Pandora on AppleTV via XBMC

Tonight I installed the Pandora plugin for XBMC onto my AppleTV — “install” might be a little misleading. More accurately, I copied a folder into a directory in my already jailbroken AppleTV. If you can handle a few basic command line tasks like file copy or ftp, you should be good to go.

In any case, I can now stream Pandora music from my AppleTV without having to initiate the audio from a desktop computer or my iPhone.

Steps to Reproduce:
1) Download the script.xbmc.pandora from http://www.sharefile.org/showfile-3606/scriptxbmcpandora.zip
2) Unzip the zip file and copy the script.xbmc.pandora folder into your computer
3) FTP or scp the folder to your AppleTV
/private/var/stash/Applications/XBMC.frappliance/XBMCData/XBMCHome/addons/.

scp -r script.xbmc.pandora root@APPLE.TV.IPADDRESS:/private/var/stash/Applications/XBMC.frappliance/XBMCData/XBMCHome/addons/.

References:
http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?t=70471&page=34
http://github.com/PromyLOPh/pianobar

The headline pretty much says it all, but the AppleTV just got a whole lot cooler now that it can playback just about any media format!

Join the discussion

Source

Check out these thoughts on where we’d like to see iPad development go!

http://lunch.com/t/13am

Elgato EyeTV Software

I picked up the Elgato EyeTV as part of my experiment to see if I could cut out my DirecTV service entirely.  The short answer is… “no”, at least not quite yet.

The Elgato EyeTV 250 is a USB device for the Macintosh that allows you to watch and record TV broadcasts from over-the-air (OTA) or clear QAM (unencrypted digital cable) signals.  Setup was pretty standard fare — plug in USB connector and power outlet, install software, connect antenna or cable source.  I tested the device with both cable and antenna and the results were a bit mixed.  The scanning channels process took quite a while for both sources, but the cable source returned better initial results.  When using a smaller “digital OTA antenna” I wasn’t able to get all of my major network channels (CBS, NBC, ABC, etc).  However, after connecting to a larger antenna which is mounted in the attic, I was able to pull in all the major networks.  While this was great for my Mac Mini media center (which doesn’t really move), it did mean that it wouldn’t be easy to take the USB device as a travel companion and grab TV from different locations while on the road.

(Quick side note:  Elgato does sell another device which does NOT require a power adapter and some reports have stated that it is able to pull in OTA signals better.  However, the 250 Plus which I picked up has an analog input which in theory would let me record additional sources to the computer — such as converting old tapes or recording video game gameplay.  Recording video game snippets sounded like a cool option at the time, but if I were to do it again, I’d opt for the EyeTV Hybrid TV Tuner Stick).

The Elgato device comes with their latest version of the EyeTV Software.  This allows you to watch TV, schedule recordings (and “season passes”) and browse the program guide.  The app also allows you to edit your recorded videos in order to trim out unwanted sections (such as cutting out commercials from the recorded shows) and even save the output as a compressed format for portable devices such as the iPod or iPhone..  The software worked quite well on my Mac Mini when used with a keyboard and mouse, but the software suite just isn’t quite ready to be fully controlled by a remote control like I was hoping to do with the dedicated home theater Mac Mini.  The included remote control offers quite a bit of functionality, but I plan to use the Elgato with my Plex software and the Apple Remote and I couldn’t get everything dialed in to a point where I could get by on the remote alone (thankfully, the Snatch app on my iPhone was available in a pinch).

Elgato seems to have some decent developer support and I did come across two helper apps which were huge bonuses.  ETVComskip and PyeTV (both available via Google Code) added tremendous functionality to the EyeTV.  ETVComskip will analyze your recorded shows and automatically strip out the commercials.  While this worked pretty well most of the time, I did have one case where it output ONLY the commercials.  The other app, PyeTV, integrates EyeTV with Front Row to bring you a step closer to remote control unity.  Recorded shows worked fine with PyeTV, but switching to the program guide or live tv always made it difficult to return to the Front Row interface.  Hopefully the folks at Plex will come up with an integrated solution and it seems to be a top feature request.

For the most part, the EyeTV was a success.  The hardware worked great to provide an excellent HD picture and the automated recording,  scheduling, and commercial cutting features were a great bonus.  Unfortunately, the software still feels a little unpolished (a third party developer shouldn’t need to be the one to build in Front Row support).  The ability to customize the commands would be a big step forward, but what really needs to happen is the software needs an interface which can be fully controlled by the Apple Remote (and allow for more 3rd party development).

Once football season is over, I’ll try putting my DirecTV account on hold and see if I can get by solely on freely available content.  In order for that to happen the EyeTV is going to be a big part of my plan.  I just hope future software updates will make the transition even easier.

