[slim] Portland Event - (was Re: Seattle Event)
radish Wrote: Ooooh New York :) Looking forward to that one. If you can make it pre-Christmas all the better, I have 2x SB3s to buy as gifts and getting them in person would be all the more fun! Raleigh's weather is a lot nicer :) Seriously, though, where are the Southeast trips? -- Dave D Dave D's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=924 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=18774 ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Is slimserver capable of streaming DRM protected files.
jmpage2 Wrote: I believe that Slim Devices can stream DRM files if they are windows media DRM files and you are running Windows. And I thought the answer to this question was: Squeezebox cannot stream any DRM files, regardless of encoding. Dean B, this question comes up so often, shouldn't it be a sticky? I recently got the same question from a co-worker since he could not find the info directly on the Slim Devices site. The other questions which come up about Squeezebox DRM support are why not and/or when. Perhaps you could address these in the sticky as well. I recall a note from Sean some time back about this, but its always hard to find those posts. -- Dave D Dave D's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=924 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=18298 ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: RadioIO left-channel static
MarkR47 Wrote: Dave, Did you ever get a response from RadioIO ? I've had my SB2 for a couple of weeks and rather liked the RadioIO Acoustic and Jazz channels whilst listening from another room, but I can't listen in the same room as the system as the 'static' is too noticable. I've heard it on every RadioIO channel I've tried. I set them a very complete description of the problem on September 9th. I received an immediate, brief answer, and have been ignored since. You need to report the problem to [EMAIL PROTECTED], because they are not going to do _anything_ about it because apparently I have golden ears and no one else has reported anything. This was the response I got: No, it has not been reported in the past. I will forward to our sound engineer. Don radioioCustomerCare - Dave -- Dave D Dave D's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=924 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=16122 ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Another thumbs up for Slim Devices
ChrisB Wrote: When I ordered a pair of SB3s last week, I hadn't noticed the advertised lead time - which meant that they might not have arrived at my US office in time for me to collect them while I'm visiting (sorry, UK retailers - I did buy my first SB in the UK though) - so the sales guys very kindly offered to ensure that they'd ship with the correct priority to make sure that they got to me in time. So they should be arriving tomorrow! But the real plus is that I've just checked my credit card statement, and they have only charged me for the original UPS ground rate. It's things like this, almost more than the really cool technology, that make Slim Devices such a great company. Chris Aw, geez, look what you did. Now there are going to be complaints from people that *they* didn't get the extra fast shipping for free. ;) -- Dave D Dave D's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=924 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=18205 ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Memory Footprint makes me rethink recommending Squeezebox
At the risk of getting back on topic ;) (and I actually really like Perl; it's saved my butt here in viewdraw-schematic-land many times. But cannot really comment on its use by real s/w engrs for real applications.) Anyway, regarding the memory footprint, it does seem large (but we can still ask, does it matter that much). Here are the top easily-recognizable memory users on my laptop right now: slim 60M javaw35M (softsqueeze) thunderbird 33M outlook 33M (don't give me crap--I need it for mtgs) explorer 32M ... firefox 29M (7th in list) visio25M ... excel17M (11th in list) slimtray 7.5M (17th in list) I have zero music files on this laptop; just using slim for internet feeds with the softsqueeze infc. I'm just wondering: is much of this footprint coming from the plugins or is it mostly the main app? The plugins are what really make slimserver attractive, IMO, so I wouldn't really care to remove them. I don't have any loaded other than the ones which come packaged with slimserver. On the laptop I don't care much about the 60MB; I'm priviledged to have 2GB DRAM. However, on the home machine it's only 512MB. (so funny--the first hard drive I bought for my mother was 20MB :) -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Memory Footprint makes me rethink recommending Squeezebox
JJZolx Wrote: The slim device approach of running an enormous server and a slim client is great if you can appreciate the elegance of this architecture. As a software solution for a consumer audio product, though, it leaves a lot to be desired. I'm afraid I'd be unable to recommend a Squeezebox to any but a few highly computer savvy friends because of the size and complexity of the software. I reluctantly agree with this, and stability of the s/w falls into the same category, I think. My brother was over for a visit and seemed really interested in the SB2. However, he is not very comfortable with computers (limited pretty much to internet browsing) and certainly not with any networking. Since he's halfway across the country, I can't just drop in to fix things for him. This is a bit OT, but an example I've been having issues with 6.2 and 6.5 beta. I have not been able to figure out what's going on, but sometimes the server will just stop (when music is not playing) and the SB2 will not be able to re-connect. It requires me to restart the computer, even though no slim-related processes are going. Last night, I loaded 6.5 beta, started it up and was playing around with somthing else for about 15 minutes. When I went to play a song, slimserver had already stopped. I was able to restart it this time without restarting the computer, and then it played fine. Slimserver is still running this morning. Who knows why this happens? For all I know, it could be something someone else is doing on the 'puter when I'm not around. But I have other programs which do not just stop like slimserver does. Anyway, these issues are not a big deal for me; just a minor inconvenience. But I agree it makes the SB harder to recommend to others. -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: SB3 is shipping!
seanadams Wrote: Good news - the first ones off the line went out last night. Congratulations! Always nice to finally ship. Then again, your product schedules are _way_ faster than ours ;) -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Remote conf file for Panasonic SA-XR55?
I just got a Panasonic SA-XR55 AVR to replace my old Onkyo receiver. I want to be able to hook up the SB2's IR blaster again. Does anyone have a .conf file for the XR55's remote control? I've scoured remotecentral and have not found anything which looks like it will work. Also scoured lirc.org -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Announce: Third-generation Squeezebox, SlimServer 6.2
max.spicer Wrote: That there are arguments for and against and there's not much to choose between either. Max That must be one of those things that never floated across the pond ;) -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: My ideal squeezebox
JJZolx Wrote: And it was only $200? They may not have been making much, but so much for those who think wrapping an SB2 in a real case with controls needs to add $500 to the price tag. Maybe there's a reason they are no longer available :) If you read the thread carefuly, you'll see that Audiotron is not such a good comparison to what we proposed. Also, I don't recall anyone saying it needed to add $500 to the price tag. I recall that the new price might be under $500, and that would allow a decent profit margin to actually stay in business. The slight outward visual resemblance to an Audiotron would be as close as our fanciful SB got to an Audiotron. Recall: -- retain the VF display (or make it even longer) -- retain the high quality SB2 components -- add the front panel with backlit buttons -- add high-quality, weighted, velocity-sensitive volume/selector knob, also backlit -- add high-quality case A colleague of mine (an original SliMP3 owner) and I went through this quickly at work to size the cost (we build networking equipment, not audio equipment). We took the present cost of the wireless SB2, backed out a guessed-at margin, added the new features using small-company prices/volumes, added back in a nice profit margin, and came in around $500. Lower with good volume pricing. And that assumed low-cost assembly. The VF display is quite expensive. It's actually a large chunk of the cost. Also, the new case; custom front panel circuit board and buttons with surround illumination; and the weighted knob probably come close to the entire BOM cost of the current SB2. Granted, it was a 5-minute, napkin estimate. And let me also say that neither Audiotron nor NAD was considered when we were putting the ideal SB together. The resemblance was purely by chance. (check out the beginning of the thread to see what it looked like then.) It could look even better with some proper industrial engineering. -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: New low price on SB2!
