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Play MP3s on Your Stereo Without Wires

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.

7 of 123 comments (clear)

  1. For the Clueless by MindStalker · · Score: 2

    (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

  2. Re:Maybe I'm alone on this one by Pascal+Q.+Porcupine · · Score: 2

    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 :)
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  3. Re:Bzzzt. Wrong. by Pascal+Q.+Porcupine · · Score: 2

    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.
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  4. Re:X10 and Linux by MindStalker · · Score: 2

    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

  5. Re:Easier way to feed audio to a stereo. by MindStalker · · Score: 2

    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.

  6. Re:Bzzzt. Wrong. by alhaz · · Score: 2

    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.

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    This is just like television, only you can see much further.
  7. Re:Bzzzt. Wrong. by Pascal+Q.+Porcupine · · Score: 2

    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.
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    --
    "'Is not a quine' is not a quine" is a quine.
    Quine "quine?