Who has Nuvo Music Port?

[royalj7]

Hey Felix. Thanks for the video on the keypad. Question, have you found a way to using any internet streaming sources like Pandora, Last fm, Slacker, etc with the Nuvo? It would be the bee's knees to control say Pandora and give the thumbs up and down and skip songs.

--Jamie

 

[AceCannon]

Hey Felix. Thanks for the video on the keypad. Question, have you found a way to using any internet streaming sources like Pandora, Last fm, Slacker, etc with the Nuvo? It would be the bee's knees to control say Pandora and give the thumbs up and down and skip songs.

--Jamie

Could you do this via CQC in a web/net widget?

 

[royalj7]

I'm not sure, but the main reason I'm looking at Nuvo instead of a less expensive solution like Russound or HTD is the intergration of the keypads into the digital music sources. I would like to fast forward or give a thumbs up to songs on Pandora from the keypad.

 

[Neurorad]

I emailed Nuvo, asking them what's on the horizon, in terms of # sources (Russound new C-Series has 8) and improving doorbell mute integration.

For now and the near future the most sources any of our systems will support is 6, although we do have local source capabilities in any zone or the capability to add 2 auxiliary sources connected through our T2FXG tuner. We will be releasing a new server later on this year which will be a 4-source output device, but you will have the option to choose many different types of source material, iTunes, Windows Media Player, Rhapsody, Pandora, Internet radio, etc..., from any of those 4 outputs.

As for intercom and doorbell integration, all of our current systems support paging and/or doorbell interruption via an accessory device called the MI1. This can play a page triggered from a compatible telephone system through your NuVo system's speakers and/or mute or play a chime whenever the doorbell is triggered.

One of the problems, I've thought, with Nuvo is their lack of doorbell integration - mute, but no doorbell sound, like can be done with Russound.

I investigated on the Nuvo ProZone website, and they explain some pretty tight integration with the Viking SLP-1 - provides a doorbell chime to be heard over the system speakers. Can also provide a paging function from the house phone(s), to be heard over the speakers.

I don't know anything more about the future 'server', but I hope functionally it's similar to the Music Port.

Autonomic Controls, the maker of Music Port, has a product called 'Mirage' software that appears to output 4 streams from a PC using 'PolyTune' - I'm guessing this will be the new Nuvo 'server'.

 

[Neurorad]

OK, bad guess.

The server will run Windows embedded, and will be a standalone device (I think like the music port, but with a hard drive). 1 Rack Unit.

From CEPro/Julie Jacobson 4.21.09:

Now NuVo plans to deliver its own product based on the Autonomic software.

The forthcoming Music Port Server (shipping "definitely before CEDIA," says Kukulies) runs Windows embedded and accommodates up to four audio sources for simultaneous playback.

But who needs all those sources when the product already has a built-in trove of digitalia?

It aggregates content from virtually any IP device on the network including a PCs and NASs. It even merges your iTunes and WMP audio (including DRM-protected) into a single, easy-to-navigate library.

No need to click on "Dad's PC" to find your songs. Searching for an artist is as simple as entering the name, regardless of where the music resides.

The unit also supports Internet radio, and offers the killer Pandora app recently developed by Autonomic.

"It plays any iTunes, Windows Media Player, Pandora, online XM, Sirius …" Kukulies says.

The 1U server features a 320 GB hard drive (tentative specs), WiFi communications and two USB ports for expansion capability.

 

[Neurorad]

Nuvo Tech Support emailed me an expected release date July '09 for the Music Port/Pandora integration.

 

[royalj7]

Do you know Neurorad if the Pandora capability will be available to the regular music port? I can guess the new Music Port server (why they didn't name it something else to avoid confusion with the non-server music port I don't know) will be quite a bit more expensive than the currently version. That's really why I'm looking at Nuvo now, I can get the same functionally out of Russound or Xantech, but just at a much higher cost.

--Jamie

 

[Neurorad]

My Q. to Nuvo:

Autonomic Controls announced a Pandora upgrade to the MCS.

I’m interested in using this with the Music Port.

Any word on availability?

The reply:

Most likely not until July sometime from what I hear.

Email Nuvo, to find out what the deal is, i.e. will Music Port support Pandora, or will you have to pay for the forthcoming server/HTPC.

Nuvo system sales will disappear, if they don't have an affordable means to play digital sources.

 

[royalj7]

So I emailed Nuvo tech support. Below was the question (emphasis added later):

Hello,

I am considering getting the Nuvo Essentia E6G system with the Music Port add
on. My understanding after reading the documentation is I will be able to get
metadata on the keypads for the songs on my PC through WMP or iTunes. My
question is if there is the capability to stream internet radio, specifically
Pandora, through the Music Port and will I have transport control and song and
artist data displayed on the keypads? Any information you have on this would
help.

