[scae]

There seem to be a lot of these types of threads, I have read them but I find media streamers feature lists a little bit confusing and am not sure on which want suits my needs.

I've had a squeezebox for a long long time and it's getting a bit long in the tooth now - plus what with youtube, ondemand tv, spotify and other internet shenanigans I need a networked media streamer that can play my local music collection as well as connect to the internet and get content from there.

The ideal set up would do the following:

- Play local content via a NAS (or even better, the streamer would perform as a NAS as well).
- Access BBC iplayer, 4OD and other catch up tv sites
- Access ad hoc audio streaming websites such as hypem, wearehunted, soundcloud, etc.
- Access Spotify
- be controllable via an android app.

Currently I'm thinking the boxee + a NAS of some kind would be best. Although I'm not sure on what NAS, I expect a basic level WD one. I don't have any HD videos at the moment nor any blueray dvds, so I image the lowest level NAS would be fine for me.

So, does anyone have any better suggestions? Any help is appreciated. Thank you!

[MadScientist]

Someone else can advise you on media players but Squeezebox can access Spotify (Premium). You just have to enable the plugin

[next010]

Nothing really exists like that yet. As for Boxee it does come close but Boxee Box by the looks of it is at the end of it's support, Boxee team have gone working on Boxee Box 2.

Boxee Box 1 will give you
* iPlayer official nothing else
* Unofficially there are some other plugins out there for UK stuff but I don't keep track but don't expect much. Navi-X is also another avenue.
* Spotify client
* Good media player and automatic jukebox
* Iomega model comes with HDD built in, but you can share out USB drives on D-Link model too.
* Boxee has web browser you need a mouse to control it. Whether those sites you mention work under Boxee I couldn't say.
* No Android remotes.

Another option is set top box running Android which could give you;
* Some do come with a HDD bay but you will have to setup a Samba server yourself.
* iPlayer and any other catch up apps available under Android.
* If usable through Chrome web browser with no plugins then should work through Chrome on Android.
* Spotify app is available for Android.
* Droidmote does this but it's just another cursor like a mouse it's not a separate UI.

Be aware however that your taking something intended for another function and tinkering with it to do something else so things can get messy. Also the media players on Android set top boxes are extremely basic, most formats are covered but the players are not as polished and lack features compared to dedicated media players. The Boxee Box is still leagues ahead as a media player however Android gives you a lot more flexibility in what you can do with it.

There are also hints being dropped on XBMC forums about something to do with Android but who knows what that actually means and when it will show up.

As to an Android box well there is the Mele A2000 which takes a 2.5" HDD, there's a dock flap on the top of the player. This device also has a GUI for browsing media via USB, SATA, SDcard, Network shares via remote like a stock media player, it's very basic but it works. The newest firmware runs Android 4 reasonably (it's no speed demon) and will probably get updated to Android 4.1. Work is also being done to port XBMC to these devices running via SDcard. Owners thread on avforums over here

Geniatech ATV3000, takes a 3.5" HDD internally, these are based of Amlogic chipsets, they lack any sort of special GUI for browsing media with a remote, your expected to use wand remote or mouse. Awkward browsing of network shares and these are based on the 8726-M1 Amlogic chips which Geniatech are not supporting very much any more as they were intended for Android 2.3 and Android 4 doesn't run that well on them. They haven't announced a replacement for those models yet with the newer 8726-M3/MX chips.

I've used both of those boxes and would lean towards the Mele A2000.

[scae]

Thanks both for your replies - it's very helpful in clarifying what I should go for.

Someone else can advise you on media players but Squeezebox can access Spotify (Premium). You just have to enable the plugin

This is true, I think I'm just using that as an excuse to get something new - the old squeezebox UI is pretty dated and I'm looking for something that can do everything (music, videos, both online and offline).

Thanks next010 for your suggestions. Having spent sometime fiddling about with my previous options I think ease of use of the new system is a priority - especially as I'd like my flatmates to use whatever system I use and they are not as willing to mess around with tech as I am. I expect the boxee, for all it's faults, may be easier to use than anything else on the market and still provide me most of the things I want.

[next010]

Yeah the Boxee would be the easiest out of the box option. The Iomega Boxee model can be bought with an internal HDD but I don't think you can fit your own without invalidating the warranty.

[BobbyMac]

Originally Posted by scae

Thanks both for your replies - it's very helpful in clarifying what I should go for.



This is true, I think I'm just using that as an excuse to get something new - the old squeezebox UI is pretty dated and I'm looking for something that can do everything (music, videos, both online and offline).

Thanks next010 for your suggestions. Having spent sometime fiddling about with my previous options I think ease of use of the new system is a priority - especially as I'd like my flatmates to use whatever system I use and they are not as willing to mess around with tech as I am. I expect the boxee, for all it's faults, may be easier to use than anything else on the market and still provide me most of the things I want.

NO video media player will be more intuitive or polished than Squeezebox and IPeng/Squeeze Commander on your phone/ tablet

There's plenty of 3rd party plugins to give you more apps for SB

Also if you use a media player you will need to have your TV on to access your music

[scae]

I think this is probably true - I have yet to find a media player that lets me browse my local files and online options from my computer/phone/tablet like the squeezebox can.

I think I was essentially looking for a squeezebox that does video. It doesn't seem to exist sadly.

However the boxee isn't all bad. It does well at finding my local files and provides iplayer/youtube and a web browser... just nothing beyond that.

I think now I'll keep my old squeezebox and run it parallel to the boxee. When I can I'll purchase a NAS that can run squeezeserver and musicIP.

P.S. Your set up of the Sony BDP-S480 and squeezebox looks like it covers nearly all bases.