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Play MP3s on Your Stereo Without Wires 123

Posted by CmdrTaco from the super-cool-toys dept.
ChrisGoodwin sent us linkage to a pretty excellent one. Its a Wired Story about a new toy called MP3 Anywhere from X10. It allows you to play MP3s wirelessly on your home stereo by transmitting them over a 2.4ghz connection from your PC. The downside is that it looks like it uses a winamp plugin, so there isn't Linux support yet, but it definitely shows promise. The same device can be used to broadcast video the same way.
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Play MP3s on Your Stereo Without Wires

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  • >But Linux doesn't support plug and play so it'll only work in Windows.


    I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY hope you were being sarcastic there...
  • Um, because FM audio quality blows?

    :)


  • (The following information is essentially second hand but is provided as a general summation of what it seems this system is about. I'm writting the following comment to help alleviate the confusion surrounding this system)

    The X10 DVD Anywhere system is a device that plugs into your DVD out and and soundcard audio out plugs. Like all X10 devices you can remotly control them from your computer for the purpose of automating your household. The new MP3 anywhere is simply an addon pluggin to winamp so that you can use the universal X10 remotes to control your mp3 collection remotly. But as the DVD anywhere kit simply plugs into your soundcard and sends that directly to your stereo, you can use it as a wireless stereo solution under any circumstances/operating systems
  • Yes, but that doesn't work for people with 2 story houses.. with the computer in one corner, and the stereo in the other corner
  • The Big Picture was the old unit--I'm not even sure if they're selling it anymore.

    The DVD Anywhere is what you're looking for. It does 2.4Ghz, and has four channels you can use (if you have problems with other 2.4Ghz stuff.) The RCA connector on the back of the receiver is for your TV/VCR, if you don't have an RCA input connector on it. The unit works pretty well--it'll go through closed doors, people, etc. The only thing I've found that fritzes it out is running the microwave (but, YMMV.)

    [as someone else said, the DVD anywhere gets you the free Learning Remote (which is friggin' cool--it has a receiver that will memorize IR signals from other remotes, so it lets you combine many of your remotes into one.)]

    I'm not trying to be a salesman or anything--I just think it's a good price, if you need something like this. I looked around on the Web and this was, by far, the cheapest way to go. Other companies selling the same unit wanted $300+ for it.
  • My neighbor's microwave (in an apartment complex) didn't seem to be a problem, but the crappy one in my apartment is (the picture is pretty much obliterated if I try to operate the microwave.)

    [Uhh...so why the hell are there all of these 2.4Ghz devices coming out? Networking, phones, etc? Was someone really stupid at the FCC?]

  • I'm the exact opposite. Instead of spending $250 for 'really good' computer speakers I spent $200 on a complete stereo system (Sony Pro Logic receiver, Yamaha front speakers, the receiver came with a free set of surround/center channel satellites - new years sales rock) and have much better sound quality, many many switched audio inputs (as well as video source switching) and other fun routing stuff for somewhat less than Altec Lansings with their semi-decent quality. This setup slowly migrated from being computer speakers to being an actual home theater; I'd like to see your 'whoppin good speaker system' do that (and yes, I do have my computer still hooked up to this system - *nice* for Quake :)
    ---
    "'Is not a quine' is not a quine" is a quine.
  • Comment removed based on user account deletion
  • Here's what the system ACTUALLY is, avoiding the hype:

    The Sender sends a stereo audio+1 video signal to the receiver. That's it. It's just that simple folks, works on ANY os, since it's not actually doing a whole lot. It's the exact same sender/reciever pair used in the DVD anywhere set.

    The remote control is the exact same as the Mouse Remote they offer. It is a universal IR remote, PLUS a RF remote that goes to a reciever you attach to either your PS/2 mouse or serial port. Linux drivers ARE available for this item.

    The key difference between the various systems is the software. With the MP3 anywhere, (according to the website) you get software to control the RealJukebox (probably has a winamp plugin too that they don't mention) so that you don't have to setup the remote control functions yourself.

    That's it. That's the gist of it. Note that all but the software can be bought entirely separately on their site. You can buy this thing, piece by piece. And the software is FREE to download. Well, most of it. There's some software they want you to pay for, like some stuff for that firecracker kit a lot of people bought (I got one, I like it, but they should give that software away...)

