Home audio & video: Want to play music files from computer on home stereo.
Want to play music files from computer on home stereo.
by mdg12345 - 10/24/09 3:00 PMI have an old receiver and speakers that get the job done for playing CD's or DVD's. BUT, I want to stream music from my computer (in another room) to it and maybe elsewhere in the house. Thinking about something like Bose Soundlink. Is there a better solution? Are there receivers that will hold files on them?
Basically, I want to be able to hear music from my computer in another room.
Apple Airport Express
by minimalist - 10/24/09 8:12 PM In reply to: Want to play music files from computer on home stereo. by mdg12345If you use iTunes and already have a wireless network these mini routers will stream music easily from a computer with iTunes running. If you have an iPod Touch or iPhone you can download a free app that will let you control the whole setup wirelessly.
iTunes & streaming music
by Dan Filice - 10/24/09 10:22 PM In reply to: Apple Airport Express by minimalistI use iTunes and I have it connected to my receiver with an Airport Express. It works brilliantly. I also have an iPod Touch with the free app you speak of (I think it's just called Remote or iTunes Remote), and that also works brilliantly. I have a 2 zone Yamaha receiver in the TV room that receives iTunes wirelessly, then I have wires that go from the Yamaha to the backyard where I have a second small receiver and it can receive iTunes too. With the iPod Touch, I use the app to control iTunes and it allows me to see the entire music library and all of the playlists. The only issue I have is with the Airport Express. I use an AT&T 2Wire wireless modem so I can use my iPod, but I can't get the Airport Express to join the 2Wire modem. The workaround is that on the Mac, I can choose "Location", and that allows me to either use the 2Wire or the Airport Express, but I can't use both simultaneously. No big thing. It just means that if I am using iTunes wirelessly on my Mac, I can't use the Internet on my iMac, which uses the hard-wired 2Wire modem. But, the iPod Touch can still access the Internet wirelessly, which is a good substitute.
Apple's default IP address range (10.x.x.x) is different
by minimalist - 10/25/09 9:06 AM In reply to: iTunes & streaming music by Dan Filicethan most other routers (192.x.x.x). This makes it more difficult to join or extend non-Apple base stations but it can be done. You just have to tweak some of the settings. You can find discussions all over the web similar to this one:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1579965&tstart=0
Airport Express
by mdg12345 - 10/26/09 10:10 AM In reply to: iTunes & streaming music by Dan FiliceAirport Express seems like a perfect solution. How does Airport Express connect to your receiver? What type of input is needed on the back of the receiver? Would it work on an older receiver?
Maybe not
by mdg12345 - 10/26/09 10:27 AM In reply to: Airport Express by mdg12345Actually, I just realized that this only allows streaming of iTunes and not AOL radio, etc. Is there another device that does that?
iTunes has radio streams too. I think
by minimalist - 10/26/09 10:30 AM In reply to: Maybe not by mdg12345you can even copy and paste the stream URL if its not already listed.
And if you absolutely can;t get the radio station
by minimalist - 10/26/09 10:32 AM In reply to: Maybe not by mdg12345you want via iTunes, there is a 25 dollar shareware app called AirFoil which lets you stream any audio you like to Airport Expresses (including Pandora, Last FM etc). There is a free trial:
http://www.rogueamoeba.com/airfoil/mac/
Airport Express will connect to any wifi network
by minimalist - 10/26/09 10:28 AM In reply to: Airport Express by mdg12345and has a variable line out audio jack (3.5mm stereo headphone). All you need is a 10 dollar mini headphone to RCA cable converter to plug it into the red and white RCA style audio inputs of any audio receiver made in the last 35 years.
If you want the airport express to extend your network (for two way traffic in stead of just one way audio streams) it really does work best in conjunction with another airport express (or airport extreme) acting as the router. But I'd just buy one for the time being and see how you like it.
The free Remote app for the iPhone/iPod Touch really makes it all come together though. It gives you control over all the airport express zones you have set up (you can have up to 10 I believe) as well as album art, song scrubbing, volume, star ratings etc. It like a poor man's Sonos.
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