patrick Wrote: Line right up...you don't have wait any longer to purchase a second, third, or even fourth Squeezebox2! Patrick, can you give any hints about if this price drop is inspired by an upcoming new or additional product offering? I would be disappointed to buy another SB2, only to see an audiophile version come out a few months later, or a version with integrated amplifier, etc. An example of a great company which gives hints about new product offerings at the same time as offering sales on existing products is AV123 (av123.com). I recently bought a set of their closeout Rocket ELT speakers, even though I knew that they were coming out with a whole new line of even better speakers for the budget-minded folks (the X-series). Why didn't I wait for X? I just didn't like the new finish offerings, vs. the older speakers. But at least I had a choice. I know that might be a bit radical approach to marketing, but it's very effective. AV123 has an extremely loyal customer base, similar to that of Slim Devices, who are constantly salivating about product offerings which are announced far in advance of availability. By the time the product is available, they've often sold out of the first shipments via pre-orders. I'm not suggesting a far in advance approach in your market of audio electronics. Not even suggesting that you give details of any product until it is released (your competitors could be faster than you). However, a little hint would be nice, e.g. yes, we're planning a new product release around the holidays which will be geared more toward the higher end. Or if it's just good ol' Slim Devices, making their flagship more affordable, you could make that clear, as well. Removing the 2 from the SB2's splash screen has us all wondering what's going on. Thanks, Dave -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Buy now or wait till Christmas?
dangerous_dom Wrote: Just wondering when Slim Devices plans are. Will there be a new model out before or around xmas time? Quoting Slim Devices Marketing VP, Patrick Cosson from this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=16934 no hints, no forecasts, no previews. - Justice Ginsberg As she stated during her congressional hearings when nominated for the US Supreme Court He's obviously a man of few words. -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Book the cruise, honey!
CardinalFang Wrote: Does that mean that there's a new SqueezeBox coming? :-) Great news, I need another for the kitchen. Hopefully the price drop will get transferred across to the UK. Paul Yeah, maybe this goes along with the removal of the nice backgound 2 from the squeezebox2 splash screen. I too, was disappointed to see that change, by the way. Maybe the Co. is anticipating a number of upgrades and doesn't want to have different versions of firmware/bitmaps for 2 3 4 etc. -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Book the cruise, honey!
max.spicer Wrote: I really think it's probably a bit soon for SlimDevices to be replacing the SqueezeBox2! Mind you, I'd be really interested to see what else they'd bring in... Max There are a number of very nice products SD could introduce, along with the SB2, assuming they have grown enough to be able to swing more than one product at a time: 1) The audiophile version we all have mused about, perhaps looking something like Andrew's (audiofi) picture here: http://audiofi.dudehost.com/other/squeezeboxtextured4.gif from this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=16376 2) SB2 with integrated Class-D amp (maybe a version with no line level or SPDIF outputs to keep the cost down). Keep the price low enough and it could compete with other whole-house audio solutions, while providing greater functionality. A mid-power Class-D amp using the Tripath chip might be nice (see Sonic Impact). 3) A version to fit in a single or dual-gang outlet box :) Put a little LCD display on it. Offer it with the integrated Class-D amp. Not sure how to get power to it, though. 4) The boombox version. Not for me, but I've seen it mentioned here a few times. -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Snow saver for new graphic display
Nice plugin. Will keep it a secret here at home until the holidays. One or two small bugs: 1) There appears to be too much space in front of the letter V. This makes VERY almost look like V ERY, but not quite. 2) While trying to figure out #1 (I didn't), I noticed that in snow.pm, line 807 (%letters hash) the letter V should be U (there are two V's). Also, is there any easy way to change the strings displayed? It wouldn't be so simple as changing the PLUGIN_SCREENSAVER_SNOW_WORD_* strings, would it? Thanks, Dave -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: My ideal squeezebox
Philip Downer Wrote: On Fri, 2005-09-16 at 19:00 +0200, Michael Herger wrote: Nice job. Let's get someone to build a bunch of them! FrontPanelDesigner should now be called upon. Someone want to see about a bulk discount? How do you connect all those fancy buttons to the SB? The Geekport? Phil. Seems the best way to handle the new design might be with a new design ;) I would think the front panel would comprise the set of buttons, volume control, and backlight, with another ribbon cable to the (new) printed circuit board (PCB). Add a little programmable logic device to the PCB (assuming the existing Xilinx device is full or pin-limited or just not desirable to change, otherwise this function can go there). The function could debounce the switch contacts, and interrupt the CPU on a button press. Multiple outstanding button presses could be saved, but I would think the CPU could service the requests fast enough. Info could be retrieved over a simple interface like I2C or SPI. It doesn't take much to do this. I would not be surprised to see a little part already available from Maxim/Dallas or Analog Devices which does button sampling already in an I2C-accessible device. -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: My ideal squeezebox
JJZolx Wrote: My thing with the simplified button scheme is that if you're going to put buttons on it at all, then why not make them useful? You just can't do much with three buttons and a scroll wheel. For example, how do you play a song or album rather than just adding it to the playlist? Without a 'Play' button, I don't see how. You may as well have no buttons at all and always use the remote if you're going to need the remote to do even basic stuff like skip to the next track. (And we're right back to square one and the current Squeezebox design.) I'd prefer to have most of the functionality of the remote, sans search capability. I'd want something good looking, but it doesn't have to win an abstract design contest. Yep, you're right, Jim. I was thinking this through last night more carefully (about how I would go about using the two buttons and knob interface for various tasks), and I agree that, for control of the box at the box, it is too cumbersome. - Dave -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: My ideal squeezebox
audiofi Wrote: I hope this covers the latest points from everyone: http://audiofi.dudehost.com/other/squeezeboxtextured3.gif That looks very nice. Functional, practical, while still having a high-end look. Couple of comments: I am concerned that the label backlighting on the buttons beneath the display detracts from the display. However, this will go away when the backlighting dims down. Jim Wrote: I think we're assuming use of the current display. Which reminds me - the illustrations seem to depict a display that protrudes from the faceplate. I think it's safe to assume that if you used the current display that it would have to be sunk into the back of the faceplate, so the display will actually be slightly recessed. I think you could have a smoked glass lens/bezel which protruded slightly, just as Andrew has drawn here: http://audiofi.dudehost.com/other/squeezeboxtextured2.gif The display itself would be recessed. Enough space needs to be present around the display to prevent hiding part of it behind the edges of the front bezel, when viewing it from the side. The bezel looks good to me either way (recessed or protruded), but is easier to keep clean if protruded. -- I think the power button will now look better horizontally (sorry for the churn; the display moved right and the resulting open space needs to be re-balanced). Also, the button seems just a tiny bit too small. Maybe 15-20% larger (length and width, i.e. retain the aspect ratio.) -- The toggle button will need to be lengthened a little (20%?) to be used comfortably. -- For some reason, the toggle and select buttons on the right don't seem to fit with the whole design any more. I think they look too bright/bold; too prominent. My eye is drawn to them, and they don't deserve that attention. Maybe move them down from center (so that the lower edge of the buttons aligns with the lower edge of the display)? Anyone have suggestions for them? -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: My ideal squeezebox
audiofi Wrote: Round buttons as requested, I would DEFINITELY buy one of these!!! http://audiofi.dudehost.com/other/squeezeboxtextured5.gif Yep, that is sweet. Nice job. -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: My ideal squeezebox
audiofi Wrote: Colour and other changes with buttons to the left of the wheel: http://audiofi.dudehost.com/other/squeezeboxtextured7.gif And to the right of the wheel: http://audiofi.dudehost.com/other/squeezeboxtextured8.gif Thanks Andrew. I like this one better: http://audiofi.dudehost.com/other/s...oxtextured6.gif I really don't like the large buttons to the right of the knob. They look abandoned over there. (My wife just agreed, though I expect WAF would not carry much weight in this discussion.) I also like the uniform backlighting, vs. the 2-tone with the white labels. -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: My ideal squeezebox
audiofi Wrote: This is the version you prefer, but with the extra size button and the slightly altered order of the buttons and different play etc. labels. http://audiofi.dudehost.com/other/squeezeboxtextured9.gif Well, no. I prefer the labels under the display to be uniform (not some with icons and some with words.) That's #5 or #6: http://audiofi.dudehost.com/other/squeezeboxtextured6.gif The little icons on the four left buttons are ok, but might be difficult to light the inside of a button that small. I think it would be possible to get VF backlighting for the whole front panel, but not sure how the button outlining would work. Some kind of light piping would work: maybe even just a clear plastic inset around the buttons and knob to bring the light out. LEDs might be cheaper, but would have to be a different color entirely so not to clash with the VFD's blue-green. -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: My ideal squeezebox
