C-Bus and Windows Media Center (LifeWare)

Does anyone know about C-Bus interfacing with Windows Media Center edition?

A lot of PR now goes for LifeWare by http://exceptionalinnovation.com - eye candy, they promote on CES2007, they team up with Microsoft and HP. They have a lot of interfacing with control brands (http://exceptionalinnovation.com/about_whitepapers.php?wp=connected_partners/index.html)

Actually we have clients, requesting LifeWare here or atleast same media features. Any advice?

 

Hi Nick

Not sure if this helps but xPL has a windows Media Centre plugin and also a CBUS plugin.........

http://www.xplmonkey.com/mce.html

http://www.xpl.myby.co.uk/info/xplcgate/

HTH
Frank

 

Thank you, Frank. this is not what I'm looking for. xPL provides the way to control some C-Bus functions from the computer, running Media Center. I need different thing.

I need MCE plugin (based most likely on C-Bus Windows Driver dll), so it would be available from any MCE device at home (xbox, zune, media consoles) along with media library.

Or maybe some integration between MCE and Homegate will be enough, like the ability to switch between applications using remote control buttons

 

Media Center

Nick,

Take a look at www.digitalhomeware.com.

Looks like a window you may want to peer through.

PM

 

Thank you, they are good, but they need to use their own controller, which is very very expensive.

All we need is WMC plugin for C-Bus, hardware is not needed (it's not easy to import computers from Ausralia).

 

I've looked at the lifeware stuff before... I don't know the validity of using a TV to turn your lights on and off...

Our experience with MCE tells us that it is a risky product to put into customers houses - we now seriously lock down the builds (think embedded) and image them to ensure consistency.

Plus, we're not that expensive

Arne

 

And that means what? It's free

 

Is the Zune capable of doing more than audio (and watching video) ?

 

It is also quite useful for linking x box 360

 

Life\Ware MCE

Any updates on the interface between cbus and MCE?

The Lifeware Juggernaught keeps growing but still no direct link to CBus!

 

American friends! Have anyone had conversations with Lifeware creators?

 

I know i this is an old thread but didn't think I should start a new one. Has anyone had any luck finding a MCE plugin yet, we install media centers in NZ and are getting into CBus and are wanting to join the two together. Has anyone had any luck with lifeware or any other product?

 

http://www.ili.co.nz/Products/iliCBuscontrolsoftwareforMediaCenter/tabid/74/Default.aspx

 

Thank you very much, looks like it is just what we are after.

 

Premise Gateway!!

We have a few installations that run MCE from homegate all running on the 1 computer, the button on the homegate page starts up MCE, you can then set up things like VNC and control everything from say an iphone wirelessly.....or i guess we can all wait till the Premise Gateway Comes out next year!!! From what i am hearing it sounds like a great little device

 

Can you use your remote to control the lights etc by doing that? We are wanting our customers to be able to control there lights etc from any TV using the Media Center remote. I will post my findings on this ili software. Has anybody else used it?

 

Premise Gateway

No, we can control the lighting through homegate then the music side through MCE so selecting zones and volume all on your Iphone, the Premise Gateway will do exactly what you want so end users will control C-Bus and MCE all from the remote on any TV in the house.........we just have to wait i believe it will be launched early 2009,

 

Can you make VNC work without disconnections and reboots for many days?
Our Iphone-remote desctop solution stays for 1-2 hours then dies until reboot.

 

Vnc

Hi Nickrusanov,

Yes!! the PC is running 24 hours a day and anytime i connect to it its fine no sync errors and never timesout, your solution could be timeing out after a specific time alot of VNC connections do that by default, im pleased to say that it is running "seamlessly" and am very happy with it as i can sit on the deck and choose a song through media centre then select zone and volume control in homegate. originally i tried all this with Server X, the clipsal software, but as a wireless solution its not great at all as it only allows 1 user at a time and causes all sorts of sync issues, again when the premise gateway comes out it will eliminate alot of these issues but for a free solution with your PC a wireless router and any wireless tablet, Iphone or PDA its great!!

 

Have been playing around with the ili media Center interface and it seems to work very well. Can even control lights from extenders witch is pretty cool. They also have this other software called onetouch which enables you to use media center as a touch screen.

"Seamless" you should give it a try, you might be pleasantly surprised.