Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

Brit Ben · Mar 4, 2002, 04:58 PM

This is a very cool toy. Ethernet to MP3 audio device that delivers line level RCA jack outputs for hookup to your home audio system, by streaming MP3s from your Mac. OSX is supported today. Full remote control. I'm buying one when I get home tonight.

Pervasive computing is really starting to happen.

Ben

Walker · Mar 4, 2002, 06:36 PM

That does look awesome. I read about it on their web site, and still have a few questions. Would a person have to first start the application on the computer, or is it completely remote controlled? Also, would iTunes ever be supported as the playlist player?

I think I'll have to be getting one of these things.

lw

Brit Ben · Mar 4, 2002, 06:40 PM

Originally posted by Walker:
That does look awesome. I read about it on their web site, and still have a few questions. Would a person have to first start the application on the computer, or is it completely remote controlled? Also, would iTunes ever be supported as the playlist player?

I think I'll have to be getting one of these things.

lw

Looking at the downloaded server.... Its perl script based.

I'll answer your question with a question. Does perl have applescript support. f so, it should be possible to use iTunes... More after I play.

I''d like a system preference pane to start / stop / control this thing and a web controller to integrate with a home automation project.

Ben.

phantomdragonz · Mar 4, 2002, 06:57 PM

It was updated from it's origional version! nice! I like the plastic backing. I have been following this product ever since they announced it.

P.D.

Walker · Mar 4, 2002, 10:07 PM

Here's the emails and responses I got back from their tech support. I am impressed at their incredible response time to my emails. So far it seems like a great company.

Wow, your ethernet MP3 player looks quite awesome. Perfect for my
gameroom stereo. I would prefer to be able to use iTunes as the
playlist with my MP3's. Is this possible?

Thank you, and congratulations on a great product.

> >As long as you can save your iTunes playlists in .m3u or .pls format,
> >you can use them with the SliMP3. Sorry, I'm not too familiar with iTunes
> >yet.
> >
> >Please let me know if you have any other questions about the product. Best
> >regards,
> >
> >Sean

>That was a quick reply. As a matter of fact, I do have another
> question. Will I need to first start up the software on the computer
> to use the sliMP3 player, or will the remote control somehow start it
> up by itself.
>

Normally you'd just leave the server software running. When you're not
using the player, you can press the power button to put it in standby
mode.

I assume you want to use this with MacOSX. Again, I'm not the OSX expert,
but Dean Blackketter, another one of our programmers, can probably answer
your questions. I imagine it's pretty easy with OSX to have the server run
automatically when you boot up, or when you log in to the OSX desktop.

Dean, can we use iTunes playlists? Is it possible to have tighter
integration with iTunes?

Sean

Funny thing, I do all my ripping with iTunes, but all of my playing with SliMP3.

iTunes has its own playlist format, as far as I can tell, so I don't think we're compatible. Even when you export an iTunes playlist, it's in a funny tab-delimited file format.

That said, I think that there's a lot of opportunity to work with iTunes as a plug in. Once I get my OSX Aqua shell for the SliMP3 server running, I'll dig deeper into what it would take to make iTunes work better with the SliMP3 server.

-dean



[ 03-04-2002: Message edited by: Walker ]

Brit Ben · Mar 5, 2002, 01:32 PM

Fantastic !

My concern here, is that some of the hi-fi mags pick up and run an article on these guys. Can you imagine Sony et al integrating this technology into their next line of HiFi components ?

Yeah, I was looking at building a prefpane to control when the SlimP3 server runs, being able to restart it etc.

You may find a cure for some of your playlist woes here:

http://www.malcolmadams.com/itunes/index.shtml

Ben

Originally posted by Walker:
Here's the emails and responses I got back from their tech support. I am impressed at their incredible response time to my emails. So far it seems like a great company.

Wow, your ethernet MP3 player looks quite awesome. Perfect for my
gameroom stereo. I would prefer to be able to use iTunes as the
playlist with my MP3's. Is this possible?

Thank you, and congratulations on a great product.

> >As long as you can save your iTunes playlists in .m3u or .pls format,
> >you can use them with the SliMP3. Sorry, I'm not too familiar with iTunes
> >yet.
> >
> >Please let me know if you have any other questions about the product. Best
> >regards,
> >
> >Sean

>That was a quick reply. As a matter of fact, I do have another
> question. Will I need to first start up the software on the computer
> to use the sliMP3 player, or will the remote control somehow start it
> up by itself.
>

Normally you'd just leave the server software running. When you're not
using the player, you can press the power button to put it in standby
mode.

I assume you want to use this with MacOSX. Again, I'm not the OSX expert,
but Dean Blackketter, another one of our programmers, can probably answer
your questions. I imagine it's pretty easy with OSX to have the server run
automatically when you boot up, or when you log in to the OSX desktop.

Dean, can we use iTunes playlists? Is it possible to have tighter
integration with iTunes?

Sean

Funny thing, I do all my ripping with iTunes, but all of my playing with SliMP3.

iTunes has its own playlist format, as far as I can tell, so I don't think we're compatible. Even when you export an iTunes playlist, it's in a funny tab-delimited file format.

That said, I think that there's a lot of opportunity to work with iTunes as a plug in. Once I get my OSX Aqua shell for the SliMP3 server running, I'll dig deeper into what it would take to make iTunes work better with the SliMP3 server.

-dean



[ 03-04-2002: Message edited by: Walker ]

parkds · Feb 8, 2003, 06:08 PM

Does anyone think this device is still worth it? If I purchased it I would want a wifi bridge to connect it to my network wireless ly, which means it would end up cost like $350.
I know Tivo is coming out with a $99 upgrade that will allow rendezvous connectivity to itunes. Also there had been a lot of rumors about Apple releasing a similar device. Since $350 is a lot of money for me right now, do people think I am better off waiting or going ahead and getting this?

subego · Feb 10, 2003, 01:24 AM

Could this thread be renamed? The current heading doesn't really inspire the interest I think this product deserves.

May I suggest: "This is so cool it may get you laid"

emdash · Feb 10, 2003, 05:04 PM

Gosh, I really wish Apple themselves would do this.

Imagine an iPod-looking device that acts as the remote control... Basically an iPod without the hard drive, just meant to control the songs that reside on your computer via a box that sits in your stereo rack. It communicates with the computer or the box by Bluetooth, I suppose.

Exact same experience as an iPod, only the music comes out of your stereo and not out of headphones.

All controls mirrored on the box in your stereo rack, nice LCD display on that box to show the title/artist etc.

Brushed-metal finish, naturally. :-)

This would be *perfect*, for me at least.

The one linked to in this thread is just so cheesy-looking. LEDs are so 1981.