Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Streaming Missing Sooloos components?

Is it just me or is the Sooloos lineup missing some key components. As a long time squeezebox user I've got SB classics in most rooms including the kitchen; most bedrooms etc. They are all used wirelessly and connect as appropriate (analog or digital) depending on what else is in the room. For example the kitchen SB connects optically to an F80. If I had a Sonos system I could do pretty much the same (with ZP90/120s). This to me is the essense of a multi-room music system.

However, with a Sooloos system it seems to me that I can't have equivalent functionality very easily. That is: there's no wireless connectivity; the closest thing to an SB/ZP is a Source or a Control:10(at > 15x the cost) neither of which fit the environment very well (touch screen in kitchen!); no easy control (except via an iPhone/iPad perhaps); etc.

Seems to me what's needed is a simple streamer for those areas that you don't want a full blown Source/Control point in - ideally with wireless on board.

Thoughts?

GP

For a "high end" server system like Sooloos the big omission is .... video.

And multi-channel support (DVD-A) ripping.

Regards,
Carl

For Video, the Studios need to accept the "Managed Copy" Proposals for Bluray, but even that may only allow playback in ONE Designated room, I.e. not in other rooms in the house. (Crazy I know!!!)

Even if that's agreed on, Meridian have to implement it all. Storage then becomes more of a requirement and Meridian's current stand on Proprietary Storage becomes a much more serious Cost disincentive for us all.

Technically, Video Servers of High Bit Rate 1080p/24 material and Lossless MC Soundtracks (a combined 40Mbps and 40Gb+ per movie) is easily possible today.

However, Licensing Wise (and then Meridian's implementation of it) is 3-5 years away, if at all.

An ITunes style HD Movie Download option will be along by the end of this year I reckon. However, this will still only be low bit rate 720p and Lossy 384kbps DD 5.1 (at 3Mbps and about 3Gb per movie.) A far, far cry from Bluray Disc material, which is exactly what the Studios want.

Carl, As for DVD-A Ripping?? Not going to happen IMHO. Some similar reasons to above, but MAYBE some more Companies will begin to offer 24/96 2-ch Downloads, which won't be a bad substitute. Multi-channel will depend on the Studios and general population's take up of BD Music Discs

We need to remember here that as far as the Music & Movie Companies are concerned, we should all Pay for EACH Time we "consume" a Song or Movie. Every piece of Playback Technology that they allow in the future will have that aim in mind. They do NOT accept the concept of "Fair Play". Their attitude is "You Pay each time you Consume a Burger (think MP3 or low bit rate video) or eat a Steak Dinner (think 24/96 track or BD Quality Movie), so why shouldn't you also pay for EACH time you Consume one of our Products".

That is the Bleak message, but please don't shoot the messenger here......

It's OT I know, but I wonder if a modern-day version of a multi-disc changer would be the best idea to circumvent the restriction on video copy. I'm not talking about Sony 300-disc changers, but something that can manage a DVD/BD library of thousands of discs.

GP,
IMHO, Meridian is aiming at a much different market than Sonos or Logitech

The Sonos / SB solutions are aimed at Music throughout the house and wirelessly controlled, usually from a handheld device

Sooloos is more aimed at the so called High End / Installer market, where Kaleidoscope and other Crestron based solutions have dominated in the past.

If you wanted Sooloos thru the house, then you would need the following

** A Sooloos Ensemble or TwinStore unit for Storage of the Music files. This would be located centrally and usually not in your main music room

** A Control:10 unit in your main Music Room for Ripping as well as the well regarded Sooloos User Interface. Strictly speaking, a Control:10 is not required and can be replaced by the ControlPC app or new iPhone App, but you lose out on that UI, which I think most agree is probably the biggest reason to consider the Sooloos system in the first place

** For other rooms, An ID40 Card into an 861v6. This could be controlled by the new iPhone app, with the same UI limitations as above

** Alternatively, you could use the Source One or perhaps Source Five products for Music Replay in other rooms. Again, the iPhone App will allow control of these in other rooms.

** For the Full-Fat Sooloos Experience however, you would need to add a Control:10 in each room where you wanted it

Any and all of these solutions will allow Music Replay in several rooms thru the house, but on a budget far higher than the Sonos or Squeezebox solutions

Is the replay quality better??? Best to judge for yourself, I would say

Sorry Joel,
Not sure I understand the "thousands" of Discs requirement?? While it's possible that such a box exists in the "Pro" world, I'm sure the Price would be astronomical

I have looked at the Sony Multi Bluray Player and on paper it doesn't look bad as an interim solution for "non-critical" replay in kids rooms etc. Not too bad a price either

Interesting that the new G68 doesn't have a Sooloos card.

I was thinking of existing DVD collections.
Right in Meridian's ballpark then!

For those semi interested, the Sony 400 Disc Bluray / DVD Player is about $750

DLNA Connectivity should allow replay / connectivity in other rooms as well. Allegedly works well from a UI point of view with those who already have PS3's

Not advocating it as I don't know enough about it. It has been available for a while with decent enoug feedback on the various forums etc. As a 2nd room device........................

Until Meridian offers Video I guess I'll have to keep watching a couple of hundred centrally stored Blu-Ray movies in full quality accessible from any HDI Dune BD Prime 3.0 client in the house over a standard 100mbit network.

I've been using this technology for a year now and still not a sign of anything by the big players in the industry.

And there won't be either!!!

Real Networks recently (and quietly) sold off RealDVD, who if people can remember were on the wrong side of a US Court judgement banning any circumvention of the DMCA and CSS Encryption on DVD / Bluray discs

At the time, they defiantly said they would fight on, but they've now given up the ghost.

As I said in the earlier post, what you're doing with your central storage and HDI Clients shows that it's technically possible, but there are "legal" obstacles in the way of offering "off the shelf" solutions

A question I've asked before..........................Conservatively, a 5 minute Music Lossless Track (about 35Mb) would take about 5 minutes to download and would be very easy to find space for on a modern hard drive or NAS

Yet.............................Find a single LOSSLESS Track by ANY of the Top 1,000 Top Selling Artists of the past 10 years from ANY "legal" or kosher source on the Internet

Technical issues are not what's holding Meridian or anyone else back here; Licensing and Legal Repercussions from the Media Companies are