HP Mediaserver direct to DAC? Can this be done ?

[modusvivendi]

Hello all. I am a newbie and I have run into some trouble...I think. The following is what I am trying to do:

 

1) Vista Ultimate 64 laptop connecting to HP Media Server EX487 wirelessly through Linksysy router

2) Access music stored on the server - (using Foobar or J River)- and output from the HP Mediaserver directly to a DAC (MHDT Havana) via one of the USB ports on the HP Mediaserver (EX487). DAC is then connected to my amplifier.

 

I like this "potential" setup as I could use my laptop to direct music to my stereo via the Mediaserver without having to attach the DAC to my notebook.

 

My question is whether this is doable ? So far I have managed to get music to the DAC (and then stereo) when attached directly to the notebook via USB but I am having trouble going to the next step. The USB link from the server seems to work with the DAC but I am having trouble getting any output.

I suspect that it's related to the server recognizing the DAC and then having the media player use it as the output device but this seems easier said than done :>)

 

BTW I am using FLAC, Foobar.

 

Any ideas ?

 

Cheers,

Frank

 

[CharlyD]

There is no media player in the Windows Home Server and I doubt one can be installed. You'll need some sort of networked media player for your intended scenario. A low-cost PC could be used to drive your DAC via USB and controlled over your network using remote desktop.

 

[modusvivendi]

HP bundles Twonky in their server ? Twonky is a media player. Still confused :>)

 

[Audio_ELF]

Twonky is a media "SERVER" which allows you to send audio to a UPnP (or DNLA) device such as a Linn Sneaky DS.

 

Eloise

 

[modusvivendi]

Thanks Eloise. Now based on your statement can the UPnP device be a DAC attached to the HP Mediaserver via USB?

 

Cheers,

Frank

 

[Audio_ELF]

No, UPnP client (actually called a UPnP renderer) is a device attached to the network.

 

As a quick primer ... (from Wikipedia)

UPnP MediaServer DCP - which is the UPnP-server (a 'master' device) that media library information and streams media-data (like audio/video/picture/files) to UPnP-clients on the network.

UPnP MediaServer ControlPoint - which is the UPnP-client (a 'slave' device) that can auto-detect UPnP-servers on the network to browse and stream media/data-files from them.

UPnP MediaRenderer DCP - which is a 'slave' device that can render (play) content.

 

Twonky is a UPnP Media Server. To complete a UPnP setup you need a UPnP renderer and UPnP control point.

 

Eloise

 

 

 

[modusvivendi]

Thank you Eloise.

 

Looks like I may as well pick up a Logitec Squeezebox and end it there :>) Sounds like what I was trying to do cannot be done easily.

 

Cheers,

Frank

 

[CharlyD]

The Logitech Sqeezebox devices require the presence of Squeezebox Server on your network. As far as I can tell, SB Sever cannot be installed on WHS. Since your laptop has connectivity to the WHS, you could install SB Server on the laptop and access the SB Server UI through a browser.

 

Another inexpensive implementation would be a PC such as one of the ASUS Eee Box line of multimedia PCs. The PC could be running the media player of your choice accessing content from your WHS, streaming to your current USB DAC and controlled by your laptop through remote desktop.

 

[Jan Nielsen]

I presume the Mediaserver is running MS Home Server?

 

If it is, another way of achieving what you want could be could be something like this:

 

As the WHS is ”just” a shell on top of a Windows Server 2003 you could use a Remote Desktop Connection from your laptop and logon as administrator.

 

Go to ”Computer Management” and check in the ”Device Manager” to see if the Windows Server have recognized your USB DAC.

 

If it has, just install foobar2000 on the server, and use the remote desktop connection from the laptop to manage the foobar2000.

 

This is a theoretical approach, as I never have used a USB DAC on a Mediaserver, but I use a Mediaserver EX 475 as storage for my music files and I think this could work.

 

Regards,

Jan

 

PS: Not being native English spoken, I have absolutely no intend to be rude or offensive to anybody – please bare over with my bad English.

 

PSS: My first ever post on this great site.

 

 

[luchoh]

In fact, the Squeezecenter 7.4 is out of beta and is in production for WHS. I just installed it.

So Slim devices are an option for WHS.

 

[tuckers]

I worked with HP on the original MediaSmart products including the server, and I've own one since it came out.

 

You can install Windows Media Player with a bit of work. Check out this information.

 

Squeezeserver has run on the MediaSmart server since day 1. I have it and just upgraded to 7.4. There is only one issue that I run into, which is getting it to automatically start when rebooting.

 

This is solved by going into the Windows services (under Administrative Tools in the Control Menu) and opening the Squeezebox Server. Change Startup Type to Automatic. Go to the Log On tab and select Local System Account and check the box "Allow service to interact with the desktop".

 

I have not connected a USB DAC to it, but I don't see why that wouldn't work. Windows Home Server is just a flavor of Windows Server 2003, and that supports USB DACs I believe.

 

The MediaSmart server was made to use Remote Desktop and works like a charm that way.

 

 

 

 

 

[Samnick142]

The interesting thing is when we design and architect a server or a dedicated server , we don't design it for Windows or Linux, we design it for both. We don't really care, as long as we're selling the one the customer wants. The technologies we use now a days are a combination of Linux Xen, KVM and Microsoft Hyper-V. We utilize the latest Intel VT extensions to give optimum performance.

 

[Third Ear]

Jan is basically correct but there is one "gotcha" avoid. A standard RDP connection feeds the sound back to the calling computer.

 

In the Run box, instead of running mstsc, run mstsc /admin. Click options (in the bottom left hand corner. Pick the Local Resources tab. Click settings. In the Remote Audio Playback section, click the radio button for Play on Remote Computer.

 

The same can be achieved on an iPad2 using the iTap RDP app. Go into Settings...advanced and switch "Console:" to ON and "Sound:" to Play on Server.