Rhapsody Revisited

elytronic

Has anybody found a way to integrate the Rhapsody Music Service? What about through the new Slim devices models or through Sonos (not really..)?

Spire_Jeff

I believe Escient is supposed to be supporting Rhapsody with their new products, but I'm not sure if they are out yet. There are modules available through AMX and Escient that will aid you in integration of the products. My guess is that others will soon be offering similar products as well.

Jeff

vining

I believe Roku is capabale. Also works directly with iTune, Window Media Player, internet radio, etc. etc.
http://www.rokulabs.com/

Open RCS and can easily be integerated through AMX through IP comms.

elytronic

Vin,

thank you for the link. From their website: "Most Compatible Player - Plays directly from iTunes* and Windows Media Player. Compatible with Rhapsody and all PlaysForSure music services such as Napster, Musicmatch, MSN Music, Walmart.com and more."

I am getting one to try to see how well it can be integrated.

This specific customer has a Sonos system so we would really like to continue havin Rhapsoy on his new AMX system. Anyway, I still beleive Rhapsoy or similar services are the future of music and a great complement to server based system. At home I use Rhapsody more than my digital libaray which has 10k+ songs.

It would be good if the Slimdevices Squeezbox or Transporter suppored Rhapsody since there is (what looks) a good module already written for it:

http://www.slimdevices.com/pi_squeezebox.html

http://www.rocketgui.com/index.htm

TrikinCurt

They do support Rhapsody. Perhaps it can't control it as well? I have never tried, but it is a part of "SqueezeCenter" (http://www.slimdevices.com/pi_features.html)

They claim:

Access millions of songs, thousands of Internet radio stations, and music service providers such as Pandora, Rhapsody and Slacker, without ever turning on your computer using SqueezeNetwork?, our unique Internet service.

I am interested in seeing your luck with this. I really wish Request would support Rhapsody.

elytronic wrote: »

Vin,

thank you for the link. From their website: "Most Compatible Player - Plays directly from iTunes* and Windows Media Player. Compatible with Rhapsody and all PlaysForSure music services such as Napster, Musicmatch, MSN Music, Walmart.com and more."

I am getting one to try to see how well it can be integrated.

This specific customer has a Sonos system so we would really like to continue havin Rhapsoy on his new AMX system. Anyway, I still beleive Rhapsoy or similar services are the future of music and a great complement to server based system. At home I use Rhapsody more than my digital libaray which has 10k+ songs.

It would be good if the Slimdevices Squeezbox or Transporter suppored Rhapsody since there is (what looks) a good module already written for it:

http://www.slimdevices.com/pi_squeezebox.html

http://www.rocketgui.com/index.htm

vining

elytronic wrote:

I am getting one to try to see how well it can be integrated.

It's an easy protocol to work with and I did write a module for it a fews ago becasue I couldn't stand using the iPod module w/o search capabilities and having to scroll through the list from A-Z. It's reasonably complete but since I only use it at home I've never polished it but the GUI is pretty cool and it does work at least as reliably as the Escient does. I haven't gone through the RCP since writing the module so there may be new features that the module doesn't support. It does all forms of seaches and advanced seaches like searching for an Arstist and then all albums for that artist so it is pretty powerful little device. When you get the unit shoot me a PM and I'll send you the code and GUI if you'd like to try it.

I've never played with Rhapsody so I don't know how well that works.

fitzgibbon

Spire_Jeff wrote: »

I believe Escient is supposed to be supporting Rhapsody with their new products, but I'm not sure if they are out yet. There are modules available through AMX and Escient that will aid you in integration of the products. My guess is that others will soon be offering similar products as well.

Jeff

The new Vision system does but I am told it is shipping the end of may

TrikinCurt

Curious if there has been any more work on this front? I would love a rackmount rhapsody box that is reliable enought that I could sell and implement!

vining

Buy a Roku Soundbridge M1001 for $200.00 and give it a try. It works great with iTunes and is supposed to work just as well with Rhapsody. FYI you can download the FireFly server to run on your PC as a service so you don't need to keep iTunes open and running in the background to play iTunes files.

It's not rack mountable though.

They also came out with a Neflix movie streaming box similiar to Apple TV but I don't know if that protocol is open and/or easily adaptable to AMX.

DHawthorne

The problem with Slimserver and Rhapsody (my understanding is that Soundbridge and Slimserver work the same) is that Rhapsody acts as a server - and as soon as you connect your audio device to Rhapsody, it is no longer connected to Slimserver, and therefore can no longer be controlled by the AMX. So you need direct control of the device, not control of the server.

TrikinCurt

for what it is worth, the folks at RocketGUI are coming out with a Slimserver/Rhapsody module in the next "few days", the CLI for the Slimserver boxes looks pretty straightforward, but I am not too proud to just buy someone elses work...

elytronic

The module from RocketGUI is out. We have just brought a squeezbox in the office and we have ordered the module to test it. In a few days I will post the outcome.

DHawthorne

elytronic wrote: »

The module from RocketGUI is out. We have just brought a squeezbox in the office and we have ordered the module to test it. In a few days I will post the outcome.

I just ordered it too. It's licensed by serial number in the NetLinx master, which is an interesting way to secure a module; I had to provide a serial number when I ordered it. I expect to have it running in my showroom within the next week or two.

