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OK,

I have a ton of CD's and DVD's that I would like to store and access at will, using a remote or i-pad/i-phone. I currently have the majority of our cd collection on our home computer using i-tunes, but would like something more user friendly that we can access the in-home hard drive via wifi through our phones and/or through our processor.

I have read a lot on MLO about different devices used for ripping and storing, but I'm confused about the different servers used to grab and present the material off our hard drive. Our main issue with most of the internet servers out there is, we live out in the desert and our internet is 4Mbps....yes, 4. So I would like to stay away from internet storage devices for streaming. We listen to whole-house audio through our processors internet music with Pandora and Sirius, but it drops a lot. Ok for running around the house and in the swimming pool, but not for two channel, more critical listening. Help!

I have not researched much. Have read for years about you guys using Squeezebox and such, is that what I should get to jump into this realm to start learning? I am a relative pre-schooler here, so please go easy...lol

Dan
 
What is the best way to go if I want to use a Synology rack mounted drive system. What components do I need to run a rack mount system so I can have a home network ripper and server installed in my rack? Or do I have to use an external computer when I access this? The DS416play looks like it may be what I need, but it doesn't rackmount...which is ok, I can make it work. How about an RX415 rack mount unit? Will this act as the server also, if I rip my CD's/DVD's into it using my home computer?

Synology user knowledge needed..... Please. (Note: I am no where near computer illiterate. I am knowledgeable with computers, just never jumped into this realm)

Dan
 
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Dan, go to the off topic section you posted this in. Open the Digital threads at the top of the page. There are a number of threads that touch on what you are looking for.
I am sure someone here will also answer your question in depth. I am not that person with the proper knowledge, though I do have a Synology DS1515+ controlled by a Acer laptop with JRiver using an IPad for the remote.
 
Dan, go to the off topic section you posted this in. Open the Digital threads at the top of the page. There are a number of threads that touch on what you are looking for.
I am sure someone here will also answer your question in depth. I am not that person with the proper knowledge, though I do have a Synology DS1515+ controlled by a Acer laptop with JRiver using an IPad for the remote.
Will do! Thanks, Brad
 
is that what I should get to jump into this realm to start learning? I am a relative pre-schooler here, so please go easy...lol

I'll keep it really simple then. Essentially, all you need is three things:

1. Somewhere to store and rip the music. Sounds like you've already got that (iTunes, although if you want to use it with your main system then you might want to check the format everything was ripped to. AAC or MP3 won't cut it. If you have used these formats you'll need to re-rip everything to Apple Lossless or FLAC - sorry for the bad news.

2. Some sort of software to serve up the music. JRiver, Logitech Media Server, etc. Just load this into your computer and point it to your iTunes library to get you going.

3. Some sort of device to receive the served music. (Many receivers have that built in).

From there, it's all just a matter of personal preference.

More advice can be given if you start to convey some of your preferences and constraints.
 
From there, it's all just a matter of personal preference.

More advice can be given if you start to convey some of your preferences and constraints.

Thank you for the reply and advice! I wrote a self reply above after I did some more research....


What is the best way to go if I want to use a Synology rack mounted drive system. What components do I need to run a rack mount system so I can have a home network ripper and server installed in my rack? Or do I have to use an external computer when I access this? The DS416play looks like it may be what I need, but it doesn't rackmount...which is ok, I can make it work. How about an RX415 rack mount unit? Will this act as the server also, if I rip my CD's/DVD's into it using my home computer?

Synology user knowledge needed..... Please. (Note: I am no where near computer illiterate. I am knowledgeable with computers, just never jumped into this realm)

Dan




I think Synology may be the way to go for what I want to do. What do you think?
 
Synology user knowledge needed..... Please.

I think Synology may be the way to go for what I want to do. What do you think?

Well, I don't have Synology experience so I don't know.

But as I understand, the Synology is just a NAS - so it is networked storage only.

You will still need to rip your files on a computer (no problem), and you'll also need some way to access and play those files.

Some players will read files directly from a NAS (Sonos does that I think), but other players will need some sort of server software installed. This server software may or may not be able to run on the Synology NAS (as I said, I'm not familiar with it - others may like to comment), or you may need to install the software on a computer somewhere.
 
I use a Synology NAS. I rip my CDs using a Mac computer and store the ripped files on the NAS. I use Sonos devices to access the music throughout the house. But for my two channel system, I'm going to use a dedicated mini-computer running Roon to access the NAS. I haven't set that up yet. Synology has apps pre installed that will let you manage and access audio and video files as well. I recommend you do some research on the Synology website to understand their capabilities. Also, look into Roon, J river, and other audio control apps you may want to use to access your files. You will need some way to connect the NAS to your 2-channel system, via USB or Ethernet. There are a few options. The Sonore microrendu is popular, as is Sonos and several other options. Computer audiophile is a good forum to search for this type of information.
 
