770 as a itunes and home media remote

[SpaceBass]

Hey Folks,
I'm contemplating a 770 as a way to control iTunes and maybe even other home media operations. Currently I have a whole house audio with about 5 airport express zones. I also have an Asterisk VoIP server, I do some bitcasting (downloading torrented content automatically via RSS). I have a mac mini hooked up to 2 out of 3 TVs in the house and access iTunes music, videos and my pictures via a drive shared off a windows 2003 server.

I'd like to use the 770 as a remote for at least iTunes if not even more. A while ago I found a shell script for OS X that did some apple talk stuff to let you control iTunes via the command line. Using my Asterisk box I created an extension I could dial and then control iTunes via the phone. I just issued an SSH statement with the itunes comands for the remote mac. I'm assuming I can do something similar with the 770 but I'd like to actually create buttons, get a list of the entire library, what song is currently playing and even control the airport zones.

I'm not really a coder- some shell and basic apple talk, but I'm willing to learn a bit if anyone thought it was easy enough. I really don't have the skill set to write full C or python (or any) apps from scratch.

I guess my questions are: are scripts and ssh supported by the 770? What about existing projects to do what I'm after? I've done some reading here and some simple searching but all I see is streaming from iTunes to the 770.

I'd appericate ANY feedback!
Thanks
-N

[jimmy100]

>are scripts and ssh supported by the 770?
Yes. ssh isn't there by default, but dropbear ssh client/server and open ssh have been ported.

>What about existing projects to do what I'm after?
What about using vnc to control iTunes directly on your mac(s)? You could only control 1 computer at a time, but it would require minimal coding on your part.

Jimmy

[DaveC]

I have a Mac Mini also as my home media server. I am using a nice freeware program called BrowserTunes (http://homepage.mac.com/markburgess3/browserTunes/index.htm, unfortunately it isn't being actively developed anymore, but the current version works fairly well) which will fit your needs nicely. You run it on your Mac Mini and it will allow any web broser that can get to the Mac Mini's IP address on port 8080 to control iTunes via a Text Based or 2 different GUI web page based interfaces. No hacking/coding necessary.

Give it a try, can't beat the price.

Dave

[SpaceBass]

>What about existing projects to do what I'm after?
What about using vnc to control iTunes directly on your mac(s)? You could only control 1 computer at a time, but it would require minimal coding on your part.

Jimmy

Well, i thought about VNC and not sure it completely fits the bill.
VNC on OS X has poor proformance on OS X. But more importantly, I'm worried it won't really feel like a remote. The resloution would have to be at least 1024xwhatever to get the iTunes screen to fit and I suspect that would be hard to read and use.

That being said, I'm execting to only control one mac... from that I can send music to any or all zones. However that doesn't let me play different things in different zones...

I'm trying to mimic the Sonos player/controller in essence.

I guess I'm unsure about dropping $300 for a VNC client and I'm unsure my wife would warm to the user expirence of that.

[gesteves]

There's also PatioTunes (http://www.mindola.com/patiotunes/) and netTunes (http://www.shirt-pocket.com/netTunes/netTunesDescription.html).

[SpaceBass]

I have a Mac Mini also as my home media server. I am using a nice freeware program called BrowserTunes (http://homepage.mac.com/markburgess3/browserTunes/index.htm, unfortunately it isn't being actively developed anymore, but the current version works fairly well) which will fit your needs nicely. You run it on your Mac Mini and it will allow any web broser that can get to the Mac Mini's IP address on port 8080 to control iTunes via a Text Based or 2 different GUI web page based interfaces. No hacking/coding necessary.

Give it a try, can't beat the price.

Dave

This just might be it! At leat this provides an interface...

I'm still curious what would be involved in graphical programing for the 770. Like I said my exprience is limited, but if there was a visual builder that would basically let me create a window with buttons that executed scripts, I think I could mock something up.

Thanks Dave! great app and suggestion!

[DaveC]

Well, i thought about VNC and not sure it completely fits the bill.
VNC on OS X has poor proformance on OS X. But more importantly, I'm worried it won't really feel like a remote. The resloution would have to be at least 1024xwhatever to get the iTunes screen to fit and I suspect that would be hard to read and use.

It's a little sluggish but quite usable. You can always set the resolution on your MacMini to a lower one (ie. 800x600), mine is hooked up to my HDTV (a slightly older one) and is cranking out a custom resolution of 960x540 (using DisplayConfigX) so the amount of scrolling around on the N770's VNC Client is minimal and quite usable.

That being said, I'm execting to only control one mac... from that I can send music to any or all zones. However that doesn't let me play different things in different zones...

The interface with BrowserTunes is pretty good, but occasionally it gets a bit strange (dropped control buttons and partially loaded pages) and I have to refresh the page a couple of times to get it working. Some of the playlist selections are a bit flaky too, no biggie though.

The added benefit of using the VNC client and accessing iTunes directly on your MacMini is that you can control stuff like the Remote Speakers (as iTunes now does MULTIPLE Airport Express speakers!!!) and the EQ.

I guess I'm unsure about dropping $300 for a VNC client and I'm unsure my wife would warm to the user expirence of that.

I'm using the free Nokia 770 VNC client you can d/l at this web site and a free OS X VNC Server called OSXVnc (http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/11283). Or are you referring to the Sonos costing $300.

Dave

P.S. Here is a screen capture of what the "Fancy" Browser Tunes interface looks like. Pretty nice actually. Betcha if you get into the resources of the BrowserTunes Application package you can easily change the graphics for the background and the buttons. There are also several other text/simple html/pda display formats that are selectable as well.

[thoughtfix]

I'd say the VNC client or BrowserTunes is the way to go. Both will do the trick easily.

[psychoboogie]

what flavor of vnc works on the mac mini.

jo-E

[thoughtfix]

what flavor of vnc works on the mac mini.

jo-E

Try this: http://www.redstonesoftware.com/vnc.html

And use Google to find your answers. That was the first hit for:
Mac VNC Server

[psychoboogie]

thanks Daniel. I have built in apple remote desktop one enabled, not liking it.

[SpaceBass]

Glad to have gotten such a response from this thread!

I'm still not very excited about using VNC as I really want to mimic something more like the Sonos remote. However, BrowserTunes seems to fit the bill I think.

That being said, I started playing with FrontRow today (hacked version) and if that works over VNC it would be AMAZING and I'd be more than happy about that... althought still not sure VNC is completely usable for my wife or other non-tech savy users.... then again if it didn't require a password and I just saved the profile, it may work fine.

[MACDADDY]

Search threads for Slimserver. It uses iTunes library & works on Mac & PC.

[Robette]

dont know about drivers, but why not use an xbox 360 controller? its not like you want to leave your 770 laying around anyway.

the other solution is to use hal 2000. its like asterisk @ home in that you can use your phone to play movies and stuff.