audiofi Wrote: Yep, you're right, they were too small, I resized them to the same width as my Rotel amp: http://audiofi.dudehost.com/other/squeezeboxfullwidth.gif http://audiofi.dudehost.com/other/squeezeboxfullwidthblack.gif Screen remains the same size as the current squeezebox. Thoughts: -- black camp :) but see if the pics can show a matte-black finish vs. jet gloss black. -- move the screen to the left (the design is not symmetrical and putting the screen in the center makes it feel lopsided.) -- power button lower left corner. Rectangular, tactile feel/soft touch, momentary. -- headphone jack to the right of the power button. -- replace the control pad with: -- large, weighted, volume/selection knob on the far right. -- three buttons to the left of the volume knob: -- Left button (momentary up/down rocker): Mode select. Depending on menu arrangement/options/modes, might be able to get rid of this button. -- Middle button (momentary): Item select -- Right button (momentary left/right rocker): menu left/right. In place of left-right rocker for menu left-right, could use digital potentiometer (smaller knob) with detents for each selection. -- volume knob controls menu up/down when in any mode but volume. Spinning the weighted volume knob will have affect of fast scrolling. -- volume mode is entered automatically (timer expires) or by selection (press/hold select button). (Remote has it's own modes, buttons, etc.) -- buttons have tactile feel: rubber-click. -- buttons and knobs are backlit. Option to dim/turn off control backlights after timer expires. Backlights turn on as necessary, i.e. whenever a button is pressed or knob is turned. -- No mechanical limits on knobs. Volume knob must spin. Digital pot (left/right menu select) should be turnable any direction at any time. Thoughts? -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: My ideal squeezebox
audiofi Wrote: and for Dave: http://audiofi.dudehost.com/other/squeezeboxwidenew.gif Hey, that's not too bad, Andrew, and quick, too. Gee, I only posted it this morning! There can be tweaks, of course, since this is our own imaginary design and we do what we want to: -- screen is a bit too far left--about 1/2 inch. -- buttons are a bit too prominent, relative to knob. Need to diminish them somewhat (reduce size 30%), and I think they would look more high-end if rectangular with flat surface, vs. rounded surface. The option for the left-right button to be a small knob with detents (I called it a digital pot, but it's really a digital rotary switch) is cool, but I think would detract from the high-end feel. -- knob is black, too. We should pick black or platinum and stick with that and try not to appease both worlds with one design (that would be cheap:) -- knob should have backlight option as well. -- the more I think about it, Mode select button is redundant. There's no reason all modes could not be incorporated in the menu system using left/right button, Volume knob controlling up/down, and a select button. -- the idea here is one-hand control: thumb can control left/right menu and select buttons while the fingers spin the knob. Left-handers will get used to it. -- Slim Devices will need another color scheme for their logo. No way we put the color red on this box. Lots of companies have multiple color schemes for their various products. Logo can't have front/center status, either. Upper left or bottom right, but I prefer bottom right to not detract from the display and the left edge has enough attention with the power button and the headphone jack. -- headphone jack is a tad intrusive, I think. Maybe be better on left side of power button? Maybe above the power button? Moving the display to the right a little bit will help. I think the headphone jack needs to be black anodized. -- Now for the minimalists: We can spend more money on mechanicals (probably at least 2-3x, b/c of custom design) to get a soft-touch, swivel-down control panel. This display could remain in the down position while still looking good and not posing any risk to being broken off like a door would. Imagine a press-and-release mechanism on a flat front panel. A 3-inch section of the panel swivels softly almost 180 degrees, to reveal the extra buttons for control. The panel is pushed back in place by pushing up on the bottom of the panel, swiveling it back up and clicking it into place again. The volume knob would always be visible. If we used this type of swivel-down display, the knob option for the left/right menu control would probably get bumped. -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: My ideal squeezebox
audiofi Wrote: I think this has covered what you wanted: http://audiofi.dudehost.com/other/squeezeboxnew.gif This is to scale, should be the same width as my Rotel amp and the screen is the same size as the current one, so the height should also be ok for size. Yes, that's much closer to what I was envisioning! -- Now it looks like the power button could be left edge, above the headphone jack. -- You changed the button order though, and we can get rid of one. I really think all you need are these: -- left-most button is select -- to the right of that is the left/right button. -- to the right of that is the volume/up/down knob. This is very close, though. No need to re-draw it unless other suggestions come in; this gets the point across. There will be many opinions on how it should look. I think the same design would look also great in platinum. It has a professional feel with a minimum set of controls to be able to fit into the realm of high-end audio (at least from the pictures I've seen, since I don't own any true high-end stuff.) [Just my opinion, folks.] Anyway, thank you again for the drawings, Andrew. Who knows what the Slim Devices team is working on for future products, but drawings like these go a long way to illustrate what customers might be looking for. Plus, the mod houses have something else to work toward. -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: My ideal squeezebox
audiofi Wrote: andtexture: http://audiofi.dudehost.com/other/squeezeboxtextured.gif Oh, beautiful! I have a couple more suggestions and will reply to some of Paul's suggstions a bit later. Just got home from work and have to run out again. -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: My ideal squeezebox
backlighting be a good compromise? We might have an issue with the platinum finish, though. -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: My ideal squeezebox
radish Wrote: From what I can tell that is an actual volume control, i.e. it talks about attenuation. In this case the actual attenuation is happening digitally, in the SB, so the wheel itself just needs to be an encoder. I think it does not even need to be an encoder. We just need to sense movement and calculate velocity. With just 1/0/1/0 digital switching happening as the dial is turned, we have a lot of latitude on implementation. It actually does not matter if our sample rate is a tad too slow for the fastest spinning dial; if we miss a bit here or there, it wouldn't even be noticable, or worst-case, we bottom out on velocity. I think we would be CPU limited at some point, anyway (scrolling fast enough.) -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: My ideal squeezebox
PAUL WILLIAMSON Wrote: This one: http://audiofi.dudehost.com/other/squeezeboxtextured.gif Was almost perfect IMHO. I agree, but I like _some_ aspects of what Jim and Andrew came up with, specifically: -- the display moved a bit more to the right and centered vertically. It is much more balanced now. -- the power button moved down and away from the edge. -- the headphone jack moved away from the corner a bit. Phones label is ok. -- the logo at upper left. And, geez, orange accents, but it looks good! No red, though (sorry!). -- the dot removed the Volume/selection knob. Finger detent is ok. I would get rid of the Volume label. The power button and the other two buttons don't look the same, though. The power button has a different kind of shading, and the backlighting is less prominent. Overall I like the look of the power button better. I do think it's a bit too long and thin, though, and would consider a vertical orientation. I like the raised display bezel, vs. flush. Also like the over shape vs. hard corners. -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: My ideal squeezebox
Jim, the volume knob acts as a volume knob by default. If you press Select, you'll go into Menu Mode. The the volume knob acts like an up/down menu control. If you press-hold Select you'll go back to Volume Mode. If you do nothing, it will go back to Volume mode automatically after a timeout. SO the knob which looks like it controls volume will do just that, almost all of the time. Ha! The Slim Devices logo is _orange_?! The logo on the top of this forum screen looks _red_ to me. Well what do I know? ;) I don't like the logo in red on the front of this box. Don't exactly know why. Maybe with very thin red accents. I think the yellow-orange is ok--less distracting maybe. This is a minor point. If SD builds it, it'll be what they want it to be. Jim Wrote: A better idea might be to move the display higher and place a row of these buttons (with labels) below the display window. I'd even add a couple - Brightness, Size, Shuffle, Repeat, and maybe Now Playing. These could small round buttons - figure 8 or 10 will fit comfortably beneath the display. See: http://www.arcam.co.uk/images/fmj_C31_large.jpg The front faceplate will likely need to be taller. I think something along the lines of 3.25 to 3.75 would be ideal. The current size in the drawings looks a bit slim to me. Ok, I see what you mean on the Arcam box. Wouldn't like it to take more vertical space, though. I would be up for a _few_ more buttons, but I also like the backlighting of the functional icons on the buttons. The Arcam labels are not back-lit. The Arcam box has so many buttons, they had to come up with a way to display them all. We have far fewer. Moving the display off vertical center to accomodate buttons seems like a big detraction. Our VF display is larger, more prominent, and much nicer looking than the Arcam display. It's the most noticable aspect of the whole box and needs to be placed carefully so that other features do not detract from it. Re: backlighting in general: On a black box, inside a dark entertainment center in a dimly-lit room, I think the backlighting of the buttons is necessary. With only two buttons (select and left-right toggle), they would not need back-lit icons; perhaps only back-lit outlining, like the volume knob. -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Replay Gain!!
