Streaming to a PC running Alexa

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Xupery
Posts: 8
Joined: Fri Jan 29, 2021 2:06 pm

Streaming to a PC running Alexa

Post by Xupery »

I am able to play MyMedia music on all my Echoes. However I would also like to be able to play MyMedia from the Alexa app on my PC. This is because I can stream from my PC to my Apple Airport devices which are connected to my two HiFi systems. In this way I would be able to play music through better speakers than the Ecco offers. I know I could wire an Echo to my HiFi but this would disrupt my existing set up.

If I ask Alexa on the PC to ask MyMedia to play music then Alexa responds to say that it is playing but nothing plays. Under Messages on the MyMedia interface it displays "The error code was: MEDIA_ERROR_INTERNAL_DEVICE_ERROR. The detailed message was: Device playback error".

I assume that MyMedia cannot see my PC running Alexa as an Alexa Device.

Does anyone have any ideas?
richaardvark
Posts: 19
Joined: Sun Sep 02, 2018 6:32 am

Re: Streaming to a PC running Alexa

Post by richaardvark »

Xupery wrote:
Mon May 17, 2021 11:37 am
I am able to play MyMedia music on all my Echoes. However I would also like to be able to play MyMedia from the Alexa app on my PC. This is because I can stream from my PC to my Apple Airport devices which are connected to my two HiFi systems. In this way I would be able to play music through better speakers than the Ecco offers. I know I could wire an Echo to my HiFi but this would disrupt my existing set up.

If I ask Alexa on the PC to ask MyMedia to play music then Alexa responds to say that it is playing but nothing plays. Under Messages on the MyMedia interface it displays "The error code was: MEDIA_ERROR_INTERNAL_DEVICE_ERROR. The detailed message was: Device playback error".

I assume that MyMedia cannot see my PC running Alexa as an Alexa Device.

Does anyone have any ideas?
I looked into this extensively and did not find a solution - I believe that something in the actual coding of My Media for Alexa needs to be updated to fix this issue.

Looking back through these (now seemingly dead) support forums, this issue has been discussed before and a workaround/fix was given in this following link: viewtopic.php?t=23251


In short, what is suggested is happening is that Microsoft Store apps (which is what the Alexa for Windows app is) by default have traffic/ports blocked between any Windows apps and being able to communicate with the same local IP address. So, if your My Media for Alexa server is running on the same Windows PC that you are using Alexa for Windows on and from which you are trying to play your My Media music with, it won't work. The suggested workaround (in the aforementioned link) is to run a simple DOS command:

(make sure it's an "Administrator" command prompt): right-click on Start --> click 'Run' --> type "cmd" --> hold down the 'Shift' and 'Ctrl' buttons on your keyboard as you click 'OK' on the Run dialogue / or as you press 'Enter' on your keyboard --> click "Yes" (you are now at an "Administrator" command prompt --> next type the following command (assuming you have checked and are updated the the latest Alexa for Windows app version in the Microsoft Store):

Code: Select all

checknetisolation loopbackexempt -a -n=57540AMZNMobileLLC.AmazonAlexa_3.5.828.0_x64__22t9g3sebte08 
Note: your Alexa for Windows app name (everything after the "-n=") may be different if you don't have the latest update version installed from the Microsoft Store. You can check this though: make sure Alexa for PC is running, open the windows Task Manager (right-click on the Task Bar and select Task Manager), find Alexa under the "Processes" tab and click the little arrow next to it to show the sub items under Alexa, find "Alexa.DesktopExtension" and right-click and select "Open File Location...". You will now see in the address bar / folder location of the Windows Explorer that opens the actual "name"/version of your Alexa for PC app - update the command prompt command I listed above accordingly.

If everything works, it should say "OK" and you can close the command prompt window. Now, supposedly (according to the comments in that link I provided above) you also have to go into the 'Settings' menu in your My Media for Alexa web console (click this link) and under the "Enable access outside of local network" section change it to "Enable via Push". Supposedly after doing all of this it is supposed to work, but sadly, for me it is still not working. :-(

I tried an alternative Alexa music player skill/app Our Jukebox, and after installing this on my PC and then trying to play my music using Alexa for Windows on that same machine I had no issues whatsoever. So, I believe there is something wrong with the coding in the My Media for Alexa software/application that needs to be corrected but the developer of this app/skill seems to not be very present these days unfortunately. :-/ Maybe the steps above will work for you though on your machine. Otherwise, I'd submit a support ticket and hope someone actually replies back, or just wait and hope the developer logs back in one day and sees this message. :-(
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