    ---
  • I ordered the Firecracker kit, and it never arrived, but they sent me almost daily spams for more "great deals". Ugh. Have most other people received their Firecrackers yet? They're way beyond the FTC's 30-day limit for mail order sales, but I don't have the energy to kick them around about it at the moment. I'm sure not ordering anything else from them until they get my first order correct, no matter how cool the new stuff sounds.
  • One thing that should be mentioned about the X10's MouseRemotes (included, apparently, in the DVDAnywhere and now the MP3Anywhere) is that the mouse remote driver software doesn't work with wheel mice.

    I've got a Logitech MouseMan+, and if the software is installed as it's supposed to be, it will disable the wheel on your mouse. (The mouse remote works fine, however.)

    Apparently, this is a long standing problem with X10 (check usenet for more info).

    There's a way to hook the MouseMan on a spare serial port, but I haven't figured this out.

    It's goofy shit, IMHO. X10 oughta just write the damn driver software. It's a cool product.
  • ... is a CD player with a buit in mp3 decoder. Or something like Rio that uses CDs instead of flash memory. Anyone have anything like this?

    ^. .^
    ( @ )
  • I purchased the DVD Anywhere a couple of months ago and yes, the microwave oven causes problems if it is near the receiver (like they are on oposite sides of a wall)
  • I saw a couple of these over at mp3.com. Check under hardware.
  • Oh, wait, I get it.
    They're just packaging the transmitter bit with a big remote control.
    Despite the coolness of big remote controls, I still don't like it.
    I know you all wanted to know that.
    I'll stop cluttering the comments page now.
  • FM isn't a frequency band, but a method of modulating a RF wave to carry information (Frequency Modulation). I use FM at 1.2 GHz every day to carry a TV signal to an ATV repeater in Dallas.

    The MP3 X-10 unit is a variation on the Wave Comm units that can be used to transmit audio and composite video signal to another room. They use spread spectrum and you can choose from several different frequency ranges.

  • It is possible to tell the diff between a WAV ripped from a CD and a 128kbit MP3 version of that wav. Pretty much you can only hear it in certain parts of certain songs. Cymbals and such, for instance.

    The advantage of 10:1 compression is very inviting. For audiophiles you can simply encode at a higher rate, 160 or 192, and not use joint stereo, and you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference in the sound quality. At these rates you can still get 7 or 8:1 compression.
  • From the picture, it's got stereo RCA jacks, and a video RCA jack. On the other unit, I can see a coax connector. But the specs don't mention anything about video. They probably took the picture from their "Big Picture" unit, if it's not the exact same thing, just different name and price. Has anybody seen/used one of those Big Picture units? I'd love to be able to sit in the living room and surf/do whatever. I remember seeing a unit before that had a remote keyboard/mouse and video transmitter. Plugged right into serial/keyboard connector, so no compatability problems. But it was $300; for that price I could just as easily build myself another computer and put it in my stereo rack. Anyone have any experience with any of the remote TV/mouse, etc.... I know building another computer is better, but I don't really want to have to make a lan drop in my living room.
  • Yep... "It's good to be King!" Or a monopoly.
  • I need something along these lines, but much simpler. I'm looking for a transmitter/receiver pair that will accept an amplified mono source on the transimtter side (~20 Watts) and output either a line level or weakly amplified signal on the receiver side. What I'm wanting to do is to xmit the rear channel from my pro-logic receiver to the line-in on my PC's sound card. As my desk is in the living room behind the couch, this would work great for wireless surround sound. Anybody seen anything like this? I would prefer pre-made, because I'm lazy, but kits or plans are OK.
  • or. A box in the stereo rack with 100 meg ethernet connected to another box with a big ass hard disk in it. :)
  • It's no more different from it than the "DVD Anywhere" is from the box they originally sold for remoting TV signals from those cute little consumer sattelite dishes.

    We bought one here and the biggest disappointment is that the "remote repeater" function apparently only works if the box you want to remote-control has a hardwire input for remote signals; apparently most satellite TV rigs have this. My VCR sure doesn't.

    Does anybody know whether if you hook up an IR transmitter to the wire it will then repeat the IR signal and thus work with ordinary VCR/LaserDisk devices?

