![]() At boot, this displays normal boot information and initially ends up at a Linux login prompt. On the back of the TS-669L is an HDMI port that plugs into your TV. Media playback Now we get to the novel aspect of the TS-669L: the media player. This is all done very easily and quickly through the Web UI, and much of the configuration is wizard-based, further simplifying the installation. You can then specify network configuration settings, create a new storage volume, and begin adding shares and users to the system. Nevertheless, the basic operation of the TS-669L is simple: Plug it in, and run a discovery tool to locate the device on the local network. Suffice it to say, this box is very well equipped. It also boasts dual gigabit Ethernet interfaces, the option to use a USB wireless interface, two eSATA ports, two USB 3 ports, and four USB 2 ports. MinimServer stands out for its customizability and its flexibility at displaying tags.If you think this is a lot of services for a relatively little box to handle, you'd be right, though with a dual-core Intel Atom 2.13GHz CPU and 1GB of RAM (expandable to 3GB), the TS-669L has the horsepower to handle more than you might think. But it cannot be customized in the ways that classical music requires. One example: Synology supplies a server, called Audio Station, and a control point to go with it. For them, the ability to use different servers should be a consideration when choosing a NAS. This generally means serious classical listeners and some jazz aficionados. ![]() The ability to install other software and the availability of more servers is important to people who need to go beyond the typical artist/album/track listing format that all servers support. MinimServer, for instance, is available for several brands of NAS but Asset only supports QNAP despite requests to support other brands (why, I don’t know). Whether or not a user can install a different server (other than Twonky or whatever ships with the NAS) depends on a) whether the server’s operating system allows users to install additional apps and b) whether the maker of the server has built a version for the NAS in question. Connects the player to a specific memory location on the hard drive where music is.Reads the stored contents and delivers a list when asked to.Tells other devices on the network what the NAS is, what it is capable of doing and playing, and what it has stored on it.The server, in this case Twonky, can do the following tasks (among other things): ![]() Let’s first review the three critical elements in a DLNA music system: server, controller, renderer (player). So, what does this all important program do? There’s also one available for easy install, by Synology NAS owners, as well as Windows and Mac owners as well–for those not owning a NAS–that is preferred by Audiophiles and is free. Some companies, like Synology and QNAP, have their own version of DLNA server that outperforms Twonky – I am guessing hoping that trend will continue. But, it is stable, low cost, handles most media (not DSD) and pretty much is what you’re going to be stuck with if you run a NAS. Twonky performs as well as its name suggests. Twonky is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Japan’s largest mobile phone provider, NTT DoCoMo . It was founded by a company called PacketVideo who started business in 1998 out of California. Twonky has been around for a very long time. One DLNA server program dominates the NAS landscape. The internal computer does the work, but this DLNA server program tells it what to do. Like a car needing a driver to steer it, the complex mechanisms inside computers are powerful tools in need of direction. When we read that a NAS (Network Attached Storage) is DLNA “ready”, it means nothing more than a DLNA server program has been installed and configured to control the NAS. Pretty simple setup.Ĭomputers can do nothing without a program to instruct them. ![]() It is accessed over a home network through ethernet cables, and sent on its way by the home router. I had detailed how a NAS is a hard drive with an internal computer built in. It may work for printers and other simple devices, but not when it comes to a DLNA music system. Like expecting Plug N Play (UPnP) to perform as its name implies. ![]() Nothing upsets us more than expecting one thing and getting something else. Disappointing to both the 3 year old it was intended for and the 67 year old who bought it for him. Instead, it’s a difficult to use gun that puts out a puff of air if you pull back on the rubber stopper–far too difficult for a 3 year old. It doesn’t actually do what it’s name implies. I’ve agreed to return it, much to both our disappointments. For those interested in the results of yesterday’s package unwrapping, Henry’s fart gun was a bust. ![]()
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