Streaming mp3's

[TheOmegaCode]

So it's spring break and it's that time of the year where the weather is starting to get really nice. I live on an acre and do random things outside but I want to get some mobile music going outside. The simplest solution would be a stereo, but that's no fun and it lacks options.

What I'm thinking of doing is taking an old drink cart we have that is stable, mobile, and large enough to house a small PC, a receiver, sub and a few satellite speakers, a wireless router, a surge protector and extension cord.

Ideally, I would like to be able to go to my desktop and set up the playlist to be streamed then walk outside and turn on the computer and have it automatically connect to the streaming music and begin playing. Worst case scenario I go outside, turn the computer on, go back inside hop on VNC or something and then get it going.

I was posting more to get some ideas or suggestions of programs. I really haven't undergone a project like this in a long time. Probably four or more years. The most I do with computers now is listen to music, watch videos, do homework and play an occasional game.

I used to mod xboxs and work as a technologist at a local county office of ed. So getting my hands dirty or even working with open source operating systems or software isn't a deterrent, it's just that I'm out of the loop and practice.

Setting up the network, finding the right client OS, finding an mp3 streaming server, and configuring the client is going to be the difficult part.

Since I just recently got a 2wire dsl modem/router I think I am just going to set up another private network on the cart using my old netgear WGR614 v6 wireless router. Now unless I can get the netgear to simply act as a wireless switch, I'll probably end up putting the carted computer on a separate private network. Of course if that is the case it will make some network communications more difficult, though not impossible.

Any comments, suggestions or questions are welcomed.

In the mean time I'm going to go find a few computers to gut and make one suitable for outside.

**
So I tore open an old closet and pieced together a small rig.

Things of note:

Audio Chipset:
c3dx hsp56 cmi8738/pci hrtf audio com

RAM
KVR-PC 133 256MB Kingston

CPU
200Mhz Pentium-MMX

DVD-ROM

20GB HDD

Considering how old this hardware is, I will more than likely want to run some sort of open source variant and run off CLI. This, however, poses new challenges since I haven't used any sort of *Nix in about four years. Off to the *Nix forum.
**

 

[NickOlsen8390]

I would just setup a shoutcast server.
I would setup the server inside and get either a nice wireless card that can do a long distance or a router and setup a client bridge, Set all your music on the shoutcast server on shuffle, Thats what i do here in my house.

 

[Nohr]

Might be simpler to keep the PC in the house and use a FM transmitter to broadcast to a portable radio or boombox of some sort outside.

 

[mooseracing]

What kind of FM transmitter are you using, I haven't seen any other than the ones used in cars that go 5 ft.

For streaming media I have OmniFi box. Basically just a media reciver that has a wireless card. It gets on your wireless network sees the proprietary software or WMP11 shared media and you can choose it or playlist to play. Get a good router, and streaming music for an hour puts a hurting on the router.

 

[Nohr]

A friend of mine has this one from C. Crane. He's able to tune in to it outside his apartment at a fair distance, at least 50 feet. Of course that's gonna depend on your location and the radio you're using, etc. You have to do a minor tweak to the transmitter to increase the range which is detailed in Amazon's customer reviews.

 

[NickOlsen8390]

Originally posted by: mooseracing
Get a good router, and streaming music for an hour puts a hurting on the router.

its a 320kbs stream max if its MP3, how could it be "a hurting"
even crappy netgear and linksys routers can handle even a 10mb load for a much longer time.

 

[mooseracing]

Well after an hour of constant streaming I've seen Netgear an Dlink routers getting very warm and choppy. Even my 100 dollar Hawking Dual Wan POS sometimes has trouble keeping up.

thats cool that the C.Crane ones has that adjustment inside it, kind of like boosting the old CB's, though not technically legal. I migh thave to check out some of my transmitters to see if they have any thing i can change inside them.

 

[vorgusa]

What about a Slimdevice or a Roku Labs box that just attaches to a receiver?

http://www.rokulabs.com/
http://www.slimdevices.com/

 

[NickOlsen8390]

Originally posted by: mooseracing
Well after an hour of constant streaming I've seen Netgear an Dlink routers getting very warm and choppy. Even my 100 dollar Hawking Dual Wan POS sometimes has trouble keeping up.

I run a shoutcast server here at my house, I have a high end setup, Including a enterprise level router and a 24 port gigabit HP procurve switch.

But my friend has a little old netgear router.
I was over there one day helping him pressure wash the drive way, and we streamed my shoutcast over the internet all day and into the night, About 17 hours, The stream was 320kbs MP3. And it was fine, never even stuttered, I have business class cable, he has the res version, and we did fine. and for 6 hours of that we were running a few torrents on his computer also, not a problem.