Media Server

[Steve]

This looks a useful piece of software for serving music to various devices around the network,its a modified linux distro and would need a spare PC, it does the job from ripping the CD,tagging and then serving via squeezecenter , via windows SMB share, DNLA device i.e xbox,PS3 and also to itunes.

Not tried it as the WHS seems to fulfil my needs as a low power solution for serving media.

[Rik]

Nice find, Steve. 

[Steve]

Thanks Rik, Possibly fairly "beta" software but with a spare machine its free and I like the idea of automating the process of CD rip to music player.You can automate the process on a WHS via software from Tranquil PC called AVA media but since headless WHS units are often low power machines I find it more efficient to rip/convert and tag on a more powerful desktop and then copy across to the server.

As a side note I recently purchased a HP external DVD writer both for laptop use and for the server. Not sure why? but its the fastest drive in the house for ripping CD's even beats on occasions the the SATA's internal DVD drives on the desktop and of course when attached to the laptop the internal DVD is made to feel very pedestrian.

[Rik]

I had a similar experience with an external DVD, Steve. It's odd, isn't it.