A way to stream music from once pc to another..

[musiclover7]

Perhaps the subject is a bit misleading.. I am actually looking for a way, to double click an audio file on a pc in one room, and have it output from a pc in another room. Let me explain myself..

My folks have a computer in their laundry room.. They are familiar with Itunes, use it, and also internet radio.. However, it does not do them much good in the laundry room. However, I am putting together a media center pc for them for christmas, and one potential problem I can see, is on the music side.. I do not want them browsing the net on this other computer, locating tunes... What would be much easier, would be to actually let them manage the music side of things in their laundry room, and stream it out to the other computer in the living room..

Yes, I know, there is hardware that will wirelessly transmit an audio signal from one pnt to another.. My question, is there a way to use to computers to essentially accomplish the same..

I know this is not really Windows 7 specific, but by all means, if there is a way Windows 7 can assist in accomplishing this, do not hesitate to let me know..

Thanks!!

 

[TGSoldier]

I'm not sure I understand what you're saying 100%.

The media pc will have speakers right?

What about just sharing and mapping the network path?

 

[musiclover7]

Well.. that is just it.. We are trying to avoid the need for keyboard and mouse in the living room.. I want them to be able to use the media center pc with a standard remote control, but take advantage of the stereo system there, by sending music to it from the pc in the laundry room.. The selection will also take place in the laundry room.. it will just come out of the speakers in the living room.. All I want them to select in the living room, is movies, tv, etc.. via remote.. I find the music selection in media center to be a bit clunky

 

[TGSoldier]

I'm pretty sure you can share your database of music etc, make a playlist off the shared music and control with the remote.

 

[musiclover7]

Yeah.. I do not want them controlling the music side with the remote.. Who knows, they may want to use rhapsody, or pandora.. better to just control it from the other machine.. I guess.. one option, would be to use a remote app like vnc, connect up to the media center computer from the laundry room, and access, Itunes.. etc.. from there. That is a possibility, I had not considered till I started writing this.. Still, someone should write an app, that lets you take the output from one computers sound, and forward it out across the network to another computer, and from their to that computer's speakers.. I can't hardly believe no one has done this. Would seem like an excellent way to fill a house with music, from one central location..

 

[Adrian]

ITUNES

V.9.02 has the ability to share via "HOMEGROUP" its a new feature added on for Windows 7.

 

[musiclover7]

Yeah.. that is fine and good.. But it doesn't present an option to run the file on one computer, and have it output to speaker on another.. Still, think I have a good work-around perhaps with vnc..

 

[Gornot]

V.9.02 has the ability to share via "HOMEGROUP" its a new feature added on for Windows 7.

Isn't that the same thing as the Stream option in WMP12?

 

[x3m]

Me to!

I've been looking for the exact same thing! (but my case is a little different, I have a desktop hocked up to my house' speakr system, and I want to be control what plays on it from my netbook [via wifi], so I can be in another room - both run Win7).
The closest thing I found is this: Share Speaker Player: How to Play Music on Another Computer’s Speakers || Technology Nerd
Seems like I will do the job, but its paid. ALtought there is a 30-day trial [wich I still havent tried]...
Please share, if you find any better solution...
[sorry for any bad English]
x3m

 

[x3m]

ShareSpeaker seems to be doing the job for me, and it seems like now it’s totally free! But it will stream what you play in its own player (an integrated WindowsMediaPlayer), so it seems (read: I'm not sure) that it won’t stream web radio and others like you wanted...
But please still share any other findings...

x3m

 

[musiclover7]

I gave that a shot, and it does a great job. I think they just need to take it to the next level, and allow you to output the total sound from one system, to another... The app is awesome, but I have over 9,000 tunes on my computer, and the MediaPlayer interface that does not sort by artist, or anything other than song, is a bit clunky. Still very cool!! if anyone comes across an app that takes it to the next level, or get's creative and builds one, let us know..

 

[Airsickmoth]

I've been doing something like this in my place.

You can use the built in streaming and/or network sharing in WMP and Media Center.

There are 2 things you can do:

1)
Log into the Laundry room computer and share your music over the network (should happen if you keep your music in the my music folder and just start default sharing). Log into the Media Center Computer. Go to the music Library. Add a network folder to the library, the one you just shared on the Laundry computer.

Now load up Media Center and the music on the Laundry room computer will automatically be loaded into the main Library, artwork and all. You can now browse the media on the laundry room computer as if it were on the media center computer. You can set up playlists or play albums, and enjoy the artwork coverflow stuff on you TV.

2)
On the media center computer, start WMP. On the stream button at the top, choose "Allow Remote Control of My Player" (so there is a checkmark). Leave it running and minimize it. Now start Media Center and maximize it, and let it run, just sit there.

Go to the Laundry room computer and go to your music Library. Find a song, album, or playlist, you want to play, RIGHT CLICK IT, and mouse over "Play To" and chose the Media Center Computer from the list. It will then load up the remote control interface, and Media Center and WMP on the Media Computer will work in Sync (it streams the music to WMP, but MCE will show the song info and album art.


Both these methods work at same time. They are not mutually exclusive. I have it set up so I can browse the media library on my on all my computers in Media Center while I'm on the couch, or be at my work computer and force Media center on my TV to play music on my sound system.

While on your PC you can keep adding more and more music to the "Play To" function, and it just adds it to the end of the playlist, so you can chose different songs or albums and play them in a row, instead of interrupting the song you are listening to (both methods allow that).

Works Great. Also works well if you have a Xbox 360 or PS3 (if you don't want to shell out of a PC).

 

[musiclover7]

That second option I was not aware of, and I will definitely give it a shot.. Thanks for the heads up..