Starting from scratch: What path to take

[Patric]

I'm considering a Squeezebox Touch and an NAS. I currently have a mid
level home theater with an HTPC and FIoS home network @ 30 megs. I've
nearly completed my whole house audio. Ready to pull CAT5e to rooms
that have their own components and speakers. I have wired and wireless
computers and an iPod Touch 4g. I'll be moving a WD Live TV Plus to the
mbrm HDTV for netflix.

For the Squeezebox Touch stuff, I don't want to go down a path that I
will regret later. It's not that I've got that many CDs, DVDs and BRs
but I feel like I have enough knowledge to be dangerous. I know a
little about Netgear ReadyNAS and Vortexbox appliance but not enough.
Aside from the fixed price of the SBT, I'll be concerned about the
costs.

Will appreciate some initial guidance.

TIA
Patrick

[garym]

Post by Patric
I'm considering a Squeezebox Touch and an NAS. I currently have a mid
nearly completed my whole house audio. Ready to pull CAT5e to rooms
that have their own components and speakers. I have wired and wireless
computers and an iPod Touch 4g. I'll be moving a WD Live TV Plus to the
mbrm HDTV for netflix.
For the Squeezebox Touch stuff, I don't want to go down a path that I
will regret later. It's not that I've got that many CDs, DVDs and BRs
but I feel like I have enough knowledge to be dangerous. I know a
little about Netgear ReadyNAS and Vortexbox appliance but not enough.
Aside from the fixed price of the SBT, I'll be concerned about the
costs.
Will appreciate some initial guidance.
TIA
Patrick

1. Put the computer or NAS running SbS somewhere out of the way
connected via ethernet to your LAN.

a. Lots of options here. I started with ReadyNas duo and worked fine
but too painfully slow in terms of interface (browsing music, choosing
songs, etc.). Then just ran off SqueezeboxServer (SbS) running on a
dell laptop (Winxp or win7). But have since moved to a vortexbox
appliance. Very nice (stuck in a closet out of the way, plug and play
for most people, including me, and all controllable via a web browser
on any machine also on your LAN (e.g, your laptop). You can also just
take any old computer and install the vortexbox ISO on it (it takes
over the machine, so can't use for anything else). Don't need the
monitor or keyboard (well, might need the keyboard for initial
install).

b. with NAS do your homework. Some are powerful enough to run software,
some are not, and some inbetween (sort of run SBS but not well). The
vortexbox is a NAS too, just one designed to rip and stream music,
dvds, videos, etc. And it works for streaming to SB players, Sonos,
certain video,, etc. You can also store backup files on the vortexbox
(I keep files, pictures, etc. there too). If you go with readynas, get
one of the higher end x86 machines if you want to run SbS well. But
you'll likely pay more than for a 2TB or 3TB Vortexbox Appliance
machine.

c. Plan on keeping your server running SbS on 24/7. Just makes life
easier. You can also use the SB players attached only to
mysqueezebox.com (mysb.com) without your own server. You get internet
radio, pandora, etc. but not your own music. But in SbS, you also enter
your mysb.com credentials and you never need to switch to mysb.com, just
keep SbS running all the time. I prefer this approach. More options with
plugins, my own music always available, and seems a bit more stable than
just using mysb.com by itself.

2. If possible, wire the SB Touch or other players with ethernet (not
required, but takes WIFI and interference, etc. out of the equation).
Certainly want to have no more than one WIFI hop (that is, the server
should be wired even if the player is WIFI).

3. Use ipeng app on itouch/iphone/ipad or squeezepad app on ipad, or
android app on android phone to control everything about the
SqueezeBoxServer (SbS). Can also control everything from any computer
on your LAN (laptop, etc.) by simply going to the SbS webGUI from any
browser software or you can install SqueezePlay on any computer on your
LAN (squeezeplay is a software SB player that can act as a "player" on
your computer or as a controller for other players.

