No ViiV: Summary of Media Servers with HR20

[mikeny]

I've tried several (5) media servers with the HR20 so I thought I would report a quick summary of pros and cons of each.

I had tried initially setting this up with a Buffalo Ethernet Converter but I never was able to to consistently keep communication between between the converter/Netgear WGT624v3 router and the HR20. I could initialize a connection by hardwiring the directly HR20 to the router, then swapping the converter but it wouldn't hold for more than a few minutes.

Ultimately I wound up hardwiring the HR20 to a router. My configuration: Windows XP SP2 (no ViiV)Hardwired to Verizon FiOS Actiontec MI424WR router.

Windows Media Player 11:

Pros: Detection of HR20
music: plays .mp3s, .wma, .jpg
good library management on pc
Price: free


Cons:
frequent server drops, couldn't access certain folders with 150+ megapixel
photos,
not very stable

TwonkyMedia 4.1

Pros:
easy, small installation
Detection of HR20: excellent
Music:
plays .mp3s (with transcoding lpcm plug-in [lame] into cgi folder)
uses WMP metadata for playing
better about network drops
artist selection/album selection, folder selection
Very fast indexing of content

Photos:
Excellent serving of all photos I have from 1/3/ & 7 megapixel sources
configuration page: Simple and you can remotely log in from other pcs on
your lan.

Cons:

Can't play .wma audio
photos : slide show not the fastest
still get some communication problems between HR20 and server
especially if playing .mp3s without .jpgs being simultaneously served
be careful about .db corruption

Price: $40 for a year after 30 day trial

TVersity:
Pros:
simple interface, you can log in from any pc on your wan
Music: played .mp3s great
Photos: plays my 3 megapixel photos
Indexed all my content pretty quickly
Price: free

Cons:

Can’t play my 7.1 megapixel photos: They appear in HR20 but with ‘X’s.

ORB:
Pros:

Fast detection on HR20.
Allows any devices on lan to access it
Played all photos though HR20 by pressing “play’ on the folder
Price: free


Cons:
made my PC crash
Made HR20 freeze
Couldn’t play .mp3s through HR20
Couldn’t open photo folders
Never properly indexed my music folder

Nero MediaHome:
Pros:
the software detects: clients name: HR20 DirecTV HD DVR
Friendly interface
Played small .jpg files

Cons:
wouldn’t play .mp3s, wouldn’t properly index music
wouldn't properly display larger .jpg files (showed them as a
thumbnail (.bmp)
Made HR20 freeze
Part of robust Nero 7 Ultra Enhanced Edition
Price: $80 (or possibly less with a search online and in brick &
mortar stores)

[Chris Blount]

Nicely done. Thanks!

[Rambler]

Out of those options, I've been able to get Twonky, Orb and Nero working with the HR20. For some reason WMP11 still can't see my HR20. I've found Twonky to be the most stable and has the least problems even when my PC goes into screen saver mode.

And for another reason I don't understand, Twonky is still saying I'm on the trial period until it connects with the client, and I've been using Twonky for music and pictures for almost a month now. So for me I'll be sticking with Twonky. Even if it does eventually recognize that it's connected with a client, $40 is reasonable for a stable media server IMHO.

[alexginga]

I installed Windows Media Player 11 on my PC and enabled the sharing via Options -> Library -> Sharing menu.

I then connected HR20 directly to my computer using a spare Ethernet cable AND...

I am immediately able to access files in the "Shared Music", "Shared Photos", and "Shared Video Clips" folders on my computer.. :) (you can't play the videos though) :(

[mikeny]

Out of those options, I've been able to get Twonky, Orb and Nero working with the HR20. For some reason WMP11 still can't see my HR20. I've found Twonky to be the most stable and has the least problems even when my PC goes into screen saver mode.

