Re: Whole house audio - Nuvo or ChannelPlus?

["William at MyBlueRoom" <wrichardson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>All the local AM/FM radio stations?

Many radio stations now have internet broadcasts, I can listen by
adding the url to the squeezbox playlist.

>All the local TV stations audio?

Nope, none yet. But I can live rebroadcast / stream an audio source via
my linux server / gateway. (Shoutcast)

>Play records/cassettes/8tracks in real time?

I don't even own those formats anymore, I listen to CDs and rip them
perfectly with EAC. I can play any of my CDs on any or all of my
squeezeboxes in seconds. I can even browse by coverart.

>Whole house mute/volume up/volume down/change source/off?

It's not zoned, I cannot choose a source remotely. But I can control
volume on all units from either a web interface or the squezzebox
itself.

>Whole house announcements/caller ID/doorphone?

Doorbell $20, networked webcam $110

As for price, the ChannelPlus MDS-6A is about $1250 and the Nuvo
Essentia
is around $1999

A squeezbox3 is around $250 wired and $300 wireless, a linux server to
play can be had for as little as $450, I can also load UPnP software
www.twonkyvision.de and watch videos, audio & photos on devices like a
DSM-320 $188 CDn.

I've set up linux gateways with web servers, email servers, NAS, UPnP &
slimdevices software all running very reliably on a small Duron
motherboard with 512M & 250G HD and linux with web access
www.pointclark.com the works for $500CDn

My system can give the best networked players a run for their money,
ReQuest is pretty much the same stuff only they build the players and
costs $8000+

Plus the Squeeboxes use 24bit BB DACs (although I use the SPDIF and it
sounds excatly like the original CD) I generally rip to FLAC.  All my
audio stays in the digital domain up until the amplifier. The older
zoned systems

Add a wifi access point for $108 (although the DSM-320 is hardwired as
it hiccups on wifi) and for the kids I've used an Netgear MP101 $88 CDn

I can even control the squeezboxes with a wireless Ipaq.

Both systems have advantages / disadvantages, price isn't one of them.

I used to sell networked media servers www.digitalglu.com