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Music Media Hardware

Yamaha MusicCAST Wireless PCM/MP3 Server 142

Posted by michael from the generous-santa dept.
HawKe7 writes "Wireless MP3 in your home? You betcha! Audioholics recently reviewed Yamaha's new MusicCAST Digital Music Server. The MusicCAST can store your entire CD collection in PCM/MP3 formats and stream it wirelessly to clients stationed throughout your home (track, genre and artist info are provided automatically via on-board Gracenote CDDB). Use your imagination... wireless audio throughout the home from a centralized server, digital PCM storage of your entire CD collection, creation of customized playlist CDs with the included CD-R drive... lots of valid uses for this type of tech. The unit is apparently a solid performer (not to mention a FAST CD ripper - just under 5 minutes), with excellent MP3 and PCM audio playback and compatibility with existing 802.11b networks. Though the unit is priced out of reach for some with an MSRP of $2800, it is an impressive system for those who want the latest and the best."
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Yamaha MusicCAST Wireless PCM/MP3 Server

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  • More fun for half the price... (Score:5, Informative)

    by KFury ( 19522 ) * on Friday October 24, 2003 @05:45PM (#7304673) Homepage
    An iBook [apple.com] can do all that for half the price (including the airport card and HD upgrade to 80gigs).

    It's less than a fifth the size, and comes with its own VGA so you can use the TV as the display.

    Of course, you can also use it for other stuff, but heck, if you want to do other stuff, buy a second one.

  • The two Cons are just too big (Score:3, Informative)

    by Polly_was_a_cracker ( 718522 ) on Friday October 24, 2003 @05:49PM (#7304696) Homepage
    Cons: Pricey CD burning only works with more expensive audio CD-Rs, not data CD-Rs I figure for that wad of cash it should be able to burn a cd onto small paper plate.
  • That is a rip off, I don't want to pay for some pricy thing if I am going to have to pay more for CD-Rs!!
    -Seriv

  • FLAC/etc? (Score:2, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Why not use a lossless codec instead of raw PCM? There are several free ones available, including FLAC - which is the most open format.
    • .. and whilst we're moaning about it not supporting various other formats, is it really too much trouble to put in a Ogg Vorbis decoder? That *really* should be the lossy codec of choice these days (in my personal opinion, of course).
      • That *really* should be the lossy codec of choice these days

        What for? To save a few megs on your 80gig HDD? Is there really a point?

  • Redundant? (Score:2, Informative)

    by pete-classic ( 75983 )
    Please enlighten me if I am wrong, but isn't "digital PCM" redundant?

    -Peter
    • lots of valid uses for this type of tech
      Preempting the RIAA already, eh?

      We've become so used to defending our rights to use anything having to do with music that we intinctively use the term "valid uses" at the first opportunity.

      Damn you, RIAA!
    • Sure, but this is an advertisement pandering to the music-craving masses. They're not banking on a high average intelligence, or they'd have priced it a lot lower.
    • Please enlighten me if I am wrong, but isn't "digital PCM" redundant?

      While PCM is by definition digital, there are other ways to store and transmit signals digitally.

      There's PWM for one... but really I suppose that's more of a D->A mechanism.

      As for formats, well, you could store and transmit a fourier transform. Then there's MP3 of course. And FLAC is neat - stores a bunch of predictor coefficient which roughly describe the signal, plus a "residual" stream to make up the difference.

      So I guess "Digit

  • $2800? (Score:4, Insightful)

    by localghost ( 659616 ) <dleblanc@gmail.com> on Friday October 24, 2003 @05:52PM (#7304732)
    This costs way too much. Hardware for a system like this would run you up to maybe $1200, since you're getting lots of storage and a top of the line sound card, but you don't need a display or a graphics card or anything like that. Then add in software to run an audio streaming app (free), software to run a networked filesystem (free), and software to control it remotely, both over 802.11b and IrDA (free, but proprietary IrDA software might work better). No way this would cost $2800. Nice idea, though. If I had enough money to spare, I might consider building a system like this myself. No way I'd pay $2800 for one, though.
    • Hey we're talking about "Audioholics" here. If they're anything like my neighbor, then they probably equate the size of their penises with the cost of their stereo equipment.
      • That just goes to show how ignorant they are.

