I
have
now have listing for ALL terrestrial, cable and satellite stations.
If
people are interested, I may be able to make these available for download
in
"friendly" format.
Cheers
Graham
-----Original Message----- From: Oliver Pell
[mailto:odp@xxxxxxx] Sent: 07 March 2001 09:25 To:
ukha_d@xxxxxxxSubject: Re: [ukha_d] WHA, controlling
MP3's
Hi Graham,
How are you downloading TV listings? I'm
putting
together something similar to this myself (minus Homevision) and I've
managed
to get the weather data from the Metoffice website but I haven't come
across
anywhere with TV listings in a friendly format.
I currently have the following
setup: HomeVision
controller Dedicated HA
PC with
~6GB of MP3s
1 soundcard linked to the lounge
HiFi Pronto remote
I have created
some screens in HomeVision that I use to select the tracks to play, by
using the Pronto remote with a A-Z, 0-9 keyboard. I created
the pronto "keyboard" using "standard" remote codes, so that HomeVision
would be able to decode and recognise them.
In addition to this I
have written a "helper" application that runs in parallel to the
HomeVision software and communicates using DDE. This application
performs a number of tasks including the
following: Watches for variable changes,
to determine what MP3s to play Downloads
weather information every 15 mins & updates
HomeVision Watches the 1-wire
bus Downloads TV Listings once a
week Forces HomeVision to display
(overlaid) information of favourite TV programs about to
start. ...and lots more when I think of
it.
The Weather, TV Listings and MP3 Listing are all held on SQL
Server.
So this is what happens. I
bring up the music selection screen in
HomeVision Select the
track(s) The HomeVision helper app then
plays the tracks on the lounge HiFi (switching it on, and selecting AUX
if necessary)
I also plan to install >1 sound card to enable
multi-zone control. As I'm not using WinAmp I have more control,
so
should be able to independently control >1 soundcards.
Hope
this helps Graham
-----Original Message----- From: Paul Gordon
[mailto:paul_gordon@xxxxxxx] Sent: 05 March 2001 15:07 To:
ukha_d@xxxxxxxSubject: Re: [ukha_d] WHA, controlling
MP3's
> >WHA, controlling MP3'sI'm pondering WHA at the
moment - though controlled >entirely by a PC. My HA PC (when I
eventually get all the pieces together >in one box) will have a
graphics card with TV out so I was planning on >plugging that into a
TV, then either using a radio mouse/keyboard (not >ideal) or
preferably using an IR keyboard and just learning a few
crucial >buttons onto a Pronto (BTW has anyone done
this?
I
have exactly this arrangement, and tried to do just what you
have described. Basically, I had no success getting the pronto to learn
the IR from the keyboard :-( However, I have subsequently changed
to a different IR keyboard (A "digital Edge" one), and I haven't tried
to
learn anything from that into the Pronto yet... so fingers
crossed...
can it be done?). I was planning on a more
ambitious system giving actual whole house control via a web interface,
but if you just want music then I don't see why you just couldn't use
WinAmp/whatever normally. > >If you don't have a dedicated PC
already it might be pricey but it would >still be cheaper than
dedicated touch screens in each room, I should think. >Especially if
you have a lot of televisions around the place (I'm only >really
interested in one control point)
Dedicated touchcreens, whilst
undoubtedly one of the most attractive options, is also far and away the
most expensive! - Even the dreaded... (wait for it...) EPODS at the
bargain knock-down price of £230-ish is more expensive than a DDAR. -
Plus of course, there aren't any left at that price, so you can pretty
much forget about getting any touchscreen solution for any less money
than that. (Even the bog-standard monochrome X10 Touchlinc screens are
£287.88, and that's without any kind of stand or wall-mount
kit...)
As far as a PC-based system is concerned, 'cos I have lots
of
PC's, I have up till now just put a PC wherever I need an audio zone - I
figured that sending ethernet from place to place is easier (and better)
than sending audio over long cable runs... This gives zone-able output,
but still doesn't address the problem of selection/control. I still
haven't really got a solution to this... - For example, in the master
bedroom, because SWMBO wouldn't let me put a PC in there, I drilled a
holw stright through the wall to my study which is adjacent, and fed an
audio cable from the amplifier in the bedroom through to a PC in the
study. So to select tracks or control the player, I have to wander into
the next room, and use the PC.. (not ideal!) Next step will probably be
to put a radio-based cordless keyboard on that PC, and feed another
cable
through the wall to connect the TV-out on the PC to the TV in the
bedroom. Alternatively, I have just resurrected my old laptop (Thanks
Vince!) and I might see if I can get away with sneaking that into the
bedroom...
Longer term, I'm thinking of a single PC in node 0, with
multiple soundcards (ideally about 4 of them!) giving 4-zone independent
control. Ideally, I'd then be able to use it in either of 2 main
configurations: a) individual zones, for listening to a seprate audio
feed in any zone, when I'm in one room and SWMBO is in another... b)
Whole-house audio, - IE sending the same single audio feed to all
zones simultaneously, for parties and so on. I still don't know what
combination of hardware/software will currently allow that level of
control - IE with 4 soundcards, how do I "bind" a particular instance of
a player (Winamp for example), to a particular soundcard? If I manage
that OK, I then have 4 instances of Winamp on a single PC, so how do I
seperately control each instance from a remote location? In the other
scenario, how would I then "kill" the other 3 Winamp instances, and then
"bind" a sinlge Winamp instance to all 4 soundcards to get te
whole-house
audio that I want?
Questions Questions!!
Paul
G.
> > > Hi
list, > > I'm a new member so forgive me if this
subject has come up before. >Basically I'm very interested in a whole
house audio solution, however I >see one significant drawback
limiting
how I would personally like to >implement
it. > > I have an Empeg (www.empeg.com) Car MP3 car
stereo. In order to listen >to MP3's on the device I have
ripped
my entire CD collection and keep a >local copy on a PC and sync this
up with my empeg every time I buy a new >CD. Obviously, if I
were to install WHA I would like to use my MP3's as >one of the music
sources. I know I can buy a DDAR but that requires a >receiver
in every room I wish to listen to MP3's in, hardly an
ideal >solution,
which would result in a crippled WHA system as I don't really >like
the idea of buying 5-10 DDAR's!!! > > The other way
of doing this would be to wire the MP3 player into a
more >traditional
central source/amplifiers WHA solution. This obviously
leaves >you wondering how you choose which MP3 you want to listen to,
etc. I don't >want to be tied to a PC monitor or TV to show MP3
status/info displays. > > Basically, the ideal
solution would be a customisable wallmount LCD >touchscreen in every
room, so you could control the rest of the WHA and >possible HVAC,
etc
from this LCD. The screen would have to be inexpensive >in
order
to be affordable for every room. Does anyone have any
idea >whether there are suitable solutions available, or will I have
to work on a >homebrew device? > >
Cheers, > >
M >
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