Dan, good advice so far.

I employ two audio server setups. One that is local to just my main setup and another that serves all of my house, inside and out.

For primary system, it is on its own local network, that is offline. I am using a dedicated netbook computer that is connected to an external USB HDD. Server software is Logitech Media Server. It's perfectly simple and rock solid stable. Remote control is via my ole trusty blackberrry tablet.

For my house setup, it is online via my internet setup. I use a Synology 214p NAS (mirrored with Ultrastar drives), running Minimserver (with minimwatch on network). It's not as stable and consistent as my offline setup but has ample power and functionality to serve all. I use various tablets and phones as remotes.

All of my ripping and tagging processing is done on my everyday PC that sits on the same network as the NAS. When I need file copying to my main system I simply connect my HDD to my processing computer. I use Exact Audio Copy for my ripping software and mp3tag for my metadata tagging needs. Oh, most important bit of advice is to backup .... backup .....and backup. I have two backup archives ..... one at my house and another offsite at a relative's place.

If you wish to read more info on how to setup digital audio ... here is a great primer.

http://www.thewelltemperedcomputer.com/index.html
 
advice is to backup .... backup .....and backup. I have two backup archives ..... one at my house and another offsite at a relative's place.

Best advice yet.

I actually have three backup archives - one at home and one at my office, and I also have a separate 2TB micro-NAS which I use when traveling.
 
I am using a Synology DS1515+ to store all of my music and movies and then play them back using the Synology apps to my phone, laptop and desktops. Works great and the Synology stuff is easy to set up and you can open it up to the outside world so you can stream from your NAS from anywhere in the world. I haven't done that, but it's easy to set up and do.

I'm a mac user, so I use XLD to rip music in FLAC and Handbrake to rip DVDs. To stream music and movies to my home theater and sound system, I am using an Oppo 105D, which can access the files on the DS1515 directly.

I don't know if Synology offers rack mounting options.. check their website for info. and like others have said, I back all of this up to external USB drives.. Just bought a 4TB Western Digital drive for $130 on Amazon.
 
What components do I need to run a rack mount system so I can have a home network ripper and server installed in my rack? Or do I have to use an external computer when I access this?
It looks like you already have most of the pieces of this puzzle, and I am assuming here that you have a computer on your home network already. You can use this existing computer to rip to the NAS (Synology). In my case using Windows 7, I mount my Synology as "\\SynDiskStation" on my computer and rip music to "\\SynDiskStation\Music" folder. Pretty straight forward.

The DS416play looks like it may be what I need, but it doesn't rackmount...which is ok, I can make it work. How about an RX415 rack mount unit?
I have the DS415+ which is similar to the DS416 you mentioned. From reading the description of the RX415, it is an expansion module without any network connection. The rack-mount equivalence to the DS416 is the RS815 (older model) or RS816 (current model).
Link to Synology RS816 RackStation

Will this act as the server also, if I rip my CD's/DVD's into it using my home computer?
The short answer is 'YES'. You can run Synology's server software, Disk Station Manager (DSM), on the NAS and it becomes a DLNA server on your network. From your system's description, your Oppo BDP and Onkyo processor are DLNA compliant and are already on your home network and they should be able to access and stream music from the Synology just fine. I am currently running DSM 6.0 on my Synology and it's working fine for me, streaming music to my Naim ND5. If you want a more fancy interface, you can always load a different server onto your computer and have it act as a server. The bonus you'll get with DSM is that you can also stream movies to your system via the Oppo BDP. I'm streaming my movie collection from DSM to ChromeCast.
Link to DiskStation Manager 6.0

In case you have not seen this link, here's an excellent guide to music streaming from ComputerAudioPhile...
Complete guide to uPnP/DLNA network audio

Good luck with your system...
 
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Link to Synology RS816 RackStation[/URL]


The short answer is 'YES'. You can run Synology's server software, Disk Station Manager (DSM), on the NAS and it becomes a DLNA server on your network. From your system's description, your Oppo BDP and Onkyo processor are DLNA compliant and are already on your home network and they should be able to access and stream music from the Synology just fine. I am currently running DSM 6.0 on my Synology and it's working fine for me, streaming music to my Naim ND5. If you want a more fancy interface, you can always load a different server onto your computer and have it act as a server. The bonus you'll get with DSM is that you can also stream movies to your system via the Oppo BDP. I'm streaming my movie collection from DSM to ChromeCast.
Link to DiskStation Manager 6.0

In case you have not seen this link, here's an excellent guide to music streaming from ComputerAudioPhile...
Complete guide to uPnP/DLNA network audio

Good luck with your system...

OK, the RS816 looks to be what I'm looking for component wise. I understand about ripping my collection of cd's into the Synology server's harddrives. I have a big collection of DVD's and Bluray's I would like to rip into it as well. From what I've read, I can do this, but will it decode them for playback? Or is there another piece I need?

