Hazim wrote: > > So, my question is - why can't I also just shut off that boring server > function, then navigate my folder system - and just play my music? > Technically, it MUST be possible with some simple software tweak, > because that is the way most of media players work - using just the > folder system of the attached HDD.
My MP3 player, a Sansa CLIP+, scan the music file tags and build a database, just like the SqueezeBox Touch. The regular firware is limited to 8000 songs. Further, it had various bugs in the scanning/database, so I had to load RockBox (an alternate firmware), which database is working better. And if you think scanning takes a long time on the Touch, it's way way worse on the CLIP+. iPods work differently, the scanning is done by the PC and pre-loaded on the iPod. But, this can only work if the filesystem is tightly controller and can make sure that no file system change happens between the scan done on the PC and insertion in the device. Obviously, this is not the case for the Touch. In other words, the scanning and database on the Touch does not work so bad compared to the competition. Now, why use a database ? Personally, I would not buy a MP3 player without the database function, because I like browsing my collection different way, like by artist, by genre, new albums, etc. On the Touch it is also essential to other functions, such as Gapless, ReplayGain and Artwork. That's what the vast majority of people expect. Finally, it is true that the client-server architecture adds overhead to the Touch, but it's fairly robust and not the major source of issues. Most people have problems with scanning, not the client-server part. Anyway, I love the client-server part, because this is what is enabling me to have other SqueezeBoxes use the music collection on my Touch, and this is also what enables tablets applications to control the Touch. I personally listen more my music on my SB-Radio in the garden and garage than on my main Touch. And for tablet control, you really need to try it. Now, there are practical way to deal with the situation. Many people will advise you to have a real server. That's probably the simplest/quickest solution, with VortexBox and SqueezePlug being mentionned often. I'm sure that once it is setup, you will just enjoy the music and forget about it. An alternative is to work on your collection and your tags. This is what I have done, it's possible. My own SB-Touch has currently about 10k music tracks, most albums with artworks, and it is super stable. I installed a SB-Touch at my parent with a subset of my collection, 6k tracks, and it went smoothly. Works for me because I'm doing the ripping, I have tight control and established procedures. Finally, new SqueezeBoxes will most likely have more CPU and memory (Moore's law), which will address those problems. Regards, Jean ------------------------------------------------------------------------ jean2's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=33946 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=82070 _______________________________________________ Touch mailing list [email protected] http://lists.slimdevices.com/mailman/listinfo/touch
