Mac to HR20 Network

HDtoshiba · Dec 20, 2006

I have seen some other posts but nothing JUST for Mac people.

What are the steps necessary to hook up my mac to the HR20?

Earl Bonovich · Dec 20, 2006

Twonky

You basically need a media server that is compatible with Mac and HR20.
And Twonky is one of them.

bagleyb · Dec 20, 2006

I've been using Twonky on my Mac, and streaming pictures just fine. Most of my music is purchased from iTunes, so it won't play. I need to try to stream some of my podcasts that are mp3, but haven't had the time yet.

HDtoshiba · Dec 20, 2006

so all filetypes except ACC will play over the Twonky

bagleyb · Dec 20, 2006

Anything Twonky can convert to what the HR20 is wanting to see (LPCM?).

There's an add-on that has to be installed on the PC that converts mp3's to that format. They don't have the add-on for the Mac, so I assume it's built in to the Mac version. There are some forums on twonky's website, although the Mac forums are pretty scarce.

http://www.twonkyvision.de/forum/

EDIT:

Just looked at the forums, and there is no audio support for the HR20 in the current Twonky release.

iacas · Dec 20, 2006

bagleyb said:
I've been using Twonky on my Mac, and streaming pictures just fine. Most of my music is purchased from iTunes, so it won't play. I need to try to stream some of my podcasts that are mp3, but haven't had the time yet.

After installing TwonkyMedia, you had to reboot the HR20, right? That's when it checks the network for available servers, yes?

HDtoshiba · Dec 20, 2006

Anyone find anything other than Twonky that works with MAC.

Avarond · Dec 20, 2006

It seems the LPCM plugin is missing from the Mac Version of Twonky so all you get on the music end is X's. Eyeconnect from Elgato works also for photos, and has a LPCM plugin for the audio but the HR20 just seems to just play it as a sort of digital static. It accesses everything including Iphoto libraries, Itunes and any other library.

As for the Twonky plug-in it appears is a LAME application and maybe someone knows more about this, but the LAME website has a compile for a mac version on it. I don't know how this could be converted to a mac plugin for Twonky though. Its all too confusing. I could just stick with hooking my IPod up to my reciever.

pgiralt · Dec 20, 2006

iacas said:
After installing TwonkyMedia, you had to reboot the HR20, right? That's when it checks the network for available servers, yes?

You don't have to reboot the HR20.

iacas · Dec 21, 2006

pgiralt said:
You don't have to reboot the HR20.

Yeah, I figured that out later too. I did, however, have to disable the firewall. I haven't checked what ports everything runs on... does anyone have that information handy?

LoganDzwon · Dec 22, 2006

ya, I don't get twonky, I looked into their product for streaming stuff to the xbox360. The demo doesn't work, and no one answers anything on the message board.

Anyway, I tried to compile the plug-in for twonky for mac. I'm trying to find a place to host it. It'll only work with the intel machines. Someone who has twonky please test it for me? PM your e-mail and I'll send it to ya.

Thanks guys!

LoganDzwon · Dec 22, 2006

ok, I downloaded the demo and it shows pics, but the plug-in doesn't seem to be working. I'd still be interested in someone with a licesnse trying it out for me though

machavez00 · Dec 22, 2006

Someone in another thread called twonky and there is not a plug in yet. I posted on their forum but it seems no one answers. I went to the EyeConnect website and they are looking into it. EyeConnect has the audio to wav/lpcm plugin but as you you know all you get is white noise. I am beginnig to think it is the HR20, its not a UPnP device.
BTW connect360 does not work either

Avarond · Dec 22, 2006

machavez00 said:
Someone in another thread called twonky and there is not a plug in yet. I posted on their forum but it seems no one answers. I went to the EyeConnect website and they are looking into it. EyeConnect has the audio to wav/lpcm plugin but as you you know all you get is white noise. I am beginnig to think it is the HR20, its not a UPnP device.
BTW connect360 does not work either

I sent an email to Elgato the other day. Here is the message I received.

Thank you for contacting Elgato Systems.

It appears that the HR20 only supports LPCM as a music format. EyeConnect does not play this format.

