What kit do I need to buy?

[SonicHedgehog]

I've spent ages reading about different streamers and zone players and everything else, but no one ever explains how to connect it all together. Could someone please explain the best way to store movies and music on one device and send it to two stereos and one TV. We have a wireless network. Many thanks.

 

[amcluesent]

And your budget is...?

 

[SonicHedgehog]

About £1000, but if I can do it for a lot less then that would be great. I think that budget should be more than enough as I just need a hard drive connected to the network connected to the stereos/TV. Or at least that is what I think I need. Basically I could afford the Sonos kit, but it seems a bit of a waste of money when I have all this stereo stuff and it still wouldn't allow me to store movies. I just want to be able to access my CD/DVD library wirelessly really.

This is a really difficult subject to get definitive information about. All the magazines articles talk about sound quality and ease of use etc etc, but they never say "plug this box into this box using this cable and you'll get music all around your house". There must be a simple, inexpensive solution.

 

[Beta_Tester]

About £1000, but if I can do it for a lot less then that would be great. I think that budget should be more than enough as I just need a hard drive connected to the network connected to the stereos/TV. Or at least that is what I think I need. Basically I could afford the Sonos kit, but it seems a bit of a waste of money when I have all this stereo stuff and it still wouldn't allow me to store movies. I just want to be able to access my CD/DVD library wirelessly really.

This is a really difficult subject to get definitive information about. All the magazines articles talk about sound quality and ease of use etc etc, but they never say "plug this box into this box using this cable and you'll get music all around your house". There must be a simple, inexpensive solution.

Carry the ipad around with you.

 

[eyeballKid]

This is a really difficult subject to get definitive information about. All the magazines articles talk about sound quality and ease of use etc etc, but they never say "plug this box into this box using this cable and you'll get music all around your house". There must be a simple, inexpensive solution.

You mentioned Sonos, which is a dedicated music-only solution, but it should be the same principal if you add video - you typically have a bunch of files on a big hard drive connected to your network (or streaming off the internet), your hifi/home cinema for playing that content, a controller (laptop, iPhone, dedicated remote), and a box (eg. Sonos Zoneplayer) to perform the server/receiver function of shifting files around your network and feeding your hifi (as far as your hifi is concerned, it might as well be a CD/DVD player). Then there are options like adding extra rooms (typically an extra box per room), extra controllers, having integrated receiver/hifi boxes like the Sonos ZP120s.

It is all ultimately software and cables, but if you have the budget and you're going to use the system all the time, it may be worth considering a dedicated system. Figure out your requirements/budget first, then find a system that meets your needs - connecting it up is the easy part.

 

[SonicHedgehog]

Thank you for your replies. The last two posts kind of highlight my problem. The iPad does not have enough storage for movies and has other limitations due to not being a dedicated music/movie device. The longer post, while appreciated, just tells me what I already know. I know I need a storage device and a wireless network or cables, but how will the information reach my TV or stereos? I can go and buy an expensive Sonos, but if I've already got a wireless network and two stereos it is going to mean a lot of duplication.

What I need is a network-friendly box with a hard drive to store all the files and then some other gadget to get the files from my wireless network to the TV and stereos. I understand the principle of networks and streaming, but I don't know which products I need to achieve it. The £1000 budget was based on the Sonos bundle, but there must surely be a cheaper solution that makes better use of the expensive kit I already have.

Am I really the only person who has this problem?

 

[amcluesent]

>Am I really the only person who has this problem? <

Well, I can only tell you what set-up I have -

Media file server is a Windows Vista machine with RAID1 disks (2*1.5GB disks) for storage, gigabit LAN to DLink DIR-655 router

Music players are from Squeezebox range (2*Booms, Classic/SB3 & Transporter (the last two connected to hi-fi systems)), all on G wi-fi. The Vista machine is running Squeezebox Server

Video is handled by an Acer Revo R3610/Windows 7 connected to the TV by HDMI and running Windows Media Centre. It uses a network share to connect to the Vista server to pick up videos and ripped DVDs. The Revo is on gigabit LAN to the D-Link router

I looked at various media streamers like Popcorn Hour but they were too limited, so I went for the Acer which also does duty as a PVR with twin USB Freeview decoders and does BBC iPlayer HD streams.

 

[illingworth22]

Thank you for your replies. The last two posts kind of highlight my problem. The iPad does not have enough storage for movies and has other limitations due to not being a dedicated music/movie device. The longer post, while appreciated, just tells me what I already know. I know I need a storage device and a wireless network or cables, but how will the information reach my TV or stereos? I can go and buy an expensive Sonos, but if I've already got a wireless network and two stereos it is going to mean a lot of duplication.

What I need is a network-friendly box with a hard drive to store all the files and then some other gadget to get the files from my wireless network to the TV and stereos. I understand the principle of networks and streaming, but I don't know which products I need to achieve it. The £1000 budget was based on the Sonos bundle, but there must surely be a cheaper solution that makes better use of the expensive kit I already have.

Am I really the only person who has this problem?

I am looking at this "problem" too! (Audio Only) I have speaker wireing going from Node0 to the 2 bedrooms and the 2 bathrooms and am thinking of a few solutions which are:-
1) Sonos
2) Logitech (Not sure which product yet)
3) I Tunes & Airport

The Airport option will require an amp in the central Node0 but control of volume in different rooms is a possible problem!
Sonos looks like the perfect solution, but at a cost!
Logitech..... I havn't looked into this yet!

We are moving in this weekend and I have been busy both building and working. I will post when I make the desision.

 

[eyeballKid]

I know I need a storage device and a wireless network or cables, but how will the information reach my TV or stereos? I can go and buy an expensive Sonos, but if I've already got a wireless network and two stereos it is going to mean a lot of duplication.

Sonos: NAS/PC/Internet->Router->ZonePlayer->Hifi = music. Add controller. Sonos bundle contains two ZonePlayers (one with integrated amp) and controller, or you could just buy a ZP90 for each room and plug into existing hifi and add laptop/iPhone/iPod touch as controller. Music (and nothing else) though your house. At a cost.

 

[SonicHedgehog]

Thanks guys. I've spent a couple of hours this afternoon educating myself and the best thing seems to be eyeballkid's solution. I'll go with the basic ZP90 units rather than the ZP120 as I don't need the amp. I can control the whole system from an iphone or itouch. This solution makes the most of my existing kit and seems to offer the best sound in the 'vaguely affordable' category. Thanks for your input.

 

[eyeballKid]

Much as I love my Sonos, it isn't the best solution for everyone, and it's probably worth checking an alternative option like the Squeezebox option. That said, the combination of a hard-drive full of Flac through Sonos to your hifi completely rocks and should make you very happy.