[slinkelist] Multi-room controls (was re: VNC, DCOM)

Schaaf John JSchaaf@wyseadv.com
Mon, 6 Nov 2000 11:45:25 -0500


Slow depends on your network and your computers.  I use it at work and at
home.  Home is between 2 Pentium 2-350mhz machines on a 10mbs network
(slower than my work machines)and it runs great.  I even have remotely
controlled a p166mmx at work with no noticeable degreation.  It is even
acceptable over a 26,400 modem connection.

Now if I could only get it to connect to a machine at home on a cable modem
through my firewall at work, aaaggghhh!

My two cents worth,
John.

-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Kropp [mailto:mkropp@cathouse.mv.com]
Sent: Saturday, November 04, 2000 8:55 AM
To: slinkelist@nirvis.com
Subject: RE: [slinkelist] Multi-room controls (was re: VNC, DCOM)


Pretty much so but it's slooooow (but it is free...).  I gave up on it.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: slinkelist-admin@nirvis.com [mailto:slinkelist-admin@nirvis.com]On
> Behalf Of Simon Mason
> Sent: Saturday, November 04, 2000 8:17 AM
> To: 'Keith'; slinkelist@nirvis.com
> Subject: RE: [slinkelist] Multi-room controls (was re: VNC, DCOM)
>
>
> Does VNC do essentially the same thing as pcAnywhere?
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: slinkelist-admin@nirvis.com [mailto:slinkelist-admin@nirvis.com]On
> Behalf Of Keith
> Sent: Friday, November 03, 2000 10:53 AM
> To: slinkelist@nirvis.com
> Subject: RE: [slinkelist] Multi-room controls (was re: VNC, DCOM)
>
>
> Hello - I too find VNC to be a better solution for Multi-room Control than
> DCOM and Slinkesrv.
>
> The one thing I found I could do with VNC that I could not do
> with DCOM and
> Slinkesrv was to let multiple PC's have simultaneous control of CDJ.
>
> I have a PC in the kitchen, one in the family room and one in each bedroom
> simultaneously connected via VNC to a PC dedicated to running CDJ and the
> Slink-e.  This allows everyone to see or make changes to what is playing
> from any location in the house.
>
> I like being able to roam around the house, walk up to the nearest PC,
> glance at the screen to see what is playing, tickle the keyboard to search
> for a specific song and add it to the playlist.
>
> I can't think of a better solution than VNC if you want multi-room control
> from PC control stations.  Multi-room control from handheld
> remotes or wall
> mounted controls is a different story.  But from PC's I can't think of a
> better solution than VNC.
>
> Regards,
> Keith Weldon
>
>  -----Original Message-----
> From: 	slinkelist-admin@nirvis.com
> [mailto:slinkelist-admin@nirvis.com]  On
> Behalf Of Igal, Saleh
> Sent:	Tuesday, October 31, 2000 11:22 AM
> To:	Michael Holopainen
> Cc:	Slinke-List
> Subject:	[slinkelist] VNC, DCOM (was re: Multi-room controls)
>
> >From what I understand of VNC, it works similar to pcAnywhere, remote
> controlling the host computer.  However, while my laptop has a 1024X768
> screen, my server has a 1600X1024 wide-screen display, so I'd
> have to scroll
> around or mess with window sizing.  Also, my wife uses CDJ too -- if I was
> on the server, and she was using the laptop to control CDJ, CDJ would show
> up on the server's screen.
>
> As for some of the other issues, I run strictly NT and 2000, don't use the
> mp3 features, and didn't really have to do much to mess with
> library/covers
> paths.
>
> I think almost all networked CDJ users would agree that DCOM was a poor
> choice for the networking protocol - a native sockets or encapsulated HTTP
> implementation would be cleaner, more stable, easier to configure,
> WAN-friendly for streaming control, firewall-friendly for WAN access from
> work...  It would also make it almost trivial to control the Slink-e from
> almost any OS or scripting language.  However, in my situation,
> the pain of
> dealing with DCOM is worth the benefit.
>
> All that being said, I bought an old terminal server on Ebay for
> about $50,
> and will likely roll my own native socket connection over Telnet, putting
> DCOM to rest.  I plan to just use the terminal server's virtual redirector
> software to direct COM7 and COM8 on the laptop to the Slink-e and
> DXS ports
> on the terminal server.  Then, CDJ will think it has a direct
