How to support ANY stream from your computer

Austin Bike · 09-17-2003, 09:24 AM

I was obsessed with getting a streaming internet station to my TiVo HMO and was having no luck until I stumbled upon ShoutCast which is a plug-in for WinAmp that lets you broadcast over a network.

I was able to get the station to play in WinAmp and was able to use ShoutCast to "rebroadcast" over my network only and the TiVo was able to pick up the stream like a normal internet stream (I just pointed the Tivo to the server in my M3U playlist).

But then I really stumbled onto the goldmine - ShoutCast has a parameter that you can change, the default is "WinAmp" but the alternate is "Sound card".

By switching to Sound Card, any sound that goes through the sound card is broadcast out to the Tivo.

This means that ANY music that you can play on your computer can be sent to the TiVo. Internet radio with proprietary formats? No problem. AAC music files? No Problem. MusicMatch custom radio stations? No Problem.

The real kicker is that if you have windows XP pro, you can use the remote desktop feature to manage the remote server so it can be anywhere in the house. If you don't have Windows XP, check out a freeware program called Tight VNC which does a pretty good job of giving you a remote console to the remote system (screen refreshes can be a pain with some applications.)

highvista · 09-17-2003, 10:33 PM

Thanks for the info! I've also had some of my favorite streams not be playable through HMO, so using my own SHOUTcast server is a great work-around. I hope the next version of HMO is optimized a bit more for streams. They've been my favorite feature of HMO.

Austin Bike · 09-18-2003, 09:09 AM

The frustration is that many of the streams that I have work once or twice and then stop working for some reason. The TiVo error messages are not that helpful.

Long term, if the price of Smart displays came down to a reasonable level, having a tablet that you could walk around with that would allow you to manage your jukebox remotely would be a big plus.

Imagine having something like this sitting on your coffee table...

opchiasm · 09-21-2003, 08:53 PM

Austin,

I am very interested in being able to play MusicMatch Radio through my Tivo. Unfortunately, I am also very stupid. I downloaded a program called ShoutCast DNAS and am trying to figure out how to do it. I've read through the configuration file several times, but don't see the option to change Winamp to Sound Card.

Thanks for any help.

Austin Bike · 09-22-2003, 02:50 PM

Let me look at it tonight when I get home. If you send me a private message with your email address I can send you my DNAS configuration file which should work for you.

opchiasm · 09-22-2003, 03:17 PM

Thanks very much.

Azlen · 09-22-2003, 07:51 PM

Be sure you download both the Shoutcast server software as well as the winamp plugin. The option to change from winamp to the soundcard is in the 4th tab of the plugin. Also make sure your recording mix is set correctly, I had to use stereo mix to get it to work. The option to set the recording mix is also in the 4th tab of the plugin.

Austin Bike · 09-22-2003, 09:18 PM

In the DNAS config, here are the lines that matter:

SrcIP=ANY
DestIP=ANY
NameLookups=0
PublicServer=Never
AllowRelay=No
AllowPublicRelay=No

; RIPOnly, when set to Yes, will only allow IP addresses listed in the Reserved
; IP list to connect and relay. All other connections for listening will be denied.
; This is really only useful for servers whose sole purpose is to provide the
; primary feed to all public relays. Setting this value to Yes also forces the
; server into Private mode, since listing this server in the directory would
; be pointless. Default is No.
; RIPOnly=No

The last one (RIPOnly) is the way to REALLY ensure that only your systems receive the stream. I haven't instituted this yet, but because I have a firewall (hardware) and I am not forwarding port 8000, I shouldn't have any issues.

On my TiVo I set up a Playlist and published it with the TiVo publisher:

#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:,Liquid London
http://192.168.1.104:8000

The 192 address is my shoutcast server. On the DNAS application, the Soundcard/Winamp choice is on the "Input" tab.

Let me know if this helps.

opchiasm · 09-23-2003, 05:46 AM

Thanks very, very much, Azlen and Austin.

I'm having trouble with understanding the relationship between the Winamp plugin, the DNAS app, and Tivo Publisher.

What should the Output be on the Winamp plugin? (I found the Input setting option - thanks.)

