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My attached NAS device Lacie 2big network will be exchanged with an actual version including media server support. I am disappointed that Lacie does not support an software upgrade for this media device feature, because from my point of view it's just a addtional software feature und no change within the hardware device itself...

But I'm glad that I can still relate on Lacie anyway because the devices are much better designed and Lacie has the leading product quality compared to Qnap. Additional Lacie has a good product support and warranty options including backup solutions...

From than on I can access media like MP3, fotos and videos directly over my Sony PS3

I've made an decision that can be of interest for anybody with a comparable AV-Receiver and same interest in home cinema: Instead of exchanging the AV receiver at once – what have been the most expansible way – I added a Sony PS3 into my home cinema environment in order to make use of Blueray and in order to enhance my system with the up to date HDMI connection. The PS3 makes use of audio playback via optical connection with the AV 3801 and the HMDI out of the PS3 is connected with my new beamer: A Epson TW 700. I decided not to buy a more expensive full HD beamer, but to take a more advanced HD ready beamer out of two main reasons: My beamer generated screen picture is less than 2m wide and I needed a beamer with some options in placement. In this combination the TW 700 is really with it’s wide optical lens shift and we really enjoy it’s great picture! Another reason is, that we would like to make use of our large DVD collection at first and while prices will reduce and techniques will improve a FULL HD beamer may follow later. We are really very happy with this solution and a screen within your private environment is a great enhancement. The picture is brilliant and blueray playback is just fun with the PS3 and I'm convinced that the PS3 is much more flexible than any blueray player!

In order to make comfortable use of my MP3 and picture collection a following media server set up on a NAS like the QNAP TS 209 Pro II will complete this combination – the only open feature right than will be the integration of the iphone 3G as an comfortable mobile MP3 player...

@tylerstyle, @all: As the german it magazine actually states in edition 02/2009 "You can spend weeks and month with the search for an ideal solution for your tagging problems. But already the mass of software around will ensure you there will be no ideal solution..."

In this article the following tools are recommended:
- REACT (Run EAC Tasks) for high quality grabbing infos and available under http://wiki.hydrogenaudio.org/index.p... - free to use
- MP3tag as a universal free to use Tool for MP3 Tag Editing including Cover Download from FreeDB available under http://www.mp3tag.de/

I like the following ending comment in the article: "Wer vor unzähligen GigaBytes tagloser Mp3's sitzt und schon beim Gedanken daran Gänsehaut bekommt, jedes Album per Hand anfassen zu müssen, der sollte sein Vorhaben langsam portionieren. Es hat sich bewährt, erst die wichtigen Schäfchen ins Trockene zu bringen, dann nach und nach den Rest zu erschließen. Nach einem Festplatten-Crash von vorn anzufangen dauert in jedem Fall länger."

Interessant ist vielleicht auch das Ganze per Service on Demand zu erledigen; allerdings sind dafür veranschlagte 200 EUR für 100 eingesandte Audio CD's sicherlich auch ein Wort zum Sonntag. Allerdings dauert laut c't Fazit eine vergleichbare Aufbereitung auch gut und gern ein Wochenende... – informatix, on January 19, 2009 19:40

Also es handelt sich um EasyTag 2.1 (compiliert am 05.May.2007), verwendet GTK+ 2.6.9 und id3lib Version 3.8.3.

Der Programmfehler tritt immer auf, wenn easytag sich irgendwie mit den Verzeichnissen verhaspelt - aber auch das Taggen eines ganzen Albums habe ich nicht hinbekommen - in der geposteten Doku hatte ich dazu schon nachgeschaut...

Na ja, werde mich nachher nochmal daran versuchen und die gesamte Doku querlesen.

Welche Version nutzt Du denn? Mir erscheint die recht alt, aber es ist laut http://easytag.sourceforge.net die einzig stabile, die vom Juli 2008 ist als latest Davel Version gekennzeichnet....

Aber solch Features werden doch sicherlich für Songbirg folgen oder bereits verfügbar sein?

Das ist genau das was ich mehrfach probiert habe! Allerdings finde ich das Problem auch nicht unbedingt benutzerfreundlich und unerklärliche kritische Programmabbrüche schon gar nicht...

Ich habe es aber noch nicht aufgegeben, aber eigentlich wäre mir eine komfortable Lösung wirklich am liebsten... Wie uns wo easyTag die Cover speichert ist mir aber auch noch nicht wirklich klar. Der Transfer auf's iphone hat allerdings soweit geklappt...

Ein sauberer Weg Mp3's zu erzeugen und zu taggen ist das Auslesen mit der Freeware http://www.audiograbber.de/download.p...

AudioGrabber aber unterstützt wiederum keine Cover, arbeitet aber mit der http://www.freedb.org/ zusammen...

Was mir vorschwebt ist einfach nach und nach meinr vorhandene MP3 Sammlung aufzuwerten, also Cover nachladen, Metadaten ergänzen usw...

Dabei nutze ich gerne auch iTunes und deren Coversuche oder sonst was SOWEIT meine Sammlung in Gänze auf DAUER aufgewertet wird - nur möchte ich dabei natürlich die Kontrolle behalten und komfortabel soll es aber auch noch sein... ;-)

Wenn Du Literaturempfehlungen hast, nur zu... :-)

Hi Laura, thanks for your reply and your encouragement!

As I replied I am convinced that a solution is close by.... ;-)

best wishes, informatix

@tylerstyle: Yes, windows user!
I tried EasyTag and the german wikipedia states that it is a usefull piece of software, but I am not really convinced and the entry seems to be old somehow...
In my try I was not able to add a album cover for a whole album, the cover had to be inserted into each single album track ... :-(
Also there have been lot's of programm errors resulting in programm exceptions with critical termination - might by windows like - but I am a windows user... ;-)

Also I was not able to make use of the cover search or nothing was found and I may be wrong but I have read that this project is also seppareted into pieces and lies on ice so far....

@all: So, isnt's there something else? – informatix, on January 15, 2009 11:21

I am also strongly interested in Songbirds's iphone support!

I can understand your matter and I am really convinced that Songbird will support iphone very soon. Isn't this solution against today and future apple protection a concern of wide interest? There must be an available open documentation as far as developers worldwide may have examined this so far. Of course users protest might be the best solution of all - to become this as effective as many iphone users as possible should demonstrate their protest - but how and where?
Apparently it's of not interest for Apple or iTunes to support external software or services, BUT they will at least be open minded when they notice that this approach does not support their profit ideas...

Apple or any other will not support a group of a few, but if their customers are demanding further features THEY will be listening when their profits are affected...

Songbird and others should unify their interests and go public, moreover provide a prepared letter or eMail of attend directly addressed to apple.

What I miss when using iTunes is I think nearly the same like anybody else: Constant feeling of being observed, missing features - like configurable backup features and documentation - and all other things mentioned so far. From my point of view Songbird is a very strong piece of software offerings lot’s of features and it's strength is based in it's open minded philosophy!

At the moment I one of my immediate interests is a solution for a comfortable search of album covers and a sophisticated strategy in backup of those covers within my existing MP3 collection. The iphone is just one device making use of this... ;-)

Greetings to all, informatix