whats the name of ...

[DoubleD]

I'm trying to find a 'thing' that will link my home network to my round sound so that I can play music through the hifi speakers instead of the crappy laptop speakers.

I would like something wireless as all my music is stored on a network drive I have attached to my wireless router.

Is there such a thing I can hide at the back of my hifi that can see my network and play my music?

Please help me o mighty org

[northwind]

I saw a very nifty thing- basically a small PC, but in a casing the size and shape of a hifi se[erate- in Richer Sounds a while back. It was well expensive but it'd look fine in any living room, had a nice LCD screen and remote etc. Phillips did a mini that was supposed to do all this, but the interface was hopeless supposedly, fine for a few gb of music but useless for a whole collection.

I just use my PC with a connection to my old hi fi when I want proper music. Or I could have got nicer speakers for the PC I suppose. If I wanted a living room music system now I'd get a decent amp and a small format PC, a wee shuttle or something, and a small screen for it, and just stick it in the corner :smt023

[DoubleD]

I thought that I might have to get a PC based thing to go under the TV that can then attach to my network drive and play my music and videos.

I was hoping there was just a link thing I could get.

never mind, long cable from laptop to round sound it is....

[Jdawg]

Wirelessly, this seems to be the sort of thing you seem to be describing: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Logitech-Wireless-Music-System-PC/dp/B000BERQCU

or http://www.pcpro.co.uk/reviews/87368/philips-streamium-sla5520i.html

Personally, I have my pc hooked up to my hifi using a stereo to phono lead, with a phono extention (depending on where my pc is).

Wired will be a lot cheaper obviously, and probably better quality, but then again, if you only have an inbuilt soundcard, it wont be amazing anyway.

Hope that helps! :grin:

[DoubleD]

Thanks for the links, getting close to what I'm after.

To help this is my setup - All my music and videos are stored on a 500GB network drive and is connected directly to my wifi router via network cable.

Currently I access the music over wifi from my laptop and play the music on crappy laptop speakers, if I'm in the front room then I can plug cable from laptop to round sound.

I would like to NOT use the laptop at all and have a 'thing' that can stream the music direct from the network to the round sound.

Found This (http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/ProductInfo.asp?WebProductID=813592) but a little more than what I'm after.

[xXBADGERXx]

I have an Xbox 360 attached to my wireless router , it allows me to stream Music or videos from my PC to my Router , then down the Ethernet cable to my 360 , takes seconds to sort out and costs nothing if you already have a 360 ?

[gettin2dizzy]

Just buy the apple airport adaptor. It's about £60 and will use wifi to a 3.5mm output.

[sharriso74]

One of these would do it

http://www-uk.linksys.com/servlet/Satellite?c=L_Product_C2&childpagename=UK%2FLayout&cid=1175239342184&pagename=Linksys%2FCommon%2FVisitorWrapper&lid=4218460635B01

£180 from Amazon

[ooger]

I got one of these about 12 months ago, and its been great. Its probably not going to do it for you because its not got many audio outs:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000E5LIBQ/ref=nosim/httpwww4a1cou-21/

Plays vids, music, etc from anywhere, and wirelessly the streaming is perfect (54g, not 11b) even at high framerates.

Probably overkill if you just want tunes.

My basic setup is a scart to the TV, but its probably scalable. I don't go behind the TV much to remember whats there.

[DoubleD]

Thanks for the links, I'll go and have a bit of research about them.


I don't have a 360 but I have seen that setup and you need to have your PC on and thats something I don't want to do, thanks anyway.

[DoubleD]

Just buy the apple airport adaptor. It's about ?60 and will use wifi to a 3.5mm output.

I can find a Apple video adapter is that the fella??

[wyrdness]

I can find a Apple video adapter is that the fella??

No, it's this one:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Apple-AirPort-Express-Station-AirTunes/dp/B0002YL5XA

AFAIK, it only works with iTunes.

Edit: It looks like you can buy a program called Airfoil http://www.rogueamoeba.com/airfoil/ to use it with other software too.

[carty]

I think what you're after is a 'squeezebox'?

Google for details!

[DoubleD]

No, it's this one:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Apple-AirPort-Express-Station-AirTunes/dp/B0002YL5XA

AFAIK, it only works with iTunes.

Edit: It looks like you can buy a program called Airfoil http://www.rogueamoeba.com/airfoil/ to use it with other software too.

Thanks for the info and links


I think what you're after is a 'squeezebox'?

Google for details!

thanks for that, looking now.