Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Snarglefarg]

I bought the Motorola simplefi Wireless Digital Audio Receiver. This device connects to your audio receiver and allows you to wirelessly access and stream your audio content (MP3 and WMA) files from your desktop computer.

Now that I'm listening to my music on my $600 speakers rather than my computer, I've decided to re-rip my entire collection. Wireless access to all of your music is simply amazing and the quality is not degraded in any way.

The weakest part of the package however is the management software. When loaded up with a thousand songs or so, performance of the app on the PC degrades. You really appreciate how fast Media Center is when loaded up with thousands of songs.

I was wondering if there was any support or planned support for this device directly from within Media Center 9.

I was wondering if anybody else on this forum is using this device.

Product Info
http://www.gi.com/simplefi.html

Additional info from the company that produced this product:
http://www.simpledevices.com

[JimH]

It looks like it uses the upnp protocol.  We're already looking at it, so maybe some day.

[Snarglefarg]

It looks like it uses the upnp protocol.  We're already looking at it, so maybe some day.

That would be great.  I'll keep my fingers crossed!

[bobe4]

I concure.   Support for a device like this is exactly what MC9 needs to become the home network hub in my house!

[Snarglefarg]

If I was willing to lend you (the developers of MC) my simplefi, would that increase the possiblity of supporting it?  The software it comes with is practically unsable but the hardware is great and I'd use it a whole lot more if it was accessible from within MediaCenter.

Contact me if you'd like to take me up on this offer. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

[John Gateley]

Some questions: do you have to plug a wireless thingy into the PC? WIll it work with an existing wireless network? Can you play music from more than one PC?

Thanks,

j

[Snarglefarg]

do you have to plug a wireless thingy into the PC?

Yes. It comes with a wireless "antenna" that you plug into your USB port.

WIll it work with an existing wireless network?

No. It's not 802.11. It uses "HomeRF".  According to the documentation:

"simplefi uses HomeRF wireless Ethernet to connect to your home PC. With this system, you don't need to install wires or move your stereo. Future versions may support 802.11b, 802.11a, wired Ethernet, HomePNG, HomePlug and other networking technologies."

As far as distance between the home PC and the simplefi hardware:

"Approximiately 150 feet through walls."

Can you play music from more than one PC?

You can use a single PC to play to multiple simplefi devices simultaneously, and what they play is independent of each other. So I can play Billy Joel in the living room and Pet Shop Boys in the bedroom (and have).  I imagine that MC could use Zones to define the different rooms and you could have playlists running in multiple locations.

Each device obtains an IP address (though DHCP) and there's a security code that you can add to both the network adapter setup and the simplefi hardware so you're sure that you're safe from prying eyes.

The unit supports MP3 up to 320kbps and software (and firmware upgrade) came out several months back which added WMA support.

One feature I really like is a feature called "TagIt".  If you're listening to a song over Internet Radio that you like, you hit this orange button which "tags" the song and stores the song name and artist on a website that they give you access to.  It makes it really useful to go back to songs later that you listened to throughout the day.

Here are some useful links that may help.

Sales info
http://broadband.motorola.com/consumers/products/simplefi/

QuickStart Guide (PDF)
http://broadband.motorola.com/consumers/products/simplefi/downloads/simplefi_QuickStart.pdf

Users Guide (PDF)
http://broadband.motorola.com/consumers/products/simplefi/downloads/simplefi_installation_user_guide.pdf

Note: This users guide available online is based off of the version of the software prior to a firmware upgrade that now allows the device to support WMA. Some minor changes were made to their desktop software components as well.

Installation Addendum
http://broadband.motorola.com/consumers/products/simplefi/downloads/simplefi_installation_addendum.pdf

The company that produces this is:
http://www.simpledevices.com/

I am in no way affiliated with SimpleDevices or Motorola, just an MC user that would love to wirelessly stream music to my home stereo. If you have more questions, please let me know.

[ama_mmmc]

I might tend to disagree about the 802.11b question.  If you go over to www.omnifi.com you will find a product that I beleive is the same thing.   They offer one for your car, and for your house.....your car sync's on demand or when scheduled, and they use 802.11b, and the Simplify software from Motorola.  I would not even download the software, as they are testing with around 6000 songs.....I am not sure about most of you, but that is just a beginning for most of us around here.  One guy said (support person) said that there would never be a slow down because he was using it at home with around 10,000 songs and it worked perfectedly.  

Anyway, just for what it is worth.  Oh, and their forum does not work well.  Crashes alot when you try to reply, and they blamed me for it.

[Snarglefarg]

One guy said (support person) said that there would never be a slow down because he was using it at home with around 10,000 songs and it worked perfectedly.

I don't find that to be the case with the simplefi software. When I dropped several hundred songs in, it started to feel a bit sluggish.  Maybe because I'm used to the amazing speed of MC, which spoils with just about everything else.

As far as the 802.11 questions, I think that's a rather optimistic answer they put in and there is no indication that the unit I have can be flash upgraded to support 802.11.  I read it as though they were saying that perhaps future models would support 802.11.

Still, I like what this thing can do, despite the non-standard way it connects.  Once you get past the desktop software, the sound is great and works as promised.