Hello Jonathan, I have for several years been using the Squeezebox products. Originally owned and developed by Slim Devices the product was bought out by Logitech a while back. Information is available at www.slimdevices.com or www.logitech.co.uk.
Having bought the first one about five years ago and downloaded the free software that runs them I now have 8 running through the wired network that I have in my house (they work wirelessly as well) across 4 different incarnations of the receiver - all work fine together running from the base software which is regularly updated and also has a number of third party plug-ins. You simply plug the receiver into a free amplifier connection or attach a pair of powered speakers to it. The Mac obviously needs to be on but the software runs in the background and the music choice is controllable either through a web browser or by using one of the remote controls that ships with the product - indeed in it's latest incarnation the remote control has been developed a lot further than the early models including a colour screen that displays album artwork etc. This can be carried from room to room and applied to whichever player you wish to control. The software is also available to run on a NAS - I know it works fine on the Netgear ones which leaves the Mac out of the equation completely once you have ripped and transferred your music. If you have more than one player they can be synched to play the same track or can each be playing something different. The internet radio function is reasonable and if like me you listen mainly to the BBC it works very well. The one thing it does not do that you specified is play DRM tracks - having said that if you really want to get around this problem burning to CD and reimporting it will do the trick. So other than the DRM problem this player will do pretty much want you require - I have a large iTunes library (just under 40,000 tracks) and the speed of search is rapid - the receivers also have a random function that allows me to hear tracks I have not heard for sometime, nice when you cannot think of anything specific to listen to. I have found them to be pretty reliable and have never had a reason to regret my decision to go the Squeezebox route. Hope this helps, Chris On 18 Jan 2009, at 13:16, Jonathan Brady wrote: > > Just wanted to say thanks first of all to those who made helpful > suggestions for my wee firewire problem. > > On a completely different topic... > Does anyone have a good suggestion for a music streaming product apart > from Airport express/airtunes? Although I'm not averse to buying the > airport express device as I do have an iphone with the remote app > downloaded so I don't have to run up and down the stairs to constantly > change what I'm listening to at the iMac, I'm still not convinced that > there isn't a better product that will allow me to stream my itunes > library from my imac upstairs to my stereo downstairs. I have looked > into a couple of alternatives and from what I can tell the roku/ > pinnacle soundbridge seems to get good reviews and also has the added > bonus of being able to stream internet radio from my wireless router > (unless I have got that completely wrong). On the downside, I have > also read that the soundbridge will not stream DRM protected tracks. > Although, I don't have many DRM protected tracks and I have started > the process of upgrading what purchased tracks I have to the new DRM > free versions, that seems like it could be a potential pain in the > bum. So I guess, after all that rambling, what I'm asking is whether > anyone knows of a reliable streaming device that will play all of my > iTunes library tracks without glitches, without me having to > constantly run between floors (although the exercise would do me good > no doubt) to change tunes, etc. and that will also stream internet > radio (the internet radio thing is a bonus really and is not crucial > but it would be cool)? > Any advice? > > > Jonathan Brady > Photographer > tel: +44(0) 7931 541 489 > web: www.jonathanbrady.net > email: [email protected], [email protected] > > > > > On 18 Jan 2009, at 12:51, Jason Davies wrote: > >> >> With due regard to people's differing opinions (we get that some >> people like loud live music and others don't), this thread is >> now closed please. Specifically because: >> >> 1) I've asked that virtually anonymous posts not continue and if >> anyone makes a habit of it, look forward to - moderation! >> 2) We can't resolve the question of whether live music with >> amplifiers is a good or a bad thing here on SMUG one way or the other >> 3) If we did, no-one would care. >> >> Have a nice Sunday. >> >> >>> > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Sussex Mac User Group" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/smug?hl=en-GB -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
