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Performance of Extra Vegetables iTunes Driver

ekohn00

By ekohn00
in General Control4 Discussion

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chopedogg88 Grand Master

chopedogg88

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I guess I'm just trying to get a sense of what these drivers cost. I think he may also need a sonos and the sonos driver, in order to get Pandora in his ui's as well. No worries I will just register and find out. Do they approve the registrations pretty quickly?

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Cyknight Grand Master

Cyknight

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Lots of dealers don't use EV or other 3rd party drivers. Don't underestimate how many dealers are out there, let alone how many dealers are informed enough to be aware of EV and others let alone are willing to deal with outside sources like them. We occasionally are called in to help other dealers in other markets if they get stuck, and it can be surprising what they may not be aware of (yet) that you consider common knowledge.

No offense meant to anyone - but those on here are not to be blindly considered representative of C4 dealers as a whole, and you can take that whatever way you want to :P

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chopedogg88 Grand Master

chopedogg88

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I'm a new employee for a dealer which has been in business for awhile. We are well aware of EV but have managed to convince our customers to use Rhapsody instead of iTunes, Pandora, or the like... So haven't had to use the EV drivers.

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ILoveC4 Grand Master

ILoveC4

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Doesn't seem like you do a lot of control4 work if you don't know about EV drivers? Maybe you are new? or maybe you just setup really basic systems?

I have a friend who is a huge dealer...does huge installs everyday and had never heard of them. I guess there's a chance some of his guys had...he personally doesn't do any programming. Maybe that's the same case here.

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chopedogg88 Grand Master

chopedogg88

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I think we've gotten a bit off-topic here...and my original question still goes unanswered.  Is it possible to connect the network file store directly to a shared folder on a Mac?  I'm not a Mac guy...

 

Or is it possible to connect a V1 Apple TV to an 800 via USB?

 

Or must a NAS device be used in order to import the existing iTunes music/playlists into the control4 media library?

the customer is leaning away from using the EV iTunes driver because they don't like the idea of the Mac needing to be on at all times.  They do have an Apple TV v1 (and a newer one as well)...does the EV driver allow them to navigate the Apple TV V1?  and if so, is it better to go that route or go the network file store route?  advantages/disadvantages of each approach?

 

sorry...I still have a lot of questions...

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SMHarman Veteran

SMHarman

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I think we've gotten a bit off-topic here...and my original question still goes unanswered. 

 

Is it possible to connect the network file store directly to a shared folder on a Mac?  I'm not a Mac guy...

 

Or is it possible to connect a V1 Apple TV to an 800 via USB?

 

Or must a NAS device be used in order to import the existing iTunes music/playlists into the control4 media library?

the customer is leaning away from using the EV iTunes driver because they don't like the idea of the Mac needing to be on at all times.  They do have an Apple TV v1 (and a newer one as well)...does the EV driver allow them to navigate the Apple TV V1?  and if so, is it better to go that route or go the network file store route?  advantages/disadvantages of each approach?

 

sorry...I still have a lot of questions...

Is it possible to connect the network file store directly to a shared folder on a Mac? I'm not a Mac guy...

Yes - The Mac will need to have a consistent IP address (through a DHCP reservation in the router or some other way).  Then the mapping will be to \\192.168.100.50\itunesfolder or something like that.

 

Or is it possible to connect a V1 Apple TV to an 800 via USB?

Not by USB.  An ATV1 can connect to the HC800 with IP control (ATV1 only) or with IR control (the IR driver is a free C4 driver).  The audio and video would connect to whatever end point you want to listen or distribute on.

 

Or must a NAS device be used in order to import the existing iTunes music/playlists into the control4 media library?

A NAS means you have a lower power always on data storage.  Must it be used, no but it is more optimal, alternatly you could store the files on the ATV1.

 

The customer is leaning away from using the EV iTunes driver because they don't like the idea of the Mac needing to be on at all times. They do have an Apple TV v1 (and a newer one as well)...does the EV driver allow them to navigate the Apple TV V1?

The ATV driver or an IR driver can navigate the ATV, the point of the EV driver is that you pick the media from the C4 interface and the driver automagically tells the ATV device to send the song / video to the right destination.

 

and if so, is it better to go that route or go the network file store route? advantages/disadvantages of each approach?

Now I'd need to go back to the original post to see if you are trying to distribute audio or video or both and to what destinations.

 

Have you read these docs?

http://extravegetables.com/helpdesk/knowledgebase.php?category=3

 

 

 

I think you are trying to solve three things at once here.

1) iTunes

In the current set up, the iTunes files and DB are on the Mac, so to use these files on ATV1 or ATV2 the mac needs to be on?  If I am right in that assumption then the first step is to move this all to an alternate always on source (like a Synology or other NAS that is now the source.  (I like the Synology as it will mimic being an iTunes source, and act as a Time Capsule so the customer can now get their Mac seamlessly backed up from it as a value add)

 

Then, the ATV1 etc can get the media even if the Mac is off.  The Mac now also looks to the NAS when it wants to play iTunes and when it Rips I tunes it places the files on the NAS.

 

2) Control of ATVs

This can be done by IP for the ATV (with an EV driver) or by IR for both (with a free EV driver).  This will still require navigation of an on TV display, just like it does now, just you are using the SR250 not the Apple remote.