4. In the meantime you can download squeezeplay as a player on your
computer and download SbS and load up your music. You can play with all
this right away to see how things work. But hardware SB players are
better at somethings (synching, etc.). See here:

squeezeplay (scroll to bottom)
http://downloads.slimdevices.com/nightly/?ver=7.6

SbS (7.5.4) - choose version to match your OS
http://downloads.slimdevices.com/SqueezeboxServer_v7.5.4/

[Patric]

Gary,
Thanks for the great response. It's clearer now about how much I don't
know.
I already returned a Netgear low end NAS. I researched it AFTER I got
it home. In my defense I had a Best Buy gift card burning a hole in my
pocket.

If you had a small collection of media, would a 1TB drive be sufficient
for a start?
If you already have an iPod Touch 4g, is ipeng the best choice for
control?
Is the iPod/ipeng combo similar to the look and feel of the Sonos
remote? (I'm aware that's not compatible)

If this is your first server, would a novice be better off with a
ReadyNAS or a Vortexbox?

Patrick

[garym]

Post by Patric
Gary,
Thanks for the great response. It's clearer now about how much I don't
know.
I already returned a Netgear low end NAS. I researched it AFTER I got
it home. In my defense I had a Best Buy gift card burning a hole in my
pocket.
If you had a small collection of media, would a 1TB drive be sufficient
for a start?
If you already have an iPod Touch 4g, is ipeng the best choice for
control?
Is the iPod/ipeng combo similar to the look and feel of the Sonos
remote? (I'm aware that's not compatible)
If this is your first server, would a novice be better off with a
ReadyNAS or a Vortexbox?
Patrick

1TB is fine for less than, say 20,000 tracks??.

The ipeng app on your ipod touch will be more or less like the sonos
remote, except A LOT BETTER.

I was a true networking, SBS, NAS novice when I started down this path
several years ago. In retrospect, I wish I had gone straight to the
Vortexbox Appliance. For me, it was 5 minutes from unpacking the box to
having SqueezeBoxServer showing up on my network and found by my SB
players. Took a bit longer to scan my 60,000+ files, but it was truly
plug and play for me. Some people have hiccups. But read the ReadyNAS
forums and you see lots of hiccups there. Neither one is helped by
those of us that have only WINDOWS skills. If it were me, I'd plunk
down the cash for a vortexbox appliance, 2TB model (keep in mind that
you can store video, other files, etc. there too).

Lots of people here or at the vortexbox forums (some of the same folks,
including the vortexbox lead developer) to help with any setup/use
issues, but I predict you'll have only the normal questions about using
the stuff vs setup. I don't work for vortexbox, just a happy user. (And
I don't even use the automatic ripping function of vortexbox and still
prefer it).

http://vortexbox.org/buy/

There are lots of other server options (cheap laptop, any old computer,
squeezeplug, various NAS boxes). Everyone has their favorites.

[JJZolx]

- Don't worry so much about going down a wrong path. Once you've
ripped and tagged your CD library _properly_, you'll realize that the
library itself is the most important single component of a PC based
audio system. You can change the hardware in the future if you want,
but the music library should last many many years into the future.



- Rip your library and encode it in Flac, which works best with
Squeezebox and has become something of a standard. Flac is
lossless, and it's future proof. You can transcode your entire Flac
library any time you like into any other lossless or lossy format.


- Use either dbpoweramp or EAC on a Windows machine to rip your
library. Use AccurateRip to give you some additional assurance of
perfect CD rips. Read up and figure out a good strategy for ripping
your library _before_ you get into it. Rip and rerip the same CD 100
times if it takes you that long to be comfortable with the procedure
and the results. Only then should you start into ripping the rest of
your CDs. You don't want to have to do it again, and you shouldn't
have to if you do it right the first time.


- Download and use a good audio file tagging program such as
'Mp3tag' (http://mp3tag.de/en). Use it to modify or add to tags. At
the very least, you'll probably find yourself fixing typos that you
discover days, weeks and months later. You'll may also find
yourself adding and adjusting tags to make the files work and
function better within Squeezebox Server.


- Make absolutely certain that you keep at least one backup copy of
your library. Don't ever rely on RAID to protect your data. Ideally,
keep a backup copy in a different location than the original
library.



- For running Squeezebox Server it may be best to start by running it
on an existing machine on your network before investing in a NAS,
Vortexbox, or other dedicated server.



- There's no reason why you can't install Squeezebox Server today
on such a machine and get a feel for how it works.


