I-pod multi room?

[Driller]

I have this system exactly as you describe it: Ipod dock flush mounted in wall, you or friend plugs Ipod into dock and hey presto access to all menus through wallmounted keypad and music piped all over the house.

I have a CAV6.6 from Russound sold by our very own Plotloss.

[manty]

I have one of these, also have extra controllers in various rooms, and one controller for the garden speakers. I sorted it when the house was being built, dont know how easy it would be to retrofit?

[Zod]

I see that as a technological dead end, like the guys who installed bespoke multiroom audio with expensive Linn/Cyrus etc music servers earlier this decade. Just networking the house and using squeezebox or sonos and then the next big thing seems to me to be the way to do it.

[Plotloss]

You're miles away from me so whilst we'd like to help its probably a non-starter.

Do however feel free to mail me with questions, this is our bread and butter work.

[talkssense]

Have to admit I really don't get the attraction of systems that pull the music from an ipod. I can see it's a nice add on to be able to plug a mates mp3 player in and listen to his music, but why limit yourself to ipods? What if a guest has a blackberry, laptop etc?

You must have your music on a computer anyway, so stick it on a media server or stream straight from the computer. At least that way if you go away for a week you don't take the music collection with you if there's anyone else in the house.

I can't help thinking all these houses with ipod stations in the walls are going to look very dated in a few years. A lot of them are using specific cabling which will be no use for new systems, and who'd to say whatever apple are producing in 5 years will even be compatable with the docks installed?

[Plotloss]

iPods work in multiroom because a lot of people buy DRM protected content from iTunes and DRM content on iTunes will only play on Apple products hence the neccessity for an iPod.

One of the big custom players has recently ditched its line of high end media servers and is moving over to an iPod only strategy.

[navier_stokes]

Plotloss said:

iPods work in multiroom because a lot of people buy DRM protected content from iTunes and DRM content on iTunes will only play on Apple products hence the neccessity for an iPod.

One of the big custom players has recently ditched its line of high end media servers and is moving over to an iPod only strategy.

Surely the wrong time to do it now iTunes is going DRM free?

[SJobson]

Zod said:

I see that as a technological dead end, like the guys who installed bespoke multiroom audio with expensive Linn/Cyrus etc music servers earlier this decade. Just networking the house and using squeezebox or sonos and then the next big thing seems to me to be the way to do it.

I agree entirely - if you have an iPod then you must surely have the music on a computer too. Just use a number of Squeezeboxes or Sonos things to stream it round the house.

[talkssense]

Plotloss said:

iPods work in multiroom because a lot of people buy DRM protected content from iTunes and DRM content on iTunes will only play on Apple products hence the neccessity for an iPod.

One of the big custom players has recently ditched its line of high end media servers and is moving over to an iPod only strategy.

In that case I'd rather use an apple TV or a Mac mini, or a Pc running itunes as my source.

I can see that it'll work for some people. Just my preference is to keep the house music and my portable music seperate and allow a bit more flexibility

[Plotloss]

talkssense said:

Plotloss said:

iPods work in multiroom because a lot of people buy DRM protected content from iTunes and DRM content on iTunes will only play on Apple products hence the neccessity for an iPod.

One of the big custom players has recently ditched its line of high end media servers and is moving over to an iPod only strategy.

In that case I'd rather use an apple TV or a Mac mini, or a Pc running itunes as my source.

I can see that it'll work for some people. Just my preference is to keep the house music and my portable music seperate and allow a bit more flexibility

I agree with the preference of keeping it seperate, my choice too (that and the fact that I'd need two good size media servers or 6 80Gb iPods to house it all) we do a docking station for a mac mini as well though and the Apple TV being IR based that can be integrated like any source.

As for the argument about it being a technical dead end, typically the iPod in-wall docking stations form up one of the sources of a matrix distribution system along with perhaps a CD player, tuner or another media server. They all connect with Cat5e so if something comes along to usurp the iPod, you just take out the iPod dock and replace it.