Slashdot Mirror

A really interesting guy on this topic is Tom Van Baak, the fellow that runs leapsecond.com. As a measure of the level of obsession a person can obtain, this guy has multiple cesium frequency standards, but he had to go out and buy a crazy russian hydrogen maser so he could get better than a microsecond a year accuracy. He's also got some interesting information about the leapsecond debate on his website.

Me, I'm a simple guy, I just need to keep NTP locked to a couple of microseconds to sleep well.

jeff

The new PCs, with Windows XP Media Center Edition (see AnandTech review here of XP Media Center), run about $1500.

HP's new 'Digital Media Receiver' is very similar to the Rio 'Audio Receiver' -- all the way down to the required Windows/PC hosted custom server/streamer program. These receivers are $200-300 depending on configuration.

So HP altered their product line to include only high-end (MediaPC) and low-end (Media Receiver) devices. Personally, I think there is still room in the middle of this product line for the now discontinued, Linux-based de100c. Perhaps Microsoft did not agree? Now, the only devices you can buy from HP to stream audio (or show pix) require Windows: Windows is either resident on the high-end $1500 Media PC itself, or running on a nearby Windows/PC so that the low-end $200-300 Digital Media Receiver can get its stream. Either way, the $100 MS tax is paid.

Note that the Rio (and Dell version) of the Audio Receiver quickly gained a Linux-hosted server: http://www.mock.com/receiver/server/. Perhaps the HP device will gain such support as well?

If you want a media receiver that only streams and has no local storage, I think the AudioTron is a more flexible solution. It can use any SMB (windows-style) share on the network, and does not require a proprietary windows-hosted server application.

For the slightly more DIY-minded crowd, there is also the SliMP3...

Because the source comes with it, someone has re-compiled the kernel to make the volume control operate on line out as well as speaker out.

Jeff Mock has posted a great page dissecting the box from the inside.

The best server (which has a LOT more functionality than the windows software, and doesn't crash when using more than 1000 songs either) is open source and available at jreceiver.sourceforge.net

In short, this is a cheap (~$150) but powerful little unit that fits into the smallest spaces and runs Linux to boot. What more could you ask for? (Besides open-source code from the manufacturer, which would be nice but isn't going to happen)

My Rio Receiver works great, and I've never run the Windows software. The Rio Receiver is one of the best values around for remote networked MP3 players. At its core, the Rio Receiver (aka Sonic Blue) is an ARM7 processor running Linux.

With a little work, you can get it to boot from a Linux server and mount its filesystem over NFS. (This is what the Windows software does, more or less.) The entire filesystem is in the "receiver.arf" tar file that comes with the software.

The most well-known Rio server hack for Linux was put together by Jeff Mock and available from his webpage. If you're reasonably familiar with setting up remote-booting machines, the Rio should not be much of a challenge. Jeff wrote a small perl daemon to handle the unique boot sequence for the Rio, and a larger set of scripts to serve up the MP3 files.

After using Jeff's fine server for a while, I found I wanted something with better MP3 management and playlist support. That's when I found the JReceiver Project. This software rocks! It's a royal PITA to set up if you're not a Java programmer, but it does quite a bit. It's a full SQL front-end for your MP3 content, so playlists can be dynamic from SQL expressions ("I want all new ROCK songs added in the last 14 DAYS that are not by CREED"). And of course, it serves the Rio directly. It will also handle the booting if you want to boot Rio from the same Linux machine that runs JReceiver.

Last, Frank van Gestel put together a terrific modification to the Rio Receiver filesystem that adds a local http server to the receiver box itself. This serves up the exact front-panel display to a web browser, and you can operate all the controls remotely over the network. Now you can get a clear view of the Receiver screen without being right in front of it. Further, it will let you control the line-level volume output as well as the speaker output (a shortcoming of the original kernel). You can get the patch files in this thread

Lots of intelligent discussion on the Rio boxes at rioreceiver.comms.net

All in all, this is the best networked MP3 player going for under $100. Audiotron is nice, but this is cheaper and far more hackable. Runs Linux, boots from Linux, built-in ethernet, and has no fan or hard drive.

The only disappointment is that it has no digital audio (SPDIF) output. No coax, no optical.. line level only. Ah well, MP3's aren't exactly hifi anyway.

Enjoy!

- Hacking The Rio Receiver
- Setting up a Linux machine as a server for the RR
- Code for the Rio Receiver to exercise LCD, IR remote, audio, and a GPL MP3 player
- There are a few other sections on the above website as well; anyone with a RR or considering purchasing one should check it out.

MONOLINUX :: Join Today To Get A UID < 100!

- Hacking The Rio Receiver
- Setting up a Linux machine as a server for the RR
- Code for the Rio Receiver to exercise LCD, IR remote, audio, and a GPL MP3 player
- There are a few other sections on the above website as well; anyone with a RR or considering purchasing one should check it out.

MONOLINUX :: Join Today To Get A UID < 100!

- Hacking The Rio Receiver
- Setting up a Linux machine as a server for the RR
- Code for the Rio Receiver to exercise LCD, IR remote, audio, and a GPL MP3 player
- There are a few other sections on the above website as well; anyone with a RR or considering purchasing one should check it out.

MONOLINUX :: Join Today To Get A UID < 100!

The SliMP3 is less polished, but is fed with a simple perl program that streams audio. The Audiotron is fed with any Samba compatible server. In other words, either device can work with a Linux box. The Rio currently can't

Okay, this is probably the 10th time there's been a story about the Rio Receiver, and in each and every one someone like me stands up to shout:

There are open-source Linux servers for the Rio Receiver!!!

Check out a simple perl/apache one by Jeff Mock at www.mock.com/receiver,
a more complex server that's built on java, jetty, struts, and the like at http://sourceforge.net/projects/jreceiver/. And be sure to check out the Rio discussion forum at http://rioreceiver.comms.net.

Sonic Blue engineers frequent that message board, and there's lots of open-source hacking going on, including line-out kernel hacks, integrated web and vnc servers, and the like.

here

The Jreceiver project takes care of the first two and this Perl server also fits the bill.

Problem with the Rio is you have to run a special Win32 app to stream to the thing. its not as flexbile as I would wish.

Actually, that's not necessarily true. Jeff Mock (http://www.mock.com/receiver/) has hacked together a linux server for it. Basically, it's a bunch of mod_perl scripts for apache, along with a real simple perl server to answer the device's initial request.

That, and it runs linux, too (sort of). Basically, it spits out a DHCP request for an IP address, sends a broadcast request to a particular port to ask for servers (which is answered by the little perl server), and from there it learns of the IP address and TFTP directory of the server. It then NFS mounts a directory from that server, and reboots with the image it pulls from that directory. So, to upgrade it, just change the files in the server's directory. Real cool. Once running, everything (all artist, track lookups, and audio fetching) happens over HTTP on the fly.

They've even got a cross-compiler for it, so you can write some of your own programs, and a couple kernel hacks already. I'm waiting for someone to improve the UI a little -- it's good, but not quite all there. Maybe 80% perfect.

I got mine for, like, $150, on E-Bay. Also branded specifically by Rio, though the front panel looks much weirder.

There's also the AudioTron, which I looked at first, but that scans your net for SMB servers, then builds its own internal database. Lose power, lose the database, and you've got to re-scan all over again.

That and the display is impossible to read from across the room.

That I will give you. :(

I definitely recommend the Rio Receiver, though. I'd love to see more people hacking it, and improving it. I'm really amazed it hasn't been a bigger hit around here so far...

david.