The response:

The Pandora feature should be available via software update sometime in
July.


Sooo, yea. Doesn't bode well for future problem solving. Does anyone have or use the Autonomic version of this? Is the transport and metadata for Pandora be available at the keypad?

 

[Neurorad]

You could try emailing the director of sales and/or marketing - email address in many of the press releases.

 

[forgets]

Just an update on my end, i ended up getting the music port, and wow, what a nifty little device. I'm running it on a jetway fanless mini itx board that runs at 1.2Ghz, with 1GB of ram. That's pretty near the nuvo minimum specs for it, and i'm glad to say there's no slowdown at all for me, now. Originally the machine had WHS installed on it, and that was enough to cause a slowdown when accessing other files on the network, such as streaming video, while using the music port.. not so much in the browsing of the music, mind you, just the time it took for it to buffer the song to play. However after going back to trusty old winXP, and stripping it down, removing services it doesn't need, etc. there's zero delay on combing through the library and playing 3 different sources. My library is a decent size too, at 40GB of mp3's and itunes files.

Another thing that helped immensely was using an older version of itunes.. version 8 is so bloated and takes up a huge amount of resources.. although thats solved as noted, by using an earlier version with a lighter footprint, i'm really going to just convert everything over to mp3's sooner or later and ditch itunes altogether.

I'm happy my system right now, as it can keep up with the music port, all while sipping about 6W at idle and 15-20W with all 3 streams going.. so it can be cheaply run 24X7. I'm still considering plugging some change down for one of those new zotac ionitx boards, since they've got a dual core atom 330, and an onboard NVidia 9400M, which can also play back 1080I.. since ideally i'd like to play some video from it every now and then. till then i'll be waiting for pandora streams don't really care if i can thumbs up / down, though that would be great, so long as i can stream some internet radio.

 

[royalj7]

Need some help from any the folks out there that have the Music Port.

I've have not been able to get the Music Port to work with my digital sources. I keep getting an error message on the keypads that says "PC Music A was not found on the Media Control Server", where PC Music A is what I named my output from the computer. I called Nuvo tech support and they basically punted. Anyone else see this message on the keypads?

--Jamie

 

[forgets]

Need some help from any the folks out there that have the Music Port.

I've have not been able to get the Music Port to work with my digital sources. I keep getting an error message on the keypads that says "PC Music A was not found on the Media Control Server", where PC Music A is what I named my output from the computer. I called Nuvo tech support and they basically punted. Anyone else see this message on the keypads?

--Jamie

i usually get that message when i've just set up my computer with the music port.. (often, i'm testing out new OS'es a lot).. just make sure your music port client is set up right per the music port manual... then make sure that it's scanned your library correctly. Every now and then you'll see the autonomic controls icon pop up in the task bar.. when it does click it, then hit 'open program'.. sometimes it fails being able to load itunes libraries for one reason or another.. (with mine it was because itunes was downlading podcasts, so i guess that doesn't let it update the library). once it does load the itunes and windows media libraries it should populate on the keypads in about 10 - 15 mins, and that error you get should clear and let you access your library.

Just be aware as well it can take some time, my library is fairly large so it takes it about 1/2 hour to read through all the files when the task bar icon pops up.. so sometimes you just have to give it time. Hope this helps.

 

[felixrosbergen]

Need some help from any the folks out there that have the Music Port.

I've have not been able to get the Music Port to work with my digital sources. I keep getting an error message on the keypads that says "PC Music A was not found on the Media Control Server", where PC Music A is what I named my output from the computer. I called Nuvo tech support and they basically punted. Anyone else see this message on the keypads?

--Jamie

Have you been able to get it working at all?

Also noted that a user must be logged into the machine where that software is installed for some strange reason. It is sort of a windows service, but not quite. This is a bit of a pain when my server restarts, but some registry hacking lets the system automatically log a user in (not good for security ofcourse).

I think that message you are seeing is what i get when it's not logged in.

Are the green lights on on the Music Port hardware unit and everything on the Nuvo side configured?

 

[felixrosbergen]

Depending on what you are using as your automation controller, you may only need one serial port as there is an IP port that opens up with the Autonomic Control software that is provided that can control the GC. I modified the CQC GC driver to take advantage of that. I don't know if it made it into the release, but sent a copy to beezlerob since he is maintaining the driver.

AND MANY THANKS TO YOU FOR THAT. I don't think it's made it into a official releases, but i pulled it off a CQC threads and it works marvelous eventhough i have and E6G and not a GC. I spent many hours messing with virtual comm ports and even looping serial cables out and back to the same PC to try and get it to work without result. Your IP based GC driver for CQC worked like a charm.