I'll second that. Otherwise there looks like
quite
a lot of parsing needed to get that page into a format where I could ask my
PC
what's on @ 7 in the evening on BBC 1 and get a meaningful answer (assuming
I
can ever get voice recognition working of course....).
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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