Playing music on the Hub using a laptop as a remote

Hi all,

I just bought a WD TV Live Hub and already stored all my music on the Hub hard drive.  My problem is that, since I have several hundreds of GB of music, browsing through all those files using the Hub remote control on the TV can be quite long.  I’d like to know if I can play music stored on the Hub from iTunes installed on my laptop.  My Hub is connected to the stereo, the iTunes library contains the files located on the Hub and I want to press ‘Play’ on iTunes so that it will play the selected music on the Hub.

Is that possible?

Thanks!

No, but if you have Win7 on your Laptop, you can do “Play To…” on the files…  and direct them to the Hub for playback…

I have Windows VIsta on my laptop.

Isn’t there a software that I could install on my laptop that would do the same as a remote control app on an iPhone?

Off-hand-- and I’m not entirely sure of this at the moment because I don’t use the hub for photos or music; but I’m sure I saw 'playlists" as a feature. So, for the time being, until you are able to remote control your hub through your laptop, as a duct tape solution, why not create and use playlists?

As a side thought, I saw shout-cast radio as a service, I *think*, like I said, I only use the hub for video; so maybe I’m wrong, but isn’t Shoutcast tightly associated with Winamp? Maybe look to remote operate that route. If its possible. If anything just explore it for a bit.

@DigitalNegative

I tried to use playlists in M3U format but the hub always tells me that there is no media in the current folder whenever I select the playlist and press ‘Play’.  I tried putting the M3U file in the same folder as where all the songs are but it still didn’t work.  So that is another problem I’m currently looking into.

As of now, I’d say I’m pretty disappointed with the hub.

Post a sample of your playlist.

Also tell us the version of Firmware you’re using on the Hub.

Also, might want to add which programed used to make the playlist.

Could use this: http://www.gasanov.net/Mp3ListShellEx.asp it adds option to context menu in windows, and isn’t program dependant like winamp. its free, but old and no longer supported by its dev and made available as opensource.

also just found this great video tutorial: http://blog.winamp.com/2008/09/19/winamp-tutorial-how-to-make-a-playlist

I use zappotv on my Mac (not sure if it’s also windows) to browse contents of hub and use hub to play (the program uses the dlna function of the hub)

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zappotv, to clarify… your mac is accessing the HUB’s HDD, and playing the media on… which? On your mac? or on the HUB? being played to TV or computer? 'cause I myself would like to use a pc based app to remote control my hub, like incase i lost or broke my actual remote control.

I have the latest firmware version (2.08.13), I just updated it.

Here’s a sample of the M3U playlist file : 

