Use network audio players for a whole-house music solution

[richardj]

Ok ive read this article in the usuer manual ... it says buy a squeezebox, plug it in the MCE core will auto detect this and add it to the available devices in your orbiters ... how does this work ? or what technology does the network audio player need to support to work with linux media centre ?  Im assuming you can buy almost any device available but I dont understand the technology and which devices will work as a network audio player ?

[nite_man]

LinuxMCE includes SlimServer - software which is needed to distribute audio to many client - Squeezeboxes. The integration Sqeezebox with LinuxMCE is pure. It just allows to play the music from the core but it cannot offer to listen internet radio.

The installation procedure in LunuxMCE is pretty simple. Just connect Sqeezebox to the internal network and it'll be detected by LinuxMCE. You need assign it to the some room where is no any audio/video device (such media director, for example). After that SilmServer will be installed and run. So, when you choose the room where Sqeezebox was added, go to Audio and press some song to play it will be streamed to the Squeezebox. So, it's completely transparent for users.

[richardj]

will any network audio streaming device work well with the linux mce or has linux mce got specific support for the squeezebox ?

[nite_man]

will any network audio streaming device work well with the linux mce or has linux mce got specific support for the squeezebox ?

As I mentioned in my post it should be specific software to use network players. LinuxMCE (as Plutohome fork) should support also Roku Sound Bridge. But I tested only Sqeezebox.