Find music that you'll like using MCE and pandora.com - Colin's Blog

Find music that you'll like using MCE and pandora.com

If you haven't been to http://www.pandora.com go check it out. It's streaming music like an internet radio station but with a difference. Type in a song name or artist and it plays lots of similar music that you are likely to enjoy. The streaming audio is excellent quality and it's free.

To get this functionality in MCE 2005 I've created a simple addin that adds an item to the "More" menu. The "More" menu will be available in Albums view, Artists view and Song Details view. The artist or song name is sent to pandora.com to play similar music.


To install it, download these files :

more.xml [right click -> Save As] to C:\Windows\ehome\more.xml

pandora.gif [right click -> Save As] to C:\Windows\ehome\pandora.gif

Open a command prompt and run the following commands:

C:\>cd \Windows\ehome

C:\Windows\ehome\>RegisterMCEApp.exe /allusers more.xml

To uninstall

C:\Windows\ehome\>RegisterMCEApp.exe /u /allusers more.xml

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Published Monday, February 20, 2006 4:43 PM by colin
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Comments

# re: Find music that you'll like using MCE and pandora.com

Hi Colin,

Nice app. I was looking at the XML and there is almost nothing in it? How do you write a plug-in so small?

Do you have any good references for learning to code MCE add-ins?

Thursday, February 23, 2006 5:11 AM by Euan

# re: Find music that you'll like using MCE and pandora.com

Hi there,

Does this Plugin work for the extender?

Thursday, February 23, 2006 6:43 PM by danijoe

# re: Find music that you'll like using MCE and pandora.com

Hi Colin,

Very nice!!! I love Pandora and was excited to see a pulgin, but i cant get it working. Could you please be a little more elaborate on your installing instructions?

Thanks :)

Regards,
Lenny

Thursday, February 23, 2006 11:22 PM by Lenny

# re: Find music that you'll like using MCE and pandora.com

Euan: more.xml is just the entry point. The actual code for the plugin is here http://savage.org.za/MoreMusic/

Lenny: Install instructions will be updated shortly

Friday, February 24, 2006 2:04 PM by colin

# re: Find music that you'll like using MCE and pandora.com

Hi,

When I try to install the application typing:
C:\Windows\ehome\>RegisterMCEApp.exe /allusers more.xml

I get an error saying -
c:\windows\ehome\RegisterMCEApp.exe is not a valid win32 application

What am I doing wrong - could someone please help me ?

Best regards,
Jesper Brejning

Sunday, March 05, 2006 6:32 PM by classico

# re: Find music that you'll like using MCE and pandora.com

I get this too:
RegisterMCEApp.exe is not a valid win32 application

Monday, March 13, 2006 2:15 AM by 3Rob3

# re: Find music that you'll like using MCE and pandora.com

I'm gettign the same error.  pls help.

Wednesday, March 15, 2006 4:29 AM by shawn

# re: Find music that you'll like using MCE and pandora.com

So far nobody that I have asked for more info about this problem has responded. If you have the above problem with RegisterMCEApp.exe, please post the following information so that we can find out what the problem is:
1. Are you running Windows Media Center 2005 ?
2. Have you installed Rollup 1 or Rollup 2 from windows update?
3. What is the version of c:\windows\ehome\RegisterMCEApp.exe on your system (right-click -> Properties)?

Wednesday, March 15, 2006 9:58 AM by colin

# re: Find music that you'll like using MCE and pandora.com

Works for me.  Anybody managed to make this work on the xbox 360 media center function?

Thursday, April 13, 2006 11:21 PM by Jake

# re: Find music that you'll like using MCE and pandora.com

nicely done.  be nice if the pandora play was centered on the screen, and the white background is a bit harsh on the eyes considering how much of the sceen it takes up.

not being picky or anythign am i?  :)

Sunday, April 16, 2006 3:43 AM by zeke

# eirikso.com » Blog Archive » Pandora plugin for Windows Media Center

PingBack from http://www.eirikso.com/2006/05/03/pandora-plugin-for-windows-media-center/

Wednesday, May 03, 2006 2:02 PM by eirikso.com » Blog Archive » Pandora plugin for Windows Media Center

# re: Find music that you'll like using MCE and pandora.com

to get RegisterMCEApp.exe you need the media center 2005 SDK

Sunday, May 13, 2007 6:29 PM by treason

# re: Find music that you'll like using MCE and pandora.com

treason : No you don't

Sunday, May 13, 2007 6:43 PM by colin