Starting From Sctarch

[tvrgeek]

OK, I am an old guy who still plays with tubes, but... Time to build a music server. Let me toss out a few tings I think I have learned and see who can confirm or destroy my vision:

Windows is a poor media server. Just not stable or time coherent.
Apple fares far better.
Linux may be a viable alternative.

Not sure I want to store the files on a NAS. None of the protocols , like NFS were designed for streaming. Sure, fast enough to buffer, but is it really the way to go? I don't want to hear any hic-up. If I can't do this at the same QOS as playing a CD in my old NAD with my external Wolfson DAC, then it the technology is not ready for me.

On formats:
As BWF is not a common enough in the consumer world. , it looks like I should base the library on ALAC. I don't want to rip 500 CD's just to get obsoleted. Would it be smarter to archive in WAV? FLAC? Arn't standards great? We have so many to choose from.

Putting CD's on a disk is the easy part. Tagging and generating skins for those I can't download is the pain.

Server is easy, a decent user interface is not. Sounds like iTunes is the leader fro PC based systems. The Logitec and Sonos looks pretty slick for appliance solutions. ( that I can pay for)

If I were dreaming, I would use a mini-mac for the server and iPad for the user interface. I'm too cheap. No, I don't have an iPhone and could not see icons on that tiny display anyway.

Can't find and USB to USB wireless links that maintain time coherence. Only the expensive SONOS system. I don't have an Ethernet drop where 2 of my 4 audio systems reside.