Stand Alone Media Server

[Alec]

fr0g - sorry being dumb yet again. do you know the uk price? and you have to put your own HD in dont you?

 

[John Duncan]

What's in that Popcorn thing that Apple TV doesn't do?

 

[John Duncan]

[quote user="fr0g"][quote user="JohnDuncan"]What's in that Popcorn thing that Apple TV doesn't do?[/quote]

Now dont flame me if I am wrong as I am just the messenger... but I am guessing Apple TV will be pushing Apple formats...? Seriously though I haven't a clue... My mate told me about it about 4 hours ago , and it sounded interesting...

tbh, I always get worried by brands that have their own agenda in any case.[/quote]

I have no problem with Apple, I think they do very useful stuff, designed beautifully, and priced stupidly

The only issue I have is remote media players not playing DRM'd stuff from iTunes, but that's more of an industry problem than Apple's per se.

 

[Alec]

Thanks fr0g. im really terribly tempted.

 

[John Duncan]

[quote user="fr0g"]Nah thats an Apple 'problem'

Its noticeable that certain compaines have dropped DRM recently to compete with the Appley style gurus. - and rightly so....Apple are the current bad boyz - wgo would have thought it!!!
[/quote]

Disagree there - I don't think that Apple or MS could give a stuff whether music is DRM'd or not (as long as you use their media player) - it's the record companies who have foisted it upon them to protect their own interests (misguidedly, IMO).

 

[Alec]

JohnDuncan - i agree but do they have to play ball with the labels...? fr0g - i think i got confused, and confused you in the process, perhaps here, and certainly in your cables thread. Sorry about that. My preference at the mo is for the escient gizmo, bit ive only about 17 hours to decide whether to get it for 300 off ebay. Argh!

 

[Alec]

[quote user="fr0g"]I agree, and disagree with myself... all the time. no worries.
And John - yep - I know the score... but the soonwer DRM is ditched the better...
I have never, and never will, buy any protected music.
And I know it is probably frowned upon, but I have returned unrippable CD's in the past (and illegally downloaded them)....And will again.
Whatever the law, I regard it as my right to be able to listen to music I have bought, on my portable player. If a cd makes that an impossibility (rare these days) - Then I will not pay for it...[/quote]

Fair do's.

 

[Alec]

fr0g - on second thoughts if you could let me know how your mate gets on thatd be great. i almost bid on one of those escient things but people had laready bid beyond what i can pay right now. Plus, the connection from any new device to my amp, or to my tv, as theyre several feet apart, would have to be lengthy. Thought that may be a problem but then im not good with such things. Might have to explore a way of doing it just with my PC and TV.

 

[Alec]

im to gutless (and potless) to do anything just now but i'm seriously thinking of an escient Fireball MP3 Music Server, but i have a lot of ripping to do, as the stuff on my PC is of variable quality. So, im wondering whether to take the plunge and rip the disks straight to flac, or rip to my pc in WAV in the meantime then put them onto the server as and when i get one (and how to do that...?). Another complication is that there would have to be a longish connectionb between my server and amp, or from server to TV. In other words, the server can be near the tv or amp, but nbot both. I jst thought id put that out there...

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="al7478"]ranjeetrain - thankyouvermuch! now i just have to decide whether to get it for 300 on ebay soon or wait a while, and maybe end up having to pay more. its usually bout 700 i think. thanks for the link fr0g.[/quote]

I'd say go for it now. Truth to tell such kinda thing at such a price would not be a bad deal. Worst case scenario you wouldn't be happy with it (very unlikely, we are here to help you), in which case you can put it back on sell.

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="al7478"]im to gutless (and potless) to do anything just now but i'm seriously thinking of an escient Fireball MP3 Music Server, but i have a lot of ripping to do, as the stuff on my PC is of variable quality. So, im wondering whether to take the plunge and rip the disks straight to flac, or rip to my pc in WAV in the meantime then put them onto the server as and when i get one (and how to do that...?). Another complication is that there would have to be a longish connectionb between my server and amp, or from server to TV. In other words, the server can be near the tv or amp, but nbot both. I jst thought id put that out there...[/quote]

As a strategy, always rip to WAV. Convert it to FLAC afterwards (a reversible process anyway). Ripping isn't a terribly complicated process, we'll help you when you need.
Try to keep the server near to the amp. That way the longer cable will be to TV and if thats not a high quality, some quality will drop (but who gives a damn if it sounds good?)

 

[Alec]

ranjeetrain - Cheers! ive probably missed the boat where ebay's concerned now - the two i was looking at have sold, tho ill keep an eye out. It sounds really easy to rip with, and ive done plenty of ripping on my pc (tho only with WMP11 - im not so good when it comes to downloading additions/plugins etc...Thanks for the advice on the connections issue. ive got some thinking to do there but i think there'll be a work-round.