- You can also install SqueezePlay (downloaded from the beta
download page) on a PC and even play music and get a feel for the
Touch's interface. SqueezePlay is a software emulator of the Touch
and Controller.



- For a dedicated server, be careful about using an underpowered NAS.
Squeezebox Server isn't the most lightweight or fastest application
and it does take some CPU power and memory to run. If run on Windows,
a machine will need a bit more of both, particularly memory, than it
will when run on Linux. Dual-core Intel Atom and AMD Fusion based
systems are a nice compromise between power and cost.

Sounds like you'll be doing movies from a server, so you might build
or buy a system capable of storing your video files as well as your
audio files and running Squeezebox Server.

[garym]

+1 on careful ripping to FLAC. From someone who ripped about 4 to 5
thousand CDs to mp3 and is now in the midst of a FLAC ripping project
with dbpoweramp.

[SuperQ]

On the subject of ripping I can recommend 2 additional things

* Give musicbrainz Picard tagger a try. I find it helps keep all the
music tags very clean.
- lastfm plugin
- bonusdisc plugin
- discnumber plugin
- coverart plugin (think it's built in now)

* Crashplan is a good way to backup your music. You can keep local and
remote copies in sync easily.

[agillis]

Post by Patric
I'm considering a Squeezebox Touch and an NAS. I currently have a mid
nearly completed my whole house audio. Ready to pull CAT5e to rooms
that have their own components and speakers. I have wired and wireless
computers and an iPod Touch 4g. I'll be moving a WD Live TV Plus to the
mbrm HDTV for netflix.
For the Squeezebox Touch stuff, I don't want to go down a path that I
will regret later. It's not that I've got that many CDs, DVDs and BRs
but I feel like I have enough knowledge to be dangerous. I know a
little about Netgear ReadyNAS and Vortexbox appliance but not enough.
Aside from the fixed price of the SBT, I'll be concerned about the
costs.
Will appreciate some initial guidance.
TIA
Patrick

Seems like a VortexBox appliance would work well for you situation. It
can rip DVDs and stream them to your WD Live as well as ripping music
and sending music to your SqueezeBox.
--
agillis

rip, tag, get cover art… All you do is insert the CD!
http://vortexbox.org

agillis
Lead Developer VortexBox
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View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=88589

[Goodsounds]

I don't want to go down a path that I will regret later..... I feel
like I have enough knowledge to be dangerous...... Aside from the fixed
price of the SBT, I'll be concerned about the costs....

Makes perfect sense. Don't make a decision until you have to and until
you more fully understand the consequences. Buy the SB Touch, install
the software on whatever PC you have, start ripping your CDs, and then
see how you feel after using it for awhile.

Having a complete file backup makes sense and is a good practice. Buy
two drives, use one for playing and the other as a duplicate. Free
software (like Syncback, if you use windows) will make backups a simple
task. Keep your backup drive disconnected when not in use. Many people
use external USB drives, they're cheap and portable.

Don't let the word "server" in the SB Server software name bother you.
It's a program, it runs well on any PC with any mainstream operating
system. There are lots of inexpensive and small "PCs" available on the
market. If you choose a separate machine for your music, choose one
that has an operating system and features you are comfortable working
with.

[deiurg]

I too just started from scratch, and I feel I am going down a very cost
effective path for me. I was also considering a NAS, but after some
recommendations on this forum, i decided to set up a server at my tv
that will do htpc (xmbc) and run squeezeboxserver.

I went with the AMD Fusion APU, the motherboard I picked has graphics
and cpu already on it & has a hdmi out. Only had to buy memory and a HD
for it. Still had a case laying around.

My wifi isn't too good, and I don't want to put cables down, so I
decided to go with a Ethernet powerline part. That way my router is in
one spot, and squeezebox & server are close to my tv, but will all be
hardwired.

For the server I am going with ubuntu, it's a breeze to install and
I've already test-ran it on a windows laptop.

My server parts aren't in yet, but the touch is now, and it connected
perfectly to squeezeserver running on the ubuntu install.

Let me know if you want to know more about the hardware I picked. For a
couple of hamiltons more, I've got something a lot more useful than just
a NAS