JJZolx Wrote: - You need replay gain tags on your files. So for us dummies: would I need to re-rip everything? -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: SlimRoku - SlimServer based music player for the Roku PhotoBridge HD1000
I'm wondering: is the source code available (since it uses Slimserver)? -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Internet Music Favorites Wierdness
I've been having really strange problems with my Favorites the past few days (I think since about Sunday's nightly image). Have not tried the nightly from last night; the last two versions have had this problem, though. WinXP box. Here's an example of strange: Favorites in order: radioIO - Acoustic radioIO - Eclectic Folk Alley Radio Paradise SkyFM - Smooth Jazz I can confirm this order in the Plugins-Favorites. However, tonight, I cannot get SkyFM to play on Favorite #5. If I press and hold #5, Folk Alley plays! (If I press and hold #3, Folk Alley also plays.) Last night, I could not get Folk Alley to play at all via the Favorites, but it would play if I went through Internet Radio - Shoutcast, etc. I have restarted Slimserver several times. Are my prefs screwed up someplace? Out of sync, if that's possible? Any ideas or other reports of this? Did I see something in the SVN updates about Favorites being changed in the Default.map file? I was gonna let this play out in the nightlies, but now I'm beginning to think this is some prefs issue and might not go away. Thanks! -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Internet Music Favorites Wierdness
I forgot that this morning I _did_ load last night's image: SlimServer_v2005-09-14.exe -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Internet Music Favorites Wierdness
Yeah, they somehow got out of sync! Here's a snippet from my slimserver.pref. Notice that the URLs for Favorites 3-5 do not match up with titles 3-5. favorite_titles: - radioioACOUSTIC - radioioECLECTIC - '(#1 - 46/1000) Folk Alley (( All Folk. All The Time. ))' - '(#1 - 258/15454) Radio Paradise - DJ-mixed modern classic rock, world, electronica more - info: radioparadise.com' - (#1 - 163/15377) S K Y . F M - Smooth Jazz - the world's smoothest jazz 24 hours a day - '' favorite_urls: - radioio://radioioACOUSTIC.mp3 - radioio://radioioECLECTIC.mp3 - http://66.225.205.8:8000 - http://66.225.205.8:8000 - http://66.225.205.8:8000 - '' -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Internet Music Favorites Wierdness
Sorry to keep replying to myself. I have no idea how the Favorites got messed up in the first place, or the strange URLs. I edited them manually and now it works properly. favorite_titles: - radioioACOUSTIC - radioioECLECTIC - Folk Alley - Radio Paradise - SKY.FM Smooth Jazz favorite_urls: - radioio://radioioACOUSTIC.mp3 - radioio://radioioECLECTIC.mp3 - http://www.shoutcast.com/sbin/tunein-station.pls?id=9093filename=playlist.pls - http://www.shoutcast.com/sbin/tunein-station.pls?id=2838filename=playlist.pls - http://www.shoutcast.com/sbin/tunein-station.pls?id=674filename=playlist.pls -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Obtaining mp3s/flac/whatever legally
abdomen Wrote: Very well said. I agree. I wish this thread could go back to where it started. Not trying to command the discussion's direction; just interested in replies to the original request [slightly edited]: max.spicer Wrote: Are there sites where you can just buy tracks that can then be played on my SB2? [...] Ideally, I'd like some plain old mp3s, but would settle for DRM stuff, provided I can actually listen to it. [...] One thing to note is that I can't really go with one of the monthly subscription service as I wouldn't use it enough to justify the cost. I hear a lot of great stuff on internet radio which I'll bet is not mainstream and might be available on some site for non-DRM download. I've seen replies in this thread for dance music. How about acoustic, folk, jazz? -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Obtaining mp3s/flac/whatever legally
max.spicer Wrote: there sites where you can just buy tracks that can then be played on my SB2? I'm dimly aware of itunes and the like, and the horrible DRM monster that's associated with them. Ideally, I'd like some plain old mp3s, but would settle for DRM stuff, provided I can actually listen to it (I realise that's somewhat against the whole point of DRM!). One thing to note is that I can't really go with one of the monthly subscription service as I wouldn't use it enough to justify the cost. I am right there with you on this. I've looked for sites which sell single-track mp3s which can be played on SB2. Any I've found that sell unprotected files generally only have tracks I've never heard of. I don't want to get a service; wouldn't use it that much. I'd pay 2-3 bucks for a track if I could play it anywhere and get it in a non-lossy format (if I buy the music, I want to buy _all_ the music.) Someone told me about a method which may or may not be legal. It is probably similar to what Daniel mentioned. You can buy the protected files, then re-record them on Windows using something like Audacity. I have no idea what the resulting quality would be. I have not tried this yet; just no time or patience for it. The same person who told me about Audacity does not actually use it. He had an interesting point: those who have more time than money (e.g. high school college students) can easily circumvent the protection using the method above or others. They don't care if it takes them 15-30 minutes each time they re-record a track. Those of us with more money than time really don't want to go through the hassle of circumventing the laws, but there are few, if any, options for us to be able to play our purchased music where we want to. I'll be honest: I don't own an iPod or other mp3 player (just SB2) and have a very small collection of CDs. I listen mostly to internet music. But I've been writing down names of songs I've heard which I would like to own. I'd like to be able to buy them somewhere and be able to add them to my ripped music collection. Silly laws. Hey, would it be a good idea for a sticky forum thread which would be a list of sites where you can purchase unprotected tracks? -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Obtaining mp3s/flac/whatever legally
Dave Dewey Wrote: I also use the iTunes store to download music, and then remove the DRM. It's an easy process that doesn't take anywhere near the 15-30 minutes quoted elsewhere in this thread. It's a simple, drag-and-drop non-techie process. This is interesting info, but I'll bet if you use this and get caught, you'll spend a bit more than 15-30 minutes in jail. -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Obtaining mp3s/flac/whatever legally
Dave Dewey Wrote: Read this. http://www.hymn-project.org/ I did. I got far enough in the FAQ to see that JHymn needs to log into an Apple server, pretending to be a legitimate computer running iTunes, in order to get a key to unlock the tunes. If you want to take that chance, great. I don't disagree with your sentiment about the DCMA law (it's unclear, unfair, largely unenforcable, and can be interpreted as being all-encompassing.) I don't disagree with the logic that you paid for the song and should be able to listen to it whereever you want. And I don't disagree with your logic that your willingness to spend money at iTunes is partly driven by your ability to circumvent DRM. All I'm saying is, if you get caught, and if they wish to prosecute, you will have no leg to stand on, and unless you have deep pockets, you will be unable to fund a defense. I've got a family to support. I don't need any legal hassles. What you do is up to you. Thanks for the link, though. It's very interesting; I've often wondered if anyone had cracked DRM. This is one way around it. -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Enhancement idea
