CD playing options?

[elaw]

I know this info is probably somewhere in here, but you can't search the forum on the term "CD" so I gotta ask...

What are the options (if any) for playing CD's in Sage these days? I saw one plugin that allows using Winamp, but it looked like it was more oriented toward playing files than CD's.

I know I could use WMP or something like that, but would much rather stay within Sage so I could easily control it with the remote rather than having to drag out the keyboard!

[bcjenkins]

shh... This is a can of worms here..

(BTW - playing from CD is an oft asked for feature. If you think it would be handy, I would drop the folks at Sage a note. That's how they prefer feature suggestions. Maybe it would help if you sent it snail mail attached to a good bottle of scotch?)

b

[elaw]

Yeah I know

I probably will shoot them an email, like many others I'm amazed they haven't put that feature in the standard product.

But I thought I remembered seeing plugin(s) that might be able to solve the problem...?

[jbarr]

The short answer is you can't play a CD from within SageTV. SageTV is currently geared to play ripped files I think there is a plugin or two that may launch expetrnal players, but "core" SageTV does not play CD's. My suggestion is to just use any decent ripping tool to create your MP3/OGG/Flac files and enjoy them using SageTV.

[real_per]

If you use SageMC or dynamic menues and Winamp plugin, you could create a shortcut to a batch file, using this http://www.winamp.com/plugins/details.php?id=58602

[GKusnick]

A while back I wrote a CD player plugin for V5. I haven't tested it extensively on V6, and doing so is not high on my priority list at the moment. But you're welcome to try it if you like.

By the way, your best bet for finding available plugins is to browse the Downloads section rather than the Customizations forum. The vast volume of SageMC threads tends to push discussion of other plugins off the front page pretty quickly.

[elaw]

Greg,

Your plugin sounds like just what I'm looking for! However there is a problem with V6. I'm not quite sure how much of a problem it is, as I'm at work right now and don't have physical access to the machine to test with a CD.

The problem is, the plugin is supposed to install a "Music CD" item on the "Music" menu in Media Center. However I think the whole Music screen got rewritten for V6 so the item's not there any more. So obviously some functionality cannot be accessed.

I'll test tonight to see if it can play a CD.

[elaw]

Just a followup...

The plugin works in V6 to the extent that it plays CD's, but there are a couple of significant glitches. I mentioned one in my message above, the missing options that are supposed to appear on the "music" screen, presumably because that screen was redone for V6.

The other big hiccup is that with the plugin installed, if you press "stop" while playing any type of media (CD, music file, video file), the media stops playing but the screen goes blank and stays that way. To get back to the Sage UI you have to press "back" or some other button that links to a screen.

[roxy99]

Pardon me I don't mean to sound rude but that is kind of a useless feature. One of the goals of Sage (and other media software for that matter) is to be able to centralize media and be able to backup CD and DVD collection onto a central server.

If I want to listen to a CD instead of my ripped mp3 collection on my server, then I simply pop a CD into my stereo system. Sage should complement your home theatre system why would you want to replace your dedicated stereo system with it. There will always be a standalone DVD/CD player, surround sound amp in my setup. Call me old fashoined if you want but you can't beat the reliability of a CD player.

If I am so determined to get rid of my CD player, then I'll rip my CDs to lossless high bit rate mp3 anyway. So what's the point?

[lovingHDTV]

Originally Posted by roxy99

Pardon me I don't mean to sound rude but that is kind of a useless feature. One of the goals of Sage (and other media software for that matter) is to be able to centralize media and be able to backup CD and DVD collection onto a central server.

If I want to listen to a CD instead of my ripped mp3 collection on my server, then I simply pop a CD into my stereo system. Sage should complement your home theatre system why would you want to replace your dedicated stereo system with it. There will always be a standalone DVD/CD player, surround sound amp in my setup. Call me old fashoined if you want but you can't beat the reliability of a CD player.

If I am so determined to get rid of my CD player, then I'll rip my CDs to lossless high bit rate mp3 anyway. So what's the point?

Your friend comes over to your house and your listening to your ripped music via SageTV. They then say, "Listen to this new cool CD I just bought." You say crap I can't play that in SageTV, but give me 10 min and I'll rip it . . .

Why not just pop it into SageTV and play it? Your already playing music with Sage.

Just one common example.

[Mahoney]

roxy99 - that post came down to "I don't have a need, so you shouldn't".

Sage should complement your home theatre system why would you want to replace your dedicated stereo system with it.

"Should"? Says who? One of my primary goals from my setup is to have one small box with one external drive that does everything, with one remote. Something really, really simple. I hate it when you go into someone's house and there's a DVD player, stereo, radio, amplifier, set top box, TV, all with their own remote and I'm buggered if I know what I'm meant to put where or turn on when to make things work. Plus our living room is small, and the less electrical stuff in it the better, I think they are ugly (even the ones that are meant to look cool).