Azlen · 09-23-2003, 11:28 AM

In the output tab, you should place your computers IP address in the address section. It should be something like 192.168.1.x. The x can vary, so you'll have to check what it is on your machine. The port is set to a default of 8000 and the password is set to a default of "changeme". The encoder option should be sent to one. Be sure to set your encoder under the encoder tab to the highest kbps and stereo to get the best quality stream. Once everything is entered correctly hit the connect button. If everything is set up correctly you will see a running counter of the bytes sent in the status section.
Once that is setup you need to setup an M3U file in one of the directories you have listed in the Tivo publisher. I created it by going into the winamp playlist and then under the add option, I selected "add url" then typed in 192.168.1.x:8000 (where the x is the same thing that you put in the address section in the output tab) That should do it.

opchiasm · 09-23-2003, 12:00 PM

Azlen,

Thank you very, very much for the help. I'll try it tonight.

opchiasm · 09-23-2003, 05:43 PM

I think I'm almost there. I'm assuming that once I have DNAS running, I open Winamp with the Shoutcast plugin active, then add the playlist per Azlen's directions. I open Tivo Publisher. Then I can start any application playing through the soundcard and listen on Tivo?

All my connections seem to be OK, but I opened MusicMatch and played a radio station, but couldn't hear it in Tivo.

Perhaps it has to do with mixer settings??

Thanks again for all the help.

Azlen · 09-23-2003, 06:53 PM

That's what happened to me and I had to change the mix settings before I could hear Musicmatch. On the 4th tab there is a button to push for the mix settings. There should be two windows that come up, one for playback and the other for recording. I had to select "stereo mix" in the recording window before I could hear anything through Tivo. If stereo mix isn't an option you have to go into properties to make it an option.
Also you want winamp with the plugin open, but you want to make sure winamp is stopped, otherwise you get unsynced sound between the two sources.

opchiasm · 09-23-2003, 08:22 PM

Awesome. Wow. It works.

Thanks a million, Azlen and Austin.

miadlor · 01-09-2004, 08:00 PM

I'm still having trouble getting Tivo to see it .
Could anyone give a little more detail?

Status:
everything installed
shoutcast status ok
need help making the file

Thank You

macohenks · 01-09-2004, 11:28 PM

Hi Austin, or anyone who knows about streaming audio through TIVO,

Which Winamp plug in do I need?

Thanks,

Matt

Austin Bike · 01-10-2004, 06:35 PM

Go to www.shoutcast.com and download the shoutcast pulg in. Then follow the rest of the thread and you should be up and running quickly.

miadlor · 01-10-2004, 09:28 PM

I have all my plugins running......
last night the streaming radio files went into tivo published files just fine.
double clicking on them in the published area opened them up and played them.
I rebooted my computer and now I can get the files in the published area but they won't play.
any ideas?

jdl · 01-12-2004, 02:49 PM

Hmm....got this working with content playing in Winamp, can't get any other apps to stream out though. I see the bytes sent incrementing, but nothing on the Tivo end. I wonder if my sound card is too old to support this (Soundblaster AWE 64, using XP)? I have no option for "stereo mix" in the recording section, don't see how to "add" it in properties.

Austin Bike · 01-12-2004, 10:07 PM

I was having problems and I had to mess with my soundcard options, check in your advanced controls for your soundcard and look under both the playback and the recording settings.

My M3U file is:

#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:,Liquid London
http://192.168.1.104:8000

There are known issues with Shoutcast and Soundblaster Live cards. Check the Shoutcast technical forums, they're real helpful.

jdl · 01-12-2004, 11:37 PM

Thanks, I'll check those out.

bonifacio · 01-13-2004, 03:53 PM

This is my first time to try this out and I want to know some more information. I got the latest shoutcast server(v.1.9.2/win32) and winamp(v5.01/x86) player. There has been discussion about a winamp plugin, what plugin specifically? There are lots of winamp plugin.

Update: 1/13/04 7:55PM

The plugin in question is the SHOUTcast DSP Plug-in for Winamp 2.x here's the link:

http://www.shoutcast.com/downloads/s...2b-windows.exe

Although it says for v. 2.x I tried it with v.5.01 and it works too.

So in summary you need to download all 3
1. SHOUTcast server
2. Winamp player
3. SHOUTcast DSP Plug-in for Winamp 2.x

Then follow this thread for setup instructions.

msadesign · 01-25-2004, 05:14 PM

Hi all,

I've been following this thread with a lot of interest. I believe that I have pulled together all of the software needed to do the same trick on Mac OSX:

http://www.maliasoft.com/us/mp3sushi.html, couled with iTunes.

