Experience Level: Standard

Asset is a free media server which improves the audio streaming capabilities of Windows Home Server.

Typically audio files are stored on a server and multiple audio devices around the network can play audio from the server (devices such as Linn DS, XBox 360, PS3, etc).

Asset features:

• Designed from the ground up as an audio UPnP server,
• Album Art support,
• Customizable browse tree with advanced search facilities (Album by Release, Style, Composer, Conductor…),
• Configurable Wave / LPCM decoding (no quality loss) for devices which cannot play specific audio types,
• ReplayGain can be applied to Wave / LPCM stream, volume matching across tracks for devices which have no support,
• Extensive tagging ’standards’ compatibility,
• Wide-ranging audio support: mp3, FLAC, Apple Lossless, WMA (inc Lossless), m4a, AIFF, Wave
• Windows Home Server (WHS) specific install, with WHS Connector configuration,
• Windows 2000 / XP / Vista compatible,
• Runs efficiently in the background detecting new & changed tracks (as service),
• Free

Developer: Illustrate

More Info: Download | Support Forums

Release History

v2.1 (8th January 2010)

• Streaming Fix, compatible with Reciva line of devices
• Registered install able to register on installs where default install path was not used.

v2 (Beta) 27th May 2009

• Added Internet Radio (in Asset Configuration >> Advanced >> Edit >> Restore the browse tree to add internet radio).
• compatible with denon systems
• keeps a static port address, this allows items in a play list to be kept through restarts of Asset
• When updating tags keeps the track ID the same (allows an item stored in playlist to remain)
• album art handled much more efficiently – only one saved per album, also single art url given out for control points (will speed up a track listing where all album arts are the same)
• Internal Tag reader will self quit when main program terminated
• Automatic ‘drilling down’ to next level, for example have tree as Artist (no listing) >> A to Z >> D, previously A to Z would have to be selected, no it does not
• added mp3 encoding option
• bug fix: ps3 and streaming would play the track too short: bitrates were off (and PS3 uses these)
• bug fix: would close asset when a user was logged off (even though asset was running as a service)
• bug fix: tag reader could leave the file open
• bug fix: could return restricted for metadata browse on an item

v1.1

• Windows media audio (inc lossless) added to WHS install
• Bug fix for where tracks could appear multiple times (do ‘Rescan (Refresh all)’ if have duplicated tracks)
• Bug fix compilation ‘0′ tag was being picked up as a compilation

V1.0

• Inital release

Experience Level: Standard

DVD Manager is an easy (and free) solution to automated DVD ripping using your Windows Home Server. DVD Manager supports ripping to many formats including: a folder, International Standards Organization (ISO), Windows Media Video (WMV), Audio Video Interleave (AVI), and soon more. All you have to do is pop the DVD in, and DVD Manager will do the rest!

Developer: CompuGeek Software

More Info: Download | Support Forum

Release History

v0.0.0.30

• Re-use your old folder rips by ripping to a file from an existing folder rip.
• If you don’t have a DVD drive inside of your WHS, now you can rip using your client PCs! The DVD Manager client installs much like the add-in for WHS but can run on your client PC and rip the DVD to the same share you set in the add-in’s preferences. Currently there isn’t way to monitor the percent complete but you can run this on as many PCs as you’d like (the log is merged on the server, so you can view that if need be), even ripping at the same time. The client also requires AnyDVD or DVD34 to decrypt the DVD and the Windows Home Server Connector software installed.

v0.0.0.15

• v0.0.0.15 is basically the same as v0.0.0.15 but with a legal matter settled, new H.264, andiPod/PSP targets, and the disc detecting system redone.

For more, see developer’s website.

Experience Level: Advanced

Firefly is a media server application which allows you to stream music to digital media receivers like the Roku Soundbridge and to iTunes. Before installing it you will need to have already downloaded and installed:

Apple’s Bonjour Service
Firefly Media Server

Developer: Nic Bedford

More Info: Download | Support Forum

Release History

v0.0.2

• Fixed problem with plug-in saying that service needed restarting even when no settings had been changed

v0.0.1

• Initial release

Experience Level: Advanced

FirePlay for Windows Home Server is a remote media streaming add-in that allows you to play music through a web browser directly from your home server – whether you’re at home or out and about.

