[minya]

Does anyone know what you can do with this yet?

If anyone uses the hacked encryption to create a foobar2000 plugin that works with Airport Express, I will be all over that like white on mo'-fackin' rice.

Aren't there some programmer gurus here who could fulfill my desires?

- Chris

 

[raif]

Didn't people decide that airport express wasn't bit-perfect? Seems like with your setup you would be interested in something else.

 

[Wodgy]

No, it turns out that the Airport Express is bit-perfect after all. There were some configuration problems in the first test that was run. It's a solid piece of technology and a good value.

Some guys managed to hack the AE's data format two weeks ago, so it's probably only a matter of time until a Foobar plugin appears.

 

[raif]

yay!

guess I am buying one after all.

 

[Wodgy]

FYI, if you go to Tyrion's original thread about the AE, quite a ways down there's a link to an Apple support web page which will shows you the exact configuration options to use to ensure that it is bit-perfect. Handy to have.

 

[Mr.Radar]

It may be a while before we seen output plugins for other programs because AirPort Express/AirTunes requires it's input to be APPLE LOSSLESS (which also explains why iTunes used so much CPU power while steaming to AX) and the spec that Apple Lossless is based on (MPEG-4 Audio Lossless Coding) is still unavailable to the plublic.

 

[Wodgy]

If you look at the source code to the JustePort hack, it appears the Airport Express can receive several different types of datastreams. (See the "sdp" string in RAOPClient.cs.) The first version of JustePort is hard coded to only support Apple Lossless, probably because that's what the programmer uses himself. But it would seem very easy to send the Airport Express a more conventional type of data.

 

[fdbeasley]

I am not programmer. Does anyone have a CLUE as to how to use this in windows? What program do I run it in?

Thanks for the the help!!!

BTW, I use my AE on my Linksys wireless network (WRT54G).

I read on another thread that some folks were having problems accessing the files from another computer (i.e., remote access).

I found that if I install iTunes on both my laptop and my desktop (desktop has the music library). And, give my laptop permission (via folder sharing) to access the same music directory, then, I have no problems accessing the directory over the network. No need for PCAnywhere or any other remote client.

Frankie

 

[Mr.Radar]

I think you need to compile it with Microsoft Visual C# or Mono.

 

[fdbeasley]

Yep, I downloaded mono, but have no idea how to use it. I'm a chemical engineer...obviously nothing to do with computer programming other than models and simulations. Have not compiled anything since my college days.

Was looking for a no-brainer step by step guide using mono. I guess I should just read a little, huh?

Frankie

 

[Oliver :)]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr.Radar AirPort Express/AirTunes requires it's input to be APPLE LOSSLESS (which also explains why iTunes used so much CPU power while steaming to AX

Hm, did you do a comparison on whether having your material in AL reduces the CPU use? It sure should...?

 

[Mr.Radar]

Wodgy corrected me on your quote that AX can receieve files other than AL. I don't have AX or iTunes so I couldn't do a comparison myself (I was just going on what I had read on the Internet).

 

[Oliver :)]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr.Radar Wodgy corrected me on your quote that AX can receieve files other than AL. I don't have AX or iTunes so I couldn't do a comparison myself (I was just going on what I had read on the Internet).

Actually you were right, AX uses AL for transfer. This is due to the encryption possible with AL. Therefore if you play, whatever, AAC, MP3, etc., those files are turned into AL before the transmission. That might take a few extra CPU cycles.

 

[aos]

Don't feel bad - I'm paid to write software, yet I have not been able to compile that piece of code as I lack supporting software. And I have Airport Express so it might have been useful. It's a rather puzzling decision, to use .net to write a hack like that.

Something more useful than foobar plugin would be to add ability to stream music from, say, a networked hard drive (perhaps plugged into AE itself) directly to AE, instead of double-bandwidth usage. Like that Linksys NSLU2 networked drive that runs embedded Linux. Bye CD megachanger, it would be. But it would require a lot of work and you'd still need the ability to control the stream anyway.

Itunes does encode to AAC on the fly - just take a look at your cpu usage while it's streaming to AE.