  • If you want to climb up the stairs to change your playlist, be my guest. :-) Why not make a tape or MD of your mp3's and save yourself the walk?
    --
    "I was a fool to think I could dream as a normal man."
    B. B. Buick
  • So will this thing interfere with the 2.4GHz 11MBps wireless LAN I WILL be setting up?
  • My thoughts exactly. they only cost about 20 bucks and work great. all sound from computer will go though your stereo and you don't have to have any plug in.
  • And who needs the software? I reprogrammed the Phone mode button to instead launch WinAmp and then have all of the MouseRemote buttons control Winamp by having buttons trigger the WinAmp keyboard shortcuts.

    If you are into Linux, while the Mouseremote is a dud at the moment, you could easily set scripts using heyu and normal X10 controllers to control your mpegs.

    You know you're an MP3 freak when you take a new CD home and the first thing you do is rip it...
  • Most true audiophiles will be able to tell the difference between 168Kbps joint-stereo MP3s and CDs. There are specific things to listen for, that's all. Same reason I can tell the difference between and MD digitally copied from a CD (which still sounds better than a 128Kbps MP3, btw).
  • That's exactly why I don't use joint-stereo. I encode 128kpbs VBR instead and the quality has gone up significantly. I settled for 128kpbs before but now with VBR it is really really good for songs in which you WANT the highs to come through...

    like Chris Rea's Road to Hell... nothing like a super "clean" song with super crisp highs and base so solid you feel like you're getting punched.
  • why not hack together something with the remote-transmission feature of the wireless units? the receiver can send back infrared signals (via RF) which are relayed to the output of the transmitter's IR extender output.

    Then just use your regular remote control for the TV and map it to Cable2 or something
  • Actually, this works on any platforms, 'cause all you do is hook it up with a 'y' adapter to your soundcard. Any FM radio receiver will do. Slip on that old AM/FM walkman and dig mp3's while mowing the lawn!

    http://www.rainbowkits.com/FMST-100.html

  • Nope not stupid.

    The FCC normally does not allow one to broadcast at all, except low power in bands that are considered not useful for commercial concerns. The exceptions to this are things like CB (which used to require a licence) and the "family radio" bands which were recently released. Therefore a band which is screwed up by all the Microwave ovens is a perfect one to give away! (the FCC is constantly trying to steal bandwidth from ham radio to SELL to commercial concerns. Don't ever believe it when somebody from the government says that they are working for YOU.)

    --McFly

  • What do you think the MP3Anywhere people are using? Short wave?

    FM sounds great and it's dirt cheap. Go to Radio Shack fer Christ's sake. DIY.

  • I'm not talking about the physical layer or the transmission method or MP3 compression. Most of the posts here deal with those issues in one way or another.

    I'm talking about noise from the same email everyone who ordered the Firecracker kit gets on a daily basis, at least by default. Of course they're just trying to convince us that we need more stuff. But I've seen everything they have to offer when I visited their website to get my Firecracker kit. I have a fairly good memory of what there is available for X10 and am sure I'll place an order for what I need.

    In the past, and even still now, local companies deliver consumables to people on a daily basis. Milkmen and fruit/vegetable vendors were more common during my parent's life, but this isn't something I need to think about on a daily basis. "Hmmm...do I need a new X10 outlet today?" doesn't cross my mind on a monthly basis, let alone daily.

    I want to get emails from companies and organizations that have something NEW to say, such as a new or upgraded product. I would hate missing something important or interresting because I had the reflex of deleting them unread, as soon as it comes in.

    So my rating of the whole thing: Too much noise, not enough signal.

    X10 pieces make a good candidate for their own icon for the 'skip' toggle...this was posted as a music news item.

    Well, they DID mention not having enough news on GIS.

  • I realize this. However, when at such a high frequency, you have quite a bit more bandwidth, so whether it's using FM or not, it'll have much better quality than FM radio. I could have been a bit more specific, though, and said I was referring to FM radio as defined by the FCC for the purpose of publicly-broadcast transmission.
    ---
    "'Is not a quine' is not a quine" is a quine.
  • Whether or not you can hear a difference does depend on several things. How good your hearing is, how good your soundcard is, bitrate/sampling rate, etc. But the type of music you're listening to makes a difference too. Songs with a greater dynamic range tend to take a bigger hit from mp3 other songs, I've noticed. In particular, a lot of classical stuff sounds like total crap on your standard 128kbps/44kHz mp3.