But I'd still like to play a CD without having to rip it - put it in, press "play CD". Should be that quick and easy. Like I can with a DVD in Sage. It's absurd that if a friend comes round with a CD I have to get out a keyboard and mouse to rip the damn thing before I can play it.

[lotusvball]

To say this is a useless feature is pretty harsh. Some of us have our setup piped through the house and the stereo went down years ago. My setup is my home theater setup completely. I have no problem ripping CD's but the wife does and if she wants to listen to a new CD she has to wait till I have a moment to rip it. Just because it is useless for you doesn't mean it is useless for everyone. I for one would love to see this feature added along with the ability to rip the CD from within Sage, menu driven for the wife. Remember it is all about the WAF. We are only allowed to live in it.

[elaw]

If it's useless to you, fine. It's not useless to me, or many other people here judging from the number of posts on this forum from people who want it.

Why can't I "just pop a CD into my stereo system"? How about because there's no stereo system in the room with this HTPC? My "home theater" is a different setup in another part of the house. The room with the PC in question has very limited space - there's no good place to put any more equipment. Never mind the WAF factor with adding more of "that ugly electronic stuff"

Here's another angle: the PC hardware already has the ability to play a CD. Why waste this functionality by having a "media center" app which can't take advantage of it (like MCE and others)?

[elaw]

Originally Posted by Mahoney

But I'd still like to play a CD without having to rip it - put it in, press "play CD". Should be that quick and easy. Like I can with a DVD in Sage. It's absurd that if a friend comes round with a CD I have to get out a keyboard and mouse to rip the damn thing before I can play it.

You summed it up well!

That exact situation is what prompted me to post. Saturday was the wife's birthday, I gave her a bunch of CD's. Was quite a bummer when it turned out the only hardware in the room that could play them without a fuss was her POS boombox.

[roxy99]

Wow. I can't beleive I offended so many people. Sorry.

I'll just sum up by saying, I personally don't see the need since I have a seperate CD/DVD player attached to my stereo. So if my friend bring a CD to my house, I pop it into my CD player which is seperate from my Sage HTPC.
But I am me and you are you and your needs differ from mine.

You all make good points and I stand corrected. I tend to forget many people are less old fashoined than me and would rather see the HTPC replace all other gadgets. I understand the desire to reduce clutter though.

However I will add that while Sage doesn't have the ability your PC still does. Why not configure Windows to autoplay audio CD and launch media player? Or is it that that will mess up the ability of sage to play a DVD? I suppose by taking Sage out of the loop you loose the functionality of the remote.

Either way, many folks seem to want it therefor you should send Sage a feature request if you want it to be a built in feature of Sage.


PS- LOL at your signature. I hope I am not being to much of a 'lert'

[elaw]

Originally Posted by roxy99

I suppose by taking Sage out of the loop you loose the functionality of the remote.

That little innocent-looking remote is a big part of the frustration

We know the hardware's there to play a CD, we know there's software present (WMP), but it requires leaving the happy integrated remote-control-friendly UI of Sage to get it to work.

As you said, a separate CD player certainly works but there's the space issue, additional remotes, instructing the "better half" how to switch the receiver between sources and so on and so on...

[roxy99]

Originally Posted by elaw

That little innocent-looking remote is a big part of the frustration

We know the hardware's there to play a CD, we know there's software present (WMP), but it requires leaving the happy integrated remote-control-friendly UI of Sage to get it to work.

As you said, a separate CD player certainly works but there's the space issue, additional remotes, instructing the "better half" how to switch the receiver between sources and so on and so on...

I hear you. If you are using a USB-UIRT, you can purchase Girder software (check : http://www.moesrealm.com/htpc/girder.html) to configure your remote to control many aspects of your PC with a universal remote. Hence you can insert a CD, have windows auto-launch media player and then use your universal remote. I realize thats only a workaround & costs $ and ideally there s/b a plugin to keep everything in Sage.

Sorry for jumping the gun earlier.

[GKusnick]

If y'all want to continue to debate the need for such a plugin in this thread, that's fine. The fact is that if nobody needed it, I wouldn't have written it.

Specific issues with the plugin itself should probably be posted to the existing support thread, where I'm more likely to see them sooner (since I'm subscribed to that thread).

[parkimar]

Hi Greg,

For me this would be a 'fantastic to have'.
Thanks for all the work you put in to make this a reality.

Cheers

Mark

[Madcoder]

I agree that it would be nice to be able to play directly from Sage, but I am happy to use the workarounds for doing this, like having another program play it via the dynamic menu system, or etc.

I have to say to everyone that is always talking about "WAF." This is an ignorant term. Grow a pair. It is understandable to strive for solving all the requirements and use cases, but the constant talk of "WAF" is sad.