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Topic:
TSU-9600, MCE & UPNP media center control
This thread has 18 replies. Displaying posts 1 through 15.
Post 1 made on Saturday November 18, 2006 at 16:18
avtech
Long Time Member
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I have seen TSU-9600 in action more than few times. I have taken their training for two occasions. The potential for integration appears great. I hope to get a hold on one soon.

Have any one manage to integrate the TSU-9600 with TWO WAY control over a MCE machine? After the integration with Escients servers, it seems a natural transition; especially after the RC-9800i streaming media control. The RC-9800i use UPNP protocol along with "Philips Media Manager software" to control the MCE machines. Can it be done with the TSU-9600 using the same technology, perhaps?

I hope some one have work in the making or can provide some insight!

Thanks
Live Long and Prosper!
Post 2 made on Saturday November 18, 2006 at 18:24
Lyndel McGee
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Not yet. Only Escient servers sporting the well-documented Escient Control Protocol as supplied with firmware version 4.1.7.2 of the Escient products.

Now, if you want to program your media server to look like an Escient and operate according to the Escient protocol, you can make it work with a 9600. I have my own home-brew media server that I implemented the Escient protocol for it and have my TSU9600 talking to my media server as if it were indeed an Escient.
Lyndel McGee
Philips Pronto Addict/Beta Tester
OP | Post 3 made on Saturday November 18, 2006 at 21:32
avtech
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Tel me, how can I acomplish that!

Do I need to download any Escient software on the MCE machine?
Live Long and Prosper!
Post 4 made on Saturday November 18, 2006 at 22:01
Lyndel McGee
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No, you download the protocol document from Escient Manuals page and then write code to make your MCE machine talk the Escient Protocol so that it can communicate with the Pronto.

You MUST write everything from scratch as the 9600 only communicates with Escient devices. I've heard rumors of possible Sonos support in the future but I heard nothing regarding support of Windows MCE anywhere in the near future.
Lyndel McGee
Philips Pronto Addict/Beta Tester
OP | Post 5 made on Sunday November 19, 2006 at 00:56
avtech
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On November 18, 2006 at 22:01, Lyndel McGee said...
No, you download the protocol document from Escient Manuals
page and then write code to make your MCE machine talk
the Escient Protocol so that it can communicate with the
Pronto.

The only available "protocol" in Escient site are the RS-232. The TSU-9600 only support TCP/IP protocol as far as the escient Fireball so far. Can you provide a Link for the document you are refering to?

You MUST write everything from scratch as the 9600 only
communicates with Escient devices.

Again, it would be nice and appreciated any more info into the writing you are refering to.

|I've heard rumors of possible Sonos support in the future but I heard nothing
regarding support of Windows MCE anywhere in the near
future.

The Sonos system you refer to support UPNP protocol; infact that is the way they communicate with their remote/touch pannel. If that is the case, they should have the aplication open for MCE as well, it just seens logical to me.

Every one knows Philips is the creator of: the MCE IR remote & Keyboard, and the RC-9800i two way UPNP stream. I Just can not see Philips missing this oportunity to integrate MCE into their TSU-9600 two-way control system; Think about how many MCE machines are out there vs. Escients fireball or Sonos systems. I hope some one at philips is monitoring this site for possitive imputs into their products. After all the support they have received from this community, the leats they can do is "listen" and provide what people wants.
Live Long and Prosper!
Post 6 made on Sunday November 19, 2006 at 10:08
Sylvain
Founding Member
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On November 18, 2006 at 18:24, Lyndel McGee said...
Not yet. Only Escient servers sporting the well-documented
Escient Control Protocol as supplied with firmware version
4.1.7.2 of the Escient products.

I don't have an MCE PC but was wondering if I could use a 9600 to control/play music on a regular XP PC (through a WiFi router) running the appropriate software.

I understand from your post that the 9600 will only talk Escient Control Protocol and, as such, one cannot control/play music on any PC with their 9600 (unless, like you, one writes some kind of middleware application).

Wouldn't that be a nice feature for the Escient "FireBall-PC" software? (even if they had to charge for it) Or Lyndel, could your application be used on any PC?
Post 7 made on Sunday November 19, 2006 at 11:40
waza04
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The document you need is the "Escient External Control Protocol" which is accessed via RS232 or TCP/IP.

I am almost done writing an app that allows my TSU-9600 control Windows Media Player and its Music Library; the app acts as a "middle man" (following the escient protocol specification) between the TSU-9600 and Windows Media Player - perfect.