Dan
 
Dan, good advice so far.

I employ two audio server setups. One that is local to just my main setup and another that serves all of my house, inside and out.

For primary system, it is on its own local network, that is offline. I am using a dedicated netbook computer that is connected to an external USB HDD. Server software is Logitech Media Server. It's perfectly simple and rock solid stable. Remote control is via my ole trusty blackberrry tablet.

For my house setup, it is online via my internet setup. I use a Synology 214p NAS (mirrored with Ultrastar drives), running Minimserver (with minimwatch on network). It's not as stable and consistent as my offline setup but has ample power and functionality to serve all. I use various tablets and phones as remotes.

All of my ripping and tagging processing is done on my everyday PC that sits on the same network as the NAS. When I need file copying to my main system I simply connect my HDD to my processing computer. I use Exact Audio Copy for my ripping software and mp3tag for my metadata tagging needs. Oh, most important bit of advice is to backup .... backup .....and backup. I have two backup archives ..... one at my house and another offsite at a relative's place.

If you wish to read more info on how to setup digital audio ... here is a great primer.

http://www.thewelltemperedcomputer.com/index.html

Thoughtful of you to share with computer beginners - introduction to computer audio.
Seems to me the concise relevant notes have been prepared by a University professor.
Very useful for increasing computer audio knowledge therefore thanks for bringing to notice.
 
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I have a big collection of DVD's and Bluray's I would like to rip into it as well.
Ripping bluray movies to anything will be a tall order now that SlySoft is gone. You'll have to do some research to come up with some ways to get through the encryption before you can rip bluray. That said, assuming that you can get your movies onto the Synology NAS, it will be able to serve the movies to your TVs. My Synology has no problems streaming 4 HD movies concurrently.

From what I've read, I can do this, but will it decode them for playback?
Yes, DSM VideoStation package supports this. Link to VideoStation package

Good Luck
 
Ripping bluray movies to anything will be a tall order now that SlySoft is gone. You'll have to do some research to come up with some ways to get through the encryption before you can rip bluray. That said, assuming that you can get your movies onto the Synology NAS, it will be able to serve the movies to your TVs. My Synology has no problems streaming 4 HD movies concurrently.


Yes, DSM VideoStation package supports this. Link to VideoStation package

Good Luck

Great! Sounds like I'm on the right track for what I'm looking to do. Now, I think I just need to jump in and ask real world questions as I go...

Thank you everyone for your guidance and patience!!

Dan
 
I have a ton of CD's and DVD's that I would like to store and access at will, using a remote or i-pad/i-phone. I currently have the majority of our cd collection on our home computer using i-tunes, but would like something more user friendly that we can access the in-home hard drive via wifi through our phones and/or through our processor.

Some really good feedback already. Since I've recently gone down this road short of just about a year ago, let me share my experience by way of responding to a few quotes and then laying out what I did. Short story, all my BluRays and CDs are on a NAS. But... let's start at the beginning.

As noted, there are four basic parts to this.
1) A way to convert (rip) the data from optical medium to a hard drive.
2) A storage solution for where the data will reside.
3) A renderer to convert the data to usable signal for your devices (stereo, tv).
4) A control point or device of some sort to 'steer' the data to the desired device.

I'll take 'em one at a time.


1) Conversion/Extraction (ripping)
There are two needs in question here; audio and video.

For audio, first, let me say without any equivocation that I dislike proprietary formats. Therefore, you may do well to re-rip whatever you've done (if proprietary) to an open-standard format (FLAC) which is "bit perfect" but compressed. With that base format, you can later convert to lossy formats like MP3 for less critical devices. The reason MP3 is not considered 'audiophile' quality is because that "excess" data that gets boiled off contains sonic artifacts that translate to the nuances that we describe as 'imaging' or 'presence' or 'staging'. Lossless formats like FLAC are key to the foundation of a good library.

I use Exact Audio Copy for my ripping software and mp3tag for my metadata tagging needs.
Second the recommendation for EAC. It makes bit-perfect copies, does intensive error correction beyond that which most console players are capable of, validates against a known database for checksums to ensure an accurate rip, and will also do limited tagging. Do not pass 'go', do not spend money on anything else.

For video, Spike is right, Slysoft was king, and they're still around... sort of.
Ripping bluray movies to anything will be a tall order now that SlySoft is gone.
The team at SlySoft has reorganized as RedFox. They're still doing the same fine work they've always done. However you do not need to decrypt, depending on the target device that will be rendering the ripped movie. In this area, there are a couple options - ISO or MKV. The MKV format is basically a 'container' that will 'package' the audio and video data together. It all depends on what you'll be using as the "business end" of the equation. I use MakeMKV which, like EAC, is donationware. However, the downside is that if you like the fancy-dancy BluRay menus that give you access to special features, interviews, added content and whatnot, that isn't supported. If you're after only the movie, then it's great. More on that later...


