I've resisted building a library of digital music, pictures and movies for years because I knew I'd rapidly grow it to a point where the amount of data I had was unmanagable and unbackupable. However despite my reluctance the convenience and availability of useful and fun digital media is making it harder and harder to avoid having a significant collection. Thus begins the research on how best to do that.
See also: PersonalVideoRecorder, UniversalPersonalProxy, PersonalDataRepository, DigitalPalace, WhenThingsStartToThink, MyLifeBits, AsWeMayThink
Software Products
- GMedia Server
- Finds and servers music to UPnP enabled devices, the home pages lists which ones are known to work.
- My MP3
- Uses mserv on the back end
- MC-Foo
DebianLinux packages exist
- NetJuke
DebianLinux packages exist. I've used this one. It's UI is simple and it takes a long time to index large collections of MP3's (though I don't have anything to compare it to). On the plus side it's ridiculously easy to setup and use.
- MP3 Sushi
(AppleOsx) The interesting thing about this is the buddy program which is rendezvous (ZeroConf) enabled. This means that you can find all the other people sharing music on your local network.
- Room Juice
PhpLanguage frontend to Linux command line tools (mpg123, oog123, xmp etc). Very simple and clean, no database required etc. Its designed to play music on speakers attached to the web host but it can also stream via icecast etc.
- Whamb
(AppleOsx) Another ZeroConf enabled one, this time with a Linux server component.
http://www.whamb.com/
http://netbsd.jeb.com.fr/codingstuff/wsd.html- SLIMP3
OpenSource project which powers the Slim Devices hardware.
- iRate
From NewZealand, cool!
- Twonky Vision (Win/Mac/Linux)
- Software which allows your media collection to be accessible by any standard UPnP aware device.
Hardware Products
- Roku HD1000
The Roku HD1000 is an ultra-sleek, high-definition digital media player and the first of its kind to offer support for HDTV. You can use the Roku HD1000 to view stunning digital photos, art, LiveArt™, music and dynamic media applications on your HDTV.
- Roku Soundbridge
Nice hardware frontend that integrates with a network media storage to play music or act as an alarm clock. Does wireless as well and uses an OpenSource backend.
- Squeezebox
Plays music off of network sources which share using the OpenSource SLIMP3 software (see above). Has built in wireless.
- Turtle Beach Audiotron
- .
http://www.turtlebeach.com/site/products/audiotron/producthome.asp