Hava Player for MAC

[Hubtime]

I now have a Mac book Pro and the only way I can use my Hava on it is too open up Windows on my Mac via a program called Parallels. It would be really nice to have a software Hava Player for MAC.

Thanks for your consideration.

[vanDivX]

I just installed Parallels on Mac Book Pro and its great, why don't you install the Parallel's Tools (you should do that anyway even without Hava) and put Hava into Favorite Apps and alias of it into your dock and run Parallels in Coherence mode and then its as close as being in Mac as it gets, didn't install Hava yet but is shouldn't suffer as far as connection speed goes I imagine, that's the only possible shortcoming I can think of

vanDivX

[To Peace]

More premium consumers are making the shift to Mac (http://www.roughlydrafted.com/RD/RDM.Te ... 207FB.html). Sling Media released a Mac player (http://us.slingmedia.com/object/io_1177943365321.html).

Request you answer the call and develop a player for Mac.

[pickle]

I would just like to put my 2 cents in. I have PCs, Mac, and Linux running on various machines on my home network. I would really like to see a wireless Mac player for the Hava. Any ETA?

Thanks.

[steveyhere]

I fully support the development of a Hava player for mac and iphone.

Mac and Iphone is taking the market by storm and if Hava wants to continue play in the consumer market place. A Hava player for mac and a mobile player for iphone is a must!

Just looking at the demand for new iphone and the no of units sold within that short time!

[graciany]

We want mac player!!!

[Wailord]

Yeah, I have a Mac because I wanted to use something that worked great and wasn't Windows. It really sucks to have to boot into Windows to use the Hava Player- I absolutely love my box, though.

[rayed78]

I want a Player for Mac!!!!!!!!

I converted to mac after I purchased my iPhone...

-Ray

[animeboy]

Plus one for a OSX Native (Or Heck, I'll take a X11 Version ported from Linux).

Mark

[Jason UK]

We been waiting years for that. Don't hold your breath.

[HavaLogic]

Indeed, regarding not holding breath, likely good advice, as development of a Macintosh client is not swiftly forthcoming, if it ever materializes at all. It may well be that Monsoon isn't prepared, able, or willing to devote the resources necessary to see a viable Macintosh version of their viewer.

I write also with bad news on the virtualization front, for those thinking they can dash off an installation of Hava Player on their Macintoshes in any form. Monsoon has wisely indicated that instances of a PC via virtualization software (such as Parallels or VMWare) are "Unsupported platforms". They say it's "unsupported" because it's impossible to configure a Hava through virtualization software. The client will error out every time with a "Video Preview failed" message, thus halting the configuration process before you're able to complete it. So, in the very least, you'll NOT be able to configure your Hava for remote viewing with a Macintosh, no matter what you try (and I believe this might well apply to a PC instance via BootCamp, also).

So the definitive news is this: Unless you have a real, physical PC that you can connect to your Hava for configuration, for all practical purposes Macintosh users won't be able to use one. Ever. Period.

I've heard some claims that it's possible to run the Hava viewer software in virtualization after you've set it up the Hava box with a real PC, but that of course doesn't help anyone who only owns a Macintosh.

I haven't pinpointed the nature of what it is yet, but the Hava Player application is incredibly bizarre, and most unconventional. It's extremely hardware sensitive and among the least accommodating programs I've yet come across, PC or Macintosh. This is a highly proprietary application that's extremely irritating, in my opinion. I mean, even the Sling Player application will run on a Macintosh via virtualization (although you needn't do so since Sling Media already offers a native Macintosh player client, anyway).

Very, very frustrating, and a bit patronizing, I might add. I initially bought my Hava with the expectation that I could at least watch it through Parallels on my MacBook. Now I have to dig up a dang PC to get my box configured...

[TheKrell]

So, in the very least, you'll NOT be able to configure your Hava for remote viewing with a Macintosh, no matter what you try (and I believe this might well apply to a PC instance via BootCamp, also).

I thought one used BootCamp to boot up a genuine bonafide version of Windows. If so, then there is no virtualization instance; Windows native is running on your Mac and the Hava PC Player will work. (I thought virtualization also worked, but I don't own a Mac so what do I know?)

Also, if all you want to view on your Mac is the remote stream while on your local LAN, just fire up VLC. Media... Open Network... RTSP... Your Hava's IP address. Not sure if that is possible remotely.

[TheKrell]

I haven't pinpointed the nature of what it is yet, but the Hava Player application is incredibly bizarre, and most unconventional. It's extremely hardware sensitive and among the least accommodating programs I've yet come across, PC or Macintosh.

Agree with your feeling, other than the "hardware-sensitive" part. The Player and Setup Wizard have a whole boatload of software dependencies. Considering the wide variety of hardware on which Windows will run, I would not call it "hardware-dependent" in the slightest.

I would "pinpoint the nature of what it is" as 100% due to use, or perhaps overuse, of Microsoft Windows development tools. Every imaginable freeware component of Windows, needed or not, standard or not, and highly version-specific (or not), are required by the Hava PC Player or it will not install or if installed will not run. Why in heck does it need MSXML core services at all, much less only one particular (old) version? I don't know. But I've got an XP Pro system that won't run the PC Player because of a problem with MSXML versions. Microsoft will lock you into their solutions by any nepharious means possible, including putting out their own version of standard protocols and services with slight do-nothing variations that work only on Windows, or worse still, only on recent vintages of Windows. My W2K won't run the Hava PC Player either.

If a Windows-specific solution is there and free, the temptation for developers is to use it as Monsoon has. This is Microsoft hegemony plain and simple. They want you to run Windows Vista. Not XP, not 2000, and certainly not OSX!

[HavaLogic]

TheKrell, perhaps you're right about the hardware element in question-- Thinking about it further, contemporary Macintoshes run hardware that's pretty much identical to PC counterparts, now that Apple has transitioned to Intel. But in any event, it remains very frustrating that Virtualization will not allow full function of our Havas on a Mac. I could accept lack of Macintosh client development, even there never being a Mac client, if Hava software would work under the likes of Parallels (which is what I run). But alas, that's not happening-- This reality really burns me up!

As for running a PC via Bootcamp, I haven't directly tried this yet (not enough space remaining on my hard drive for a PC partition). But I've heard other discussions that this won't work either, so I've less motivation to go through the immense hassle of working out drive space, building a partition, installing XP, installing updates, etc., etc., etc.. I mean, what a pain in the, well, you know.

I'm just going to drag a PC over for connection to my Hava in order to configure it. I see no other alternative. Following that, I'm expecting I'll be able to at least watch the box through XP Pro in Parallels.

But this has been ridiculous, regardless. No offense to anyone at Monsoon, but dang it!

[JoeB]

HavaLogic,
I run Windows XP Pro on my 2008 Macbook Pro via Bootcamp. The Hava player installed and runs just fine, however I too relate to your frustration about not having a native Mac player. Surely the folks at Monsoon know that the market share for OSX has been substantially rising for some time now. Hopefully in the near future, some progress will be made. Otherwise, Ebay is looking like a pretty viable option for the old Hava Titanium right now.