Missing bits and pieces for fairly complete features set....

[bulek]

Hi,

I thought I'd start to make a list of features that are currently most wanted in my real LMCE system running in my family house... Please don't get me wrong, I don't want to complain, I just wish to make a list of features that are probably needed to have a fairly complete system usable in real home environment....

I'd be happy to hear your opinions, additions ....

1. speech announcements
Currently speech announcement breaks any media playlist that is playing (in my 710b4 system it goes mad after audio announcement - it plays songs in 10 secs chunks and disappears from Orbiter so only Router Reload helps... There is already mantis thread assigned for this...

2. support for more devices on floorplan
Currently only limited set of devices can be shown on floorplan and be controlled from there. Some of them are also pretty deep hardcoded, so one cannot easily change any behavour.... What I think is needed :
- clean way to show devices on floorplans based on their category (or any other specific data) - so one can easily add new device (template,icon, etc..) and it can be shown and used on floorplans...
- possibility to show arbitrary info about devices on floorplan (JonDecker began to work on it, but I don't have any info about his progress)... So user can easily specify what will be shown on floorplan for those devices that don't have any special meaning to plugins...
- most wanted and not supported in my home are blinds (0-100%), brightness sensors,

3. proper security events out of motion controlled cameras
- currently motion controlled camera doesn't trigger proper security alert. AFAIK, this problem is being worked on, I'm just mentioning it...

4. connection of MD or Squeezebox (or any other media playing capable LMCE device) to amplifiers (mostly rs232 controlled)
- this scenario is not solved at the moment (briefly: audio pipe doesn't solve this one - pretty well described on other threads in forums)....
- I think this scenario is pretty common, at least for smaller one family houses (with one Core connected to rs232 controlled amplifier and one larger set of speakers in living room)....

Thanks in advance,

regards,

Bulek.

[1audio]

4. connection of MD or Squeezebox (or any other media playing capable LMCE device) to amplifiers (mostly rs232 controlled)
- this scenario is not solved at the moment (briefly: audio pipe doesn't solve this one - pretty well described on other threads in forums)....
- I think this scenario is pretty common, at least for smaller one family houses (with one Core connected to rs232 controlled amplifier and one larger set of speakers in living room)....

I'm confused by this. I have seen LMCE work very reliably with Denon and Yamaha RS232 controlled receivers. Perhaps some more details will help me understand your issue.

[Blackhat]

1-3: I'm not currently involved in those parts of LMCE, so kudos for bringing them to attention... but unfortunately I can't help with them.

4: I agree with the previous poster.  I'm not sure exactly what you mean by "Amplifier".  Are you talking about Receivers?  There are actually quite a few supported and the list is growing (I'm currently ironing out a Onkyo TX-SR805 driver as we speak).  Is there a particular amplifier you're trying to use?  While my work load is fairly rough with what I'm working on, I'd be willing to look at helping create a driver for another Receiver.

It's a little difficult for us to create a large amount of drivers because it's mostly necessary for us to have the equipment to work with.  That gets difficult for someone like me because I can't afford to have one of everything 

[bulek]

4. connection of MD or Squeezebox (or any other media playing capable LMCE device) to amplifiers (mostly rs232 controlled)
- this scenario is not solved at the moment (briefly: audio pipe doesn't solve this one - pretty well described on other threads in forums)....
- I think this scenario is pretty common, at least for smaller one family houses (with one Core connected to rs232 controlled amplifier and one larger set of speakers in living room)....

I'm confused by this. I have seen LMCE work very reliably with Denon and Yamaha RS232 controlled receivers. Perhaps some more details will help me understand your issue.

Hi,

I've pretty well described my problem here : http://forum.linuxmce.org/index.php?topic=4701.0

I'm not sure if at the moment MD or Squeezebox can be "logically" properly connected to Marantz or other rs232 reciever, cause of problem described in above thread...

Any opinion? Are you actually using Squeezebox or MD connected to receiver? How do you cope with On command at the end of play ? I get some noise from speakers, when amplifier is on, so I'd like to have it off while not playing...

Some other threads with similar discussion :
http://forum.linuxmce.org/index.php?topic=4594.0
http://forum.linuxmce.org/index.php?topic=4102.0

http://mantis.linuxmce.org/view.php?id=3910

Thanks in advance,

regards,

Bulek.

[PeteK]

BuleK, I've tracked your Marantz work, and I thought the problem was an MD/multi-room audio issue.  How does this issue apply to a squeezebox.  I ask because I have a similar set-up (squeezebox connected to Denon multi-room receiver).

Thanks,
-PeteK

[bulek]

BuleK, I've tracked your Marantz work, and I thought the problem was an MD/multi-room audio issue.  How does this issue apply to a squeezebox.  I ask because I have a similar set-up (squeezebox connected to Denon multi-room receiver).

Thanks,
-PeteK

Hi,

thanks for info. I just assumed that this problem could come up also with squeezebox, but obviously it's not. So on,off,volume +- commands get properly propagated through audio pipe to Denon receiver ?

If yes, then the problem stays only for MDs that are connected that way (basically the problem lies in fact that on/off commands are propagated through audio pipe if you connect MD to it ...

(but those are opposite for Orbiter, but volume commands are treated by App Server - now if you connect Xine player to pipe, then you get proper on/off commands but no volume, if you connect MD to pipe, you get wrong on/off commands, but proper volume commands)

Anyway, happy to hear that Squeezebox is insensitive to that problem... I'll connect SB to my receiver imediately :-)....

Regards,

Bulek.

[PeteK]

Bulek--

I haven't put the squeezebox on the 0710 build, but when I had it connected to the Denon receiver (with an audio pipe), Power, mute, and volume all were working. The Denon would power on to begin playing music, then power off after it was complete.  I'm not currently using the multi-room functionality (though I'd like to), and I have trouble often getting the Denon to come up after router reload (probably having to do with the Ruby initialization code for it and the fact that its serial port is coming through a GC100).  Otherwise, I'm not seeing any of the MD pipe-related issues with it.

[hari]

the Denon amp we had at the LinuxTAG booth worked flawlessly. My Marantz at home also has no issues. I route audio in it and video through it. We did not use multiroom features at the booth and I also don't use MR @ home.

best regards,
Hari

[bulek]

the Denon amp we had at the LinuxTAG booth worked flawlessly. My Marantz at home also has no issues. I route audio in it and video through it. We did not use multiroom features at the booth and I also don't use MR @ home.

best regards,
Hari

Hi,

thanks for info. I'd just kindly ask for your comment on this problem (it's not caused by multiroom feature) :
- you have MD connected to Marantz by audio (and video in your case)
- you start playing playlist on MD (Xine player)
- Marantz receives proper vol+ vol- and other commands
- but, when you stop playing media, then Marantz is expected to get Off command, so amplifier is shut down. But what really happens is that Orbiter receives On command (that is probably needed to redraw screen and start displaying main menu screen) and On command gets propagated to Marantz amplifier, so it's switched On instead of Off.

I tried to avoid that situtation by connecting Xine player directly via audio pipe to Marantz, but in that case, On/Off commands are ok, but volume commands are not sent via audio pipe, cause MD sends volume commands (if it's not on audio pipe) to App server....

Am I missing something here or this problem really exists ? I'd be happy to hear your opinions... What I was thinking about is to change behavour - so volume commands are always sent to media player (Xine in this case), and then propagated (if case of no pipe) to App server - I'm also not sure why is App server doing volume control - it's more naturaly to be done by media player...

Will be happy to hear your opinions..


Thanks in advance,

regards,

Bulek.