RE: Ethernet to Audio

["Kevin Hawkins" <lists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ho Yin Ng [mailto:yahoogroups@xxxxxxx]
> Sent: 17 March 2004 10:54
> To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [ukha_d] Ethernet to Audio
>
> Mal,
>
> Yes it does .. how is the sound quality that is outputed
> from the wired version?
>
> Are you able to replace their server software with
> something like xlobby?
> or similar?


Xlobby is an excellent frontend control application but not an MP3
streaming
solution (server) - it delivers its audio and video content by using helper
applications - in the case of mp3 currently the only supported client is
WinAMP but it can use mutiple instances of that for mutiple zones. It also
does a very commenadable job in synching these zones which is quite awkward
to do with WinAMP. Effectively it instructs a client what to play.

Xlobby can send Windows events and talk to Girder as its interface to other
devices - it is intended to evolve into supporting more I/O and players
although the prime focus currently is in getting the '40' release stable
and
finished such that a final released product can ship. Then I guess it will
start to expand more featurewise.

The Barix Exstreamer makes an obvious end point audio out device for Xlobby
in terms of the hardware concept but it would need a controllable streaming
mp3 source still.

NOW... I was thinking that if you used Shoutcast (/IceCast)(which works in
conjunction with WinAMP) it may all work today. Shoutcast takes the WinAMP
output and creates a streaming source of that on your network. So Xlobby
would control WinAMP still and the Barix Exstreamer would play the stream..
I don't have an exstreamer so I cant try this.   This may also work in a
rather convoluted fashion for the SliMP3 too in that it would treat the
Shoutcast stream as a radio source and play it. It would probably even
display the correct artist/track info on the screen. I will try this bit
However in the SliMP3 case it still requires the SliMServer to be running.
A
SliMP3 does not have the ability to play a mp3 stream directly - it has to
go via the SlimServer - the Barix Exstreamer will play it directly.   The
Roku soundbridge (a SliMP3 workalike)is rumoured to have the horsepower
internally to play an mp3 stream directly but hasn't shipped yet.

Kevin



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