max.spicer Wrote: Makes sense to me. Does holding the sleep button do anything at the moment? Max It does on _my_ remote. I have sleep.hold mapped to power-on so my receiver is powered on or off (toggle) but the SB2 is powered on (only) and thus is unaffected. (Uses the IR blaster plugin). I can move this to another key, of course (Felix suggested search.hold). An enhancement to the sleep function is logically a better candidate for sleep.hold than is my personal receiver-power-toggle. But this is another example of why I would like a few unused/programmable keys added to the remote. - Dave -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: RadioIO left-channel static
Thank you for doing the listening test, Steve. You have confirmed the presence and nature of the noise which Aaron and I hear. Your observation is key: it shows that the original RadioIO stream has the problem. I just finished sending an email to RadioIO Customer Care, describing the problem and our observations. We'll see what happens. I have done searches on Google to see if others have noticed the noise. I found nothing other than this forum's thread. The responses here on the forum affirming the presence of the noise are very few. This is disturbing. The left channel static is SO noticable to me that I can no longer listen to RadioIO when using headphones. I don't understand why there are not more complaints. I do not have out-of-the ordinary auditory perception. On the contrary, my hearing is probably not as good as it used to be, given my 40 years. I would fully expect to see reports of this coming from the regular posters in the audiophiles forum. I wonder: is it possible that something in Slim Devices _software_ (remember that I also hear the noise using SoftSqueeze) is causing the left-channel noise to be enhanced? -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: RadioIO left-channel static
Quick bump to ask once more if anyone else is noticing the pops in the left channel of the RadioIO streams. Easy to hear on Acoustic. I'm going to send an email off to RadioIO tomorrow and would like to provide feedback from more than just a couple people. One observation today: the pops seem to come at or almost immediately after an increase in sound level. For example, I will hear nothing in between Zoe Montana's words. I will hear the popping only when she is talking. Same goes for the quiet songs. I'm wondering if I can capture this on a scope and what I would trigger on? The pops are usually very low level. [Anyone have ideas about this?] One thing we're still trying to confirm: is this noise audible only on the 128k streams going to Slimserver, i.e. are the 128k streams going to paid subscribers any different? We seem to have some evidence that the paid subscriber streams are clean. I think we've already concluded that the noise is not audible on the 32k (free) stream. Frankly, I'm surprised I don't hear more complaints about this noise. My hearing is not all that great but the popping is very annoying to me, especially through headphones (no crossfeeding). -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: RadioIO left-channel static
Dave D Wrote: I'm wondering if I can capture this on a scope and what I would trigger on? The pops are usually very low level. I tried for about an hour tonight to just _see_ the pops (nevermind triggering on one). No luck. I think they are very low level. Anything high enough to be recognizable on top of an audio signal would probably be a very loud pop. -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: RadioIO left-channel static
lostboy Wrote: I used urlsnooper (recommended in a previous thread) on my slimserver to find where to point winamp for the test. So, Chris, you have confirmed that the 128k RadioIO stream used by Slimserver exhibits the noise in the left channel. I wonder if the other 128k streams, i.e. to paying customers, also have the noise or if it's only on the stream Slimserver has access to? Anyone have a RadioIO membership who can check this out? -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: RadioIO left-channel static
stevek1006 Wrote: Well, I have to admit that I only listened for 30 minutes or so (to the acoustic channel), but as I mentioned earlier, I heard no static in that time. If I get a chance to listen longer through headphones, I will do so, but probably not today. Steve, you should definitely notice the noise within 30 minutes if it was present. Over the course of 20 minutes tonight, I heard it for a second or two distinctly, four times. Then Rickie Lee Jones - Company started playing and the noise was _very_ audible throughout. Judith Edelman - No One to Love is on now and the noise has been audible throughout again. I had a hard time hearing noise on the more lively pieces, like one from Blue Mountain with fiddle and banjo. Listen to a quiet vocal and you'd think it was coming from an LP if the noise wasn't isolated to the left side. Oh, and gee, I can hear the noise quite well when Zoe Montana is speaking. So, I'm going to venture that perhaps the noise is not present on all 128kbps streams. As I finish this post, Richard Thompson - Old Thames Side is on now and it's very noisy. I have it on SB2 and Softsqueeze as I write this and there's just no missing it. -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: RadioIO left-channel static
Aaron Zinck Wrote: I listen to RadioIO Acoustic and I've noticed it, too. Aaron, thank you for your reply. I thought I was the only one who could hear this, and it has been driving me crazy. I've all but stopped listening to RadioIO because of it, and switched over to Radio Paradise. Now here's the bad part, I think. I can play RadioIO Acoustic via Windows Media Player, and I don't hear _any_ left-channel noise at all. I've been listening very carefully through the same speakers: first with Windows Media Player, then with Softsqueeze, back and forth. I hear the noise with Softsqueeze, but not Windows Media. This could be a Slimserver problem. It seems very unlikely (why only RadioIO?), but it's the only conclusion I can make, given the observations. I would like to get more feedback from others before opening a bug. The bug report will not do any good if this is not seen as reproducible. So far, only you and I have reported it. Other poeple reading this thread: will you please do a simple listening test? Listen to a few songs on RadioIO Acoustic or Eclectic with SB1, SB2 or Softsqueeze, and tell us if you hear any noise in the left channel. Then listen to the same station with some player other than Slimserver and report that as well. Thank you very much! -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: RadioIO left-channel static
dean Wrote: Given that you've heard it in SoftSqueeze and on the hardware player, I suspect it's a problem in the original RadioIO data. I'd drop their customer support folks a note. That's exactly what I will be doing, but it would be nice to say that I've found other people who have noticed this. And it would be nice to be able to find someone who's noticed it listening with non-SD harware and/or software. -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] RadioIO left-channel static
