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[lcrim]

Hello:
I currently run Logitech Media Server on a central server (actually a laptop w/a USB connected hard drive acting  as the media library).  I have two systems that draw on this library.  I want to take advantage of the ability of jriver to upgrade flac files to DSD.  
For the server I want to use a laptop w/ WIN7 Pro 64 bit 4GB RAM Pentium Dual Core Processor T4400 @2.20 GHZ and use the same media library.  I also have an Atom processor laptop running XP Home w/ 1 gig of ram as the client MC playback unit to feed a Schitt Loki DSD DAC in one system.  I will retain the Logitech Media Server on the central unit to feed the other system.  
Do you think that the available resources will be sufficient in this setup.  I would appreciate any suggestions.
Larry Crimmins

[Arindelle]

Welcome to the forum Larry!

So just audio files (but both PCM lossless and DSD), no video?

Personal opinion. No. Maybe others have gotten this to work ?

you could use the Win7 build no problem for audio but the Atom with 1 gig as renderer of DSD files? you would saturate the ram. Some real old mother boards also are no longer supported. You'd need a real fast network too -- probably have to convert on the fly to mp3 and then don't see much point. As XP is soon to be no longer supported by Microsoft might be time for a change? You can try it for free for thirty days .. might run flac lossless ok, but pretty sure the DSD will lag like crazy. I'd put the external hard drive on the machine running direct to DAC though.

I want to take advantage of the ability of jriver to upgrade flac files to DSD.

Not sure I follow you here. JRiver will allow you to playback DSD sure, but upgrade from PCM flac to DSD?

I've looked at the Loki -- seems like a very nice way to try out DSD witout spending a lot. What DAC are you adding on too? If I understood you can also run PCM files directly to the main DAC which is good planning on their part and it works on any DAC not just theirs. I'd like to know what you think of this once you are all set up.

[lcrim]

Hi Arindelle:
Thanks for taking the time to answer me.
That JRiver MC V19 will convert PCM (flac) to DSD is described in Michael Lavorgna's Audiostream review @ http://www.audiostream.com/content/schiit-audio-loki-dsd-dedicated-dac
My reasoning is that the server has enough horsepower (resources) to accomplish the conversion and the client pc (the Atom netbook, running XP) would only act as a conduit to the Loki DAC.  Why would the client need to do the upgrade?  The client/server model would then be rendered worthless.
 
I haven't purchased the Loki or downloaded JRiver MC yet, just testing the concept to see if I'm totally off-base.  My home network is all wired and permits a Netflix video to play along w/ the Logitech traffic.
Larry Crimmins

[6233638]

If you install Media Center and run the JRmark benchmark (Help > Benchmark) we will have a better idea, but my gut feeling is that you won't have the CPU power to do on-the-fly DSD encoding.

[AndrewFG]

Do you think that the available resources will be sufficient in this setup.  I would appreciate any suggestions.

I run both Logitech Media Server and MC on an Atom (one of these http://www.asrock.com/mb/Intel/AD2550-ITX/ ) running Windows 7. The load on the system really depends on how many tracks you are serving at the same time. We only have two people in the house, and we don't use it for serving video, so in my case there is never a problem. But obviously if you want to serve to many renderers in parallel then on an Atom like mine you will run out of horses pretty soon. Also if you are serving mp3's or (say) non transcoded flacs then the load on the CPU is lower than if you are transcoding on the fly. And in particular if you are transcoding high sample rate, high bit depth tracks, then it could get quite critical...

[lcrim]

Hi Andrew:
Wouldn't the transcoding be done on the server, w/ better hardware resources than on the Atom pc which is only acting as client to the DAC?
Thanks
Larry Crimmins

[lcrim]

I had a thought that would affect the overall architecture a bit but might make things run smoother.  If I placed the laptop w/ the  WIN7 Pro 64 bit 4GB RAM Pentium Dual Core Processor T4400 @2.20 GHZ at the HiFi System (http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?action=systems;system=746) and loaded JRiver MC on it and see if it finds the music files on the Logitech Media Server which is I think is DLNA compliant and send its ouput via USB to what will become the Schitt Loki DSD  I think the transcoding has a better chance.
Will the music files be accessible on the Atom unit whichis a netbook running XP home?
Larry Crimmins

[Arindelle]

Wouldn't the transcoding be done on the server, w/ better hardware resources than on the Atom PC which is only acting as client to the DAC?
Larry Crimmins

A little confusion maybe in terminology between "media server" and a file server? There is even a program that is part of JRiver which is called MediaServer.exe to make semantics a bit hairy

Actually you would (normally) want to have the PC attached to the DAC as both media server, renderer, and one (probably) of the control points (the shared library would be located on this PC not the data files) . The Other PC could be set up either as a simple file server/"dumb" NAS or could easily be set up also as a client to do tagging admin and as a second control with local playback .  If you had a real NAS you wouldn't install JRiver on it nor would it hold the principal library (it would hold the media files though).  You would need to install MC on both computers (you can do this with one license).

So with this simple config, you'd want the "renderer" which is basically the last element in the digital chain to have the most powerful CPU. If you are referring to the DSD in DoP format as transcoding, that is in the config of the rendering PC under output encoding.  Why I suggested taking the load off the network connection by plugging in the media directly to the PC connected to the DAC, but this probably would conflict your set up for the logitech part of the system.

Thanks for the link by the way -- I do have a problem with the article but it was interesting. O.T. - not sure I buy that converting PCM flac to DSD is worthwhile, but that is for another post ... if you get a chance 623... read the article like to here what you think having the Teac DSD Dac

[Arindelle]

  Posted at exactly the same time Larry now I'll have to read your post to see if I confused you anymore than necessary!

[Arindelle]

ok read that

If I placed the laptop w/ the  WIN7 Pro 64 bit 4GB RAM Pentium Dual Core Processor T4400 @2.20 GHZ at the HiFi System (http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?action=systems;system=746) and loaded JRiver MC on it and see if it finds the music files on the Logitech Media Server which is I think is DLNA compliant

you could probably run the logitech as a renderer this way not sure -- you'll see it in anycase, but Andrew evidently has logitech in his system so I'll leave this be ...

and send its (the logitech's) ouput via USB to what will become the Schitt Loki DSD 

I do not see why you would want to do this. Using the jriver engine direct to the Loki is how Schitt are setting it up (see below). I'd do it tyha way if they did'nt give me a guide.
 

Will the music files be accessible on the Atom unit which is a netbook running XP home?

yes, it can run as a client off of the Win7 machine; it can control the Win7 from a distance and do some admin and it could playback locally the media (not in DSD unless you buy two Loki's -- CAVEAT --> if the xp machine has enough horsepower and if the motherboard is not ancient. BTW, you would want a WinPro version machine running Win server if possible; also a mixed XP/Win lan has its own headaches, but you know of those already I presume

http://schiit.com/guides/dsd-setup in the Schiit guides they indicate setting this up by using  bitstreaming  - it looks like they are running version 18 .... version 19 you can do this by output encoding -- that would be too bad if you had to bitstream .. someone should contact schiit maybe?