Media Streamer 1.1-2 with image playback support released

[bsterix]

"Media Streamer UPnP AV control point application released with image playback support, a lot of usability improvements and bug fixes."

Does anybody know which improvements and bugfixes are included? Has anybody tested the new version?

Thanks
bsterix

[jcords]

I have it running, my impression is that it´s more stable, e.g. the older version crashed frequently when I tried to close it. Now this seems resolved, hopefully.
I was not able to detect any changes in the usability though.
The image browser is quite simple in its options, pictures can only be viewed in one single option, fit to screen. There are no additional options, the Zoom-buttons are not working in this application, I hope Nokia will adress that in the next versions.

[daveb70]

bsterix- I can't say I've truly "tested" it, but I'm using it currently as I reply here. I didn't do much with the previous version other than look at the interface.

Thanks to UPnP working as designed, I've linked it up to SimpleCenter 4.0 http://www.simplecenter.com/downloadinfo.html on the desktop. As soon as I enabled the server portion of SC it immediately appeared in the Media Streamer Media servers list-I recently turned off my XP firewall for another purpose, else it likely would've triggered notification by it.

Navigation is pretty fluid, drilling down and up through the levels is fast but seems to impact the start of a song if you just changed and then immediately start to navigate the media server. I wish it had the ability to select multiple files from the filelist to add to the playlist, but every button combination I tried yielded either another function or no function. Yes, you can drag an entire folder over and drop it into the playlist and get the full contents added.

Streaming to the 770 from the desktop worked just fine. I ran into an issue when using the 770 to control playback of SC on the Windows box. Most songs exhibited a muffled click coinciding with different parts of the beat during playback. It's hard to know if it's the fault of the Nokia or SC, or even the songs (not likely)- sound plays just fine if interfacing directly with SC. I tested and it doesn't matter if it's VBR or a larger MP3, so for now I'm stumped. I'll suffer for now just for the novelty of it.

At last I have the incentive I need to unbox my Omnifi DMS1 and get it rigged so I can (hopefully) control playback of it via the 770. I'm told SC 4.0 supports the DMS1, but sadly they dropped the DMP1 (automobile unit), which only mattered for the sake of sync, not necessarily streaming playback.

So far so good. Yes, image playback is more like your very basic slideshow function, which is fine for me, but I suppose for all those who intend to entertain house guests with their family's digital photo album it won't cut it. But then, if you're that particular, you could just build your own interactive multimedia DVD for that purpose, or play with the Windows XP MCE tools. :)

These features would be nice, not necessarily possible:

playback of a song while viewing a playlist of images (or vice versa)

playback control of the 770 and remote server independently-play song A on the 770 while playing song B on the PC. At this time control is explicit to one device or another.

multiple file selections - a la "shift" or "control" select capability



I'll admit I am not as heavily into the MP3/media content scene as others are, so their needs/demands will certainly be different and likely go beyond mine. I think, like everything so far Nokia has provided with the 770, this is a great start, and I'm sure the trend will continue to show that improvements and reasonable requests get implemented as we put it to regular use and make our preferences known.

In a word, slick. :cool:

~Dave

[count zero]

I downloaded simpleplayer because I saw it on tableteer.
But it is only a 30 days trial.

Are ther any free upnp servers for windows?

[jcords]

http://nokia770.wordpress.com/2006/09/25/streaming-audio-and-images/

[daveb70]

http://nokia770.wordpress.com/2006/09/25/streaming-audio-and-images/

Not sure if this was to answer count zero's question, but for the record, as popular as the Twonky product is, it too is a 30-day trial or purchase option. And the Philips application referenced there is just an older version, badged for Philips, of the SimpleCenter program. I don't believe you can download it- it's included with your Philips device. For more details on the versions/history of SC, check here: http://wiki.simplecenter.org/display/GEN/The+SimpleCenter+Story

Sidenote: They did release the sourcecode for SC last month. Hopefully this will accelerate the refinement and enhancement of the product.

Check out TVersity if you want a free UPnP server app-http://www.tversity.com/
I am not against paying for something immensely useful which also contains every feature I want. For now I'll enjoy SimpleCenter until it expires and then see how a few other media server apps work.

I myself have not yet installed the Twonky media server but it is on my list.. Although not in the same vein, I tried the Slimdevices SlimServer for XP and the Rhythmbox app on the 770 awhile back and it performed as expected. Currently no IT2006 version is available and further development looks iffy.

Hopefully with the partnership Nokia has with SC support (for their N80 phone) we'll see other device-specific options such as a sync option for the 770. No, I don't personally care to sync my music to my 770 but you know someone out there does!

If Nokia can work out some of the codec/format issues for the popular video hosting sites out there, maybe TVedia will become more attractive. http://www.8dim.com/products/ I don't recall what the free version limits are on this product, but the interface is not bad looking, what you'd expect of a MCE system.

In time we'll see more and better applications, for reasonable prices and free. I'm just enjoying exploring the different ones and haven't fixated on any one in particular.

~Dave

[BanditRider]

I'm using the UPnP media server in my Linksys WRTSL54GS wireless router and it works quite well with the Nokia Media Streamer application. I don't even need my PC to be turned on.

[niko]

4free and running:

"Philips Media Manager" (http://www.consumer.philips.com/consumer/catalog/concept_more_info.jsp?concept=SB30000002&theme=streamium_pmm&language=en&country=US&catalogType=CONSUMER&proxybuster=31F1OQUUAM2VJJ0RMRCSHQVHKFSESI5P)

"Windows Media Connect" (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=e93a0ba1-1206-4df5-a3e7-f076691261ef&DisplayLang=de)

"AV Media Server" from Intel (400KB)
It is part of a cool package that Intel gives away for free.
Intel® Tools for UPnP Technologies (http://www.intel.com/cd/ids/developer/asmo-na/eng/downloads/upnp/overview/index.htm)
Lots of tools for testing and monitoring your UPnP apps.

