I'm still agonizing about digitizing my CD library. I still haven't found software that I can definitely say is the "best" out there for ripping and cataloging everything, but my wife and I both have ipods, and what all we do have digitized is in iTunes. It seems to me that Apple has a good thing going right now, and for the foreseeable future, I'm not so sure anyone is going to out-software them when it comes to digital music. I'm thinking I might just stick with iTunes for cataloging my all of my music. Most everyone knows the interface, and I don't really have any major complaints against it. One of my main reasons why I'm leaning in this direction is AppleTV. The most expensive model is only $400, and I could care less about playing video on it. I just want it because I know that Apple products really integrate well together, AND it has toslink for audio. So I can use my TV with iTunes and the included remote to browse music, but more importantly, I know my receiver will be getting a good clean digital signal from which to play all of my digitized music. I had thought of building an HEC, but even the best soundcards seem to have crappy outputs. My wife has been wanting a MAC for digital photography, and I'm thinking about getting her a Mac mini--I can get one for under a grand, and it will be plenty of computer for her. I rarely use my home PC anymore; almost always electing to use my laptop instead. I'm thinking about adding some HD space to the old home PC, maybe slapping Linux on it to reduce any overhead and avoid viruses, and turning it into a NAS device for iTunes storage. Don't this sound like a decent idea? Any caveats? Suggestions?
......or maybe someone knows a forum where people discuss such things. I haven't found one that is decent.
If audio is all that you care, you may want to look into the airport express from Apple. It also has a toslink. Adding a draft-N airport extreme base station and a USB external drive, you also have a NAS.
The only thing about Apple I despise is the fact you're tied to iTunes and Apple so much. AppleTV is pretty much confined to stuff you buy from Apple isn't it? I could be wrong about that. If so, that's what I hate the most about it. I'd rather just build an HTPC or get something like a Netgear EVA8000 or something that isn't tied to any one company. Of course I'm not an audiophile or anything and what comes out of my PC in the form of 192kbps mp3's is fine for me. What I'm more concerned about is video and movies when it comes to the "Apple only" policy.
It just 'syncs' with iTunes, I believe, and you can import other media into iTunes, not just the content you buy in the Apple music store.
I glanced at the airport express, but wouldn't I need the PC (or Mac) hosting iTunes to be my "source componant?" Meaning: I'd play a song in iTunes on whatver computer I have it loaded on, and through the airport express, the sound would come out of my home audio? Or do I have that wrong? The reason the apple TV interests me is that instead of having a computer in my media room, I use the bundled remote of the apple tv and it's interface (which seems to be where it gets its most glowing reviews) to operate iTunes (or front row, or whatever it is called) on my TV in my media room.
You are right. With airport express, you still need a computer to play musics. AppleTV does have a edge here.