I have written a feature request for EyeConnect to convert audio files to LPCM format.

Sincerely,
Ned Kettell
Customer Support

Elgato Systems LLC

*******

So what is the "Audio to wav/LPCM" plugin that is already installed in Eyeconnect?

machavez00 · Dec 22, 2006

Avarond said:
I sent an email to Elgato the other day. Here is the message I received.

Thank you for contacting Elgato Systems.

It appears that the HR20 only supports LPCM as a music format. EyeConnect does not play this format.

I have written a feature request for EyeConnect to convert audio files to LPCM format.

Sincerely,
Ned Kettell
Customer Support

Elgato Systems LLC

*******

So what is the "Audio to wav/LPCM" plugin that is already installed in Eyeconnect?

This is the response from their support forum

Michael,

In researching your problem, I seem to have found this discussion you have participated in, about this DVR:

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=73279&page=2

Have you received any help from other users?

I'm wondering about what exact formats your DVR supports for UPnP AV use - do you have a list or URL?

I'm also wondering if the bitrate of the MP3 file could come into play. Perhaps you could compare the specifics of a MP3 on your Mac, and one from the PC you've tested.

We have no other reports from users of this DVR about anything related to EyeConnect, so this is the first time I've heard this problem.

It could be how you encoded the files, or it could be how EyeConnect is sending them. One way to test that is to find out if your DVR supports something other than MP3 (like WAV), and test that.

I've you can find a supported movie format, then try that too, to see if the soundtrack has the same problem.

Nick Freeman
Customer Support

Elgato Systems LLC

900 Kearny Street Suite 750 San Francisco CA 94133-5145
http://www.elgato.com - http://faq.elgato.com

Left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing?

I can play the exact same audio files from my brother PC down the street after I dumped them onto his HD. I turned sharing on in WMP11 and Viola! my MP3s play on my HR20, same songs, WMP instead of EyeConnect.

Avarond · Dec 22, 2006

machavez00 said:
This is the response from their support forum

Michael,

In researching your problem, I seem to have found this discussion you have participated in, about this DVR:

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=73279&page=2

Have you received any help from other users?

I'm wondering about what exact formats your DVR supports for UPnP AV use - do you have a list or URL?

I'm also wondering if the bitrate of the MP3 file could come into play. Perhaps you could compare the specifics of a MP3 on your Mac, and one from the PC you've tested.

We have no other reports from users of this DVR about anything related to EyeConnect, so this is the first time I've heard this problem.

It could be how you encoded the files, or it could be how EyeConnect is sending them. One way to test that is to find out if your DVR supports something other than MP3 (like WAV), and test that.

I've you can find a supported movie format, then try that too, to see if the soundtrack has the same problem.

Nick Freeman
Customer Support

Elgato Systems LLC

900 Kearny Street Suite 750 San Francisco CA 94133-5145
http://www.elgato.com - http://faq.elgato.com

Left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing?

I can play the exact same audio files from my brother PC down the street after I dumped them onto his HD. I turned sharing on in WMP11 and Viola! my MP3s play on my HR20, same songs, WMP instead of EyeConnect.

So do we have any of these answers, like what formats the HR20 supports. I know of LPCM, are there any others? When I get a chance this weekend I'll try to run some test files in various fomats/bit rates to the HR20.

bagleyb · Dec 22, 2006

Has anyone looked at videolan for the Mac yet?

I'm still pretty new to the Mac (less than a year) but LPCM is mentioned in their forums quite often.

I'm going to try it when I get home, unless someone else has already been down this road.

http://www.videolan.org/

LoganDzwon · Dec 22, 2006

I thought videolan was a client only?

bagleyb · Dec 22, 2006

They have a server portion in the FTP archives, but the client supports serving streams now as well.

machavez00 · Dec 22, 2006

bagleyb said:
Has anyone looked at videolan for the Mac yet?

I'm still pretty new to the Mac (less than a year) but LPCM is mentioned in their forums quite often.

I'm going to try it when I get home, unless someone else has already been down this road.

http://www.videolan.org/

I downloaded it have not installed/tried it yet

Mac to HR20 Network

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