2) Storage
You'll need a place to put all that cool media you plan to archive.

Basically, what you're looking for is a way to have your ripped data accessible 24x7. High density storage systems have become very inexpensive and also very sophisticated, to the point where a consumer-grade NAS is actually a full-blown server, albeit a low-horsepower one. Better still, if that data has a failsafe in the form of RAID. I run a Qnap TS451 in a RAID 5 configuration. That means I have a 1-drive fault tolerance. The concept of RAID is that if any given drive burns out, I can replace it on-the-fly with a new one, it will be automatically formatted, and the missing data repopulated also on-the-fly with bits and pieces reassembled from what the system duplicated to the other drives in the system.

You'll find Synology, Qnap, Drobo, and Western Digital are leaders in this area. Feature sets are all over the map. Many NAS systems have built-in apps accessible by your web browser to enhance their utility. I know that for multimedia, both Synology and Qnap offer Plex server, Emby server, and a host of other utilities. Storage capacity is contingent upon the size of the drives and number of bays. You can expect to spend about $400 on a 4-bay NAS, and populated with 4x4TB drives, your storage will be about 12TB. That's a lotta damned movies and albums!


3) Rendering (the business end)
So, now that we have all your media ripped and stored, how do you get at it?

For audio, you'll need a way to convert the bits back to analog waveform. Lots of stuff in that department from high-end to affordable. I was on a budget, so I bought a Raspberry Pi3 and HiFiBerry DAC loaded with any one of three different audio renderers (I like to experiment) which pull the bitstream from the NAS, convert it to analog, and send it to my preamp. There are other solutions, but for $120 bucks, it's enough to get you started, and you'll be amazed at the results. I can tell you that the quality I get from the HiFiBerry would rival a $1500+ CD player. It's been far better than anything I've ever owned. Multiple options for software to render at the point of play (as part of your DAC hardware) are:
Moode
Kodi (also good for video, etc.)
Volumio
Roon
Clementine
, and so on... almost all of them free.

For video, I run an Nvidia Shield TV and Kodi connected to my TV. Now, you'll remember that whole decryption/copy protection problem from above? Good news here is that because Kodi does not have the chip-level copy protection mechanisms you'd find in a disc-based console player like a Sony or Samsung, it isn't affected by leaving the copy protection intact.


4) Control Point
Now that we've connected the front end to the back end, how do you control it?

Audio? Depends on what I have on my DAC at any given time. I have one SD card with a Kodi implementation operated by Yatse or Kore (Kodi's OEM remote), a 2nd SD card that runs Moode player operated by my phone or PC browser.

Video... depends on what you're using on your 'renderer'. As noted, I use Kodi, which has a native Android and PC app. Installed on my Shield TV, and pointed to Emby Server where my movies reside, I have access to all my movies at will. However, my particular NAS has an HDMI port, so if I wanted to connect it directly to my TV, I could use Emby server directly to control playback. If you like those fancy menus, then you'll want to rip an ISO to the server, and use Cyberlink DVD Player which is the only software-based product I'm aware of that supports removal of copy protection and also the new java-based menu systems. But that will necessitate attaching a PC to your video system... so you might want to employ the KISS principle here for a start.


Anyway, I'm sure your head is about to explode, so digest and feel free to jump back in here with questions, or PM me at your convenience.
 
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Thanks, Hammerhead! You gave me a ton of things to reference, and I am very appreciative. My head is not going to explode as much as run out of space to upload new information. lol!

Thanks! Dan
 
No worries. I know it's a lot to absorb at first. Lots of "moving parts" and variables. Three follow-up thoughts.

1) If you want to experiment, just get a Raspberry Pi and HiFiBerry to kick around with. It's a $120 investment all in for a kit which rivals equipment at 10x or more of the price that includes the Pi, DAC board, power supply and case with heat sinks - not too much to risk. Heck, I'd lend you mine if I weren't using it. ;-)
2) At the cost of $40 each, you could buy a second RPi to run strictly as a home media center using either OpenELEC or OSMC (the operating systems) which drive Kodi on top of it as a multimedia solution. Again, not too much to risk.
3) I neglected to mention that the MKV format has another advantage. If you rip an entire disc as ISO, you're consuming ~50Gig on the drive. Using MKV allows you to strip off the undesired extra features, languages, and stuff you don't want so that a movie will be as small as ~25-30Gig.

You know where to find me...
 
If you want to experiment, just get a Raspberry Pi and HiFiBerry to kick around with.
For experimentation, or even a permanent solution, the current Oppo BluRay player in your system is more than up to the task of being the 'renderer' on the receiving end of music and video streaming. $0 cost -> No risk.
 

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