Connect my PC and my stereo

December 20, 2003 6:51 AM

I'm looking for a wireless network client device that will access my main PC and allow me to listen to my MP3 library through my stereo. Ideally, the music selection process would be on the client end, accessible with a remote control, viewable on a television screen.
posted by crunchland to Technology (8 answers total)

Might a suggest the PRISMIQ MediaPlayer or the Turtle Beach AudioTron?

They're both, network components, but if you plug them into one of the wired ports on a wireless router (or a wireless network adapter [I think...]) it becomes wonderfully wi-fi.

The Turtle Beach model has an in-unit display, whereas the Prismiq plugs into your telly. Both have remotes.

No one said that this was going to be cheap, though.
posted by armoured-ant at 7:43 AM on December 20, 2003

Check out Slim Devices. Except for the TV part (their things have a nice fluorescent display), I think they've got you covered.
posted by Utilitaritron at 7:49 AM on December 20, 2003

I think that the Tivo Series 2 with the Media option ought to be able to do this...and as a bonus you get a tivo!
posted by filmgeek at 8:37 AM on December 20, 2003

Similar questions were asked here and here, and the responses may be useful. Based on those discussions, I'm very interested in the Slim Devices Squeezebox -- I don't know if it's what you need, but it looks like just what the doctor ordered for me. You can apparently control it through its own remote, or via any computer on the network.
posted by Zonker at 9:00 AM on December 20, 2003

Response by poster: Actually, via a private email, someone clued me into a product by SMC - the EZ-Stream Universal Wireless Multimedia Receiver - that does exactly what I want (despite the sort of ugly unit case). You can read about it here. Costs about $200 online.
posted by crunchland at 12:29 PM on December 20, 2003

I don't really care about wireless, but apparently just a wire to the stereo won't do because of the hum. Still, these Xitel hifi-links seem overpriced to me. What's the lowest-end solution here? Will properly shielded wires get rid of the hum?
posted by muckster at 1:53 PM on December 20, 2003

Hum in speakers is usually a ground problem, muckster. (At least it was when I was big into high-powered car audio, back in the 80s). So yeah, one of these may be your savior.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 3:47 PM on December 20, 2003

Crunchland, here's a good list of all the devices out there to do what you want.

Personally, this is my favorite way of doing it: The Gateway Networked DVD player.
posted by mathowie at 6:35 AM on December 21, 2003