[dskeeles]

4free and running:

"Philips Media Manager" (http://www.consumer.philips.com/consumer/catalog/concept_more_info.jsp?concept=SB30000002&theme=streamium_pmm&language=en&country=US&catalogType=CONSUMER&proxybuster=31F1OQUUAM2VJJ0RMRCSHQVHKFSESI5P)

"Windows Media Connect" (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=e93a0ba1-1206-4df5-a3e7-f076691261ef&DisplayLang=de)


Hi,

How did you get Media Connect to work with the 770?

I have it installed as standard with my MCE2005 install, but the 770 won't pick it up despite multiple refreshes. However, it WILL pick up Simple Centre straight away.

My HTC Hermes running Ruedocontrol does pick up Media Connect, so the problem doesn't seem to be with the server... All settings on it are open, where possible.

Thanks!!!!


[d]

[disq]

How did you get Media Connect to work with the 770?

I have it installed as standard with my MCE2005 install, but the 770 won't pick it up despite multiple refreshes. However, it WILL pick up Simple Centre straight away.


it just worked here (xp pro, sp2)
installed WMC, it wouldn't see the 770 right away so I clicked next (without selecting any devices that is) then I configured the folder sharing, in the meantime it detected the mediastreamer/770 (as an "unknown device") in the devices tab which i just allowed access to. the 770 picked it up right away.

my problem is i can't seem to watch videos with this setup. it (mediastreamer) either says "object not found" and/or simply won't do anything. (it's the same with simplecenter, by the way)

edit: turns out mediastreamer doesn't yet support video playback. oops.

[lauriek]

It works quite nicely here with 'simple' thingy server. One thing I can't seem to work out though, how on earth do I save playlists on the 770 MS client??

[=DC=]

Yeah, I haven't figured that one out either lauriek. I'm still pretty new to the whole UPnP thing, and would also like to know if playlists are supported. And if so, why is it not in Media Streamer?

[MikeL]

It works quite nicely here with 'simple' thingy server. One thing I can't seem to work out though, how on earth do I save playlists on the 770 MS client??I do know that saving of playlists is not a current feature of MediaStreamer. However many UPnP Media Servers do allow playlists from WMP, iTunes etc to be served by the media server in a similar way to the actual stored media content. I suggest you read the FAQ's of Tversity and Twonky for example to understand better how playlist are created and then re-fed to the media player via the UPnP Server presented media tree. (Although I am aware, Playlists are a feature that I have NOT used so much, so cannot guide you further)

Here is a semi-formal request I made in the Media Streamer Open discussion forum for DIRECT Playlist support, where it would be useful if more users added their vote perhaps https://garage.maemo.org/forum/forum.php?thread_id=356&forum_id=251

[ilia]

any nice uPnP Servers for OSX ?

[=DC=]

Thanks for clearing that up for us.

[lauriek]

Yep thanks for that!

FYI I found that Simple Centre allows you to setup playlists (and you can then play these lists on the /server/), but the 770 Media Streamer application doesn't see those playlists, perhaps they are only available on the server?

I also had a quick look at Twonky - this also features playlists on the server side but I cannot even work out how to set one up yet!

Also I discovered that Simple Centre has a nice facility where you can control the music playback on the server from the 770 MS client. Twonky doesn't seem to have this functionality...

I will now head over to your link and try to add myself to the list of people who would like playlist support of some kind in MS. Its a nice app but to be honest its pretty /useless/ without the ability to save playlists...

[MikeL]

The TVersity (http://tversity.com) UPnP Media Server supports m3u and pls playlists where all you need to do with TVersity is share the folder where your playlists are stored and then when you search the Media Tree i.e. Audio - My Audio - Playlists using Media Streamer you should be good to go. Here is an example of very simple m3u playlist stored in My Music folder which I have just tested playback with Media Streamer :-
H:\My Music\Jamiroquai\A Funk Odyssey\Stop Don't Panic.mp3
H:\My Music\Jamiroquai\A Funk Odyssey\Corner Of The Earth.mp3
H:\My Music\Jamiroquai\A Funk Odyssey\Feel So Good.mp3
H:\My Music\Jamiroquai\A Funk Odyssey\You Give Me Something.mp3
H:\My Music\Jamiroquai\A Funk Odyssey\Twenty Zero One.mp3
H:\My Music\Jamiroquai\A Funk Odyssey\Picture Of My Life.mp3
H:\My Music\Jamiroquai\A Funk Odyssey\Love Foolsophy.mp3
H:\My Music\Jamiroquai\A Funk Odyssey\Black Crow.mp3
H:\My Music\Jamiroquai\A Funk Odyssey\Little L.mp3
H:\My Music\Jamiroquai\A Funk Odyssey\Main Vein.mp3Playlists can be created/manipulated by almost all PC Media Players i.e. Winamp, WMP where you can usually specify the format of your saved playlist very easily etc.

TIP: with Media streamer if you select a UPnP server served playlist folder but do not open it, then add the folder to the Media Streamer playlist ALL tracks within the playlist folder are added to the "on the fly" Media Streamer playlist where it can be further manipulated using the Media streamer promote/demote track option for example.

This way numerous prepared playlists created/stored in your master music storage area are always available for merging and manipulating on the fly (This is my understanding anyway)

I agree that saving the playlist is what we ultimately need but then we will want to save locally on the Nokia 770 and remotely in our central music store.