Wireless audio from PC to stereo receiver 12' away? (1 Viewer)

[MarkHastings]

What's a MIMO?

 

[Bryan X]

I have a similar router as you Mark, the WRT54G-S (speedbooster), and I stream music from my PC to my HT setup using my Xbox 360. Works flawlessly.

 

[CRyan]

Multiple in Multiple out. Anyway, you may be fine, you may not. Just be prepared for audio dropouts or flaky connection if something aint right.

For me, I had a fairly new router and I could only get the thing to connect on occasion. The new router fixed it perfectly and works great.

I think in my situation of streaming the music from my laptop wirelessly to the router and then to the music bridge wirelessly from the router was too much for the one I had. Because my previous router was cool with multiple wireless connections including print server etc. And it was not a range issue as all of this is within 15 feet of each other.

 

[MarkHastings]

Oh, so the signal goes from the laptop, to the router, then back to the bridge? I figured it went right from my laptop to the bridge (which would be very close together), but I guess that doesn't make much sense. There needs to be a router involved.

But that shouldn't be any real issue because I get excellent recption from my wireless laptop card and the only other wireless device on my network is a B Bridge for my ReplayTV.

 

[Kimmo Jaskari]

You could combine the (free, open source) Slimserver from Slim Devices with either streaming audio, controlled via a web server on the Slimserver, or you could run the SoftSqueeze program on a computer. SoftSqueeze is a Squeezebox done in software, it emulates the Squeezebox and allows you to stream music from the Slimserver you install on the machine where the MP3s are.

A great way to test drive the Slim Devices product, or a free option for playing music wirelessly or wired in another location.

I have a VPN link to work, and I run the Slimserver program on my home fileserver and then run the SoftSqueeze program on my work computer to stream music from my entire MP3 library to work. Nothing downloaded to the work machine and still access to the entire library. Great stuff.

 

[Rommel_L]

Mark,

You may want to look at something like this, a wireless media streamer.

 

[MarkHastings]

Yeah, I saw that Linksys had a similar product, but it's a bit too expensive for what I'm looking for. Plus, I'm not sure about the D-Link version, but the Linksys one said something about Window Media Center, which I assume was the OS (I have WinXP Pro), so I didn't look any further into it.

I just want to occassionally play my iTunes through my HT without having to run an audio wire. Considering my laptop only has a mini out, the Linksys bridge sounded cool with it's optical output.

I just ordered one from Amazon ($80). I'll let you know how it works out.

 

[Darryl]

How about a Roku Sound Bridge? You can control it from a computer, it can play media from your computer, it can stream internet radio with or without a computer turned on, and it can be connected to the network wired or wirelessly. I don't have any experience with it myself, but it looks promising.

 

[Darryl]

Oh, and it is compatible with a number of subscription services too.

 

[MarkHastings]

but check this out::frowning:

I hope the Linksys works with iTunes purchases or it's going back.

 

[Citizen87645]

This is the issue I kept running into whether it was Roku, SlimDevices, etc. If Keyspan's TuneView Remote ever gets released (word is September) and actually works it would pretty much solve the lack of remote library navigation in the Airport Express.

 

[CRyan]

The Linksys is ultimately a second virtual sound card that will play ANY windows sounds from any application. That is why I picked it over Airtunes.

 

[Kimmo Jaskari]

Ah, I do believe people are hitting their heads against Apple's wall of C.R.A.P.

Another reason I don't like iTunes, or indeed any pay services. What music I buy I get on CD and rip myself so I can play it anywhere, on anything...

 

[Citizen87645]

I buy CDs in general but have bought some things from the iTunes store, mainly things that are exclusives like the iTunes Originals series.

 

[MarkHastings]

Oh please, give me a break with that C.R.A.P. - It's so annoying. :rolleyes

We may as well stop buying DVD's because they include Copy Protection.

 

[Kimmo Jaskari]

Naah, DVD's you can rip because the protection wasn't that good. I'm quite a bit less sanguine about the new HD generation though, there is some pretty draconian cra... stuff in the copyprotection specs there, like the ability to turn your player into a brick if they want to. But we digress, sorry.

 

[MarkHastings]

But my point is, bypassing DVD protection is illegal. Getting rid of iTunes DRM isn't illegal.

I can make a CD of iTunes purchases, without losing any quality (over the original AAC) and then make as many copies as I want. Once you make a dub of a DVD, you now own an illegal copy.

That's why I dislike that C.R.A.P. site becuase they forget to ignore certain aspects and only wish to focus on the negative areas, thus skewing the truth to make iTunes seem more evil than it really is.

 

[Darryl]

We've been through this issue before. I know we'll just end up agreeing to disagree as we have before, but...

This is an example of why Apple's DRM is more toxic than other approaches. Roku and others don't support iTunes purchases because Apple won't let them. The alternatives (primarily MS) sell licenses to unlock their DRM; Apple does not. It's not some sinister conspiracy or anything, it's just a difference in business model. But the implications of the Apple business model lead to severe restrictions on the use of iTunes purchases, much more severe than those imposed by DRM itself. Apple uses DRM not to prevent piracy, but to prevent competition. Many consumers are unable to use iTunes purchases as they would like to, not because of the DRM applied to the media, but because of the way Apple leverages DRM as a way to limit consumer choice and to lock out competition.

But to store such a song on my hard drive in a format playable by a non-iTunes application, I can either use a space-hogging lossless format or I can re-encode and lose sound quality. I can't simultaneously preserve file size and sound quality, all because DRM is being used to maintain a monopoly rather than to prevent piracy. It's an artificially imposed limitation.

 

[MarkHastings]

Now this is a valid point, but I would like to bring an example of my old MP3 Player.

It was a Creative Jukebox and it ONLY worked with PC and it ONLY worked with PC's that had Creative sound cards. I can't use it with any of my Macs and I can't use it with my PC laptop or my work computer - Talk about limiting? But you never hear people bitch about that....probably because it's not an Apple product


My whole point is, there are other products that are a LOT more restrictive than Apple's iTunes, but we somehow seem to 'accept' them. I understand the issues and complaints, I just don't understand why people aren't willing to accept those limitations while they accept more restrictive limitations (i.e. DVD)??

 

[Darryl]

Ah, gotcha. I agree completely.