iPod Stereos?

[chaz]

Originally posted by They call me Doctor Doom.:
  I was annoyed to find out that Squeezeboxes won't work with network drives.  You have to have a computer turned on for them to work -- which is a pain in the a@@ and kind of contradicts their claim that you don't need your computer.

Not entirely true...just depends on the NAS device being used.  I know you can run it from an Infrant Ready NAS I think it's called...don't know if other devices can be used.
 
 Doesn't bother me at all...I leave my pc on just about all the time.
 
 As far as their claim you don't need the computer, they probably mean for seervices like Rhapsody, Pandora, on line radio and a bunch of other "squeeze network" stuff.

[Herr Professor Doktor Doom]

If you leave a PC on, you never know when it's going to burst into flames or get hacked into the service of a zombie botnet.  I guess I'm just ticked because I got a Maxtor Shared Storage NAS drive just to hold my music collection, and Squeezebox won't work with it...

[chaz]

Originally posted by They call me Doctor Doom.:
  If you leave a PC on, you never know when it's going to burst into flames or get hacked into the service of a zombie botnet.  

Powering PC's and hard drives off an on is more damaging than just leaving them on.
 
 And that's what hardware firewalls and AV software are for.

[Chip Chanko]

I usually turn my pc off or put it in sleep more to save power than anything else. The hard drives on my NAS spin down after 30 minutes of non use, too.

[HoyaSaxa03]

i need some help brainstorming here ---
 
 i need speakers / ipod stereo / boombox / whatever for a bedroom that will let me connect the audio from a cable box ... i'm not looking for something fantastic, just something that will be sufficiently loud for a small room
 
 i can get the audio out from the cable box in a bunch of different ways:  RCA plugs, RCA plugs --> 3.5mm miniplug (which i assume would let it work on an "ipod stereo"), SPDIF out, TOSLINK, etc.
 
 any efficiently cheap ideas?  are there any computer speakers that would get this job done?  do i need to go ahead and buy a boombox/ipod stereo?
 
 muchas gracias

[vansmack]

Can you send me the model # of your cable box so I can get a look at the back?

[chaz]

Originally posted by Hoya Paranoia:
  i need some help brainstorming here ---
 
 i need speakers / ipod stereo / boombox / whatever for a bedroom that will let me connect the audio from a cable box ... i'm not looking for something fantastic, just something that will be sufficiently loud for a small room
 
 i can get the audio out from the cable box in a bunch of different ways:  RCA plugs, RCA plugs --> 3.5mm miniplug (which i assume would let it work on an "ipod stereo"), SPDIF out, TOSLINK, etc.
 
 any efficiently cheap ideas?  are there any computer speakers that would get this job done?  do i need to go ahead and buy a boombox/ipod stereo?
 
 muchas gracias

Budget?

[HoyaSaxa03]

Originally posted by chaz:
  Budget?

nothing set in stone, maybe $100 max? ... but if i could get something to get the job done for $15 that'd be fine by me
 
 i know i don't want to go ahead and do the whole receiver + speakers or home-theatre-in-a-box thing (unless it was pretty cheap)
 
 EDIT:  just as i said that i started browsing through home-theatres-in-a-box (is that like the plural attorneys general?) ... i'm surprised at how cheap some of them are now, that might be a solid option ... will give me a remote as well, which computer speakers probably wouldn't

[Bags]

This  replaced my stereo.  I love it. I listen to NPR on my computer, and don't listen to other radio.  So I'm all set...

[chaz]

Originally posted by Hoya Paranoia:
   

Originally posted by chaz:
  Budget?

nothing set in stone, maybe $100 max?
 [/b]

I got nothing for ya.  Grab your torch and head back to camp.

[vansmack]

Originally posted by Hoya Paranoia:
   

Originally posted by chaz:
  Budget?

nothing set in stone, maybe $100 max? ... but if i could get something to get the job done for $15 that'd be fine by me[/b]

The cheapest solution, as you have pointed out, is a decent set of $20 computer speakers.  For any computer speakers to work, you'll have to have an 3.5mm stereo plug in the back of you Cable box.  Some do, some don't, but without the model number, you'll have to check yourself.  A headphone jack in the front might also work.  If they're still around, you may be able to find an RCA to female 3.5mm stereo adapter, but they're pretty outdated.
 
 You could do something like this with a an RCA jack to stereo plug in the line-in:
 
 CD Boombox with Line in ($44)
 
 Your typical hotel alarm clock option ($50)
 
 There are many more expensive options from there.
 
 For $60, you can get 1000w (5.1 Channe) progressive scan DVD system or for $70, you can get an 5.1 Channel system with a DVd player.
 
 Or you may cruise into one of the retailers and check out their open box buys - I've had some decent success there, especially after the holiday returns.

[HoyaSaxa03]

Originally posted by vansmack:
 For $60, you can get 1000w (5.1 Channe) progressive scan DVD system or for $70, you can get an 5.1 Channel system with a DVd player.

this is the kind of thing i was talking about ... i can't believe how cheap these things are now, i might cruise over to best buy this weekend
 
 thanks for the help

[chaz]

I seriously wouldn't expect much from any HTIB that costs under $100.  Sound quality will be seriously weak, esp. for music.
 
 You get what you pay for, but it's your $$.
 
 To get started on the cheap I'd get something like  this and maybe  these speakers.

[HoyaSaxa03]

Originally posted by chaz:
  I seriously wouldn't expect much from any HTIB that costs under $100.  Sound quality will be seriously weak, esp. for music.

i totally agree ... but i have a pretty good receiver / speaker setup in the living room for music / movies / tv / whatnot ... this is just a bedroom addition, but thanks for the tips