The app even has a built in HTTP server so that the Pronto can ask for Cover Art and the app will extract it from the MP3 files.
Post 8 made on Sunday November 19, 2006 at 12:40
Sylvain
Founding Member
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Yes waza04. The middleware you did is exactly what I had in mind. It even works with the Cover Art; neat. Are you going to publish/sell it?
Post 9 made on Sunday November 19, 2006 at 12:53
waza04
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Ill probabbly put the code/app up on here once finished :)
OP | Post 10 made on Sunday November 19, 2006 at 14:12
avtech
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On November 19, 2006 at 11:40, waza04 said...
The document you need is the "Escient External Control
Protocol" which is accessed via RS232 or TCP/IP.

The External protocol you and they refer to is the communication language that talk to their proprietary software loaded into the Linux operating system in their servers Machines. The real challenge is to get their software so you can install it into the MCE machines we want to control. I believe that is the application you are working on (see next paragraph).
I am almost done writing an app that allows my TSU-9600
control Windows Media Player and its Music Library; the
app acts as a "middle man" (following the escient protocol
specification) between the TSU-9600 and Windows Media
Player - perfect.

The app even has a built in HTTP server so that the Pronto
can ask for Cover Art and the app will extract it from
the MP3 files.

I hope you are successful with the application. I will look foward to when I get the remote. Please keep us post it!
Live Long and Prosper!
Post 11 made on Sunday November 19, 2006 at 14:40
Lyndel McGee
RC Moderator
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12,992
avtech,

Escient Website
Manuals Section
External Control Protocol Specification

[Link: escient.com]

This protocol, per Escient documentation works with either RS-232 or with TCP/IP. The programs we discuss here are TCP/IP.

As far as me supplying any software, my media player is not ready for public consumption as it needs some polish in some areas. Also, it accesses playlists by number so that it can also work with SuperNudelist. I doubt that I'll ever publish that code for public consumption.

Maybe waza04 will publish code and source as I don't have MCE and would like to see how to interface to it.
Lyndel McGee
Philips Pronto Addict/Beta Tester
Post 12 made on Sunday November 19, 2006 at 14:42
Lyndel McGee
RC Moderator
Joined:
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And regarding my original post about doing something like this with my own media player. I never expected to open a whole can of worms. All I can say is WOW!!!
Lyndel McGee
Philips Pronto Addict/Beta Tester
Post 13 made on Sunday November 19, 2006 at 15:09
waza04
Long Time Member
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23
Maybe waza04 will publish code and source as I don't have
MCE and would like to see how to interface to it.

Interfacing with Media Player is pretty simple, MS provide a COM+ object in the SDK. The hardest part is converting that data into the Escient format (Escient works on index numbers - as you say).

And regarding my original post about doing something like
this with my own media player. I never expected to open
a whole can of worms. All I can say is WOW!!!

As soon as I read your post that mentioned the Escient Protocol document being public I couldnt think of any reason why not to get started :)

An interesting thing is that this isnt limited to the playing of media, any form of two way communication can be built around the Prontos Escient control interface (until at least they release an SDK/API of some sort).
Post 14 made on Sunday November 19, 2006 at 16:10
Lyndel McGee
RC Moderator
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On November 19, 2006 at 15:09, waza04 said...
An interesting thing is that this isnt limited to the
playing of media, any form of two way communication can
be built around the Prontos Escient control interface
(until at least they release an SDK/API of some sort).

Such as TV Guide Listings, etc... ;)

The only drawback is that we did not catch until rather late in the game that there were no Hard Button Properties for Escient Devices so right now it's pretty limited as you can't do multi-zone that easy. However, if you watch TV/DVD/Music, all through your stereo in a single zone, there's no reason you could not implement this type of stuff on the Escient Protocol.
Lyndel McGee
Philips Pronto Addict/Beta Tester
OP | Post 15 made on Sunday November 19, 2006 at 21:51
avtech
Long Time Member
Joined:
Posts:
October 2002
58
On November 19, 2006 at 14:40, Lyndel McGee said...
avtech,

Escient Website
Manuals Section
External Control Protocol Specification

[Link: escient.com]

This protocol, per Escient documentation works with either
RS-232 or with TCP/IP. The programs we discuss here are
TCP/IP.

The protocol are useless, unless you have a Server/client application running in the MCE machines that understand the language.

As far as me supplying any software, my media player is
not ready for public consumption as it needs some polish
in some areas. Also, it accesses playlists by number
so that it can also work with SuperNudelist. I doubt
that I'll ever publish that code for public consumption.

That is your prerogative! I would not expect any one to provide anything at all without hopping to get some form of (material) gratification; that should be Philip's team job, if they want to improve their image and stay in the remotes business. I could mention few companies who are competing with Philips and already have some for of application for their remotes and MCE integration: UEI Nevo, AMX, and Crestron are some that comes to mind. Philips should take the opportunity before is too late. They already have taken a great step by working the hardware to new standard. They are also listening to Custom installer feed back. All they need is a tech support team and some form of engineers who will be willing to work with integrators building drivers for more products integrations.
Live Long and Prosper!
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