#Playlist: ‘Classique’ exported by iTunesExport (Flex) http://www.ericdaugherty.com/dev/itunesexport/
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Le Concert des Nations_ Viole de Gambe\01 Il Farnace, opera_ Sinfonia. Vivo.mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Le Concert des Nations_ Viole de Gambe\02 Il Farnace, opera_ Sinfonia. Alle.mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Le Concert des Nations_ Viole de Gambe\03 Il Farnace, opera_ Sinfonia. Spir.mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Le Concert des Nations_ Viole de Gambe\04 Il Farnace, opera_ Marcia.mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Le Concert des Nations_ Viole de Gambe\05 Il Farnace, opera_ Recitativo. Ma.mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Le Concert des Nations_ Viole de Gambe\06 Il Farnace, opera_ Aria. Da quel.mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Le Concert des Nations_ Viole de Gambe\07 Farnace, opera in 3 acts, RV 711_.mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Le Concert des Nations_ Viole de Gambe\08 Farnace, opera in 3 acts, RV 711_.mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Le Concert des Nations_ Viole de Gambe\09 Farnace, opera in 3 acts, RV 711_.mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Le Concert des Nations_ Viole de Gambe\10 Farnace, opera in 3 acts, RV 711_.mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Le Concert des Nations_ Viole de Gambe\11 Farnace, opera in 3 acts, RV 711_.mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Le Concert des Nations_ Viole de Gambe\12 Farnace, opera in 3 acts, RV 711_.mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Le Concert des Nations_ Viole de Gambe\13 Farnace, opera in 3 acts, RV 711_.mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Le Concert des Nations_ Viole de Gambe\14 Farnace, opera in 3 acts, RV 711_.mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Le Concert des Nations_ Viole de Gambe\15 Farnace, opera in 3 acts, RV 711_.mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Le Concert des Nations_ Viole de Gambe\16 Farnace, opera in 3 acts, RV 711_.mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Le Concert des Nations_ Viole de Gambe\17 Farnace, opera in 3 acts, RV 711_.mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Le Concert des Nations_ Viole de Gambe\18 Farnace, opera in 3 acts, RV 711_.mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Le Concert des Nations_ Viole de Gambe\19 Farnace, opera in 3 acts, RV 711_.mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Le Concert des Nations_ Viole de Gambe\20 Farnace, opera in 3 acts, RV 711_.mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Le Concert des Nations_ Viole de Gambe\21 Farnace, opera in 3 acts, RV 711_.mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Le Concert des Nations_ Viole de Gambe\22 Farnace, opera in 3 acts, RV 711_.mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Le Concert des Nations_ Viole de Gambe\23 Farnace, opera in 3 acts, RV 711_.mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Stabat Mater\01 Nisi Dominus RV 608-Nisi dominus.mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Stabat Mater\02 Vanum est vobis (Largo).mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Stabat Mater\03 Surgite (Presto-Adagio).mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Stabat Mater\04 **bleep** dederit (Largo_Andante).mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Stabat Mater\05 Sicut sagittae (Presto_Allegro).mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Stabat Mater\06 Beatus vir (Andante).mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Stabat Mater\07 Gloria patri (Larghetto).mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Stabat Mater\08 Sicut erat in principio.mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Stabat Mater\09 Amen (Allegro).mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Stabat Mater\10 Concerto for Strings and Basso Co.mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Stabat Mater\11 Largo.mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Stabat Mater\12 Allegro.mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Stabat Mater\13 Stabat Mater RV 621-Stabat Mater.mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Stabat Mater\14 Cuis animam (Adagissimo).mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Stabat Mater\15 O quam tristis (Andante).mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Stabat Mater\16 Quis est **bleep** (Largo).mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Stabat Mater\17 Quis non posset (Adagissimo).mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Stabat Mater\18 Pro peccatis (Andante).mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Stabat Mater\19 Eja Mater (Largo).mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Stabat Mater\20 Fac ut ardeat (Lento).mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Stabat Mater\21 Amen.mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Stabat Mater\22 Sinfonía for Strings in Bm 'Al Sa.mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Stabat Mater\23 Allegro ma poco.mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Stabat Mater\24 Salve Regina RV616-Salve Regina (.mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Stabat Mater\25 Ad te clamamus (Allegro).mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Stabat Mater\26 Ad te suspiramus (Larghetto).mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Stabat Mater\27 Eja ergo (Allegro).mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Stabat Mater\28 Et Jesum (Andante molto).mp3
\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Stabat Mater\29 O clemens (Andante).mp3

“STEVE” is the name of my device (hub).  So there doesn’t seem to be any problem with the path to the MP3s.

The problem IS with the path to the files.

They are all ABSOLUTE paths.

They need to be RELATIVE paths…  relative to the Playlist file itself.

So if the Playlist is:

\STEVE\WDTVLiveHub\Musique\Playlists\MyPlaylist.m3u…

then the playlist file would look like this:

#Playlist: 'Classique' exported by iTunesExport (Flex) http://www.ericdaugherty.com/dev/itunesexport/
..\..\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Le Concert des Nations_ Viole de Gambe\01 Il Farnace, opera_ Sinfonia. Vivo.mp3
..\..\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Le Concert des Nations_ Viole de Gambe\02 Il Farnace, opera_ Sinfonia. Alle.mp3
..\..\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Le Concert des Nations_ Viole de Gambe\03 Il Farnace, opera_ Sinfonia. Spir.mp3
..\..\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Le Concert des Nations_ Viole de Gambe\04 Il Farnace, opera_ Marcia.mp3
..\..\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Le Concert des Nations_ Viole de Gambe\05 Il Farnace, opera_ Recitativo. Ma.mp3
..\..\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Le Concert des Nations_ Viole de Gambe\06 Il Farnace, opera_ Aria. Da quel.mp3
..\..\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Le Concert des Nations_ Viole de Gambe\07 Farnace, opera in 3 acts, RV 711_.mp3
..\..\Classique\Antonio Vivaldi\Le Concert des Nations_ Viole de Gambe\08 Farnace, opera in 3 acts, RV 711_.mp3
1 Like

Thanks Tony.

So I do I export the playlist created in iTunes so that it keeps relative paths instead of absolute paths?  

hedphuq wrote:

Thanks Tony.

 

So I do I export the playlist created in iTunes so that it keeps relative paths instead of absolute paths?  

If you can, yes.

Sorry, I miswrote my last message.

How do I export the  playlist in iTunes so that it keeps relative paths instead of absolute paths?

Thanks!

I don’t think you can do that within iTunes.

I just export them AS-IS, then open the file in NOTEPAD, and do EDIT / REPLACE …

and just key in what needs to change… it will affect EVERY line the same way, which is what I did on your sample above.