        Everyone knows that your penis length is based on an amalgam of your CPU clock speed, memory size, and disk space. Duh.
      • <rant>
        The fun really begins when they start their mumbo-jumbo reasoning in the digital world. Oxygen-free solid copper core cables at how many $K/ft is all fine and dandy until someone starts trying to sell you a high performance cat-5 cable (for optimizing jitter in your streaming bits, natch).

        The argument (that I actually had on k5, but in the context of a high-priced digital-out cd player) was that although two bit streams were IDENTICAL on the data layer, somehow the quality of the pyhsical layer

    • Re:$2800? (Score:3, Insightful)

      by YrWrstNtmr ( 564987 )
      This costs way too much.

      Yes, it does. But this is merely on of the first of it's kind.

      How much were VCR's when they frst came out? $1000. Today, $50.
      Calculators? $120. Today? Mostly free.

      10 years ago, how much would you have paid for 100GB of hard drive space?

      Give it time. It'll come down.
      • Yes, it does. But this is merely on of the first of it's kind.

        Tivo is the first of it's kind as a consumer product. This thing is

        1. completely useless to the average home user (as it requires a wifi-compatible device to listen... what joe 6pack has that)
        2. completely useless to the hobbyist/enthusiast, as they can build something similar, *easily* for something liek quarter the price, or get someone to do it (like me) for half the price

        Looks like their target market is rich people who can only buy their tech

      • Re:$2800? (Score:4, Interesting)

        by sunspot42 ( 455706 ) on Saturday October 25, 2003 @03:16AM (#7306968)
        How much were VCR's when they frst came out? $1000. Today, $50.
        Calculators? $120. Today? Mostly free.

        Yeah, but this Yamaha gadget *isn't* the first of its kind. People have been streaming audio using a PC or Mac as a server for several years now. Apple already has a PORTABLE music server that better-leverages the power of the average home PC. Yamaha's simply selling a dedicated, stripped-down, undersized (80GB is a joke) audio server for a whopping $2200. It's a rip-off.

        For $2200, you could buy one of those new desk lamp iMacs and a 300 gigabyte external Firewire hard drive, and rip a sizeable CD library *uncompressed* to your drive, using the iMac as your "dedicated" audio server. And the iMac has its own silent LCD display - you don't have to use a noisy, power-sucking television as your display. There are wireless USB remotes available as well, and most Mac media rippers/players are simple to use. In fact, they look simpler than Yamaha's solution, yet they have greater flexibility. For example, an iMac CD burner won't force you to use the more expensive "audio" CD's, the way Yamaha's audio "server" does.

        Of course, if you already have a PC, devices like the cd3o [cd3o.com] make even more sense, at 1/10th the price of Yamaha's gadget.

        Dedicated *storage* devices like this aren't going to make it in the marketplace - too many disparate interfaces to use, too much proprietary crap, too difficult to update the software to keep up with changing standards, and too much media is starting to flow into the home through the PC (mp3's, Divx video, and now iTunes purchases). Home media libraries are exploding in size - 80GB isn't going to cut it. The future belongs to simple client devices that harness the growing storage and processing power of the average desktop PC, making it easy to access your media in other locations in (and out) of your home. The iPod is a good example of the "out of your home" variety, a client when connected to your PC, a server when you're on the go. The cd3o, SliMP3 and AudioTron are good examples of the "around your home" variety. I'm sure a Tivo-like device is coming soon for video too, now that home wireless bandwidth is sufficient to support compressed a/v streams. Yamaha is *way* behind the curve on this one.
    • I'm curious about the warranty. With the big, cheap drives coming with low warranties, I might be more interested in this device if it comes with a warranty against hard drive failure.
    • I know people who spend more for their wires of their hifi system.

      Power cable? Oxygen free copper, shielded, 100$/m
      spdif cable? Must be high-end, because the bits must be "warm" and "round", not "fuzzy" or "edgy". 350$/m.
      spikes for the speakers? Hand make, 50$ apice...