OpenRemote Logo

OpenRemote is an “Open Source community for Automation”.  They are trying provide a complete open source solution to control the variety of “closed protocals and stacks” from typical home automation companies.

More importantly, they may be the answer to my “One Remote to the Rule Them All” quest!  If you look at my recent article on Controlling The Mac Mini,  I mention that my biggest issue with iPhone apps is that they cannot easily control other components in my system (for example, turning on the TV, changing the volume on the receiver, etc.)  According to OpenRemote’s recent tweets, they have managed to do a simple “proof of concept” test using an iPhone, a Wifi network, and an IR blaster to launch FrontRow on a Mac.  Read on to find out why this is so exciting.

OpenRemote Proof Of Concept Setup

If anyone has looked into Home Automation hardware and software, you quickly discover that it is expensive… VERY expensive.  But much of that cost is having a “professional” come in and configure the devices and set everything up.  As a Do-It-Yourself-er, I would much rather get some commodity hardware and configure my home automation software myself.  Unfortunately, I don’t have the time to delve into the hardware and software aspects of this.  If OpenRemote can deliver on their mission statement:

“To provide high-end building integration software and hardware for the masses and without vendor lock-in.”

then I would happily be one of the first in line to sign up for their device.  It sounds like there is still some Java and Linux components to their setup and I’m guessing it will be quite some time before there is a user-friendly “Drag and Drop” interface for configuring your device.  However, there’s a huge community of Java and iPhone enthusiasts (myself included) who would love to get their hands on this setup and test it out.  I haven’t even finished reading up their site, but I was so excited, I had put up a quick post.  However, as I learn more, I’ll be sure to follow up.

Keyboard and Mouse

The Apple Wireless Keyboard is a great option if you NEED to have a keyboard in the living room.  The Mac Mini does not come with a keyboard, so if you’re going to pick one up, this is a good way to go.  Because the Apple Wireless Keyboard uses bluetooth, you get a decent range and the Mac doesn’t need to be in “line of sight” (meaning you can put the Mac Mini in a cabinet or another room).  They keyboard is a bit bulky to use primarily for navigating through the Plex interface, and the bluetooth can be finicky, but having the full range of keys available to you is great if you use the Mac Mini to browse the internet from your couch.

Tip:  Get to know your keyboard shortcuts and you can do almost everything without a mouse.  My personal favorite: Command-Spacebar — This brings up the “Spotlight Search” tool and you can use it to launch applications by typing the name (autocomplete will assist).  Easy way to pull up Safari, Plex, etc without having to switch to the mouse.

Apple Remote

The Apple Remote is simple yet surprisingly effective.  Even though it only has 6 buttons, the functions of the remote’s buttons change based on what application or screen you are on.  It is essentially all you need to navigate the most popular Media Center applications (Boxee, Plex, XBMC, and FrontRow), and all of them have built-in support for the Apple Remote immediately.

This remote can also pull double duty as you can toss it with your Apple laptop to control your presentations in Keynote or PowerPoint.  You cannot program any of the remote’s buttons, so what you see is what you get, but for those who don’t like messing around with keyboard and learning-type remotes, this definitely gets the job done.

Universal Remote

This one is kinda of cheating, but any programmable remote should be able to learn the commands from the Apple Remote, in fact, several remotes I’ve seen recently already have pre-set commands for the Apple Remote built in.  The universal remote gives you more flexibility and helps prevent the “remote shuffle” where you have a lineup of remotes on your coffee table.  A good Universal Remote will let you control your TV, Receiver and Mac Mini with a single remote.

Right now, Snatch is my GoTo app for controlling the Mac Mini with the iPhone.  Snatch requires you install an app on your Mac Mini which must be running at all times.  From there, you can connect to the Mac Mini and use the iPhone as either a touchpad for the mouse, or as wireless keyboard.  Also, a Plex “plugin” has recently been released for Snatch which gives you a very professional looking and feature complete remote for controlling Plex.

For those who are even more creative, Snatch allows you to create your own custom button layouts and mappings.  An interesting premise, but the built-in features plus the Plex skin work fine for me.

View the gallery for more images.

iPhone-AirMote

AirMote is similar to Snatch, but not as flexible.  AirMote comes preconfigured with a handful of remotes for common apps (such as Front Row, Keynote, iTunes, etc).  It also has a very cool interface for creating your own remote which is much easier than Snatch.  However, for the amount of features, I’d stick with Snatch.  For a full review of Airmote, check out the AirMote Review on Lunch.com

iPhone-Boxee

Finally, Boxee for iPhone.  This app rocks!  It still has the same limitations as the other iPhone apps in regards to the Wifi dropping out and not being able to control other devices, but this app alone makes me want to use Boxee (although, overall, I still prefer Plex).  Pictures speak louder than words, so check out my video of the Boxee app on iPhone.

