Windows Home Server

[Steve]

What puzzles me is it states the connector is not upto date which is a surprise as I had to update with last MS update for the server

[Ray]

Same here as well, Steve. 

[Steve]

This is the client connector version I am using 6.0.1800.24 date 31/10/2008 and running the troubleshooter with -a option gives further detail that my server version is older. so I presume its a bug.As you know the connector is uploaded from the server.

[Steve]

Found this replicator on wegotserved . This utility apparently will copy a whs share to a networked drive for backup purposes.Obviously useful for any other type of folder or drive

[Steve]

I have decided to re convert my entire music collection some 400 CDs to Flac a lossless format for storage on the WHS

Why flac, its a lossless format and I can batch convert to lossy formats as required for Itunes,ipods and MP3.

I have been experimenting with Squeezecenter open source software as a media server on the WHS it handles Flac natively. I have been very impressed with the sound quality produced over the local network to a client PC with an X-Fi card using softsqueeze as the player. The cpu load on the WHS is about 2% whilst streaming

My Xmas present a Squeezebox duet hopefully will appear tomorrow which has a fancy network remote controller and a wired/wireless network receiver for the HiFi amp.

I am using dbpoweramp cd ripper to import the music on to the desktop PC it takes about 2 mins per CD and sorts out all the metadata and album art,once finished I will batch convert the lot to MP3 for iTunes etc.

I feel another harddisk purchase coming up

[Rik]

Sounds good, Steve?

Get a couple of disks while you're there - it will save you some time. 

[Steve]

I think one eSATA 1TB will do as backup for the shared folders in the WHS

[Rik]

For now...

[Glenn]

The Duet is a good piece of kit Steve, it took me a little while to set it up, but once running it works a treat.

[Steve]

Thanks Glen. I am expecting a bit of grief setting up, but hoping that knowing the server side on the WHS is fine by using Soft Squeeze on PC clients may bypass some problems. I have already given up on the idea of streaming AAC files

[Steve]

Purchased the batch ripper for dbpoweramp so at least I can rip 3 CDs at the same time,(wish I had more drives on the PC) Interestingly it uses all my 4 cores whilst ripping. The three drives tend to rip at differring speeds so you can keep loading CDs sequentially as each one finishes

[Rik]

One for the program and one each for the ripping, Steve?

[Steve]

I don't know, but there is activity on all four cores! You have to keep an eye on the metadata picks as occassionally it gets it completely wrong. . The speed or rip with three cd drives running simultaineously is equivalent to x110 speed

[Rik]

Fast enough for most people. The average CD should be well under a minute.

[Steve]

Certainly the batch ripper is an impressive piece of software,hopefully the batch convert from flac to mp3 will be simply select folder and then leave it for a day or so

[Rik]

Bring back 78s, I say.

[Glenn]

Bring back 78s, I say.

Is that 1 minute 18 seconds?

[JB]

to a client PC with an X-Fi card using softsqueeze as the player. The cpu load on the WHS is about 2% whilst streaming

Steve,

Have you managed to get the crossfader to work when using Softsqueeze as the player? I have installed the Java mp3 plugin but can't get crossfading to work at all. This is using mp3's from the Sqeezecentre though.

[Rik]

Is that 1 minute 18 seconds?

Not at my age, JB.

[Steve]

Steve,

Have you managed to get the crossfader to work when using Softsqueeze as the player? I have installed the Java mp3 plugin but can't get crossfading to work at all. This is using mp3's from the Sqeezecentre though.

Where's the crossfader settings?

[Lance]

You're right in thinking, Steve, that the batch convert is a select a folder and leave job. Fortunately it'll use all your available cores (one song per core).

[JB]

Where's the crossfader settings?

It's in 'settings', under 'audio' if I remember. It has options such as 'fade in', 'fade out', 'fade in and out' and 'crossfade on'. None of which seem to make any difference to my playback where there is no crossfade at all. Songs finish and then two or three seconds later the next one starts.

I appreciate that not everyone wishes to use this but wondered if you could get it to work?

[Steve]

You are correct its under player settings,only just found it as the Squeezebox only arrived this morning.Will report back when connected which may take a while as I have to move a xmas tree to get to the amp

[Steve]

MY CDs are all now encoded to Flac and  MP3 and reside on the WHS.The Squeezebox Duet arrived this AM and setup was fairly straightforward. The Slimcenter server on the WHS is managing without stuttering to stream flac without transcoding to the receiver through 200AV Zyxel homeplugs. I am very impressed with the sound quality although its not as crisp or as expansive as the CD player but very acceptable plus you have the advantage of several radio stations and not having to keep feeding it CDs.

Certainly thinking that another receiver or boom box will be required soon.

[Rik]

These hobbies do have a habit of growing, don't they, Steve.