[TriLUG] prowling for a small form-factor Linux box

[John Turner]

If you are going for audio only then you want something that doesn't 
require a TV. I have followed media players for sometime now and I 
would not build an audio only media player as there are too many good 
options for less money that have much better UI.

Here are some options. All support Windows, most newer ones do OS X and 
Linux using Samba.

http://www.rokulabs.com/products/soundbridge/index.php
http://www.macsense.com/product/homepod/
http://www.turtlebeach.com/site/products/audiotron/producthome.asp
http://www.slimdevices.com/index.html

Also many of the AV receiver companies are adding this type of support 
into new unit. Onkyo, HK, Denon all has units that play MP3s from you 
computer.

For video and images there are many units, but the MythTV project has a 
good offering in that area.

John

On Feb 5, 2004, at 8:46 AM, Greg Brown wrote:

> Hey all.  I'm starting to search for a small form-factor linux box.   
> The purpose of this server is going to be the front-end of my home 
> audio system.  I've been ordered to get the 400 or so CDs digitized, 
> organized, categorized, etc.  So, my thoughts here are to rip 
> everything to MP3 (to allow for portability between the Macs) and 
> place all the files on my upstairs disk server.
>
> I'm looking for a small form factor *with excellent audio* (as I'd 
> like to plug this into my existing home audio system via RCA jacks) 
> and an PHP/Apache web server to sit downstairs on a 100 meg link.  All 
> the CDs and tracks will be organized in a MySQL database residing on 
> the disk server.  The user interface will be the PHP/Apache interface 
> on the small form factor box.  The idea here is the little, and 
> hopefully quiet, box will pull songs off the disk server and cache 
> them on the audio server to be played over the stereo.
>
> Does anyone have any idea what might fit this bill?  Audio quality and 
> noise are the highest factors followed by appearance and power draw.  
> I'm hoping to find something that sounds great, looks great, and uses 
> little power.   Heh.. if only it were that easy!
>
> Greg
>
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