      There are enough people who would look at you in digust if you tell them that another solution would be cheaper. Simply because they want things to be expensive...

      IMHO 99% of this people just overcompensate the limitations of their ears. "i

  • Why not just build an FM transmitter? (Score:1, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward
    You can buy a kit for a stereo FM transmitter for about $30 at a store like Fry's. (If you buy the components separately, it'll be even cheaper.) Just hook the thing up to the output of the sound card on your friendly little linux box.
  • from the review:
    MSRP $2200


    please tell the author of this post to rtfa =) thanks much!!!

  • Competition (Score:5, Interesting)

    by poptones ( 653660 ) on Friday October 24, 2003 @05:56PM (#7304759) Journal
    If there is ANY market for this type of thing, unemployed geeks across the nation need to head down to the local hifi hut and make their presence known. For $2800 I would come to someone's home, setup a mini PC that could do all of this (more efficiently, too, using shns or apes), and even throw in an extra mini system for the bedroom.

    $2800 is a LOT of money for something so limited in functionality. And Yamaha can't compete with 1:1 personalized service. $1000 for hardware and $1500 profit on an afternoon of work seems like a decent business opportunity to me.

    • Re:Competition (Score:4, Insightful)

      by dspyder ( 563303 ) on Friday October 24, 2003 @06:26PM (#7304992)
      You're forgetting that the average Joe will be able to take the Yamaha system out of the box, plug it in, and be listening to music this year. (quote Apple: There is no step 3)

      Your solution we'll be sitting around waiting for the software packages to finish the last 3% of functionality (in the meantime, their skins engine will work just fine)... not to mention what will happen when the whole thing crashes :)

      I love Linux, but when it comes to reliable, easy-to-install, works every time, doesn't require a degree in programming, there's something to be said about paying money for a prepackaged working solution with support and a warranty.

      Nobody has yet to show me a MythTV solution that is half as clean and reliable as a Tivo or UltimateTV and doesn't sound like a jet engine inside a beige box

      --D

      p.s. "Linux is only free if your time has no value"

      p.p.s. Let the troll mods flow in, I got karma to burn!
      • I love Linux, but when it comes to reliable, easy-to-install, works every time, doesn't require a degree in programming, there's something to be said about paying money for a prepackaged working solution with support and a warranty.

        i'd be willing to bet you a moderate sum that this box runs linux. yamaha have already that they intend to use it on their keyboards starting within the next year or two.

      • You didn't read what I said. I realize you think you're replying to what I said, but it's obvious you forgot to turn off your geek filters before actually hitting that reply button...

        I love Linux, but when it comes to reliable, easy-to-install, works every time, doesn't require a degree in programming, there's something to be said about paying money for a prepackaged working solution with support and a warranty.

        That's why the guy doing the installation (ie the unemployed geek who decides to take on thi

    • But there are things that this can probably do that you're custome $1000 system won't.

      Does your system have push button on, no boot up time? Does your system have one touch CD burning capability? Does your system have the yamaha remote and the ability to be easily controlled by universal remotes? Does it provide a simple OSD (keyword here being simple)? Does it look and function just like every other audio component.

      I won't argue that this thing is overpriced. And you or I or any geek could build

    • $2800 is a LOT of money for something so limited in functionality. And Yamaha can't compete with 1:1 personalized service. $1000 for hardware and $1500 profit on an afternoon of work seems like a decent business opportunity to me.

      meh.
      Forget about all that support and installation stuff. You need some pseudo-science to augment your marketing strategy, and for God's sake raise the price. Remember, your product will be marketed to audiophools. They pay $2800 for speaker cables.
      Next, you will need a re

  • Yep (Score:4, Funny)

    by RightInTheNeck ( 667426 ) on Friday October 24, 2003 @05:56PM (#7304760)
    I'm going to wait till one of my friends get one of these things, then I'm going to build some type of deal that lets me break into the freq with a Mr. Microphone and sit outside his house around 3am.

