Streaming Music Throughout My House posted

So, I apparently let my home network go to crap in the last few years, which is not conducive to my current project - to setup a virtual "whole house stereo system."

See, I have this stereo in my loft with some strategically placed speakers. These speakers use my vaulted ceiling to bounce music all over the top 2 floors. Plus it's all controlled via itunes on my primary computer. I love it, love it... which is why you'll always hear music playing in our house.

The only problem with this setup is that I can't hear the music when I'm in the basement. So usually I just throw in a CD or something, but it sucks to have different things playing in different parts of the house.

So here is what I need...
1. I need a way to get music from my PC (in the loft) to the stereo in the basement.
-I tried the linksys music bridge, but it's quite ghetto.
-I could get one of those 2.4ghz wireless audio transmitters - but there might be interference.
-I could get some hardware like Roku, Airport Express, or the Logitech Wireless DJ.
-I'm also looking for some good servers to allow my PC to stream music to my laptop. That way both computers would be playing the same music... Then I could just hook the laptop to my stereo. I really want to figure this out.

2. I need a laptop in the basement to be able to control iTunes via Remote Desktop.
3. I need to get XP Pro on my main computer. It apparently has Home Edition, wtf. And Home doesn't have the Remote Desktop server. This is going to be a pain.

I wish 1 and 3 were as easy as 2. I suppose I could just break down and spend the $120 on Airport Express. I'd really like to get some sort of streaming server setup though... If anyone has any suggestions, please share.
Tags: Music, Tech

comments

  • Why the linksys gotta be ghetto, why cant it just be a POS. :)

    cliff posted

  • haha, it really is.

    -you have to choose to play your audio on either the PC or the stereo - you can't do both.

    -the setup/documentation was really bad.

    -sound quality - awesome.

    derek posted

  • Before anyone else says it...

    -I've considered FM transmitters, but the quality isn't there.

    -I'm also not considering wireless speakers since I already have the stereo and speakers. i want to hook into another stereo.



    I've already checked out:

    www.wholehousefmtran...r.com/

    www.cnet.com/4520-73...1.html

    www.logitech.com/ind...10855l

    www.rokulabs.com/

    www.apple.com/airportexpress/

    derek posted

  • derek, check out professional audio manufacturers. they deal with things like this. beware, pro-audio is $$$$ but you find out the terminology of the device you're looking for and can find something on line for less.

    tag posted

  • I'm gonna check out shoutcast. "Nullsoft's SHOUTcast offers a particularly easy, flexible, and cost-effective way to enable all computers on your home network to listen to music broadcast by one machine."



    www.amd.com/us-en/Pr...#SS />


    Also, I need a device that I can install Salling Clicker on. They don't support my sidekick right now, but if I can get my hands on a wifi PDA for cheap... it'd make the perfect whole-house LCD remote for my system.



    And even more also, apparently you can upgrade Home to Pro without a complete reinstall, heh. I'm retarded. So that makes that step easier.



    Now I wanna go home and play...



    More links

    www.salling.com/Clic...es.php - Salling Clicker

    www.thebettertons.co...ng.htm - A Salling Clicker Install

    devices.natetrue.com/musicap/ - A crazy DIY player/remote

    derek posted



  • Uhhhh, Shoutcast is out.



    I read more into using Shoutcast to do this streaming - it turns out that it can currently only be ran with a winamp plugin. There are no DSP plugins for iTunes. However, there is an option in the Winamp DSP Plugin that allows you to select your input. The "winamp" input is the default, but you can also select "soundcard." Then all you have to do is change the recording preferences on your PC to be "what you hear" or "wave out mix." Now you you can control your music through itunes, run it through the winamp plugin and stream out to your network via shoutcast. It really does work - however there's a lag, which varies depending on your bitrate. There was about an 8 second delay between my server and client while streaming at 320kbps.



    So the moral is: Shoutcast streaming is not supposed to be "live" or real time.
    Is Airport Express real time? If so, I'm buying it.

    derek posted

  • 2.4ghz is out.



    i just tried some 2.4ghz wireless transmitters from radio shack. they suck real real bad. lots of pops in the audio.

    derek posted

  • you are retarded. call me and i will solve this for you.

    harper posted

  • so, harper's non-retarded suggestion was to run wires from the computer (in a loft), through 3 floors of finished walls, to my stereo (on an opposite wall)...



    i gotta say... Airport Express all the way. seriously, i bought one tonight, it rules so much.



    the setup would have sucked had i not known how to setup wireless bridges, etc. apparently the install on the CD GPF's if the itunes on your computer is newer than the itunes on the cd, wtf? nice programming.



    so i downloaded the version from apple.com, it installed correctly but didn't come with the "airport setup assistant" aka "wizard" that all of their setup guides tell you to follow.



    finally i went the old fashion route of not following directions at all and 20 mins later, i have seamless real-time audio playing over my airport express and computer speakers. plus it integrates with itunes so nicely. i'll test it fully tomorrow when kari's not asleep.

    derek posted

  • I was gonna say, just use iTunes, probably you wouldn't even have needed to buy an airport express, just some sort of wireless network device. The Audio streaming could be done through the computer in the basement...

    Props for supporting apple, though (:

    T045T posted

  • you can't do it with just itunes. you're able to share your library, sure. but they can not actually play music simultaneously - unless you hit play at the same time on each computer, ha.

    derek posted

  • Derek,



    Although expensive...goto Russound.com and do it the right way. Worry and hassle free once installed and fully expandable. Multi-room Multisource control at your fingertips from any room, in any room. Check out he CAM RNET Systems and their media servers.

    JEF posted

  • www.rogueamoeba.com/airfoil/

    reddogg posted

  • it really is.

    Alex posted