    And it's not really a case of *trying* to hear the difference, as just hearing it and occasionally wishing "I wish this sounded a little more like my CD".

    Of course, even with the quality degradation of mp3, it *still* sounds much better than the radio ;-)
  • Well first we have to work out getting dvd movies to play locally on linux, then we can start worrying about getting remote operations working. :) just a thought

  • The best way is just to plug an old Pentium machine to the stereo, network everything together, and you can do whatever you want over telnet or remote X (or VNC over Windows). This way you can also have fancy animations running on your TV screen.

    OT crap: Why don't the manufacturers put S-Video input into many TV sets? Even my 15-year old JVC set has it.

    Also, get a second hand stereo unit for your computer would be money better spent than getting another fancy electronic gadget. There are a few pretty good magnetically shielded speakers around, and most small speakers won't affect the screen much if placed a reasonable distance away (20 cm or more)

    Re: post on FM radio quality "sucks" - that's because most stations compress the dynamic range of the songs so the crappy radio in most cars can hear an "acceptable" sound. Tune in to a station not using compression (probably the clasical music stations) and you'll notice the difference, if your stereo costs as much as your computer to start with.

    OT question: anyone know how to config X for a S3 Virge GX2 for display on a TV? I haven't managed to find any info yet on the net.
  • Now all i need to do is hook that cell phone reciver up to my tv and get free porn! Wait, nevermind.
  • ...Since this uses the exact same sender unit as the camera, DVD Anywhere, and the Video Sender, you've got an extra port that you can send video on. In fact, I've been using my DVDAnywhere kit to send MP3 sound for some time now: I have my peesee's dvd decoder's video going through the video sender, and the AC3 output going on regular cable through the wall. Then, I use the sound on the video sender to send my line out to the line-in on my AC3 decoder (the Cambridge Desktop Theater 5.1). Sounds great. And the MouseRemote will work with winamp right out of the box, no special plugin needed. :)

    I was pretty excited about the MP3 anywhere, until I realized that the only real innovation here is the winamp plugin. :)

  • I've been doing this for months using a Ramsey Stereo FM Transmitter kit. Works great. You also get the advantage that you can listen in any room of the house using nothing but a simple FM Receiver.

    I listen to my music in the shower, kitchen, bedroom, and even outside on headphones when I'm working on my bike.

    You can get Ramsey kits from their site:
    http://www.ramseyelectronics.com
  • It supports a single type of Mp3 playback software
    Uck.
    I'd much rather have a wireless transmitter hooked up to my soundcard.
    Versatility, it's the UNIX philosophy, right?
    Maybe I'm just way off here too.
  • your using a rather blunt instrument then, aren't you?
  • This is super cool. Now we can compose our electronic music and get the wonderful sound straight from the machine without having to dump it on the four-track first! Weee!!!!

    Luxurious Fur [homepage.com]

    The Divine Creatrix in a Mortal Shell that stays Crunchy in Milk
  • According to the daily X-10 spam you sign up for when ordering the firecracker kit, it uses a plugin for RealJukebox that hooks into your remote.

    personally, I think dedicating a box in your stereo rack with a Big-Ass Hard Drive(tm) and lirc is a better way to go.
  • This is just what we need: Digital audio, output to analog, transmitted through the static of a cordless phone, output through another miniDIN, passed through another amp, and the piped to your speakers.

    BINGO! 8-track quality audio.

  • why? (Score:1)

    by fixe ( 28769 )
    you'd be better off buying a 100ft patch cable instead. that way you not only save $60+, you are also not limited to only playing mp3's.

    duh.
    :)
    -fixe
  • Given X10's stance regarding Linux (as evidenced by the firecracker promotions in the past) would it be logical to assume that we just might see support for their MP3 Anywhere device under Linux (or even their DVD Anywhere -- basiclly the same thing w/ video). Has anyone out there had any success hacking out Linux software for these things? Do you think there is a possibility of another X10 promotion for the Linux community here? It seems that these devices would be highly suited canidates for the Video4Linux project.

