What music formats does time capsule allow? (FLAC, WAV, AIFF, etc)
What is the output for audio - i.e. usb1, usb2, FireWire, coaxial optical, etc?
Can I control music selection from my iPad to this time capsule?
Can I use TC without the main computer (iMac) off, but for the Blueray, iPad, MacBook?
Time capsule
I love these kinds of questions..
Darren-n-Heather wrote:
What music formats does time capsule allow? (FLAC, WAV, AIFF, etc)
None.. TC is a dumb as a board (DAAB), hard disk inside a router.
What is the output for audio - i.e. usb1, usb2, FireWire, coaxial optical, etc?
None.. it is DAAB.. it has no media player.. it has no idea what you store on the hard disk.. there is no firewire, no optical.. usb is for printer or hard disk. The only apple product with all those things or even some of them is either a computer or Apple TV.. !
Can I control music selection from my iPad to this time capsule?
TC is DAAB.. it has no music to select..
If you store music on the TC the ipad can probably have an app installed to play it. But please do not move your itunes library to the TC.. that is asking for trouble.
Can I use TC without the main computer (iMac) off, but for the Blueray, iPad, MacBook?
NO, if you use TC as a file store.. being DAAB.. you need a computer to stream files to whatever.
Time Capsule is a router.. exactly the same as Airport Extreme.. with a hard disk.. it is designed purely for Time Machine backups.. it is not a reliable file store even.. it is not reliable enough nor does it have any automatic way to backup files stored on it.. Apple do not fix them.. they are a throw away item.. if it dies with all your files on it.. Apple will tell you it is for backups only therefore you have all your files still on your computers. It is slow as it is designed primarily not for ethernet connection but for wireless.
The only dedicated media player apple make is the Apple TV. Check it out for your requirements.. But the new v3 are far cheaper than older v2 which are selling for high prices now second hand.. because Apple stopped the JB.. so people could use them to play their files.. now it is almost totally an itunes device.. !!
Thank you so much. Here's my situation, and don't feel obligated to reply, after all I have been researching a solution for days and days without any success.
1) I want an external hard drive connected to my iMac.
2) I want to access, via wifi, the external hard drive from iPad using an app with a great interface-when iMac is shut off.
3) I want to play music files, any type FLAC or other, with a connection from the hard drive to a stereo that is hard wired(preferably with the best hard wiring FireWire or optical digital)
So...do any stereo receivers read directly from ext. hard drives? And do they have iPad apps to choose the music?
As far as I know there are receivers with connections to computers (that must be turned on) but not ext. hard drives.
And as for this EHD, it would need the right ports FWire, Optical, thunderbolt.
What a cluster ....
I cannot give you answers to all of your questions.. I am ipadless.. and still very happy.. !!
2) I want to access, via wifi, the external hard drive from iPad using an app with a great interface-when iMac is shut off.
Ok, this is impossible.. an external drive.. meaning a firewire or usb or thunderbolt drive plugged into the Mac is only accessible as long as the Mac is on. You can only access a network drive if the supporting device is turned on.
3) I want to play music files, any type FLAC or other, with a connection from the hard drive to a stereo that is hard wired(preferably with the best hard wiring FireWire or optical digital)
FW cannot be used for sound.. AFAIK.. at least.
Apple just do not make the device you want. You will have to look further afield but that means it will not usually have ipad controls.. look at Sonos.. as I know they make equipment designed to fit into apple architecture. But you will need ipod or something as the store.
As far as apple equipment goes, the best thing to buy is Apple TV.. as the device to stream to, and a mac mini as a media computer / HTPC.. which will provide a central store of files and actual OS that can play or stream from itunes for whatever files you have.. this can be controlled by ipad.. the actual nuts and bolts of it.. no idea. But at this point you are forced in the Apple environment to live with everything in itunes. AFAIK.. don't hold me to all of this.. it is just general pointers.
Sniffle...thanks a lot. Seriously, thanks...I guess I was trying to avoid losing sound quality by having to play over-air/wifi and having to obey what file formats apple allows, no FLAC or a few others. Also, I wanted to not have to have my iMac on so that I could access the ext hard drive. I don't know if seagate's wifi HD or Sonos or mac's airport or mini or apple tv need the computer on to "see" the ext hd. Maybe just hooking the e.x.d. to the wireless router will enable access to the music...but then again I'd connect the receiver to a liason-piece then to the router.
You have helped an insane amount, thank you.
This crap is dizzying, well for me and the amount of time I've spent trying to figure it out.
On another note, I got off the phone with a high end audio/vis store and he said he didn't know of any products that fit my needs or preferences. Maybe in the future there'll be such for the truest audiophile, (if I could call myself that)
P.S. Do I need to pay you?
P.S. Do I need to pay you?
LOL!! Of course not... I am one of the unwashed masses.. this is a public forum.. an opportunity to share our mutual ignorance..
I suggest you do a search of using a mini as a media device.. you don't need a new one.. a dual core 2ghz is plenty of power.. and mini is very low power demand.. that is where I would start.. build out as you develop more understanding.
Ah-ha! I did more research...mind you it's 12:40pm now...**** I should give up and go to sleep.
But from what I found off Stereophile's product reviews:
a) there are components that use the FireWire to send the audio file to play music, not just send a music file from one location to another to be copied (I could send a link to this piece of equipment, but I read that an hour or so ago and I don't feel like searching through the million product reviews I had found it in)
b) there is a receiver that acts as a hard drive-the McIntosh MS750, that can store and play your music files on board without a computer interface. ( a hard drive and amp in one)
c) that the LAN wire is the best option to go to communicate the music to the receiver, not optical, coaxial, RCA, or other.
Now....just to win the lottery...
thanks again
Can I hook time capsule up to a receiver to play my music
