[slim] Re: Slimserver 6.5 MySQL Requirement - Bad!
> For folks that have a few thousand or so titles and don't need the > complication of a c/s rdb, sqlite performs more than adequately. I beg to differ. On my Slimserver box, which is a lowly PIII 600, the performance improvement from migrating the database to MySQL was DRAMATIC. Despite the extra processes, memory etc, it was a very obvious improvement in speed of response. That was under SS 6.3, so the only variable was the database itself, the SS code was unchanged. I think we can all easily get bogged down by dogma, but what matters is results. The other arguments are irrelevant to most users, they don't care what database is used, they only care about whether it works or not, something it plainly does ;) Andy. -- Andrew L. Weekes Andrew L. Weekes's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=573 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28414 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: My recipe for a cheap Slimserver
I agree the GX100 is a tiny little PC ideal for SS. I use an old work cast-off GX1a (IIRC) which is only a P3 600, but with Linux this runs Slimserver, A backup server, acts as a desktop in my workshop, runs a security webcam app with apparent ease. Much better in fact than the GHz XP box it replaced, sometimes menus are a little slow if it's busy, but not enough to be an issue. Andy -- Andrew L. Weekes Andrew L. Weekes's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=573 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=25892 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: What makes the Transporter worth $1700 (or more) more than the SB3
> Can someone explain to me in non-audiophile terms what makes the various > features of the Transporter so desirable, because it's hard for me to > understand what people are getting (besides a knob). The simplest answer I can give is that music is an amazingly powerful thing that can bring huge enjoyment and pleasure, it's a universal language that everyone understands and has the power to change moods and emotions in a way that few things can. So the justification is that 'better' music replay devices get you closer to the heart of your music, whether any particular item does this in a way that allows you to justify it's price is only something you personally can answer, -by listening to it-. No amount of technical specs, recommendations or anything else really matters, but once you've heard something that brings that emotional insight, the hairs on your neck standing up, the elation or sadness of a musician's emotions relayed through their playing, it's a very, very addictive thing indeed. I've spent thousands on HiFi over the years that attempts to get me closer to the music, but I've regretted almost none of it - my HiFi is used almost every day of the year, whilst the TV almost never gets used, in comparison. The cost / hour of use is remarkably small! Andy. -- Andrew L. Weekes Andrew L. Weekes's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=573 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=25927 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Alien BBC SUCKS Big Time!
I can understand the original poster's frustration, as I've had more than my fair share of AlienBBC problems, on XP and then Linux, but I don't believe expressing them in that way is likely to help anyone, least of all the original poster. I've had similar thoughts too, in the heat of my frustration, but once you realise that... a) No support for RealAudio is offered by SlimDevices out of the box (and to do so would add costs to you, the customer) b) AlienBBC is free and is the result of some very talented and generous people just trying to offer the results of their not inconsiderable efforts to others. ...I expected to get as much support as I'd paid for :) The actual help I got though, in both cases, was above and beyond this to a *huge* degree, no doubt helped by the fact I didn't rant at the only people who were really capable of helping ;) I think part of the 'problem' is that AlienBBC is so damn awesome when it's working, the frustration when it doesn't is that much worse! Yes, of course, it's installation process is not beyond constructive criticism, but I bet the developers are as aware, if not more so, of those potential criticisms. It's hard though offering the fruits of one's personal labours to others and then trying to provide the support you want to, whilst juggling work, life, families and fun. I know! I personally feel that the AlienBBC functionality could be a big marketing plus to Slim Devices, especially in the UK. Maybe it should become more of a core part of Slimserver? It would be a total killer app if the ability to record the stream could be integrated too (hint!). Slim Devices are doing something very different to almost anyone out there, leveraging the power of open source and offering some amazing functionality. It's both their power and their Achile's heel in my view. The power is in the skills of the developers, and the versatility and flexibility of the software. The vulnerability is the 'geeky' nature it can appear to bring, along with the occasional problem. I think of it as being part of a community and the occasional problem is just a learning experience with an opportunity to help provide feedback to further help others and hopefully improve things for future releases. Andy (who now has stylus cramp from typing this on a PDA!) -- Andrew L. Weekes Andrew L. Weekes's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=573 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=22467 ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: RSS Weather Feeds
Phil, Glad you found it useful! I meant to mention this feed will give a full 7-day forecast and gives more detail than the RSSweather.com feed I also tried. Andy. -- Andrew L. Weekes Andrew L. Weekes's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=573 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=19576 ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] RSS Weather Feeds
For those who would like a more UK locale-centric weather feed for your Squeezebox's RSS plugin, take a peek at this page: - http://www.mopoke.co.uk/weather/ This 'scrapes' the BBC weather pages, generating a unique RSS feed, and works very reliably on my SB's. Hope it's of use! Andy. -- Andrew L. Weekes Andrew L. Weekes's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=573 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=19576 ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: New build of Moose (windows front end) now up
> BTW, just wondering.. Would anyone be interested in a WinCE pocketpc > port ? Definitely! Andy. -- Andrew L. Weekes Andrew L. Weekes's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=573 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=18850 ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Alien BBC Garbled Sound
Thanks Neil for making the alpha release available, for someone like me, who last compiled a program in 1980-something, it's a huge help ;) It seems to be working a dream at present - I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate the efforts you and everyone else has put in to getting this bug fixed. Cheers, Andy. -- Andrew L. Weekes ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: RF interference in SB2's headphone output
-Just another example of why I love the folks at Slim Devices.- Agreed! I've said it before, but I'll say it again, the guys at Slim Devices are refreshingly open, it's great stuff. For a techy aside to the problem, it's very common for electronics to demodulate RF signals. You cannot hear the RF (even as an 'audiophile' I wouldn't argue that!) but what you are hearing is the effect of the electronics turning into an RF detector (i.e. radio receiver). It only really happens in junction devices, so bipolar transistors are worse in this respect than FET's, which have no actual rectifying (i.e. diode) junctions. For that reason FET-input amps are much better in RF environments than bipolar parts. Heavily degenerated bipolar parts perform better (in this respect) too. With AM transmissions you can actually demodulate the audio content (or data content) quite readily, which is why AM CB radios, or amateur radio / PMR transmissions are more prone to obvious audio breakthrough. Because the method for decoding FM transmissions is different, you often just get the effect of the carrier affecting the item, since the data or audio content is harder to demodulate. Low level (low current) stages and high impedance areas of a circuit are most prone to this problem (e.g. phono stages, high impedance op-amp inputs etc.), and the problen can manifest itself as direct effects, or the effect of the stage being driven into non-linearity by the RF. What I suspect, based on experience (but haven't analysed in detail yet) was happening here is the headphone amp cable was acting as a reasonable antenna and the RF was getting back into the headphone amp chip, which then gives it a direct path back to the input stage (via the chip's feedback loop). Good to see it fixed though and I'm happy to be of assistance! Andy. References for those that fancy a bit of light reading: - http://tinyurl.com/9wte8 stage rfi rectification sensitivity&la=en Page 10.39 on of this one... http://tinyurl.com/dhjvc stage rfi rectification sensitivity&la=en -- Andrew L. Weekes ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