    "Brian this is GOD. Quit playing with yourself"

    Brian : "It is GOD!"

  • Analog Recording? (Score:2, Interesting)

    by gamartin ( 145290 )
    Why do none of these digital music appliances offer capabilities for analog recording? The PC is a noisy electrical environment and trying to record high-quality audio with a sound card gives poor quality. Why don't these appliances offer high-quality A/D for creating digital content for later streaming (radio, records, TV, etc)? Sounds really useful to me, and none of them do it.
  • This is something I've been waiting for. I have always wanted to set up a "channel music" system throughout the house...cool for playing ambient music...but could never shell out enough money to go in for an audio system with multiple speakers.

    Since I have 3 computers at home, each with a reasonably good sound card + speakers, I thought I'll try streaming music over the LAN using Shoutcast for Winamp.

    The idea failed miserably, though. There was always a 5-10 second lag between the music played on the c

  • Or... (Score:5, Informative)

    by vjmurphy ( 190266 ) on Friday October 24, 2003 @05:59PM (#7304779) Homepage
    Buy a couple of SliMP3s [slimdevices.com] and a couple of Linksys Ethernet Bridges [linksys.com], and avoid lost time spent reburning your CD collection. Oh, and save $2400 bucks.
    • The Slimp3 looks interesting BUT I visited the web site and there's no phone number or e-mail... very weird.

      It seems like a quality product but its exact function isn't well described. I hate marketing-speak like this:

      The SLIMP3 (Slim-'pE-'thrE) Network Music Player is a revolutionary approach to digital music playback. It frees your digital music from your computer so it can be enjoyed throughout your home.

      What the f*ck does that mean? Why can't you folks say something like, "it connects to your st
      • The back of the unit has left and right audio out, an ethernet port, and a connection for power... that's it.

        Software (perl) runs on linux, OSX, windows, and streams MP3, OGG, etc. to the device... that's it.

        The marketing may suck, but the device ROCKS!
    • Substitute used iMac for the SliMP3s and you can play AAC and Protected AACs from iTMS.
    • Here here... I have an Audiotron that I hooked up to a Linksys bridge (actually, the cheaper "wireless game adapter" version) and its the best $79 I've ever spent. Works like a charm with 802.11g.

  • Wow (Score:2, Interesting)

    by TheSpoom ( 715771 )
    I didn't know that my old laptop with a decent hard drive and a wireless router was worth $2800!
  • I can do all that with iTunes, and any computer with a CD drive and 802.11.

    In point of fact, I *do* do all of that except the wireless part, and that's just because I live in a well wired building.
    • " I can do all that with iTunes, and any computer with a CD drive and 802.11. In point of fact, I *do* do all of that except the wireless part, and that's just because I live in a well wired building."

      Well, I *do* do all that, too, and wireless, to boot.

      Word to your mother.
  • That's not fast... that's... 74mins/5mis ~ 14x...

    If it ripped in 2 minutes, that would be fast.

    Now it's just "not slow".

    But i guess if the disc starts spinning at +INF rpms to rip at >24x and makes the entire device shake like a washing machine during tumble dry it would freak buyers...so it's a nice tradeoff.
  • TiVoCluster...

    Multiple TiVos that each can record and playback, and have a common ToDo list and a common "Now Playing". All wirelessly.

    You just need the 20 LNB DirecTV Dish.

  • This is not new (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Jesrad ( 716567 )
    I have been doing this with my 1999 iMac DV for some time now. Airport card + iTunes 4 + 45 GB HD holding all my music, it also doubles as a filesharing server, WiFi router, and webserver (and many more uncommon usages, too). For a total price of half the $2800 of the Yamaha gizmo.

    I agree, though, that my music is digitalized as 192 kbps MP3, not PCM.

  • Not that expensive (Score:4, Interesting)

    by DOsinga ( 134115 ) <<douwe.webfeedback> <at> <gmail.com>> on Friday October 24, 2003 @06:04PM (#7304819) Homepage Journal
    It seems a lot for a computer playing mp3s. But if you compare it to what most multi-room stereo systems cost, it is quite ok. We seem to be heading towards a situation where specific devices with limited capabilities are more expensive than pc's that do the same.

