not only stream your music over the network, but also movies, pictures and even TV given your mp3 pc has a TV card. It even works over the internet, so you can listen your music in a hotel room in your home country ;-)

2. Your laptop is connected with the stereo. A long cable to the patio is the logic solution of course, but if you find this too complicated, an FM transmitter will probably do the job (if it's not too far). For the best quality, I would go for the cable.

[raro]

thanks a lot for the great suggestions over night!

longer cable: somewhat the obvious solution, but I just hate cables...

VNC: also something that came to my mind...playing the MP3s on the server, yes, that would be possible. However, this server is in another room than the stereo. In this room is also the router, could be solved with a WiFi USB stick and a second UPS. (at the moment router and comp are on the same UPS and it is needed...)

Radio Transmitter: That would require a radio...I sold my radio at the age of 19 because all the commercials drove me nuts and they never played the music I liked anyways....haven't listen to any radio since unless I got forced into it.

Question: Where does WinAmp save the ratings and playlists etc...if I am not mistaken this is saved on the computer where winamp is installed, right?

[Tywais]

Question: Where does WinAmp save the ratings and playlists etc...if I am not mistaken this is saved on the computer where winamp is installed, right?

Under the Winamp directory. The playlists are named winamp.m3u by default but new lists will be with .m3u extensions.

[Tywais]

Another route could be by using a wireless A/V transmitter/receiver. Something like this > Logitech Wireless Music System or this > Onkyo

You mentioned, on the cheap, so don't know what the price/availability of these are. Probably need to do a little shopping to see what is available in this category of devices.

[Fore Man]

One more solution: move your MP3 files to the laptop and stream from wherever your heart takes you--patio, bathroom, den...using a series of Apple Airport Express routers (the new 802.11n versions allow multiple locations, each connected to a stereo, or a set of powered speakers, or the host laptop speakers). I have set up my whole house to do this and can walkabout with ease, listening to the same music wherever I am. The laptop has to be within range of the Apple Airport Express that has been set up as a base station; all the other routers are range extension devices. Apple also has something called a Time Machine, which is an AE on steroids with some other goodies, and allows a remote HDD to be connected to it as well. Have fun!

[raro]

One more solution: move your MP3 files to the laptop and stream from wherever your heart takes you--patio, bathroom, den...using a series of Apple Airport Express routers (the new 802.11n versions allow multiple locations, each connected to a stereo, or a set of powered speakers, or the host laptop speakers). I have set up my whole house to do this and can walkabout with ease, listening to the same music wherever I am. The laptop has to be within range of the Apple Airport Express that has been set up as a base station; all the other routers are range extension devices. Apple also has something called a Time Machine, which is an AE on steroids with some other goodies, and allows a remote HDD to be connected to it as well. Have fun!

that seems to be the most elegant solution! Any idea how much that is? Does it work with winamp? I hate iTunes...

[tjo o tjim]

Airport express doesn't work with Winamp as far as I know. There used to be a product that would hold the library and hook directly into the stereo. I think one of the later versions let you control it through a browser... but never used it myself. Can't remember the name of it right now; the company that made it I think makes the netflix streaming boxes as well.

[tjo o tjim]

The product I was thinking of is the Roku Sound Bridge. http://www.roku.com/products_soundbridge.php They have some interesting solutions.

[raro]

THAT looks interesting! Evn more intersting could be this Netflix box. Does anybody know whether this one can also play movies from a computer and not from Netflix? If no, is there something like that around?

[MisterBean]

This one is similar to the Roku soundbridge although I am not sure where you get one or the voltage but they get great reviews.

http://www.amazon.com/Turtle-Beach-AudioTr..._pr_product_top

Your post reminded me of this unit and I wanted to try one out, I remembered someone near my home in Cananda selling one for $35. I sent them an email to see if they still have it and I will pick it up if it is still available and let you know how it works.

[Gregory Morozov]

Creative Xmod Wireless

Note what the prices are in Singaporean dollars...

[MJo]

D-Link and Linksys have ready made solutions like Apple. I think they are called media centers etc and can be found in their web pages. This would be best option with external HDD's to store music. Also popcorn hour seems to be popular for music and vdo.

[raro]

D-Link and Linksys have ready made solutions like Apple. I think they are called media centers etc and can be found in their web pages. This would be best option with external HDD's to store music. Also popcorn hour seems to be popular for music and vdo.