Here's something strange which I've noticed on and off for weeks now. Wondering who else might have noticed it too: Sometimes, when playing streams from RadioIO, I hear little crackles or pops or static from the left channel. Some observations: -- I have heard it on RadioIO Acoustic and Eclectic. It may occur on other RadioIO streams, but I listen to Acoustic the most. -- I have never heard it on Shoutcast (I listen to Skyfm Jazz, Folk Alley, Radio Paradise) -- Don't know about Live365 (login problems there; I have to go read the forums about that--just been too busy.) -- I have heard it using my Squeezebox2, using SlimServer versions from 6.0.2 to the most recent 6.2 beta, and with several firmware versions. (I don't think this is a hardware issue.) This is through my amplifier and speakers. -- I have heard it using SoftSqueeze with headphones (this is where I noticed it first and thought it was a loose connection or maybe interference from my computer). -- I have heard it using SqueezeNetwork (just verified that tonight). -- It has occurred on both WinXP boxes I use. -- I have never heard it in the right channel. -- It's is seemingly random in occurence, not during any particular type of music or listening level. It's most noticable during soft passages, of course, but I've heard it other times as well. -- I have not listened to RadioIO with other software. So am I going nuts or have others heard this? I did a search in the forums but didn't find anything. Thanks, Dave -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: SlimDevices losing out in the UK
I have noticed that Roku gets some (seemingly) free press here in the US as well. Or, maybe they are paying for some of it... presumably, they have deeper pockets than Slim Devices; their founder has been in the industry for a while. I'm an electrical engineer and get the EE Times publication. This month they rean a Tear Down article on the Soundbridge, where they pulled out the circuit boards, pointing out the various conponents and their functions. They were very complimentary. Obviously, they didn't do any comparison with SB2. Earlier in the same issue, I saw an ad for Analog Devices Blackfin processor (used in the Soundbridge). There in the sidebar were three products; the Soundbridge family was one of them. I don't know if Roku has to pay for this publicity, but it's a win-win situation for both companies. Granted, ADI is a huge company, but I have never seen an ad for Squeezebox's Ubicom processor. On the positive side, I have seen Squeezebox2 ads on-line, in areas where music lovers would be found, so they are advertising in (probably) the most effective venues, as far as sales per advertising dollar are concerned. I've seen Rokus in both Tweeter and Best Buy, but I don't know how many sales that generates, and the profit margins are going to suffer by going through one of those retailers. Especially with the Squeezebox2, the word _is_ getting out. You can Google Squeezebox2 reviews and the first hit takes you here, which lists links for a number of reviews: http://www.vistra.com.au/products/slimdevices/Squeezebox2_Reviews.htm This one is not listed: http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000807035126/ [Interestingly, a search for Squeezebox reviews (without the 2) pulls up the older (not as complementary) reviews on the older Slim Devices model.] Finally, in a not-so-small by the way, last year, Sean, Dean, and Slim Devices were featured in EE Times in a really great, inspiring article (two actually). So they've had some time in the sun, too: http://www.eetimes.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=26806405 http://www.eetimes.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=26806414 -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Can't access Shoutcast any more tonight
Who knows why SQN worked but I could not access Shoutcast via my PC...but it works again this morning. -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] SqueezeNetwork - Slimserver - SB2 prefs
Is there a way to save the display preferences (or for that matter, other prefs) from Slimserver, out to SqueezeNetwork? It would be nice to have my SB2 look and act the same when I use SqueezeNetwork as when I use Slimserver. The thing I notice right away is how the display scrolling acts (I have scrolling set to 2 pixels, for example on Slimserver, so when I go to SqueezeNetwork, it looks jumpy.) If this is not already available, it seems there are at least two methods: 1) Log into SQN's website and click on a button to have SQN read and apply local slimserver prefs. 2) Save local prefs out in the SB2 vs. (or in addition to) in slimserver. Of course, this does not address issues like bandwidth of the SQN server for the smooth scrolling, for example. Ideas/comments? -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Can't access Shoutcast any more tonight
I started having trouble accessing Shoutcast about 9:30 US-Eastern tonight. Trouble started as I was playing around with Favorites, which might be irrelevent. It worked for a while (around 9pm), and then as I was trying to add a Favorite, it seemed to hang. Power-cycled the SB2. Same thing. Re-booted the PC (WinXP). Same thing. Here's the wierd part: I cannot connect with either the SB2 or SoftSqueeze through my PC, but I _am_ able to access Shoutcast via SqueezeNetwork. Next, I tried going to their site: www.shoutcast.com, but it comes back connection was refused. Any idea what might be going on here? Seems if I can access through SqueezeNetwork, and am getting _refused_, then the problem is on my end, but I have no idea what it is. -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] IR Blaster Support?
I remember seeing a post about IR blaster support, so I did a search and found that there's a bug for adding it: http://bugs.slimdevices.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1045 There's only one vote...maybe I'll add mine, but it doesn't look promising (Target Milestone is future), so I'm wondering: 1) Is this actively being worked at Slim Devices? 2) Why does it seem not too many people are interested in this? There are lots of applications. Right away, I would use this to re-map the SB2 remote's volume commands to the IR blaster and have the remote's volume then control my receiver's volume instead. [Yeah, I know I can go buy another remote to do this, but I *like* the SB2 remote :) It would be a shame (and expensive) to go to a Pronto or similar, for such a simple feature.] -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Financial condition of Slim Devices, Inc. ?
whizkid Wrote: Most companies, public or private, give some sense of their company and market strength. Perception is too often not reality in the tech biz. Most companies? Please name some examples of small private companies who have posted financials, or any REAL information about their financial state which can be proven to be truthful. Slim Devices has no obligation whatsoever to divulge *anything* about their financial state to *anyone* but their own private investors. (And you know what? I hope they don't! I sure wouldn't, and never on a forum.) whizkid Wrote: As for if they drop dead tomorrow you still have a functioning system. True, but for how long? Right up until the next standard or needed feature requrires hardware/firmware changes and at that very moment you become stranded. They could close their doors right now. I'll have a functioning system, which does everything I want to do, until the hardware dies or until Slimserver stops functioning with Windows XP (or whatever comes later). I can write some Perl and I have tons of folks around in this forum, willing to help me figure it out. I'm willing to bet I would not be stranded for years, even with no other products to choose from. And judging from the fact that a co-worker has had a SliMP3 for several years and has only recently upgraded Slimserver in that time, I'm not too worried. I don't know why I'm even replying to this silly thread. -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Other Squeezebox Forum Discussions
There's an active Squeezebox2 thread over at av123 if anyone wants to chime in. Seems like the recent discussion is about how convenient (or not) it is to browse or search music folders. http://forum.av123.com/showthread.php?threadid=9445 - Dave -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Financial condition of Slim Devices, Inc. ?