Boxee iPhone App Demo from Andrew Werhane on Vimeo.

If you still want more words, you can check out my full review of the Boxee iPhone App.

Conclusion

That’s about all I’ve got for now.  What do I use?  Honestly, I use my Universal remote as much as possible when navigating Plex (or other Media Center apps).  However, if I need to launch an app or want to look up some stuff on the web, I’ll pull out the iPhone and launch Snatch for the mouse and keyboard functionality.  Snatch is a lot of fun to use, but I feel like there’s got to be a way to make it more efficient (like change the orientation to switch between keyboard and trackpad).  Anyway, your needs may have different priorities.  If I’ve left anything off the list or if you’ve like to share what work for you, please feel free to post in the comments!

Gallery

Roku Digital Video Player

I realize this site is about the Mac Mini, but it’s good to keep our eye on what the competition is putting out there.  The Roku Digital Video Player has really stepped up the game with an affordable streaming video device with exceptional ease of use.  As a result, the Roku is getting some great reviews.

Currently, the Roku only streams content from Netflix’s On Demand service as well as rentals from Amazon’s Unboxed service.  However at $99, it’s an easy way to get the average person to start streaming video over the internet to their TV.

Obviously, the Mac Mini still has significant advantages over the Roku in terms of features, but if Roku can start streaming content from your local computers and eventually get upgraded for Hulu and YouTube feeds, it may become harder to justify the cost for a full Mac Mini.  Personally, I hope the Roku really takes off because competition is good stimulate innovation.

Send music to another room with Airport Express

For most people familiar with the Apple product line, this post is restating the obvious.  For the rest of you:  The Airport Express lets you broadcast your iTunes library to any other room in your house over your wireless network.  I feel like the Airport Express has potential to do so many things, that Apple doesn’t do a good enough job toting it’s ability as a music streaming device.

I recently configured an Airport Express to stream music from a Mac Mini to a stereo receiver on a different floor of a house.  I wrote a review of the Airport Express setup and configuration, and without ruining the surprise, it took quite a bit of patience.

For ideas on how to maximize the Airport Express in your network, click the link to read more.

Installation of the Airport Express essentially involves configuring the device using a wired ethernet connection (usually for your wireless network), and then moving it to another location in your house – most likely connected to an audio receiver somewhere other than your Mac Mini.  From there, you can connect the Airport Expressto your receiver with either an analog or digital connection.  Once configured, the Airport Express will show up in your iTunes as a possible speaker to use for iTunes playback — essentially giving you access to your entire Mac Mini’s music collection in a separate location.

One of the drawbacks I came across when using the Airport Express is that you cannot have separate playlists play in separate rooms.  For example, if you wanted to stream nursery rhymes to your child’s room while listening to some Dave Matthews Band in your main living room, you cannot do this through iTunes alone.  As a workaround, there is a great app called from Rogue Amoeba called AirFoil which lets you send the audio from ANY application to your Airport Express.  With a little trickery, you can have your iTunes play one playlist, and Pandora or VLC player stream to a separate room — all from the same Mac.  Obviously, your success will depend on your components and configuration, but anyone with an Airport Express should consider purchasing the AirFoil software.

Different angles of the Airport Express

From the online demo, the interface looks very similar in concept to Apple’s Front Row interface.  In practice, it looks like Yamaha is taking all the logic from the Harmony Remote controls, and using the neoHD as the control center, where the the neoHD sends IR commands to the different components attached to itself.

In addition, the device comes in 5.1 and 2.1 configurations, so it appears that this is the natural step to replacing your AV Receiver.  Everything is already going into the receiver now for HDMI switching, up-conversion, and sound processing, so it is a natural progression for Yamaha to take this next step and put a more polished interface.  I currently use Yamaha’s RX-V1800 receiver (which I love) but my biggest gripe with it is the lack of any sort of on-screen interface when using a High definition source.  The neoHD definitely looks poised to address this issue, but looking at the back of the neoHD makes me question who the target audience is for this product.  The neoHD has the cheaper “spring” lock speaker binding terminals and the number of inputs is on the low side — yet the prices from the website tend to suggest that this will be priced above the “entry level consumer” level.

In any case, I’d love to give the neoHD a test drive and post impressions regarding the user interface, but until then, click on the more link to view the photo gallery.  The connection diagram shows an AppleTV as one of the possible devices, so it’s very likely that the neoHD will play nicely with the Mac Mini.

Yamaha neoHD Remote

neoHD Connection Diagram

neoHD Rear Panel

Check out my Home Theater List on Lunch.com