Schedule Plus - New Features Details

[bmerrick]

Hi Guys,

Just wondering if there was an application note or further usage notes on the new Media Transport Control. I am currently using the normal MS Media player plug-in / media control but want to build something smaller, in a sub-page and more 'menu system integrated' if possible.

Also wondering whether the Media Transport Control means Clipsal now plans to release a built-in generic 'UPnP media server' access control to Homegate/Schedule Plus without needing to use MS Media Player as an intermediate device?

Just a further small issue I noticed with SP 4.9.2. Sometimes when going into 'Panel Mode' on a normal Windows machine running Schedule Plus (after doing some editing etc), the software leaves the Windows Task Bar along the bottom of the screen and doesn't remove it. Sometimes exiting panel mode and then going back to Panel Mode fixes the problem, but other times requires a SP restart.

Thanks,

Brad

[bmerrick]

Answering my own questions, I found some information about Media Transport Control, but more specifically MRA application notes at:

http://www.cbusforums.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1264&d=1272429265

Would still like Q2 and Q3 answered if anyone can help.

Thanks,

Brad

[NickD]

Not sure what you're asking in Q2.. can you be more specific about what you would like?

Can't help you with Q3.. darren may be able to when he's back from leave.

Nick

[bmerrick]

Hi Nick,

Thanks for responding.

MS Media Player is IMHO a sometimes buggy whale of a media player (though feature rich) with lots of security alerts, and fails with errors quite often sometimes for no apparent reason. This gives rise to the Media Control in SP freezing or displaying the 'Application Error in Media Player - clear this error' etc on the SP screen requiring exiting Panel Mode and fixing the error before re-entering panel mode. This happens quite often when the media is on a remote network hard drive due drives disconnecting/standbying etc.

Most of my friends and clients run these Hard Drive based uPNP/DLNA compliant media servers on their internal home networks and it would be good to have a DIRECT SP cBus application (eg 'special pages controls' or SP 'tools' combined with an SP cBus app or something) that could directly talk to these uPNP style media servers. I realise it means replicating a media player function within SP, but I am sure it could be written quite leanly (like for instance the Samsung media player built into their TVs/DVD etc) by supporting just a few file types, and not video, skins, streaming, security, digital rights management, visualisations, Album Art, Library Managment etc etc that bloats the MS player making it chew up loads of CPU/Memory resources behind your SP touch-screens menu.

Most of the base support seems to already be there in SP with the 'Media Link Group' and 'Media Transport Control' etc in 4.9.2, but just not uPNP/DLNA directly. Also using this function seems to require the MRA matrix switcher and MP3 streamer installed. What if you just want a SP/cTouch touch screens in every room and play the music through them without MRA?

Hope this helps explain what I want to do and I may have missed this functionality in the Marpa app notes etc. so if its there, please tell me how.

Summing up, I would love to use the 'Media Link Group' and 'Media Transport Control' in SP to DIRECTLY talk to uPNP/DLNA media servers. Any way or coming soon?

Thanks,

Brad

[bmerrick]

Hi Darren,

are you back yet and able to suggest something?

Thanks,

Brad

[Darren]

I think I understand what you are wanting.

Schedule Plus can control C-Bus media devices though "media link groups" on the Media Transport Control Application. This is not intended to control non-C-Bus devices (such as uPnP media servers etc).

The Media Client is a separate application which can be popped up from Schedule Plus to enable the remote control of various media "back ends" including Windows Media Player and Slim Server. This could be extended one day to include uPnP and DLNA; it is just a matter of priority as we have a lot of other things to do.

[bmerrick]

Hi Darren,

It sure would be good if you could stream directly from a DLNA/UPNP type server as most new products in the marketplace can eg WDTV Live etc. Also having MS Media player in the background on a touch screen is 'workable' but not really rock solid stable to use on a day to day use basis as stated before.

Most touch screens now have fairly good sound cards on-board and so with just a few ceiling speakers linked to the touch screen running Schedule Plus / Homegate, you can sort out in-room audio/video which can also do Internet based apps eg You Tube, News Streaming Video, Internet Radio etc.

Thanks and looking forward to its imminent release :p

Brad