Media Center IV

The Final Chapter

Now that Windows media center is out of the running the search continues for the solution. Here are the requirements:

- must work with an Xbox 360 as the client (not going to use 2 devices)
- must be non-proprietary (no iTunes-like control)
- must work with all or almost all media (multiple formats) on the server
- no TV recording or pvr functions needed as i don't use cable or sat

The xmbc linux solution was perfect except it would not sync the hdmi video thru the pre-amp and plasma tv (worked fine with lcd). So we are looking for plan B.

Since all the media is stored on the network i just need something to read the files and produce a display than is picked up by the xbox client.

The solution seems to be TVersity (http://tversity.com/) a software server. It currently only runs on windows and uses windows media player 11 for some functions but i can live with that for now as they have a linux version under development. The software is only $39 and can be purchased online (which i did). It will also work with some of our other devices such as the bedroom netbook, liam's psp and wii, my iTouch and the various computers strewn about the house. The website has lots of information.

Once purchased a download link is sent in an email message. The only problem was the link did not work - because the email is automated and adds a period after each sentence it thought the url was a sentence, once the ending period was stripped off the URL worked fine and i downloaded the .exe setup file.

Installed without a hitch and had it index the my music, my video and my pictures folders on the network. Next we went upstairs and fired up the xbox and the server showed right up. Connected and everything worked except most of the audio files could not be played. This is because they are high-rez flac, which every audiophile uses - get with the program microsoft!

So back downstairs. Adding flac support to windows media player is not easy. It requires downloading and installign the madFlac datashow decoder (tvsersity uses datashow) and then hacking the registry. Here is the registry patch:

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.flac]
@="FlacAudio"
"Content Type"="audio/x-flac"
"PerceivedType"="audio"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Multimedia\WMPlayer\MIME Types\audio/x-flac]
@="FlacAudio"
"UserApprovedOwning"="yes"
"Extensions.SpaceSep"=".flac"
"Extensions.CommaSep"="flac"
"Extension.Key"=".flac"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Multimedia\WMPlayer\Groups\Audio\flac]
@="FlacAudio"
"Description"="Includes files with .flac extensions."
"Extensions"=".flac"
"FriendlyTypeName"="Flac Audio File"
"MIME Types"="audio/x-flac"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Multimedia\WMPlayer\Extensions\.flac]
"Permissions"=dword:0000000f
"UserApprovedOwning"="yes"
"Runtime"=dword:00000007
"PerceivedType"="audio"
"MediaType.Description"="Flac Audio File"
"Extension.Handler"="FlacAudio"
"Extension.MIME"="audio/x-flac"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\Player\Extensions\Descriptions]
"414"="Flac Audio File (.flac)"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\Player\Extensions\MUIDescriptions]
"414"="Flac Audio File"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\Player\Extensions\Types]
"414"="*.flac"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\MLS\Extensions]
"flac"="audio"

Now flac files play in the media play. I also set up the Wii to connect to the tvestity media center using the flash interface. Kind of ugly but it works with the wii web browser, which is Opera. You can download it for free. It's quite a bit slower than the xbox which is connected via 100mb cable while the wii is such wireless G. One annoyance is that the xbox doesn't have a web browser per se so getting to online content is a bit harder - you have to see up RSS feeds or playlists for internet content. I want to get Hulu channels set up. Of course, since this is Canada we are not allowed to get Hulu (ban the CRTC!) but since i live in Detroit it's no problem. In face, there is a web site called bugmenot.com that has usernames for sites that require registration that you can use for such things...

Anyway dragged some hulu channels into the media server - will see how it works later. Must say hulu is getting some decent content.

PS - xbox live has a facebook extension so you can connect to fb, but it is kind of lame...