FirePlay for Windows Home Server builds on Bo Mellberg’s original Fireplay flash client, and requires Firefly Media Server to be installed on the home server (the HP MediaSmart Server already has this installed out of the box). The add-in automatically configures your firewall and uPnP router to allow you to access your music through a browser session.

As the client is Flash based, only MP3 files can be streamed – this is a limitation of Flash, unfortunately. As the Fireplay client is developed further, the add-in will continue to support new features.

Developer: Nigel Wilks

More Info: Download | Support Forum

Release History

v0.9.2.0.1 (31st March 2010)

• Updated FirePlay code to 0.92.
• Installer searches for FireFly.exe and will fail if not found.
• Installer updated to improve on IIS install for “unusual” setups.
• By popular demand, the “Prevent Downloads” setting is now enabled by default (stops people “leeching” your music).

0.90.06 (7th July 2009)

• Added a favicon
• Improved the FirePlay Service to resolve Remote Access detection issues
• Resolves bug where Remote Access status is switched after install caused upnp issue
• Now generates a health alert if it can’t find FireFly

0.90.05 (14.04.2009)

• Work around for router loopback issues
• You can now choose local or remote (i.e. http://server/FirePlay or http://my.homeserver.com/FirePlay) rather than the fixed external name in 0.90.03

0.90.03

• Initial release

Experience Level: Advanced

Media Center Health Monitor for Windows Home Server monitors the health of all of your Media Center systems in the home – even if they are not connected to the home server as clients.

Should there be any issues with a Media Center machine, it will be reported in Windows Home Server’s health status. You can also view the event logs of each Media Center client.

Developer: Ian Dixon

More Info: Download | Support Forum

Release History

v1.0

• Initial Release

Experience Level: Advanced

With Power Pack 2 for the Windows Media Server a new configuration application for fine-tuning media shares and which devices have access was included. Unfortunately Microsoft did not make the UI as an add-in and you need to remote desktop into your server to start the UI (c:\program files\media connect\WMCCFG.exe).

This Add-In simply appempts to start the Media Connect Configuration application (wmccfg.exe) and then docks the UI inside the WHS Console. There are still some bugs and you sometimes need to change to another tab and back before the UI docks correctly.

Developer: Pål Andreassen

More Info: Download | Support Forum

Release History

v1.0.0.1

• Initial Release

Experience Level: Advanced

Media Connect Controller allows your to share more of your shared folders to devices around the home using Windows Media Connect from within the WHS Console. Please note that will be no future development of this add-in, due to Brendan’s association with Microsoft.

Developer: Brendan Grant

More Info: Download | Support Forum

Release History

v1.0

• Initial release
• Add-in now retired

Experience Level: Standard

My Movies for Windows Home Server provides automated disc copying of Audio CD’s and movies from internal or USB attached optical drives, adding meta-data to copied discs, or movies already stored on the server by monitoring your movie folders.

Audio CD’s can be copied to various formats such as Flac, MP3, MP3hd and WMA, or a combination of two formats if you prefer a high quality lossless file as well as a small lossy file for mobile usage. Meta-data is downloaded from multiple internet data providers, and embedded into the files with both data and cover art, allowing you to browse and play the files from units such as Squeezeboxes, Media Centers, mobile devices and similar.

Movies, (DVD, Blu-ray and HD-DVD’s) are copied* to ISO or file format, or DVD’s to MPEG-2 format for Media Center extenders. Meta-data is downloaded and added from My Movies own Web service, and stored in the folders, making the data available for Media Center’s DVD/Movie library, XBMC, TViX, Netgear EVA, Dune, Popcorn Hour and other units or movie front-ends.

Movies already stored on your Windows Home Server are identified by the monitoring feature, and meta-data is added automatically. Downloaded meta-data is in the same way as when copying a disc made available to many different playback units and movie front-ends.

Should you need to edit the meta-data, the data for Audio CD’s can be edited directly from the server console, while movie data can be edited by connecting a My Movies Client, or changed to other titles if needed.

* Due to legality in several countries, My Movies does not backup copy protected discs. Users in countries that allow circumventing copy protections when backing up their movies can install SlySoft AnyDVD or AnyDVD HD directly from the console, to remove these copy protections.