JayNYC Wrote: Does anybody know what the business and financial condition of Slim Devices is?...Is Slim Devices venture funded (if so, which firm), are they profitable, are they planning to be, does existing management own the company or have they sold out to investors, etc...Any info greatly appreciated. Strange way of fishing for non-public information. I wouldn't expect that anyone at Slim would publicly divulge this information (especially in a forum setting). If your interest is in investing in the company, why don't you contact Sean Adams privately? If you are more like I was, that is, interested in a reasonable expectation of long-term support after buying a $300 (now $280) box, then take note: -- Slim Devices has a market-leading product with a user interface second-to none. I really see only two direct competitors, currently: Roku (whose products have been reviewed and compared to Squeezebox2 on this and other forums), and Sonos, which is essentially in a different class because of the price. Apple could be an indirect competitor. Roku has an interesting external design with (what I consider to be) a sub-standard user interface implementation. Apple could do more with their iPod products if they wished (but why? they've got iTunes). The iPod add-ons from lots of companies are out there. But SlimServer has features which would be hard for iPod add-ons to effectively mimic. -- Slim Devices has a volunteer cast of (well, I really don't know how many!), around the world, helping to develop software. They, and Slim's own employees, including CEO Sean Adams are very responsive on this forum. -- Financially? Well, they just lowered the price on their fairly-new Squeezebox2. There are plenty of possibilities for this, a few being: (1) price drop is justified by margins vs. expected sales; (2) some percentage of boxes were already being sold at a discount (the pony, now retired) which made the price the same as it is now; (3) better competition against what some would consider as their most direct competitor (Roku M1000). (Believe me, it isn't. Go try one.) Of course Slim Devices will face more and more competition, also from companies integrating these features into more conventional equipment like receivers, DVD players, and game boxes. And that will keep Slim on their toes, which is good. :) - Dave -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: RF interference in SB2's headphone output
I just put in this fix this afternoon. I used 33pF, 0805-size caps (forgot to check the dielectric type; they may have been X7R. I can check and get back to you if you care about that). Anyway, it does dramatically reduce the noise, but in my case, does not eliminate it. With the headphone cord in the position I described in my 7/15 post, i.e. across the bottom center of the SB2, there is still audible buzzing or clicking in wireless mode. Just curious: how did you determine the 33pF value? By the way, I really don't care about the little bit of noise; I don't expect I'll use the headphones much at all, and when I do, I'll be careful where the headphone cord goes. This is just a data point for you and others. seanadams Wrote: Anyway, the fix is pretty simple but it does require soldering: attach two 33pF caps to ground on the headphone jack - make sure to keep the leads as short as possible - surface mount caps are best. This eliminates the problem for my test case, irrespective of antenna arrangement etc. -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Stopping SB2 revealing my WPA key
jackaninny Wrote: displaying ANY passwords/passphrase/keys in plain text is bad design I kind of like being able to see what I entered, vs. a bunch of asterisks, for example, but I understand your point. It might be nice then, to be able to enter a PIN which would make the WEP or WPA sensitive info be readable. No PIN entered and you'd get the standard asterisks. -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Mute button?
kdf, Thanks for the extra info and tips on how to do this in a cleaner way. Also good to know that the Custom.map file simply overloads corresponding buttons in the Default.map file (so the Custom.map file can have only a few entries.) I wonder if this would be good material for the wiki (in addition to the info already in Technical Information)? I don't see hold_release mapped anywhere. What's a example of how this modifier could be used? I have a clarification, also, which I just figured out. (FYI for others doing this.) In a previous post, you had referred to the use of a map file of another name, e.g. Custom.map. As you suggested in that post, I had looked in Home-Settings-Player Settings-Remote, but the only options appearing there were for enabling or disabling the IR code recognition for the JVC and/or Slim remotes. As it turns out, the option to use a different map file only appears in Player Settings-Remote if another map file currently exists in the directory with Default.map. If the only map file is Default.map, the option to change map files does not show up at all. (Yeah, ok it makes sense, but software so often does not make sense that it threw me a curve ;) Thanks, Dave -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: RF interference in SB2's headphone output
ephemere Wrote: Removing the antenna makes the interference go away There are two antennas; only one is removeable. This is a good hint as to where the noise entry is. I wonder if there's a bit of crosstalk on the PCB traces feeding the high-impedance input to the headphone amp? I also wonder how many folks are using the SB2's headphone output and wireless simultaneously, because (unless you got unlucky with two bad units) others should see the problem. -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: RF interference in SB2's headphone output
seanadams Wrote: If looks like the headphone amp chip itself (not surrounding traces) is susceptible to picking up the 802.11 signal (it does not appear to be DC power related). So that's a 2.4GHz signal? If it was an RF circuit, I'd say maybe one of the traces is acting as a nice 2.4GHz antenna. (1/10 lambda would be about 1.25 cm.) However, for this audio amp, it seems you'd have to get that noise down into the audio range to hear it. (I'm not an RF guy; just speculating.) Maybe the noise is actually from modulation of the 802.11b/g signal? Here's a thought: If the pop/buzz with each clock tick (once per second) is reproducable, you could trigger a (digital) scope on that and (maybe) get an idea of the frequency of the noise. Maybe the antenna is a secondary effect, e.g. it's acting as a receiver for a lower frequency signal (maybe noise from accessing a memory, for example, or the modulation mentioned above) and re-transmitting. Still, you need to be able to pick it up again in the audio amp section... I also wonder if the Standby/Shutdown pin would be a convenient place to inject some noise. Well, it looks like an interesting problem to debug. Dang, I gotta stop reading threads like this; it's very hard to resist opening the box ;) (I've been going by the photos.) - Dave -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Mute button?
dean Wrote: That would be ideal, but it's hard to get right, though I think it _is_ doable with the right heuristics in the server. Definitely where we'd like to be... Well, I just tried out Ben's suggestion, and it seems to work fine--or at least better than the default mode. (Normally, pressing and holding fwd and rew requires another button press (Play) to get it back to normal speed. Add these lines to the Custom.map file (under [Common]) and it works as expected: fwd.hold_release= play rew.hold_release= play -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: RF interference in SB2's headphone output
seanadams Wrote: What you're hearing is the envelope of the signal. Of course 2.4G is a ways outside our hearing range. :) I bet some folks in the Audiophiles forum would disagree ;) (now I'm in trouble) -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: RF interference in SB2's headphone output
seanadams Wrote: Anyway yes, antenna orientation definitely makes a difference - by pointing the external antenna either straight out or towards the power input plug, I can make it go away. YMMV though - the radio will switch dynamically between the external and the internal antenna as needed. I just changed back to wireless mode to try this out and I also heard the buzz/clicking under certain conditions. My network is 802.11b, by the way. A few more interesting pieces of info, which may help you debug: 1) I used the volume controls to recreate the buzz/clicking (nothing playing). While I was turning the volume up and down, I noticed that the volume of the buzz/clicking does not change. That's probably not all that useful, now that I think about it; volume control is probably not at the headphone amp anyway, since it affects the speaker outputs as well. 2) The antenna orientation (or squeezebox orientation--not the same thing) both affect the level of noise (but read (3) and (4)!). Noise level is not always equal in each ear. Sometimes it goes from the one ear over to the other. Sometimes louder in one ear, etc. 3) I can *remove* the external antenna and still hear the noise. I discovered the next part accidentally. The SB2 had gone over to the RSS screensaver. (When the screensaver is scrolling a fairly constant level buzzing can be heard, which is useful for debugging.) When I started to put the SB2 back up on top of my (metal) CD player, I heard a fairly loud buzzing (left ear only). [Read on; it's not the CD player.] I started playing with the power cord and found that I could cause the noise level to increase when a section of the power cord was brought close to the opposite (right) side of the SB2. But I don't think it's coming from the power cord, because I can put the headphone cord and power cord close together, but away from the SB2 body and hear no noise. 4) Another accident: with the external antenna removed, I turned the SB2 so that the screen was facing me and the left side was toward the floor (top of the SB2 facing to my left). The noise increased. Then I saw that my headphone cord was crossing straight underneath the SB2 (the bottom side of the SB2 is to my right). I then raised the headphone cord so that it was no longer near the left side of the SB2. The noise decreased. The loudest buzzing occurs when I cross the headphone cord almost across the center of the bottom of the SB2, but slightly diagonally toward the front (any orientation of the SB2). Oh, and it flips from left ear to right ear and I have no idea what causes that. My stereo equipment was all powered off for these test, by the way. Only the SB2 was powered. - Dave -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Unable to change remote mapping
I thought I would play with the remote mappings a bit on my SB2 remote, but my changes seem to have no effect, even though I have restarted slimserver. In case my new mapping was invalid, I also tried *disabling* the hold-pause-to-stop function by commenting out this line: pause.hold = stop. That did not work, either; this function continued to operate as if I had done nothing. Here's what I was originally trying to do: I saw in Slim::Buttons::Common that the muted mapping is set up to call Slim::Control::Command::execute. (So a mute function exists, right? At least on the JVC remote?) So I added the following line to Default.map in the [Common] mode section: sleep.hold = muting and I commented out the line: muting = muting (since this button does not exist on the SB2 remote) Restarted Slimserver (and also the SB2) but it didn't work. I also tried other buttons--actually started with 0.hold--without success. That's when I started trying to disable a function, also without success. What am I doing wrong? Thanks, Dave Slimserver 6.0.2 Win XP Pro with all the updates -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Unable to change remote mapping
Sorry for that post. Boy do I feel stupid. As I was getting ready to hit the hay, it occurred to me that I have two copies of the slimserver code: one in the install directory and one in another sandbox. I was modifying the wrong one. Sorry about that. The mappings work just as I would expect. - Dave -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Mute button?
