MacBook, TV, iPhone and Hippos

uglymusic

I've been messing further with my MacBook, playback software and control.

I've installed Hippo Remote Pro (http://hipporemote.com/) on my iPhone, which acts as a touchpad, as well as having a range of control templates for quite a few pieces of software - e.g. iTunes. A piece of software is also installed on the Mac or Windows or Linux machine so that the Remote set-up can control it.

I've also connected the MacBook up to my TV via a mini-DVI to HDMI lead so I can see how I'm controlling the MacBook with the iPhone/Hippo combo. Full-screen iTunes on a 42" screen is overkill, of course ;-)

With Audirvana+ and iTunes linked, I can control music selection, playback and volume using the iTunes template in Hippo. Once I get to understand Hippo more, I hope that I can write a custom template for A+.

Alan

Is this different to the standard free Apple remote then? Other than being customisable, I mean - what will you be able to do that cant be done with iTunes and A+ linked and the standard remote?

forgive me, I am on the phone and I cant see what Hippo is all about properly until I get to a pooter.

uglymusic

It's different inasmuch as it acts as a touch pad, so I can use my iPhone instead of my MacBook Air.

For the best sq, it's apparently better to decouple control from iTunes to A+. See properties in A+. So I'm hoping to set up Hippo to control A+ directly.

Alan

It's different inasmuch as it acts as a touch pad, so I can use my iPhone instead of my MacBook Air.

I am a bit thick on techie stuff I know, but I control iTunes (and thus A+) via an iTouch with the free Apple remote. I can't see what advantage hippo will give unless you want to decouple iTunes from A+ and start manually loading albums from finder?
|)

uglymusic

Look in the Properties section for iTunes, and you'll see two tick boxes that suggest if you don't control A+ from iTunes, you'll get better SQ. You can still use iTunes as a library management tool because iTunes and A+ are still paired, but it seems you can't control A+ volume from the Remote app. I can't confirm this because the latest iTunes has broken the pairing with Remote!

uglymusic

Alan

Ha! I told the mothr in law not to go too far on facebook! [/Les Dawson]

I know that it at least should be possible to us remote app for volume. This did certainly work for me before, and Damien even introduced a cap on the volume range to avoid slip ups with remote.

my remote pairing broke all the time before you helped me sort out my network and NAS, not had an issue since. I presume you have signed out and then back into home sharing on both your phone and pooter? (hark at me giving tech advice - a right IT gut I am! Reboot! That'll fix it....)

uglymusic

I haven't really tried with the Remote pairing. I noted it wasn't playing ball and then went back to screen sharing using the Air.

It's really as a lighter, simpler alternative to the Air that I'm interested in Hippo for, although as I say, custom control for A+ would be a groovy thing.