• From: Los Angeles
  • Registered: 2007-12-09
  • Posts: 16

Topic: Orb Media Server Widget

I have seen various requests for widgets to stream video, music, radio, webcam, internet tv, and pictures, but no one has mentioned a Orb widget. If you haven't heard of Orb goto http://www.orb.com/orb/ and check it out. It is a very small app that runs on your pc and can stream all of the above to a internet browser, cellphone or PDA in a variety of format including flash and mp3. I think if someone can write a simple widget to work with orb then there isn't a need for a bunch of redundant widgets. If someone is already working on this......thanks!

  • Registered: 2007-12-04
  • Posts: 11

Re: Orb Media Server Widget

How is orb different from slimserver?

  • From: Los Angeles
  • Registered: 2007-12-09
  • Posts: 16

Re: Orb Media Server Widget

Slimserver only streams music, and Orb streams music, video, pictures, internet radio, internet tv and RSS feeds. Also Orb is a lot easier to setup then Slimserver.

  • From: Cincinnati, OH
  • Registered: 2007-10-09
  • Posts: 78

Re: Orb Media Server Widget

Orb's ability to stream video in flash is what has me drooling.  If I were able to reliably stream all my media from orb to a Chumby, I'd probably buy 1 or 2 more Chumbys right now.

Chumby birthdate: 10/11/07
  • From: Los Angeles
  • Registered: 2007-12-09
  • Posts: 16

Re: Orb Media Server Widget

Duane, what are your thoughts on this?

This seems like the best solution for steaming all types of media to the chumby.

  • Duane
  • Duane
  • Blue Octy
  • Offline
  • From: San Diego, CA
  • Registered: 2006-08-24
  • Posts: 8,200

Re: Orb Media Server Widget

Don't have an answer for you on that - I know it's on the list *somewhere*.  I've taken a quick look and there are possibilities there that we'd need to prioritize.

Duane's Website

  • From: Los Angeles
  • Registered: 2007-12-09
  • Posts: 16

Re: Orb Media Server Widget

Thanks for the response Duane. I know there are core features that you are focused on at the moment, but once you are in the "bells and whistles" stage of development I hope this is something that you consider.

  • smbic
  • New member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2008-02-06
  • Posts: 3

Re: Orb Media Server Widget

Orb = Losts and lots of possibilities! I hope this goes ahead...

  • Registered: 2007-11-15
  • Posts: 25

Re: Orb Media Server Widget

This is one I've been waiting for as well.

  • Registered: 2007-06-08
  • Posts: 16

Re: Orb Media Server Widget

I could dig an orb widget too, they have a flash player. I have very little development experience, but, it seems like an easy jump.

  • From: Wisconsin
  • Registered: 2008-02-28
  • Posts: 1

Re: Orb Media Server Widget

I would love an orb widget. If you guys make one I will buy a chumby. I know that orb has an API and I taking a flash class next year so maybe I can make one. Love to have some support though. I have never wrote anything major in flash before.

  • Registered: 2008-02-24
  • Posts: 2

Re: Orb Media Server Widget

I just bought a chumby and just found orb website for viewing my media on the go.  I would also love to see those two together
like a Chumby Orb Sandwich, It would have the ability to watch recorded TV, music, pics, and video.  GO CHUMBY!!!!!

  • Registered: 2008-02-28
  • Posts: 1

Re: Orb Media Server Widget

To this list, I'd like to add my enthusiastic recommendation to pursue an Orb Widget!  Orb works on many internet capable devices, including Windows Mobile Phones, and the Nintendo Wii (using Flash).

Orb support would significantly and immediately increase the possibilities and value of our beloved Chumbies.

  • Registered: 2008-05-19
  • Posts: 6

Re: Orb Media Server Widget

Here at Orb we're all for it. We have a Flash widget already that some people are using on MySpace and other blogs. It's using the Orb public API. I'm willing to share the current Flash code if someone wants to develop a nice Chumby app.

julialuc's Website

  • From: Los Angeles
  • Registered: 2007-12-09
  • Posts: 16

Re: Orb Media Server Widget

Thanks julialuc. Orb rocks!

Duane, can you build support for Orb into the firmware or create a widget? It is a public API and Orb says they are all for it.

I would love to program a widget, but I don't know how to program in Flash Lite.