At least part of what has changed is that the Slimserver is gone and a new server software is available for the Squeezebox. Apparently , it overcomes the issues I've talked about before.

Brad.Odegard

Can any of you report on your success or lack of with regard to Rhapsody? What hardware are you using? I've reviewed the RocketGUI page but don't see them indicating Rhapsody support.

I have a customer who would like to do this, and we're trying to decide what the best course of action is.

Brad

edit: Okay, just found the Rhapsody Pandora module page at RocketGUI... Looks interesting... very Interesting.

elytronic

We have tried the module from Rocketgui and it works very well. Rhapsody works as it should and also the squeezbox integration is very smooth. I have started specifying the squeezbox in our system designs so that we can offer Rhapsody to our customers but also to use the squeezbox with a good NAS for access to their existing mp3 library. It is in no way a replacement for a Kaleidescape music system but since some our customers have already a huge mp3 library they can still use it this way with no special effort.

DHawthorne

I also now have RocketGUI up and running in my showroom; it's a very slick interface, and works perfectly with Rhapsody in controlling a Squeezebox. Apparently, the big change that has come along is the new Squeezecenter server software, and it now allows controls the Rhapsody account directly instead of needing you to disconnect the Squeezebox and make it access Rhapsody itself.. Being a firm believer in not re-inventing the wheel, I intend to just license RocketGUI whenever I need a Rhapsody account controlled.

elytronic

Has anybody tried to integrate the new Escient Vision? It supports Rhapsody so I was wondering if we can can Integrate Rhapsody from there.

DHawthorne

elytronic wrote: »

Has anybody tried to integrate the new Escient Vision? It supports Rhapsody so I was wondering if we can can Integrate Rhapsody from there.

I have one working with the old Fireball modules from Escient ... video media doesn't work at all, and the database queries are goofy ... almost unusable. Only the "one-way" screens work properly, and at that point you may as well use IR.

It's a complicated enough protocol that I am not about to waste a lot of time developing my own. Escient assures me they have a new module release due imminently; I'll wait for it. Fortunately, my customer considers it a mark of his own acumen in having such cutting edge technology that even the manufacturer doesn't even have updated code yet.

elytronic

So Dave, even the music only modules do not work well 2 way? We have naver done any Escients but I though they work well and their modules are good. One way means the TV has to be on and this is not really good on an AMX system...

shr00m-dew

heh.. Aside form the Vision not working very well when shipped (an update just got released that made component video work), they only included basic control from the old protocol.

There isn't a new protocol yet, or an extended protocol, or anything. Even the one way control is missing a few key buttons they make it almost unusable. Last I heard, the update with full control might be the middle of the month (along with 'usability' and 'stability' fixes)..

Kevin D.

DHawthorne

elytronic wrote: »

So Dave, even the music only modules do not work well 2 way? We have naver done any Escients but I though they work well and their modules are good. One way means the TV has to be on and this is not really good on an AMX system...

You can get a list of music stored on the device. Sometimes you can select it ... other times, when you select a track, it randomly creates a new playlist and plays that instead; the tracks in the playlist are unrelated to the selection. You can delete that playlist and try again ... and it happens again pretty consistently. So the short answer is, no, it doesn't work ... but you do get something.

I don't think this is going to be a long-term situation, but it is a bit frustrating for right now.

elytronic

DHawthorne wrote: »

I also now have RocketGUI up and running in my showroom; it's a very slick interface, and works perfectly with Rhapsody in controlling a Squeezebox. Apparently, the big change that has come along is the new Squeezecenter server software, and it now allows controls the Rhapsody account directly instead of needing you to disconnect the Squeezebox and make it access Rhapsody itself.. Being a firm believer in not re-inventing the wheel, I intend to just license RocketGUI whenever I need a Rhapsody account controlled.

Dave regading the RocketGUI module, I do not find it acceptable to have a pc on the network running the squeezcenter software. I do not like PCs in integration projects. Have you done this in your projects or found a way to avoid this or another way to integrate Rhapsody without a pc on the network? I really have to find a way to offer Rhapsody to our AMX customers.

yuri

elytronic wrote: »

Dave regading the RocketGUI module, I do not find it acceptable to have a pc on the network running the squeezcenter software. I do not like PCs in integration projects. Have you done this in your projects or found a way to avoid this or another way to integrate Rhapsody without a pc on the network? I really have to find a way to offer Rhapsody to our AMX customers.

you can run a NAS with the Squeezecenter software.

From the squeezecenter wiki:

QNAP TS-101, Synology Diskstation, NETGEAR ReadyNAS, Buffalo Linkstation, Linksys NSLU2 and any device running FreeNAS software

For squeezecenter you NEED a device that hosts the MP3 files

DHawthorne

elytronic wrote: »

Dave regading the RocketGUI module, I do not find it acceptable to have a pc on the network running the squeezcenter software. I do not like PCs in integration projects. Have you done this in your projects or found a way to avoid this or another way to integrate Rhapsody without a pc on the network? I really have to find a way to offer Rhapsody to our AMX customers.

I believe RocketGUI has a version that will operate the Squeezebox directly to allow it to connect to the Rhapsody account, but I have only played with the one that uses a PC and the Squeezeserver. I recall them saying at the time I purchased a license for my demo unit that you had to choose one or the other, but in the future they plana version that will do both. I haven' talked to anyone there since; it's been a few months, so it may be available.