    ~GoRK
  • The Wired artice says that this will work with a WinAmp plugin (cool), but the x10 website says RealJukebox is required. Last thing I need is to install RJ on my machine. WinAmp works just fine thank you.

    I wonder which one it is.

  • Well, of course they're going to develop software for Windows. Windows users NEED their hands held. At the same time, they know its a waste of time to develop for Linux (or your Open Source OS of choice)... those guys will make their own stuff, and probably much better than what you can produce anyway.

    See? Anyone can troll. Fun for the whole family!

  • I used to have an 8 track component piece that had RCA outs.... now, what would really work nice is if you could get multiple receivers for each transmitter -- this way, if you live in a house full of stereo equipment (roomates etc) you could all crank the same thing at once. Or you could run wires (can't say we haven't done that before.)
  • This is the exact reason I bought DVD anywhere. And it works fine with my soundcard and linux for sending sound to my stereo. Now I just need to find a way to get the mouse-remote to work with linux and buy a vga to ntsc converter. If anyone has any sucess with the mouseremote and linux drop me a line, erik@theswansons.net
  • For $110 you can get a 2.4 ghz video/stereo audio transmitter/receiver kit and all you need there is RCA input on the transmitter from your soundcard, which is easy. No plugins or any other OS specific requirements. Its an itch more expensive, but not too bad.

    -Restil
  • I think the most dubious one here is Wired News. I mean, most news places regurgitate press releases, but that DVD Anywhere story was regurgitating 'news' about a product that was months old like it just came out. Then to follow it up a couple of weeks later with another X10 'newsflash.' Geez - I guess waiting at the fax machine for a press release beats actually working to find real news out there.

    I like playing around with X10 crap, but I have to say that their marketing techniques are enormously offensive, from the 'babe' banner ads to the endlessly repeating 'last day' sales and constant spam.
  • Great, now my stereo system is going to start crashing. So when my computer crashes does the LCD on my stereo will turn blue?




  • Good lord people, that was a JOKE.
    Lighten up.
  • This is a marketing spin on X-10's standard 2.4 GHz video transmission unit. A while back they created a 2.4 GHz video transmission unit and marketed it as VideoSender. Then, they upgraded it a bit and repackaged it with a MouseRemote and sold it as DVD Anywhere. Now, they have repackaged it with their "BOOM" software and are selling it as MP3Anywhere. All should be $77 (88 + special discount they've been offering for a while now). The transmission units simply have 3 RCA plugs, and you're expected to use them for stereo + maybe video. The MouseRemote can control your computer, and thus your MP3 player.

    I've called X10 and asked them, just to double-check, and they confirmed that the MP3Anywhere and DVD Anywhere use the same transmitters/receivers. Thus, pick your preferred deal - BOOM software or no BOOM software, same price, same units, seem to be the same other accessories.

    I'd love to see someone post some 3rd party software for the mouse remote. I haven't looked into how their BOOM software works, so I don't know how hard this would be, but those of us with DVD Anywhere units would rather not miss out on any potential new feature. :)
  • after paying the shipping. They seems a bunch of people out to make some very cool stuff, except I can't tell their ads from a porn site ad, so it's even.


    CY
  • Oh, for those of yall who want to hook your computer up to something like a boom box that doesn't have rca in jacks, you can use your cd-players car-tape adapter and put the tape into your system. You may want to get an extension cord as most of them are fairly short.

  • For $110 you can get a 2.4 ghz video/stereo audio transmitter/receiver kit and all you need there is RCA input on the transmitter from your soundcard, which is easy.

    From the pictures on the site, it looks like this is exactly what the 'MP3 Anywhere' is. For $88.

  • Oh man, when the clue train came rolling by you weren't the one standing right in the middle of the track, were you?

    FM stands for Frequency Modulation. It means you modulate the frequency of your waves. This is opposed to Amplitude Modulation, wherein you modulate the amplitude of your waves.

    There are some other modes of transmission that fall under the category of "Miscelanious" - Phase Modulation comes to mind. Phase modulation is, or was the last time i checked, considered experimental by the FCC. You need special permission to experiment with it.