 

3) Control on touch screens and through C4 media control

That needs the EV driver which if you have 1 sorted out will just work.  Now the client can access their iTunes library on the touch screen in the bathroom etc.  The ATV interface is taken out of the picture, the EV iTunes driver communicates with the ATV to control it and select the appropriate track, play, pause, skip etc.

Without the ducks in a row in 1) it gets confusing quickly.

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SMHarman Veteran

SMHarman

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Unfortunately it treats the computer as an AppleTV, so you need to have a physical audio out connection to an amp.

I might be wrong on this cant the computer also airplay the music or video out so you don't 'need a physical connection if there is an airplay device in the mix.

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WillEV Rookie

WillEV

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Posted

I think we've gotten a bit off-topic here...and my original question still goes unanswered.  Is it possible to connect the network file store directly to a shared folder on a Mac?  I'm not a Mac guy...

 

Or is it possible to connect a V1 Apple TV to an 800 via USB?

 

Or must a NAS device be used in order to import the existing iTunes music/playlists into the control4 media library?

the customer is leaning away from using the EV iTunes driver because they don't like the idea of the Mac needing to be on at all times.  They do have an Apple TV v1 (and a newer one as well)...does the EV driver allow them to navigate the Apple TV V1?  and if so, is it better to go that route or go the network file store route?  advantages/disadvantages of each approach?

 

sorry...I still have a lot of questions...

 

Jumping in here to answer one specific question:

 

The iTunes driver will be able to *directly* control the original white/silver Apple TV v1, including browsing the content and selecting it for playback *directly* from Control4 (using the iOS, native touchscreens, SR250 or C4 OSD) *WITHOUT* needing the computer to be on and running iTunes, as long as content is synced (not streamed or shared) to the Apple TV v1.  The Apple TV v1 is essentially a little computer running iTunes as far as the rest of the world is concerned.

 

The newer black hockey puck Apple TVs (v2 and v3) are not, and need iTunes to be on for them to be able to stream your content through the iTunes driver.

 

The v1 Apple TV was a great product for the CI industry in this regard; the newer ones, not so much.

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WillEV Rookie

WillEV

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Posted

I might be wrong on this cant the computer also airplay the music or video out so you don't 'need a physical connection if there is an airplay device in the mix.

 

And one more: the iTunes driver is able to control the Airplay destinations on the computer as well, so this is correct, you don't need a physical connection.  You can have e.g. the C4 WMB or an Airport Express connected to a receiver (or indeed an Airplay compatible receiver) and then the music playing back in iTunes will automatically be streamed to the Airplay destination rather than playing locally.

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chopedogg88 Grand Master

chopedogg88

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Thanks guys for your quick replies.  I'm aware of how the IR control of Apple TV's.  We do that all the time.  Just wasn't sure what the IP control gives you, in terms of using the c4 GUI's.

 

Question - if we setup a fixed IP on the Mac and a shared folder...or we go the route of storing the files on a NAS...do we really still need the EV iTunes driver?  or can't we just synch the music using a network file store driver, and then navigate the music library and playlists via My Music?

 

the customer has the music (and movies) synching to his ATV1 and to the iCloud at the moment...just (simply) wants the ability to see his music library and playlists via the c4 GUI's (in wall touchscreen for example).  If he is watching a movie, I assume he'll be at a TV and can just use Watch-->Apple TV and then use the ATV gui to browse his library and select a movie.

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SMHarman Veteran

SMHarman

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Thanks guys for your quick replies.  I'm aware of how the IR control of Apple TV's.  We do that all the time.  Just wasn't sure what the IP control gives you, in terms of using the c4 GUI's.

 

Question - if we setup a fixed IP on the Mac and a shared folder...or we go the route of storing the files on a NAS...do we really still need the EV iTunes driver?  or can't we just synch the music using a network file store driver, and then navigate the music library and playlists via My Music?

 

the customer has the music (and movies) synching to his ATV1 and to the iCloud at the moment...just (simply) wants the ability to see his music library and playlists via the c4 GUI's (in wall touchscreen for example).  If he is watching a movie, I assume he'll be at a TV and can just use Watch-->Apple TV and then use the ATV gui to browse his library and select a movie.

 

If you install the iTunes EV driver, the files on the ATV1 will be viewable and controlable on all C4 screens, keypads etc. 

 

Without the driver you will need a TV screen that is hooked into the ATV1 and navigate it like any other device like a BluRay or Roku.

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chopedogg88 Grand Master

chopedogg88

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Thanks. The first pdf seems a bit dated... Does it all still hold true? If we connect to a network file store where the iTunes music is located, control4 can't play back that media, due to DRM or file format restrictions, without the EV driver?

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msgreenf Grand Master

msgreenf

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Thanks. The first pdf seems a bit dated... Does it all still hold true? If we connect to a network file store where the iTunes music is located, control4 can't play back that media, due to DRM or file format restrictions, without the EV driver?

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It depends on when the iTunes content was purchased if it has DRM or not.

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chopedogg88 Grand Master

chopedogg88

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Okay...I've got the EV driver setup and working.  Right now I'm just testing on my own project at my own home, where I don't have an Apple TV V1...only a V3, and iTunes.  Seems to be working fine...however no cover art for albums or movies...am I missing something or is there no way to get the cover art when browsing a list of albums for example.  I see it on the "now playing" screen, but that's probably not going to be good enough for my customer...I'm pretty sure he's going to want cover art when viewing the lists of albums/movies/tv shows.

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