Got my wife this great little wireless radio for Christmas that connects to your home network and will play shared media through Windows Media Player, but I have a problem.

 

I have the UnRaid share in Windows Media 11 library and it is monitored. But the only media that will show up on the radio is in the My Music folder for the user that is logged on. I check the X-Box 360 and the same thing happens their. Nothing from the UnRaid server shows up, just the My Music folder. The files are all in the Media Player library on you can play them localy on the PC (Vista). Any ideas on what I have set wrong?

Except for unRAID, I don't have any of the products you mention, but if I ask for a clarification, perhaps it will 'inspire' someone else with an idea.

 

When you say that it "will play shared media through Windows Media Player", do you mean that you only have to connect to some network transport component of WMP 11 that handles the cataloging and access to shared folders, local and networked?  If so, then it must be a WMP configuration issue.

 

Or is this an ordinary networking issue, in that your network devices, the XBOX and radio, need to be configured with the same workgroup name, need some sort of hosts file mechanism for IP to name translation, or need to be configured with a static IP of the unRAID server, etc?  unRAID is not a UPnP device, perhaps your devices are only looking for UPnP devices?

I did a lot of searching and did manage to get it working. It seems to be more of a Vista thing, to me Vista really went backwards when it comes to sharing files across a network and with other users, I guess maybe it is more secure but it is very hard to follow.

 

Basically Media Player 11 works as a library that other devices can access to play media from, but their is a catch. Media player will not (by defualt) allow a device to get at files that are on another comoputer even though they are part of the library and Media Player itself will play the files. So you have to add some lines in to the registry to enable the sharing of network files through media player.

 

Here is the step by step I did to get it to work http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/faq/sharing.mspx#q20_17

 

Its a pain but it is going. Wife is happily streaming music to her radio from the HTPC that is pulling it from the UnRaid server. Wish the was a way to take the HTPC out of the loop and go direct to the server but that isn't going to happen.

actually, it might not be that hard... the "radio" is probably using upnp... there are a variety of upnp linux servers that could be installed on unRaid... Twonkey Media Server comes to mind...

 

I have no idea what it uses, only thing I can find in the book say DLNA HNv1 support, which doesn't mean anything to me.

 

You either have to use Windows Media Player, Window Media Connect or it comes with Vaio Media Server. Thats as much as I kow 

What make/model of wireless radio did you get your wife?  Is it a "Microsoft" product?

 

Joe L.

DLNA HNv1 support

as far as I know this means the same as upnp...

 

this from the Twonky site at http://www.twonkymedia.com/compatibility.html :

Generally, TwonkyMedia manager and server work with any TV, game console, A/V system, PC, network-attached storage (NAS) device, digital media adapter and mobile device that is DLNA or UPnP compatible.

 

It is a Sony VAIO VGF-WA1.

 

This sounds promising, I am going to have to give it a try. Probably won't be until this week end though, end of the year is kind of a mad house at work.

 

I can't seem to find what it cost after the trial, does anyone know?

Its a pain but it is going. Wife is happily streaming music to her radio from the HTPC that is pulling it from the UnRaid server. Wish the was a way to take the HTPC out of the loop and go direct to the server but that isn't going to happen.

 

As far as i know, the reason your HTPC has to be in the loop is because it run DLNA through Media Player 11 that is any Windows PC has Media Player 11 can do the same thing not necessary has to be a dedicated HTPC. You can do the same thing for game console like PS3 or XBOX since nowadays game console is for like a media center than a pure game console only.

 

As long as unRaid support DLNA then you should be able to take your HTPC out of loop. I am still looking for a solution in this regard.

 

Have you guys looked at Twonkey, as I suggested above?  Running this on the unRAID box will eliminate the need of the windows box...

 

Have you guys looked at Twonkey, as I suggested above?  Running this on the unRAID box will eliminate the need of the windows box...

 

 

I am going to yes, just hasn't been high on the priority list yet..