    The fact that you point out the range used by commercial radio stations only illustrates that you've never even sat next to someone who has the least bit of rf experience, not even a CB bubba. Modes of transmission have close to nothing to do with the ranges of frequency that the FCC has set aside for them.

    Personally, I don't pretend to have the foggiest idea whether they say they use AM or FM. I'm 100% certian they don't use Phase or Pulse modulation.

    I'd be surprised if they use amplitude modulation, since it has a greater tendency to cause interference, and a greater tendency to be affected by interference from other devices.

    For your gee whiz collection, police band is generally between 130 and 150 mhz, and is FM. "two meter" radio as used by technician-class HAMs is definately FM. The "trunked" business radios a lot of public utilities and companies with mobile technicians use are 800Mhz (roughly) FM. Cellular phones are definately FM.

    Frankly, I'd be shocked if they were using 2.6Ghz AM. I don't think you'd want to stand next to a 2.6Ghz AM transmitter, even if you could run it on household mains.
  • I don't know what they're using, but it's likely not FM, and regardless, it's in the 2.6GHz frequency area, so it has a LOT more bandwidth to play with than normal FM (which is between 89.1 (I think) and 107.9 MHz) or even television signals (which are split in two bands, the higher one going up to 500MHz IIRC, though I can't remember the lower band or the bottom end of the upper band). Try reading the article someday; you might learn something.
    ---
    "'Is not a quine' is not a quine" is a quine.
  • It really depends on the song. Some mp3s can be encoded at 128 kbps and are virtually indistinguishable from the original wav. Others, with an extremely wide range of frequencies (ie extremely rich electric guitar distortion with constant crashing cymbals) can sound terrible all the way up to 256 kbps. I have yet to find an song that when encoded at 256 kbps sounds difference.

    To hear the mp3 'distorting' of the original sound, you have to have decent speakers/headphones, and you have to know what you are listening for. I find that what gives the truest sound are my $200 Sony headphones (with a frequency response from 20 Hz to 20 000 Hz) and, depending on the sound, you can hear a sloshy sound in the extreme high end, kind of like what you get from a gurbled up cassette tape. It sounds vaguely electronic.

    Myth #1: MP3s have a reduced dynamic range compared to CD tracks:
    This is false, the dynamic range of an mp3 is high, just as much as the original recording.

    Myth #2: MP3s are missing the high end
    Unless encoded by Xing's codec (which sucks, never use it), an mp3 will have virtually identical frequency response all the way into the high end. However, when encoded at lower bitrates, an mp3 will mutate the high end around by adding noise at approximately the same frequencies, thus saving the space where the original sound was. This is a distortion to the original high end, but there is still a high end there.

    For most shovelware modern pop music 128kbps is adequate, but when encoding classic recordings, 192kbps and even 256kbps is recommended to guarantee the waveform has not become too distorted from it's original shape. It is similiar to a JPEG image--it looks gross when the compression is turned way up, but when compressed at the right ratio, is indistiguishable from the original image.

  • I'm surprised no one on Slashdot has brought up the fact that 2.4 gigs is the band that Bluetooth [bluetooth.com] is using. Seems a shame they didnt see it as an opportunity to use the technology...

    (The 1.0 Bluetooth spec was released last month and development kits are available even if a little expensive due to being first generation!)

    ~Pev
  • I read you could just ftp to

    ftp.x10.com and get it from their ftp site.
    Might be worth looking into.

  • Re:why? (Score:1)

    by qqaz ( 33114 )
    Excellent point. I have one of my computers right next to my stereo, so I connect my sound card to the CD input on my stereo. Works great.

  • Yes... (Score:1)

    by miyax ( 32757 )
    This is pretty cool, but is it possible to go the opposite direction? I mean, play stereo output through a sound card?

    miyax
  • Maybe I'm just a conspiracy minded freak, but since the X10 Firecracker giveaway a while ago, X10 went from almost 0 presence in my everyday haunts to almost weekly presence. Is it just coincidence, or has X10's advertising department or PR firm just spend a BUTTLOAD of money getting the word out? The weird thing is, they all seem to come up as stories on "legit" sites but read like press releases rather than reporting. For example, recent links & stories:

    Slashdot:
    10.Jul.1999: Promotional Freshmeat X10 Firecrackers [slashdot.org]
    23.Jun.1999: More Firecracker Kits For Free [slashdot.org]
    21.Jun.1999: Home automation gadgets for free [slashdot.org]

    Freshmeat:
    10.Jul.1999: Free Firecracker Giveaway from X10 [freshmeat.net]

    Wired News:
    19.Aug.1999: MP3s Rock the House [wired.com]
    7.Aug.1999: Wireless DVD on TV [wired.com]

    Of course, I'm already an advertising casualty because I ordered the Firecracker kit, and then after playing with it ordered US$50 more in stuff. And no, I'm seriously looking at the little camera and radio video transmitter they have for my apartment's web cam.

    But don't be like me! This is a warning beacon! Stay back! *BEEP* *BEEP* This meme is under quaranteen! *BEEP* *BEEP* Danger Will Robinson!

    Er...
  • How is this different from the DVD anywhere unit that they've been hyping which is just a A/V wireless transmitter and RF mouse that they relabelled when DVDs and computer DVD drives became popular?

    From the picture, it includes a video connection and looks like the exact same hardware for the exact same price. It's just MP3 because that's a hot word in the news lately.
  • I play a lot of MP3's from the net, but the way the net has really changed my listening habits is through RealAudio. I no longer have to be limited to the radio stations in the Philadelphia area. My mother is from Ireland and she loves listening to Irish radio stations over the net. Also, foreign radio is a great free way to get practice in a second language. I'll wait for a device that will let me broadcast ALL my computer's audio to my stero.
  • I can't find any mention of the Winamp plugin that it supposedly uses on their site. What type of plugin is this? Does it limit support specifically to Mp3's, or will it work with any audio format that Winamp supports? I saw the RealJukebox mentioned, along with their own BOOM software, but I don't know much about RealJukebox. Heard of it, never seen it. Does it require Winamp, is that where this plugin stuff is coming from?

    $84 is a bargain for almost any computer hardware, regardless of what it does. I almost ordered one on the spur of the moment, but I decided that an extra long cable works just fine for me.
  • It has nothing to do with OS support. They only allow one prograsm to access it. Linux

    Go buy a brother typewriter, then Luddite.

    Don't like computers, not sayin you have to, get WebTV, itoaster, and all the other couch conveniences. Course since they're niche markets no one's forcing those companies to keep up with standards and products you'll conveniently never have to hear of.

    I've said this before and Imagonna say it again.
    Computers should be tools is like telling a bunch of campers that public housing projects (slums/future prisons/accidents waiting to happen) obsolete camping.

    Or that highways obsolete scenic routes.

    What a maroon.
  • Can I be the first to say yes it will work with Linux.


    It's just a RCA to RF to RCA converter. It doesn't even require a computer. It'll work with an 8-track tape player if it has an RCA output or something that can be adapted to RCA.

  • I just want to know if X10 is going to use disembodied porn-star heads for this ad campaign like they do for their camera. (Come on. We've all seen the ads on ZDnet.) Afterall sex sells.
  • If you look at the sending unit, you can see
    it has three jacks, Left and Right audio and
    Video, It is just taking the output of your sound card, so it will work with any audio, the plugin is not required to make it work.
  • flamebait. wait I'm responding.

  • This has got to be the same crackhead who said that Debian won't run commercial software and GCC won't compile commercial apps...

    Somebody shoot him...
  • It's called Ampapod: http://www.v.nu/core/ampapod/

    The device is a universal remote control (IR only), with a wireless X10 (RF) controller, and a wireless mouse (RF).

    The wireless mouse interface emulates a standard 2 button mouse, and works with Linux.

    Ampapod (Winamp plugin) ignores the mouse functionality, and uses the other buttons on the remote to control WinAMP.


  • If you want it, buy the DVD Anywhere setup from X10 for $88. It includes the Video Sender that they're charging $99 alone, plus a universal remote control.

    Then, you might want the Remote Sender infrared remote control extender, that's $40 at the moment. You might not need this if you can hack the radio receiver for the universal remote that comes with the DVD Anywhere package.

    Put these together along with LIRC, the Linux Infrared Remote Control project [uni-sb.de] , and you can rig up your own system with mpg123 or FreeAMP or whatever.

