I have been lurking for a year or so and have become enamored with the idea of setting up a home audio network. I own a Sound Production company and love music but just like mechanics with dead cars in the yard I listen to music rarely at home and when I do through my Samsung Flat panels speakers ( ouch ). I just cant stand the shame anymore. As I was thinking about what I would like to do about it in the end, I realized that I may have most of the parts already to get started.
Eventually I would like to move up to a mac mini based home theater setup as outlined here, but for now I have a PS3 that serves as blue ray player,netflix source, and hopefully as the source for my digital music library. I also have a Lexicon DC-1 pre-amp which I sourced out of an old install and a NAD 7.1 separate amplifier, that can drive a set of Atlantic Technology THX 350 speakers my naibor is selling pretty cheap. My home network is an apple time capsule set to wireless n and my macbook pro which is not always connected as I use it for work etc. I also have a lacie 1TB external multi interface HD which is un-formatted so far.
My fantasy is to connect my external HD to the usb port on my router and rip my modest collection of CD's onto it in the highest quality format that I can with art and track info etc from my macbook. I would then like to be able to browse that library and play it from my PS3 and thus enjoy music at a much higher quality and more often.
My confusions are these.
1. How should I format the drive. The auto setup assistant gives me the option of all for mac or I can set up to 32gig for windows in FAT 32. I would like PC's to be able to work with the drive also the PS3 needs to be able to recognize the format and ultimately I am a mac user so that must work as well. Do I format in all mac and can a windows machine still work with it through the network or via USB direct for file transfer?
2.Format for burning and the use of itunes? I have both a Mac and an iphone and it seems much easier to just use itunes for these and according to the articles I have read here AIFF would be the preferred format for that and my storage desires. The question is can the PS3 be made to recognize the networked disk and then play the AIFF files and perhaps almost as important browse them and make usable play lists to enjoy the music in my living room via the other equipment mentioned before.
I know that this plan is not exactly Audiophile territory but it is a big step in that direction for me any help that anyone can offer would be greatly appreciated. I am itching to get started and am at a loss for how to proceed.
Thanks,
Huna
