View Single Post
Old 12th Jul 2021, 7:17 pm   #52
GrimJosef
Dekatron
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Oxfordshire, UK.
Posts: 4,310
Default Re: The end of physical media.

Quote:
Originally Posted by GMB View Post
I have yet to us use a streaming service. I am unsure how they work in a situation where no Internet connection is available.

But if I did, will they deliver CD quality (i.e. uncompressed) data?
I have a number of Squeezebox 'Touch' streamers around the house and workshop, connected by wifi to my router. But I don't subscribe to a streaming service. I just use them to play the music files that I have ripped from my CD collection, which reside on my desktop computer's HDD.

The streamers need software, which could be downloaded for free, so an internet comnnection was needed to set the system up initially. But after that it would, in principle, run independently and indefinitely. A complication is that the streamers access the music files via the desktop machine's operating system (Windows) and very occasionally a consequence of a Windows update will be that I have to download an update of the streamer software too and an internet connection is needed for that. But it would have been needed for the Windows update in the first place.

The streamers will handle a number of different music file formats. These include FLAC, which is somewhat compressed but is lossless (that's what matters for quality) and which I use to store all my music. The streamers don't introduce any music information loss of their own. Each one's buffer seems more than adequate for dealing with any information-flow fluctuations caused by my wifi.

A downside is that Squeezebox were bought out by Logitech and after a short time they (Logitech) made the decision not to support the 'Touch' any more. I believe the software is now maintained by enthusiasts.

Cheers,

GJ
__________________
http://www.ampregen.com
GrimJosef is offline