    Be careful with X10. They're hype-machines. They love those exclaimation points. Good stuff, but watch their pricing.

  • Why yes, that *would* work nicely. However, said off-the-shelf FM transmitters tend to suck donkey balls, espescially the one from Radio Shack. Through the static and interference, I could just barely hear the CD -- with the xmitter a couple feet from the reciever antenna. I have seen pretty good quality fm xmitters included with car CD changers tho.

    The thing is, the (American) FCC does not allow us to broadcast with sufficient power on standard FM bands to get any kind of range. You're allowed a little more power on 2.4Ghz (which is what MP3/DVD Anywhere uses). Just enough to get decent range.
  • This method works on all computers and OSes with a sound out port or headphone jack on their sound card:
    1) Grab a 1/8" Stereo Plug to 2 RCA plugs (both male)
    2) Move stereo system close to computer, or get really long 1/8" Stereo Plug extension.
    3) Hook Stereo Plug (looks like male pulg oin headphones) to audio out on computer.
    4) Hook RCA jacks (Red and Black) to stereo.

    There. Finished. In less than $10 or so. No drivers to worry about either past your sound card. You may thank me by sending many beatuiful women. Or not.
    This can also work on TVs, Portable CD players, or whatever else has a 1/8" headphone jack.
    Enjoy!
  • ... the 2.4 GHz range is virtually uncluttered. You simply aim the MP3 Anywhere receiver toward the transmitter, and instantly you get clear digital sound on any stereo connected to the receiver.
    The writers were clearly told that it operates in the GHz range, but they still think it's infrared or some other line-of-sight method.
    The best part about this technology is that it creates a circular polarization signal to provide clear, powerful retransmission of audio signals throughout your home - unobstructed by walls, ceiling, furniture, or even floors.
    Wow! I can understand it going through ceilings, but floors, too? Will wonders never cease?


    --
  • Hmm... let's see... cost of purchasing a laptop to act as an mp3 player, plus hard drive big enough to hold a decent amount of mp3's... minimum of what, $2k, or so? Or I could spend the $88 on the broadcast unit and spend the money saved on something useful.

    - Dave

    "Take what thou hast and give it to the poor."
  • As much as I agree with you in theory, I have yet to hear any significant difference between and MP3 and the WAV it was converted from. Most of the 'sucky quality' I've heard from MP3s has been the infamous Netscape-downloads-MP3s-as-text effect or badly-ripped WAVs (Such as when I accidentally rip at 11kHz or 8bit)...

    Of course, perhaps your ears are better than mine, or maybe I'm just not focussing hard enough on hearing it suck. I just sit back and enjoy the music, not analyze it. Maybe you should give that a try too? :)
  • X-10 may have only developed their own software for RealJukebox, but I'm sure people are already working on Linux drivers, WinAmp plugins, etc. X-10 may not go out of their way to support other operating systems, but they don't seem to hinder anyone who does. Apparently, they realize that anyone who develops software will help them sell more hardware. Linux programmers were pretty quick to develop the Bottle Rocket software to control the Firecracker appliance controller. What I wonder is, did the BR programmers have to reverse-engineer Firecracker, or were they able to get good enough specs from X-10?
  • Can I be the first to say: dork!
    Whether or not it "works" with Linux at the moment (I know it does/will), the thing is, it can/will, _and_ I've been using a Y-shaped connector cord (don't know the real name of it; it came with my personal CD player so that it could be connected to speakers....) to connect the headphone outlet jack on my laptop with the 2 connections on the back of my stereo and just playing mp3s like that. Of course, having read a number of the other comments, I see that there are lots of other, more convenient ways to play mp3s via stereos, etc... so, where is your triumph? Looks like you lost before you even started the battle. Ha!
  • Exactly. As if MP3 quality isn't poor enough as it is. Even if I had a digital out on my soundcard, ran it to my external DAC in my stereo, and used it to play 256 kbps MP3s, the quality would still suck.

    -Drew Boyles-
    dboyles@resnet.gatech.edu

  • Get MP3Spy [mp3spy.com] and you can listen to people all over the place, normal geeks like you and me who run their own radio station. Check out http:/listnen.to/nazznomad [listen.to] it's a good example. WinAmp is a pretty amazing program, too bad AOL realized that too.

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