> connection to
> the Slink-e and DXS.  I'll post my results to the list when I get
> around to
> messing with it.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Michael Holopainen [mailto:michael@laserle.fi]
> Sent: Tuesday, October 31, 2000 2:19 am
> To: Igal, Saleh
> Subject: Re: [slinkelist] Multi-room controls
>
>
> Have you tried VNC ??
>
> http://www.uk.research.att.com/vnc/download.html
>
> I for one find it MUCH better that DCOM :
>
> 1. no need for NT server, DCOMcnfg, no need to manually <anything>
> 2. mp3 play on "server" = computer connected on slink
> 3. no need to mess with library-covers-mp3_files paths
> 4. I haven't crashed CDJ / VNC not even once in past 1-2 years
> 5. You can do MUCH more than just CDJ with VNC
> 6. Easy to set up
> 7. Small prog
> 8. You only need to install 1 CDJ (less updating, no version conflict)
> 9. no need for slinkeserv
> 10. Oh jeah, and the "small" detail that it's not MS product, so it
> actually works
> 11. You can even use CDJ from remote UNIX (Linux) machine
>
> -michael (A)
>
> "Igal, Saleh" wrote:
> >
> > I use a laptop with an 802.11 wireless connection; a server runs
> slinkesrv.
> > The server also has my MDB file, covers, and playlists.  If I'm anywhere
> > within earshot, I just grab the laptop to control CDJ.  It
> works great --
> I
> > get full CDJ control from anywhere inside or outside the house.
> >
> > There are two annoyances that you will see in any CDJ/DCOM network
> > configuration.  First, CDJ updates reset the DCOM connection data, so I
> have
> > to run DCOMCNFG and reconfigure DCOM after every CDJ update.  Second, if
> CDJ
> > crashes, I have to manually go and restart slinkesrv.
> >
> > The newer 11 Mbps wireless cards are fast enough that there's no
> significant
> > difference between having the MDB and covers on the server versus the
> > laptop.  If my wife's using the laptop, I just revert back to
> running CDJ
> on
> > the server, since it has the MDB and covers.
> >
> > If you're planning to buy a new PC anyway, I'd strongly recommend
> > considering spending a few hundred bucks more for a laptop and wireless
> LAN.
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: slinkelist-admin@nirvis.com [mailto:slinkelist-admin@nirvis.com]On
> > Behalf Of Ron Tugender
> > Sent: Monday, October 30, 2000 10:08 am
> > To: Slinke-List
> > Subject: [slinkelist] Multi-room controls
> >
> > I've been using Slink-e/CDJ for a while now, but in a rather simple way.
> > I've had in my office one PC running CDJ, natively controlling a pair of
> > Sony changers in the living room, with a long Cat-5 run from
> the PC to the
> > Slink-e and a long speaker connection from the amplifier in the living
> room
> > to satellite speakers in the office.  I did most of my listening in the
> > office, so having the primary CDJ control there was convenient enough.
> >
> > I've now acquired a home theatre setup with gorgeous audio in the living
> > room.  I still intend to do a fair amount of listening in the
> office, but
> > now quite a bit more in the living room.  I now want to control the Sony
> > players through CDJ (or perhaps PartyGUI) in both the office and the
> living
> > room.
> >
> > I have a few thoughts on how I might do this, but before I bias the
> feedback
> > I'd rather first ask for suggestions from people who have already done
> > something similar.  To focus the suggestions, I'm prepared if
> necessary to
> > put another PC in the living room and LAN connection between the living
> room
> > and office.
> >
> > Ideas, anyone?
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Ron
> >
> > ================================================
> > Ron Tugender
> > 408-378-0777
> > ron@tugender.com
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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>
> --
>    --"Would you fly on airplane controlled by MS Windows ?"--
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
> | Michael Holopainen | Valuraudantie 25 | Tel: +358-(0)9-35093825  |
> |                    | 00700 Helsinki   | Fax : +358-(0)9-35093850 |
> | Laserle Oy         | Finland          | email: michael@laserle.fi|
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