Stream Like A Dream

The latest (May'06) copy of T3 has just arrived. But this time I was faster... I had got my Squeezebox v3 BEFORE I read the review. They give it 5 stars. I would add more...

Today I have installed the SlimServer software on my home audio server (I promise more on the home audio machine project soon). The installation again went without a glitch and the SlimServer promptly discovered the Squeezebox player over WiFi. Without any restart procedure the Squeezebox activated its "Browse music" menu and suddenly became a home media streamer. The concept is simple. Have your MP3s (or other music files) somewhere on a PC (if it is a noisy PC, it can even sit in your basement) and a Squeezebox in your living room (or a kitchen or wherever you like it). Instead of connecting to Pandora or other Internet radio stations, Squeezebox connects to your local SlimServer (can be in a basement if noisy...) and streams music.

It definitely looks like WiFi is becoming a mandatory option for homes. My home is wired with hundreds of miles of wires, from CAT5 to media interconnects to speaker cables. But despite all that cabling, it still has not been that easy to have one source of music (like a set of clustered Sony 300-CD changers) and have it played in every room. Now with an MP3-loaded media server (in a basement if noisy!) and a couple of Squeezeboxes (one per room) connected over WiFi, the eternal multi-room home audio problem is ultimately solved. I think Bose should have a serous look at the Squeezebox guys.... they seem to be a perfect match.

BTW If you have more than one PC at home, the Canon IP-5200R printer is highly recommended. It has built-in WiFi connectivity, so any computer covered by the home network can stream documents to it like a dream. This is a much better solution than a standalone print server, as all the printer functions are exposed while most of the off-the-shelf print servers tend to hide majority of them. See? WiFi again. For music, for printing, for the Net browsing... a must.