UPnP support (Universal Plug and Play) (4 Viewers)

[Anonymous]

benji : I'm currently writing a UPnP MediaServer in VB.Net with my own UPnP stack because of the limitation of Intel's license.

Do you want some help writing the code? I am a total hack when it comes to VB.NET, but I can get the job done if you point me in the right direction. I have 90 minutes on public transportation 5 days a week commuting ... I might as well put the laptop to go use.

PM me if you are interested in having help.

 

[samuel337]

Interesting news:

PowerCinema 4 Goes UPnP
Monday, January 03 @ 11:05:00 PST

Cyberlink's PowerCinema 4 has passed UPnP MediaServer and MediaRenderer testing conducted by the UPnP Implementers Corporation (UIC).

PowerCinema is the remote-controlled PC software to carry the UPnP logo for both MediaServer and MediaRenderer. The UPnP logo gives users the assurance that PowerCinema supports total interoperability between UPnP devices and PowerCinema, offering the freedom to share data between appliances anywhere within the Digital Home.

The UPnP-ready PowerCinema can operate as both a MediaServer and MediaRenderer, streaming video, audio, and image content to and from other UPnP devices. PowerCinema is listed as a compatible product on the UIC Certification site at http://www.upnp-ic.org/certification/default.asp#devices.

PowerCinema passed UPnP MediaServer testing for its ability to stream media to other UPnP compliant devices. Certification as a UPnP MediaRenderer endorses PowerCinema's ability to stream media from other UPnP-compliant devices.

"UPnP certification places CyberLink PowerCinema in the unique position of being the only remote-controlled entertainment platform to carry the UPnP logo for both MediaServer and MediaRenderer capabilities," said Alice H. Chang, CEO of CyberLink. "PowerCinema already offers a total entertainment solution, and with UPnP we've taken it the next step by enabling the free flow of media between devices in the Digital Home."

PowerCinema 4 is also a CES Innovations 2005 Awards Honoree and was voted as Buyers' Choice at Computex 2004. PowerCinema transforms a PC into a comprehensive entertainment center for enjoying TV, DVDs, photos, videos, music, radio, online extras, and DVD burning via remote control. It is also the world's first standalone Intel(R) NMPR validated media client application.

http://www.gocyberlink.com/

article from http://news.designtechnica.com/article6214.html

Sam

 

[Anonymous]

Yep. It is getting where you have to be "uPNP certified" to play in the space unless you are already well established. Even then, I think it is only a matter of time.

Is TiVo going to go uPNP? If it does, that would change a lot in the space.

Someone needs to be seriously looking at the Intel uPNP stuff.

 

[Anonymous]

Someone needs to be seriously looking at the Intel uPNP stuff.

I did and while it would work fine, the license isn't compatible with the GPL so we can't use it as part of the official MediaPortal distribution. I've also looked at the MS uPnP stack in WinXP, but got frustrated with it and gave up (someone else may have better luck).

I agree that UPnP is really gaining momentum for networked media devices. Seems that there are a few open source .NET based UPnP projects already underway that we will be able to roll into MP - Andrea above being one of them. It's probably worth waiting a little while and seeing if any general solutions mature before we try implementing a specific one in MP.

Speaking of reinventing the wheel, I started writing my own UPnP stack for a laugh. I've implemented (hacked) SSDP and some parts of the MediaServer (mainly just "browse" in the ContentDirectory). This weekend I'll probably do the ConnectionManager. If I finish it (and it works!) before any of the general solutions are available, the I might put it into a MP plugin as a proof of concept.

 

[Anonymous]

I released a Pre Alpha version today, so you can see what works and what should be done...

http://www.sourceforge.net/projects/andrea-upnp

I may make some architectural changes during the next week to clean the code. For now, my goal was to make it work with a DSM-320 from Dlink to validate an important part of the UPnP stack.

 

[Gamester17]

Microsoft has released Windows Media Connect. This free piece of software turns XP into a fullblown UPnP-server. You can share any media to any digital media receiver and XP will stream it upon request to the receivers. This means that MP doesn't have to be modded for UPnP, since now XP can all handle this

So when XBMC is capable of UPnP then we can close this this issue?

Frodo

Quote from Windows Media Connect FAQ: "Windows Media Connect uses the HTTP and UPnP protocols, devices that support standard implementations of these protocols should be compatible with Windows Media Connect." if that is true then I guess the XBMC devs should now be able to implement UPnP in XBMC and use with MediaPortal if that now supports Windows Media Connect. ...though I doubt that Windows Media Connect by default contain all the remote control features that XBMC will require to fully control PVR/DVR MediaPortal functions(?), my guess is that MediaPortal devs first need to enable/implement those before XBMC can use that part of UPnP(?), maybe those are available in the Windows Media Connect SDK or Tools?, hopefully the MediaPortal devs have or can get more insight into that

More on Microsoft Windows Media Connect:
Windows Media Connection - Introduction
How to Build a Network Device Compatible with Windows Media Connect (white paper)
Windows Media Connect: Device UI Design Recommendations (white paper)
Windows Media Connect FAQ
Microsoft PlaysForSure website
PlaysForSure Starter (SDK, Tools, Specs and Resources
Windows Media Connect end-user download for Windows XP

 

[Anonymous]

I think Windows Media Connect only implements "Browse" and "Search" from the ContentDirectory. You can't have, for example, XBMC streaming live TV and changing channels from an MP box. Nor can you have MP accessing content stored on a different UPnP device.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi

I've added my UPnP plugin for MediaPortal under the Plugins Development forum.

Link to the post: http://nolanparty.com/mediaportal.sourceforge.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=3669

Link to the file: http://www.benandmandy.com/UPnP_MediaServer_001.zip

BTW, I checked out the WindowsXP built in UPnP support. uggghhhh. If you enable the UPnP service, because it takes so long to start on bootup, some system tray applications boot before it finishes and their icons never show up in the system tray. Give it a try and see what I mean.

Next step is to (finish the MediaServer implementation and then) implement a UPnP Renderer. To do that, I'll need some help on how MediaPortal is rendering stuff...where I can plug my network stream into MP. If someone has a working knowledge of the streams and stuff, PM me and let me know where I can feed in a stream from the network.

Thanks

Ben

 

[maxtrash]

great stuff Benji.

I noticed that using the intel tools for rendering and controlling, mp3 is streamed and video is not. It first streams te complete video file to the renderer before starting to play. Anyway, I'll do some more trying.

Got a spare laptop that I would like to use as a renderer. Being the slave of mediaportal in the bedroom. We'll see what's possible!

 

[Anonymous]

matxtrash - streaming isn't implemented yet.