  • Registered: 2008-05-19
  • Posts: 6

Re: Orb Media Server Widget

Looks like the interest is growing. Got 2 requests in the past 3 days to play with our API. Hopefully it'll lead to some cool widgets on Chumby!

julialuc's Website

  • Registered: 2007-01-09
  • Posts: 71

Re: Orb Media Server Widget

We're going to start looking at this. Please post the functionality that you'd find most useful from an Orb widget on the chumby. Thanks!

  • Registered: 2008-05-19
  • Posts: 6

Re: Orb Media Server Widget

Here are my favorite use cases:
- Watch Favorite Live TV (from Tuner or Internet TVs) - I recommend to set Favorites first and to display only Favorites in the Widget.
- Listen to Favorite iRadios
- Listen to Music - Being able to Browse Music folders would be great - Favorites to start with is fine
- Watching Photo Slideshows (Favorites and/or Folders)
- Watch Recorded TV

Lower in the list of what I do:
- Watch Favorite Videos
- Listen to Recorded Radios

One that I don't do so much but that I can see very useful to keep an eye on the babyroom:
- Watch Live Web/IP Cams

What's important is to be able to have the Photo Slideshow while the Music (or iRadio) is playing in the background. That's all possible using our API, the challenge is at the interface level: You need to select and launch the audio background before starting the Slideshow without too many clicks... Or to gracefully being able to go from one medium to the other, may be this is possible with some nice Flash animations...

Looking forward to seeing Chumby delivering that!

julialuc's Website

  • Registered: 2008-02-21
  • Posts: 526

Re: Orb Media Server Widget

The question i have is is there enough horsepower under the hood to do all this video?
Id like the radio and recorded radios, then photos, then a webcam, then live tv/video (if it can be done)

Tend to think getting a easy to setup/use way to stream audio to the chumby from a computer (Pc/Mac/whathave you)... is kind of one thing thats really wanted.. Least from me.. Yes I know the chumby is not a roku/squeezebox/sonus/recieva but lets get a good reputable source of music from my own library...

20 Reply by julialuc (edited by julialuc 2008-07-17 08:38:36)

  • Registered: 2008-05-19
  • Posts: 6

Re: Orb Media Server Widget

Among other formats, Orb streams videos in Flash. According to what already exists on the Chumby, playing these videos shouldn't raise any problem. Live TV or static video files will be seen exactly the same way by Chumby: Flash streams. With Orb, and if the interface is simple enough on the Chumby, this device will be much more powerful than Sonos, Squeezebox or Roku. In addition to your complete music collection, you can get internet radios, plus photos, videos, internet TVs, webcams....... And they can come from ANY machine on your Windows network, Orb takes care of gathering them all if you want.

julialuc's Website

  • Registered: 2007-11-21
  • Posts: 24

Re: Orb Media Server Widget

I vote for this also. Chumby is already really cool but this would make it more so.

thanks
John

  • Registered: 2008-08-05
  • Posts: 21

Re: Orb Media Server Widget

I use Winamp Remote (Orb based) as a uPNP server on my home network as well as for streaming music from home to work.  I'd very much like to see an Orb widget for my Chumby - more for music than video.

  • Registered: 2008-08-20
  • Posts: 2

Re: Orb Media Server Widget

Orb widgets are now available for the Chumby. Orb Photos and Orb Webcam. Please try it out and let us know what you think. Feedback is always welcome.

  • Registered: 2008-05-19
  • Posts: 6

Re: Orb Media Server Widget

Shireen, glad to see that you made a good use of our API... Few questions/suggestions:

- Any reason it doesn't work in the simulator?
- Adding Folder browsing (by replacing recently viewed for instance) would be great.
- Adding audio in the background of the photo slideshow would be great. Being able to choose between mute/music favorites (in random play)/iRadios favorites would be a good first.
- Are you working on an Orb iTV widget? I think that having just the favorite iTV would be great.

Thanks!

julialuc's Website

  • Registered: 2008-08-20
  • Posts: 2

Re: Orb Media Server Widget

Luc, thanks for your suggestions, will definitely look into adding them.
- the widgets work in the simulator on firefox, I have not yet been able to  determine why we have a problem in IE.
- with regard to Orb itv, I am not working on one right now but a third party developer has posted an Orb ITV widget, unfortunately I have not been able to get it to play any video/tv, we'll probably be in touch with the developer to determine what the issue is.

thanks