And for another reason I don't understand, Twonky is still saying I'm on the trial period until it connects with the client, and I've been using Twonky for music and pictures for almost a month now. So for me I'll be sticking with Twonky. Even if it does eventually recognize that it's connected with a client, $40 is reasonable for a stable media server IMHO.
Yeah, I'm going to have to pay them, I guess..unless I can get my hands on that stealth client plug-in that you have.:)

[Rambler]

Yeah, I'm going to have to pay them, I guess..unless I can get my hands on that stealth client plug-in that you have.:)
Strange, but Twonky is now showing I have 10 days left on my trial. So much for Stealth technology... :rolleyes:

But another option that I'll be trying this evening when I get home is the Philips Media Manager. It's free and you can download it here:
http://www.p4c.philips.com/cgi-bin/dcbint/cpindex.pl?sct=PRONTO_SU&cat=HOME_CONTROL_SYSTEMS_CA&tmplt=Cps&grp=HOME_AUDIO_VIDEO_GR&ctn=RC9800I/17&slg=ENG&mid=Link_Software&hlt=Link_Software

Make sure you use the 2nd link for the Media Manager application, not the firmware update for the RC9800i remote. ;)

[Spanky_Partain]

Good work Rambler and Mikenv.

I like the testing and updates.

Now if WMP could be figured out a little more. I can't get it to work. Perhaps I am to impatient with it. Perhaps it is swapping or something due to hardware limitations. A lot of MS products like to use hardware, memory in specific.

Twonky is my current defualt as well.

[Rambler]

Now if WMP could be figured out a little more. I can't get it to work.
Ditto here as well.

Post back if you get to try the Philips Media Manager before I do. :)

[Spanky_Partain]

Ditto here as well.

Post back if you get to try the Philips Media Manager before I do. :)

Nope have not tried it.

[mikeny]

Good luck trying the Phillips app guys. I'm going to stop testing for now as I have 364 registered days remaining with Twonkybaby. Bit the bullet last night.

[Rambler]

Well, I tried the Philips Media Manager software, and all I could get to work was Photo viewing. MP3s wouldn't play at all.

My next try is the D-Link Media Server...

[Rambler]

And the D-Link software ends up freezing the HR20, requiring a RBR. It looks like I'll be ponying up the $$ for Twonky. :grin:

[oldguy1]

I've tried several (5) media servers with the HR20 so I thought I would report a quick summary of pros and cons of each.

Nero MediaHome:
Pros:
the software detects: clients name: HR20 DirecTV HD DVR
Friendly interface
Played small .jpg files

Cons:
wouldn’t play .mp3s, wouldn’t properly index music
wouldn't properly display larger .jpg files (showed them as a
thumbnail (.bmp)
Made HR20 freeze
Part of robust Nero 7 Ultra Enhanced Edition
Price: $80 (or possibly less with a search online and in brick &
mortar stores)
I don't know why you, and others, say Nero Mediahome will not play MP3's. I have been playing them on my HR20 using Nero 7 Mediahome for about a month now.

And, you must use Nero Scout to do the indexing for Mediahome.

[mikeny]

I don't know why you, and others, say Nero Mediahome will not play MP3's. I have been playing them on my HR20 using Nero 7 Mediahome for about a month now.

And, you must use Nero Scout to do the indexing for Mediahome.I thought Scout indexed my whole pc but the files never appeared through the HR-20.

I couldn't get the Buffalo Ethernet Converter to work right either and I see you're using it. I was going to pull my hair out trying.

Glad the above are working for you.

Maybe it's an Ohio thing.:)

[Rambler]

I don't know why you, and others, say Nero Mediahome will not play MP3's. I have been playing them on my HR20 using Nero 7 Mediahome for about a month now.

And, you must use Nero Scout to do the indexing for Mediahome.
Okay, I was also wondering why Nero MediaHome wouldn't play MP3 files. But I can't seem to find the Scout application, how do I access or get to it?

EDIT: Never mind, found it. :)

[cnb2606]

I am using non-VIIV PC with TVersity + HR20 using wired network. I got Music (MP3s) working. I having issues with pictures.

I use Nikon D50 camera to take most of my pictures and they are taken at 6.1 MP.

I cannot view any of the pictures taken by Nikon at 6.1 MP. As per my understanding, TVersity can display upto 7.0 MP therefore not sure why TVersity/HR20 not displaying my 6.1 MP pictures?

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[oldguy1]

The latest version of Nero Mediahome (2.1.11.0) has some improvements. Most notably: I played about 1/2 hour of music last night without any interruption (never got logged off or dropped).
Nero Scout is also set up for Web Radio, Web TV, and Audio/Video/Image Casts. Of course, HR20 does not support these yet, but it is coming.

Pure luck?

[Radio Enginerd]

Very well done... Only used 3 of the ones you reported and agree with your assessment...