You're my man!!

http://www-id.linksys.com/servlet/Satellit...d=4203585505B02

this one looks exactly like the gizmo I was thinking of! Can also do remote videos, which will be the next requirement once the 42" LCD screen is purchased. Will still take a month or two as the tax office just sent an invoice to poor raro...

/edit: any idea where to buy this? Their webpage shows no retailers for Thailand...

Edited February 2, 2009 by raro

[MJo]

I just updated my home theatre with proper lcd and AV receiver but did not have time yet to get this wireless part sorted out so just connect my mp3 player with cable for now. One thing to note is that it works on Wireless-N protocol so need to make sure your laptop or PC has it. I'm not an expert but i understood that you need the "N" connection to be able to stream vdo without problems.

In Singapore D-Link and Linksys stuff can be found in computer store that sell their normal wi-fi routers so i believe it should be available in bigger stores in Thailand as well. Or then at least in Phantip etc in Bangkok.

These guys claim to be preferred reseller but not sure if they provide only for companies. Maybe they can advice where to get in case your local store is not able to order for you. http://www.nsasia.co.th/linksys.html

Or you could order from US for $120 or so but not sure how much tax etc you have to pay in customs.

[urandom]

hmmm there's one way to make easy and free... just use VLC which can be used as a client AND as a server to stream whatever it can read.

http://www.videolan.org/vlc/streaming.html

http://www.videolan.org/doc/streaming-howto/en/streaming-howto-en.html

Edited February 6, 2009 by urandom

[phazey]

Airport express doesn't work with Winamp as far as I know. There used to be a product that would hold the library and hook directly into the stereo. I think one of the later versions let you control it through a browser... but never used it myself. Can't remember the name of it right now; the company that made it I think makes the netflix streaming boxes as well.

AirFoil is an app that allows any apps sound pipe through the airtunes audio port - mac only afaik.

[raro]

AirFoil is an app that allows any apps sound pipe through the airtunes audio port - mac only afaik.

I thought this is an English language forum??

Anyways...after an extensive research several solutions are available!

1) The Media Center. Comes from various manufacturers in various pricings. Cheapest I saw was in Singapore, about 6,500 Baht with a 500 GB disk. Most expensive also in Singapore around 16,000 Baht, basically the same thing but came also with a card reader. Could not make out any other difference between those two gizmos. /edit: the expensive one had also WiFi

2) wireless transmitter for audio and composite video. Comes at 1,850 in the electronic shop inThepprasit Road. At Tukcom the same thing costs you twice a much.

3) yes, wireless VGA and even HDMI transmission exists. I saw it on the internet, so it must be true! Not available in ingapore because frwuencies not yet approved and not available in Thailand because....well...it is new technology.

Will most likely go for the cheapest media center. Need a new HDD anyways, so deduct this expense frome the media center and the reminder is not that expensive. The 6,500 Baht unit in Singapore was able to play all sort of formats, including iso. It had no wireless, but what the heck....pump it up with 500 GB of movies and it is good for a couple of weeks!

Edited February 20, 2009 by raro

[meadish_sweetball]

Wireless works great for streaming music files. It is however not a good way of streaming high definition video content though. Wireless networks are much more erratic and prone to interference than wired ones.

You will get decent performance with streaming XviD/DivX .AVI files over wireless, so if that is all you need then you'll be happy, but do not expect anything with higher definition (such as 720p and 1080p BluRay rips) to work well, you are likely to get disappointed.

A Logitech Squeezebox would do what you need for music. All 'All in one' media centers trying to be jacks of all trade suffer from drawbacks in various areas. Some of them restrict your freedom by imposing DRM on you, meaning you cannot play the media you want. Others just don't have all the functions you would like, making them less convenient choices.

If I were you I'd get a Squeezebox for the music, and consider an NMT player (like the Popcorn Hour A-110) with an internal hard disk as well as connected via a wired Ethernet connection to your computer, to get maximum benefit of both music and movies.

Not so cheap perhaps, but it'll do all you want and you won't have to upgrade any time soon.

[Lite Beer]

Not exactly what Raro wants but I decided it was too far to run cables from my computer to the garden so I bought this Mini Boom Box. A small MP4 Player with buit in very powerful speakers (for the size). Download the music and take it outside. Can connect to external speaker if you want. Cost 2,900 Baht.

I found it in Tuk Com Khon Kaen. Had a few problems as the instruction book was in Chinese and I could not load the drivers. I took my computer into a guy I know in Tuk Com and he got it working.

Here is the website.. http://www.jwdigital.com/en/products_show.asp?id=440