BUT: would someone just take a step back and talk about the philosophy of what we are doing?I need a discussion of the concept; I don't have any of the apps you guys are talking about and don't know what they do: is program A waiting for something from program B, and what is it? I mean that kind of discussion and then I'll get it going and post the results.

Thanks a LOT.

Michael

Austin Bike · 01-25-2004, 10:32 PM

It's a bridge to deal with the fact that not all streams can be supported by TiVo through an M3U playlist file.

Some of the techno that I like I can get as an MP3 stream with no problem by I can't get www.digitallyimported.com because their stream format isn't recognized by TiVo.

Tivo is limited to only having the IP:Port, it can't handle an address like IP/folder:Port.

Also, if a broadcaster is broadcasting in Ogg, WMA, Real or some other format you are out of luck. TiVo supports MP3 streams only.

Argentino · 02-19-2004, 11:35 AM

Just another shoutcast related idea... If you have a treo 600 phone and pocket tunes installed you can ALSO stream audio to your phone. You can even 're-broadcast' real audio, quicktime, or any other type of stream you want using the 'soundcard' feature. You see, Tivo and Treo are cousins in more than one way... (you can also use your Treo to program your Tivo via the internet w/HMO)

awardly · 02-24-2004, 10:50 AM

Hello,

UPDATE TO ORIGINAL MESSAGE.
I had put port number 8001 instead of 8000 as the port number.
It now works!! Thanks to all!
Argentino: De uno a otro: Viva la argentina!

I was hoping to get a little help here.
I have followed all the steps I have seen here.

Here is my current status:
- I have shoutcast server running.
- I have winamp shoutcast plugin running talking to the shoutcast server.
- I have configured the plugin to use the sound card (mine is a sb audigy 2). - I can see the sound level "LEDs" in the plugin configuration.
- I have created an m3u playlist that I can see from TiVo
The playlist is configured like the others mentioned here previously.

I had been using javaHMO 1.1 but upgraded to 1.2 just before I downloaded shoutcast server and plugin.

I thought there might be some issues with JavaHMO 1.2's streaming cache server, but when I disabled I had the same problem.

The problem I am having is I cannot connect from TiVo to the stream.

Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks,

Andrew

bigcat · 02-26-2004, 12:29 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by macohenks
Hi Austin, or anyone who knows about streaming audio through TIVO,

Which Winamp plug in do I need?

Thanks,

Matt

Give JavaHMO a try guys, it gives you access to any station on Shoutcast almost faultlessly. I don't know what formats are supported, with JavaHMO you don't need to, I just tell the app which Genre I want and it does the rest and publishes them to TiVo for me. I have 2 or 3 hundred stations to choose from. Also gets weather and cinema listings off the Internet based on your zip!!

vames · 02-26-2004, 04:49 PM

I'll second bigcat's post. The new (v 1.2 release) of javaHMO has been a godsend for streaming. I was previously using the Winamp->Shoutcast->TiVo solution, and while it worked well, there were too many possible points of failure, and eventually something would give.

With the new javaHMO, I've been able to get every single stream I've tried so far, and without any more effort other than loading the stream in Winamp, saving the playlist, and then accessing that m3u from my TiVo. (I save the playlists in a folder that's published to the TiVo) And as bigcat mentions, there is a separate "Shoutcast" section for javahmo that worked pretty poorly in v1.1 but has been working great in 1.2. It's been awesome. Thanks javaHMO! (I probably sound like a d#mn commerical, but it really has been great)

(Incidentally, I still use the winamp->shoutcast->TiVo method occasionally, but only so that I can have dynamic playlists. As in I suddenly decide I want to hear one particular song)

Austin Bike · 02-26-2004, 09:50 PM

Yes, Java HMO rocks, but it only supports MP3 streams. I posted this originally because the station I wanted to listen to (liquid london) is not available as an MP3 stream.

Anyone find a way to get a windows media or ogg stream in JavaHMO???

vames · 02-27-2004, 10:42 AM

Ah. I didn't realize that Austin Bike. I've only ever tried to get MP3 streams, so didn't realize that this was the original problem.

Thanks for the clarification, and sorry for the (dis)information.