iPhone Remote app vs iTunes and HouseBot

[Richard Naninck]

I started playing with iPhones Airplay a while ago and installed the app Remote on my iPhone. I saw I was able to control an iTunes library through my iPhone while playing the music on my PC which is connected to my whole house audio system. Because I dislike iTunes running all the time I started playing with some options to automate stuff.

I took a packet sniffer and found that my iPhone sends packets on ip 224.0.0.251 & port 5353 to connect. A script now intercepts the unique iPhone code from these packets and tests if iTunes is already running. If not, it starts up on my server. If iTunes idles for more than 3 minutes (PlayerState = Stop) than iTunes quits again.

So now I am able to auto start and stop iTunes to get some internet radio going while sitting in the couch. But I also didn't want to get up to switch on the correct zone on my receiver. So I took an mp3 doorbell sound (about 5 seconds) and copied it 5 times naming the copies after my zones (Livingroom, kitchen etc) and tagged the Genre as Control Home. I loaded these 5 tracks into the iTunes database so I can play them through my iPhone. As soon as such a track is played, the script recognises the track and switches on the respective amplifier zone on a loud volume so the iPhone has a wide range of volume control.

In short: Whole house audio now automated using the iPhone, home automation scripts in HouseBot and iTunes on my server PC.

[Steve Horn]

Interesting. I like the part about turning up/down ITunes on demand. I don't use it much... if at all (preferring to use (your) HB Jukebox). But I use AppleTV for internet radio and the occasional video blog. But if I ever find the need for iTunes-on-HB, I'll keep this post in mind. Thanks, and I'm envious of your spare time.

[Richard Naninck]

I like the part where playing an mp3 results in turning on an audio zone
I like the search function on my iPhone and internet radio but above all the mobility of the iPhone itself. Regardless of where I am (outside in the porch for example) I can turn on the respective zone and start listening to an endless library of music while maintaining integrity with HouseBot.

[Steve Horn]

That does sound attractive. I suppose the same functionality would work with an iPad. And if we end up with a browser client interface to HB, even more attractive. But as one of the 8 people in the US without an iProduct, I'll have to wait.