Adding a Mute function to the SB2 remote is really easy. The Mute function already exists in the Slimserver code. It just needs a mapping for the remote. Edit this file: C:\Program Files\SlimServer\Server\IR\Default.map (or whereever you loaded slimserver.) You might want to save a copy of the original file. I did not find a way to create a map file of a different name and have slimserver point to it (instead of Default.map), but I think that is supposed to be possible. Decide what button you want to overload the Mute function on. You do not have to give up the original function of the button. The Slim architecture has allowed for both brief button presses and extended button presses. Pause is an example of this: press Pause briefly and the Squeezebox will pause. Press Pause for a bit longer (press and hold) and the Stop function is executed. You'll probably want to choose a button which does not already have a hold feature implemented (you'll see I did not strictly follow that advice below). Currently, the buttons which have hold implemented are: rew, fwd, pause, play and add. The numbers [0-9] also have hold implemented, but only during text entry, as used in Searching, i.e. press-and-hold 5 enters 5 instead of the letters J, K, or L. Anyway, I chose the 0 button as the one to implement the Mute function. I chose this button because it kind of makes sense: 1) It's close to where SoftSqueeze has its Mute button. 2) 0 is a nice mnemonic to remember Mute. 3) I wanted to see if overloading the hold function on a number key would mess up the search function for that key (it doesn't). So to continue the instructions for editing of the Default.map file, under the [Common] section header, add this line: 0.hold = muting Whitespace does not matter; I saw that the Defaults.map file happens to use tabs--you could follow this practice. [You could add the above line right under this existing line: 0 = numberScroll_0 so that you'll easily be able to see what pressing 0 briely does, vs. pressing it a bit longer.] Restart slimserver. That's all there is to it. Press-hand-hold 0 and it goes to Mute. Press-and-hold again and volume is restored. Just like you would expect. This is one cool toy. - Dave -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Internet Radio streams vastly louder
sleepysurf Wrote: I've been listening primarily to Radioio feeds. My SB2 arrived yesterday (and now I have to leave town for five days--isn't that like taking a kid's Christmas present away?) Anyway, this was one of the first things I noticed, after the Geez-this-is-the-sweetest-toy-I've-bought-in-a-long-time effect wore off a litle bit. Radioio is significantly louder than my ripped MP3s. I thought at first that I ripped all my CDs incorrectly (which could easily be part of the problem.) I tried a few other internet stations and the volume difference is most noticable on Radioio. I'll forgive them; there's a lot of music there I'd never hear otherwise. - Dave -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] First impressions
Just wanted to take a few minutes to thank you folks at Slim Devices for a superb product and maybe let a few lurkers out there know what a great product this is. First thing I noticed was that UPS was not too nice with the box. I thought to myself, Wish they would have packed this inside another box for protection. Well, when I opened the box I saw you had done just that. Nice clean, white box inside, and well-packed. Thanks! The next thing I noticed after opening the box was that I had spent way too much time worrying about whether the black case would look as nice as the platinum, and which one I should get. This soft-touch black finish is impressive, guys, and the remote's finish matches! (For you lurkers: the soft-touch finish feels a little bit like the surface of a peach.) The black fades away to nothing in my entertainment center and all I see is the pretty VF display. Set-up: what a breeze. I bought the wireless unit even though I've gone to the trouble of wiring my house in the last year (don't ask me why; I wonder that myself). Anyway, the setup was very straightforward. I first set it up in wireless mode and it had not a bit of trouble finding and authenticating to my ancient 802.11b (not g) Cisco Aironet 340-series basestation. After that, figuring I might as well use the Cat5 cable in my walls, I plugged in the ethernet cable and (using the left-arrow-hold-to-go-back-to-setup) re-set up the box for wired mode. Easy as pie. Next thoughts: Ambiguous. Part of me felt like I was silly for worrying about spending a couple hundred bucks on a little box to play my music from the computer to the stereo, though it does a lot more than that. (Why did I wait so long?) The other part of me was really glad to have waited long enough to get the 3rd generation Slim Devices box with the oh-so-cool new high-res display. [Aside for lurkers checking out Roku: Slim's $300 box has the same vertical resolution display as the $400 M2000. The M2000 does have a wider display, though.] Next: play some tunes! Okay, here goes. Already know the VF display is sweet. Let's hook into Radioio and see what happens. Awesome and easy. And I don't have to pay anything? Wow! I'm like a little kid with this thing, trying out the screensavers and various settings. Next impression (which I already had from using SoftSqueeze, but felt it renewed), they've done a really nice job on this user interface. Then, hope I can read this from the couch, (plop down) Oh nice, they put a text size button on the remote. Back to the lurkers wondering what box you are going to buy. Note this is not intended to bash the other product; I'm simply stating my opinion. I studied Roku vs. Slim for a long time. I checked out the M1000 and M2000 at a local Tweeter store. I chose the Slim product because I felt it had a much better user interface, would be better supported over time, and could be tweaked. (You can read my comments in another post from a few days ago.) Add to that the same vertical resolution display as the more expensive M2000, and the choice was clear. That was before the Squeezebox2 arrived and I've had a chance to play with it. Now the choice is even clearer and I'm wondering why I ever spent so much time looking at the other product. Although I'm an EE, I'm a stickler about user interfaces. Much more so than with electrical specs. Often a great product shows up with a substandard UI and it's a real shame (I am not necessarily referring to Roku here.) Slim Devices broke the mold and did it right. [An aside about electrical specs. I read the white paper on the Ubicom IP3023 processor in the Squeezebox2 and I keep wondering what gthe folks at Slim have up their sleeves for that chip. It a pretty nifty uP.] My impression of the Squeezebox2 is that this is a very well-thought-out and well-implemented design, from bottom up. Kudos to the Slim Devices team! - Dave -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Mute button?
Dave D Wrote: The zero button does nothing on Softsqueeze while music is playing. Context-applicable mappings are possible, right? If music is playing, pressing the zero button would mute/unmute. Well, this suggestion won't fly. As I was peering through the code to find a place to overload a Mute function for the remote, I was playing with Softsqueeze and noticed that the number buttons DO have a function while music is playing: they take you to various positions in your playlist (looks like the numbers correspond to a percentage of the list, i.e. 0 takes you to the end of the playlist.) Maybe there's another place to sneak it in. :) -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Mute button?
I'm eagerly anticipating my SB2 arriving on Tuesday. Meanwhile, I've been playing with Softsqueeze, and hadn't even noticed that the Mute button is not present on the real SB2 remote. (Well what do you know? :) I've used the Mute on Softqueeze plenty of times already. I agree that Mute should be added to a future remote, especially since there are several currently-unused locations. In the interim, it seems that a new mapping should be possible. The zero button does nothing on Softsqueeze while music is playing. Context-applicable mappings are possible, right? If music is playing, pressing the zero button would mute/unmute. - Dave Simon Still Wrote: I'd guess yes as there *is* a mute on softsqueeze. -- Dave D ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
