After 10 years, finally a PC audio source I am happy with...

[Mallette]

...and it only took 100 bucks and an old computer I was ready to retire. Now, it's well known I am no Microsoft lover and I certainly believe there'd be even better solutions available in a situation where the Feds did there jobs and didn't support the institutionalized monopoly they hold...but I gotta say Windows Home Server is one of the better deals around.

Wouldn't say setup is a "snap," but if your router and NIC are supported it's not bad at all. Further, it's headless and can be stuck anywhere and administered from another computer remotely.

The main thing I am touting here is it's media sharing capabilities. With Windows 7 Premium or better, or Media Center in a later edition, remote PC's open my music files in Media Player with album art and ready to play immediately. Tried almost all the players, and every one had some issue or the other that made them a hassle. This just works, and works transparently. Same interface on every W7 computer in the house and all independent.

I have not tried it with wireless. I am using homeplug devices as I found them more reliable and faster.

But wait, there's more...

For your hundred bucks, you also can log into any computer with Windows that supports a remote connection...XP Pro and the higher editions of W7. So I can get to my music...and run my PC's as well...from anywhere with a decent connection. That's very handy indeed. Go to a listening, carry a laptop and RCA cords, and share anything in my library.

It also backs up every computer on the network every three days...first completely, then incrementally.

Built my first Media PC in 2002 and 4 more over the years. Don't need them anymore. With the Intel and Via high res chipsets common almost any computer can deliver killer digital, and with WHS you can access it easily with a friendly interface from anywhere there is a connected PC.

Same for video, BTW...but who cares about video?

Dave

[Cut-Throat]

Have you seen the Squeezebox Touch ?

[Mallette]

Yes, but it's a dedicated solution and I've PC's new and old running over. Further, using PC's I can use my top of the line Card Deluxe, truly exceptional M-Audio Audiophile, as well as the more than decent on-motherboard stuff in the office, bedrooms, etc. I've little doubt WHS will continue to be supported indefinitely, so obsolence is unlikely to be an issue.

Further, I can take my laptop outside and plug it into the patio system.

All with a common interface and for a hundred bucks.

And that's besides the remote access, auto backups. etc, etc.

Personal preference.

Dave

[KdAgain]

Dave,

Congratulations on getting a WHS system running. I think it's a great way to go! I built a new dual core machine about a year ago and love it. We keep all our media on it: over 300 movies, many recorded TV shows, probably 500 CDs worth of music, and about 10,000 photos.

We use 2 media player programs: SageTV and Jriver MC15. We use Sage for all but music.

I think MC15 is better in the audio department - they have done a lot in the last year to make many improvements in audio. And their database is extremely versatile for organizing your music.

For all other media SageTV is working wonderfully for us. We recently got a 55" Panasonic Plasma and hope to soon get going with Blue Rays. There is even a plugin for Sage that allows us to link to our Adobe Photoshop Elements catalog and do slideshows based on photo tags and collections.

We have an Asus Essence ST soundcard in our Client PC. It is providing 5.1 (can do 7.1) for video and 2.1 for critical music listening. We are going straight from the soundcard to our power amps - no receiver! Our 1958 Khorns are very happy with this setup and so are we!

The above system is in our HT room. In our living room we just have a very modest setup (non Klipsch) and are using a SageTV Extender. All media on the WHS is also available there. Both systems now have good WAF and are operated with Harmony 100 remotes.

A very real advantage to the WHS arrangement is being able to inexpensively add an extender in any room with a TV. All media is then available there.

Rod

[KdAgain]

..... I've little doubt WHS will continue to be supported indefinitely, so obsolence is unlikely to be an issue. .......

Dave

Bad news on the support front. Microsoft has their 'Vail' new version of WHS in Beta. Unfortunately they are dropping Drive Extender. That's the part of WHS that allows us to install any size hard drive and it will automatically be added to the drive 'pool'. Rumor has it that once this version is out that support for our version will not go for very many years. The only concern there for me is security downloads.

Rod

[Mallette]

Bad news on the support front. Microsoft has their 'Vail' new version of WHS in Beta. Unfortunately they are dropping Drive Extender.

I've heard about that, and not loosing sleep over it. Microsoft is pretty dumb on the customer satisfaction front. The "ribbon" of 2007 is a good example where they nullified the advantage of two monitors for power users while at the same time tripling the clicks for such users and decreasing screen real estate by 20%. These "improvements" certainly suggest there are some complete idiots in high places there.

OTOH, I do not think I've heard a howl from users about ANY dumb idea from MS as to the dropping of drive extender. It isn't a showstopper for me, but it's very good technology. Obviously it's very important to a LOT of WHS users, though, and they are certainly letting Redmond know their opinions.

Perhaps they'll wise up, perhaps they won't. However, it will be several years before I am forced to another solution and that's quite a while technology wise.

As to jriver, I've tried them a couple of time over the past decade or so, and definitely one of the best. Can't recall my last objection...and maybe it's been fixed...but seems like all of them have one issue or the other that's a showstopper for me. I really want one that has something to batch create m3U files on all wave files in any directory and then simply display them. For alternatives, I just want a display of my own directory structure to locate what I want to hear.

Seems they all want to create libraries of their own devising that show too little or too much.

Dave

[Fish]

Good solution, I use the same in a wireless configuration.

[Mallette]

Good solution, I use the same in a wireless configuration.

Good to hear. As I mentioned, I have wireless but all the machines are on homeplug. Got tired of constant ip drops on wireless. I seem to be in a high radiation neighborhood or maybe just a vortex [] and have been through several quality wireless routers and the all seem to have to renegotiate too often.

As was mentioned, MS seesm to love to mess up the few things they get right in the next edition...but the howls about Vail are louder than I've ever heard. Perhaps they'll listen...not!

In any event, I still have one machine running 2000, so I think this version will last until the next big thing and it's really a very cool thing right now for 100 bucks, an old computer, and a weekend project.

Dave

[Tom Mobley]

Dave, are you using that M Audio card I sent you?

[curt248]

Second the SqueezeBox Touch. It is wireless and can transport 100% information up to 24 bit/ 96 Khz files. It does pandora, slacker etc. and finds internet radio from around the world. You can just pick a country and listen to radio from there. Japanese commercials are strange but cool.

[Mallette]

Used it for a while and passed it on to a local young budding audiophile, Tom. Figured I'd spread the joy as you did. He's impressed and thoroughly enjoying it.

I still use my Card Deluxe in my main system as it's specs remain pretty much beyond anything else even after 8 years. However, I'm pretty much using via vinyl and intel hd on board elsewhere as they are now well into the audiophile quality realm.

Dave