Developer: Brian Binnerup

More Info: Download | Support Forum | Review

Release History

1.50 Build 9 (9th November 2009)

• Update: Minor changes to shared files between My Movies for WHS and My Movies for WMC

• Fix: Issue with Blu-ray copying where UDF driver broke

1.50 Build 4 (20th May 2009)

• Added: Configuration and Storage of backdrops, by moving meta-data storage to own settings tab
• Change: DVD library Connector renamed to Media Center MetaData Connector to better indicate that it works for both MCE 2005, Vista and Windows 7 which have different names of the libraries
• Fix: Issue with database going into single user mode
• Fix: Issue that could cause problems if auto backup started when disc copying from media changer was in progress
• Fix: Changed time to allow disc identification from 60 to 180 seconds, and the value can now be set with “IdentifyTime” value in “Media Changer” in registry. This is to awoid media changer to move forward to next disc before a disc have been identified.
• Fix: Issue that could give a dialog if you had mp3HD setting and mobile format set, even when not changing it
• Fix: Issue preventing HDI Dune integration to get meta data in correct language
• Fix: Issue that could prevent earlier installer versions to fail to license after upgrade
• Fix: Issue preventing second disc of multi disc title to copy if system is set to reject disc if no data is found.
• Fix: Issue causing path’s to be stored as local paths (X:\) instead of UNC paths (\\server\share) when using non-storage pool shares.

1.50 Build 3

• Added: Checkbox letting user choose weather or not to store Media Center meta-data
• Added: FileSystem access to new Power Pack 2 Windows Media Center group
• Fix: Issue that prevented Netgear TAG files to be created correctly.
• Fix: Issue that would cause the removal button for extentions to not work.

v1.50 Build 2

• Added: Storage of meta-data for TViX media players
• Added: Storage of meta-data for HDI Dune media players
• Added: Storage of meta-data for Popcorn Hour players YAMJ plug-in
• Added: Storage of meta-data for Netgear EVA8000 players
• Added: Support for Dacal PowerDrive DC016 Media Changer for automatic CD and/or DVD copying
• Added: Support for copying audio CD’s to the new mp3HD format. Encoders must manually be copied to the storage area.
• Added: Unique disc identification (DiscId and OnlineId) in movie monitoring for DVD ISO and Blu-ray ISO files.
• Added: Option to search in the list views to easier locate an entry.
• Fix: Issue that caused Edit Data function to not work on unidentified discs
• Fix: Issue that could cause problems with some titles including unicode characters
• Fix: Issue preventing some CD’s from starting the copy process.
• Fix: Issue causing CD’s with data tracks to fail on last track.
• Fix: Issue that caused movie covers not to show in monitoring properties dialog
• Fix: Disabled autorun for CD-ROM drives, to ensure that rootkits, ect. from CD’s aren’t automatically installed

For more, see developer’s website.

Experience Level: Advanced

PS3 Media Server is a DLNA compliant uPnP Media Server for the PlayStation 3, written in Java, with the purpose of streaming or transcoding any kind of media files, with minimum configuration. It’s backed up by the powerful Mplayer/ FFmpeg packages.

The PS3 Media Server For WHS Add-in allows you to access your PS3 Media Server through the Window Home Server Console. This will allow you configure the media streaming settings and restart the service if you have any issues without logging on via remote desktop.

Installation Instructions

- Download PS3 Media Server from http://ps3mediaserver.blogspot.com/
- Install PS3 Media Server to your Windows Home Server by remote desktop
- Install PS3 Media Server For WHS via Windows Home Server Console

Upgrade Instructions

- Uninstall the PS3 Media Server For WHS Add-in
- Install PS3 Media Server For WHS via Windows Home Server Console

Developer: Nabeday

More Info: Download | Support Forum

Release History

v1.0.2 (25.04.09)

• IMPORTANT BUG FIX to prevent WHS Console Showing Green Screen and crashing.

v1.0.1 (20.04.09)

• Corrected Open PS3 Media Server Restore when moving between console tabs.
• Fixed failure with Restart Service if service is stopped.
• Modified Restart Service Error Message.
• Correct Status Issue When PS3 Media Server is open in the console.

v1.0 (18.04.2009)

• Initial release

Experience Level: Standard

Samsung Photo Frame Control allows you to manage Samsung’s Wireless Photo Frames in your home from within the Windows Home Server Console, replaciung the existing browser-based controller. With the add-in you are able to to stop and start slideshows, select photos to include in the slideshow as well as add RSS feeds to the photo frame for display (from Flickr or another web service).

Developer: Daniel Buschke

More Info: Download | Support Forum

Release History

v1.0.0

• Initial release