    - - - - - - - - - -
    sample my google hacks [douweosinga.com]

    • We seem to be heading towards a situation where specific devices with limited capabilities are more expensive than pc's that do the same.

      I'm waiting for Apple to create their iCenter or whatever they'll call their digital media center (Because I'm sure they'll make one). Something that has all the qualities of the PC (like multi-purpose) without all the downsides of the PC, that "just works".

      Something like a headless Mac, more like an iPod and more, except it's something you'd like to place in your stere

  • Prismiq (Score:4, Interesting)

    by dpoolman ( 669017 ) on Friday October 24, 2003 @06:07PM (#7304851)
    Check out Prismiq [prismiq.com]. Supports audio and video (lots of formats - yes divx). Its also extremely hackable, based on Linux - lots of support from the developers on how to hack it, including publishing the communication protocol between the server software and the hardware device.
    • Yeah, except you have to have windows to use their mp3 serving tool ... it "supports" linux by allowing you to use the windows box to view shared drives.

      Hrm.

      They say linux support is coming, but I've heard that before.

  • Hmm.. (Score:2, Troll)

    by skinfitz ( 564041 )
    Hands up who hasn't already built one of these...

    OMG it's like... we geeks build these things because it just obvious and has to be done and like these big corporations package it for the masses.

    I feel so .. used.
  • http://www.leviton.com/sections/prodinfo/newprod/ n pleadin.htm

    http://www.leviton.com/pdfs/lin/LINsections_2003 /L IN_HScat_StructuredMediaSystems.pdf

    If you can install data jacks you can install this. I can broadcast music and video to almost any room in my house from my computer using CAT5 cable. If I want to broadcast music from my stereo then I just move the input patch cables from the computer jack to the stereo jack. With this setup I could play a Divx file on my computer and literally watch it i
  • I think it's obscene to make light of people with serious addictions to Audiohol like the site mentioned in this article have. OBSCENE!!!!

  • at $2800 (Score:3, Insightful)

    by penguin7of9 ( 697383 ) on Friday October 24, 2003 @06:20PM (#7304949)
    it should include a substantial collection of pre-ripped CDs. You know, the "all classical" MP3 collection or the "all Jazz" MP3 collection.
  • Put you'r money towards a Mac and you will get the same thing plus more. My new dual 2.0GHz G5 system can rip a CD in 4-5 minutes. You can rip to MP3/AAC/AIFF/WAV and it streams through any IP based network, wired or wireless. If audio quality is you're goal, rip to AIFF and use the built in optical audio ports.

    I would imaging iTunes beats hands down any interface embeddeded into a dedicated server. Plus OS X is rock solid, so if you really want a device that just rips and streams, throw the system in
  • only $35.00 a gig! thanks!

    but, i have 2000 cd's, so i guess i only need 4 of these for immediate use... and one for the future!
  • Hmm,

    Well for alot less than this I just have my main Pc hooked up to my soundsystem, then I crank the music, and presto I can hear the music everywhere in my house.... Though it is kind of painful to be anywhere near my pc.. *shrug*
  • I did the same thing for about 200 bucks.... 802.11 for the PC's and router (ebay) and moodlogic for the playlists and ID3 tag fixing. With the right permissions, on my LAN, you can browse all of my MP3's and multiple playlists. Why buy a device when you can slap 120GB to the file server for 90 bucks??
  • From the Bass Station site [bass-station.net] :

    The Bass-Station is a mobile, visually loud, and funky 1980s Boom Box. Imbedded within its shell is a modern computer and wireless networking components. By creating a locally accessible wireless network, people of an intimate community can use the Bass- Station as a hub through which they can freely and democratically exchange information. By actively observing the exchanges of a small community, you can learn things about that community that you couldn't by talking to any one

  • The system has been shipping for months, and was announced and prototypes shown at CEDIA last year.

    It's a nice system and worked well. It is larger than it looks in the photos.

    I would generally recommend the Audio Request [request.com] with a house amp though, if you're willing to spend a couple thousand more.

  • I don't understand why every reviewer seems to think that a home audio server needs to stream its content. I would think that the server would just need to be a wire/wireless ethernet disk server which the client would connect to and read as a file system. The audio playing application would simply start reading the audio file, fill up its memory buffer and start playing when it can buffer over any small disk/network interruptions.

    The audio server is practically brainless and the client doesn't need much
  • Is it just me, or are Slashdot articles getting more and more like advertisements every day?
  • I guess I'm in the minority because I just can't agree with the "just use a PC" crowd. PCs are noisy (unless you throw a lot of money at the problem), ugly (ditto) and just don't belong in a home theater rack IMHO.

    I like this idea because it looks and operates like a home theater component as well as acting as a server. For example, I can use a remote control, and it has a display and buttons ON THE UNIT so I don't necessarily need to use a TV/monitor in order to use the box.

    Aside from the fact that it is
    • What about mini-ITX? You can put them in about any size case (that looks like a home stereo component, retro tape deck, or the like,) utilize analog buttons and LCD screens, and build one that WILL server your files, rip music, and play DVD's for less than $1K. There's no way I would pay more for a music "streamer" than what I paid for my first car!!
      • Yeah, I have been playing with a fanless Mini-ITX system with some decent results. I've been having trouble finding a case that has two 5 1/4" drive bays (one for CD-RW, one for Matrix Orbital display plus keypad). The other problem is that it's a hell of a lot of work to get it all doing what I want. None of the projects I've seen out there are doing what I want, so I've had to start writing it myself. When I think of all the hours I've put into the project that I could've been doing something (profitable
  • ...the first cluster on the hd breaks.

  • What a rip-off (Score:3, Interesting)

    by sunspot42 ( 455706 ) on Friday October 24, 2003 @08:23PM (#7305684)
    Why would anyone with a PC buy one of these spendy Yamaha units when they could buy something like this [cd3o.com] for $200 and use their computer as a massive MP3 server? It's wireless, supports playlists, and doesn't even require a display (which is a huge plus - who wants to hear the whine of a television set while they're trying to listen to music?).
    • Actually, I should have said "audio" server instead of "MP3 server" in my earlier post, as the cd3o supports MP3, Windows Media Audio and plain vanilla WAV files. It also "reads" MusicMatch tags on WAV files, so you can finally provide the kind of metadata for WAVs that MP3 and WMA files have enjoyed.
    • Okay, that's pretty good. Hide a server somwhere else, and put this nice quiet fanless thing in the stereo rack. I'm not sure about the voice prompts, though. I think that that could be annoying. I'd rather have a display, buttons and an OSD to resort to for complicated operations.

      For such a relatively cheap price, I might give it a try and see how it works for me.
      • The voice is annoying, but the next software release is supposed to allow you to change it. They use the standard Windows voice synth doo-dad, which I'm assuming will continue to get better over time. Truth be told, my favorite "playlist" is my entire music collection, switched to random mode, so I don't utilize their voice guide all that often anyway. In random mode all kinds of nifty stuff crops up that I'd forgotten about, and some of the transitions are inspired.

        A small display - like you'd find on
  • is linux + gnump3d + ripit.pl + LAME. Nothings easier to create mp3s with than the little perl script ripit.pl. Just pop in a cd and type "ripit" at the command line. Gnump3d (www.gnump3d.org) is really easy for a novice to install. Just add a wireless access point to the mix and voila! wireless music library!
  • I already have this in my house. The ingredients are:-

    For the storage/music serving:-
    1xLinux server in attic.

    For the ripping and encoding:-
    CDparanoia (rip)
    Lame (encode)
    FreeDB (track lookup)
    Grip (Really effective GUI to control the above :)

    For the playback:-
    2xsliMP3 players http://www.slimp3.org

    And a Linksys WET11 for each device to make it wireless (plugs into existing 10/100base ports).

    Grip will create the directory strcuture on the fly however you want it (Mine is artist/disc/tracks) and the Sli

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