[warnerwh]

Do these things like the Olive have a menu that you access with the remote to play a certain cd or track? It seems like a good idea until I thought of accessing cd's and then how do I know what's on there. Unless you have all of your cd's memorized you'd have to make a spreadsheet.

I think it's just easier to grab the cd myself. Also to record every cd and make a list of every track of every cd would take a very long time.

What am I missing here?  Thanks

[John Casler]

Hey Warner,

All I know about is the OLIVE units, and they have an "onboard software with 2,000,000 CD titles and content that will match the CD's you play and load.

To add the newer CD's that are produced after your softare was published, you simply connect to the internet and download the new titles and CD content.

Most of the newer CD's also have the information on track titles and content (even cover graphics) encoded in the CD.

My ONIX CD1 would read out each track title before it played, so I could browse through them until I found the title I wanted.

[Gordy]

Hi Warner,

The Olives have a small screen for paging through options and lists.  This can be done from the remote or the front panel, though viewing is tough from about four feet or so...

Once loaded, a cd is identified and displayed with artist/composer/song list etc.   This is all imported if you download to the HD. Like John said, new releases not in the onboard database will be searched for on the net.  I've had two cd's released last week that were recognised!

John, have you seen a Sonata yet?  I'm presuming it can be used as a hand held remote for scrolling through lists as well???

[maxwalrath]

John, does the Olive need to be connected to the computer the whole time during download, or can someone load everything and periodically hook it up to the computer?

[Gordy]

Max, do you mean for cd identification?

[John Casler]

John, have you seen a Sonata yet? I'm presuming it can be used as a hand held remote for scrolling through lists as well??? ...

No I haven't even received my OLIVE yet (until the GROUP deal is closed up)

The Sonata is only a remote, for the system it is used on.

That is, it can find a track or play list and call it up to send to the system it is connected to, but will not control the main system.

[John Casler]

John, does the Olive need to be connected to the computer the whole time during download, or can someone load everything and periodically hook it up to the computer?

Actually it doesn't need to be connected to "a computer".  It simply needs to be connected to the internet via a wireless or ethernet connection (router)

You would want to do this anyhow for internet radio (which is way cool )

Don't quote me, but I think "once connected" it will download the info at the same time you are "burning" the CD to HD, just like is done when you bring up a CD on your music software.

[maxwalrath]

Max, do you mean for cd identification?

Hey Gordy, I just meant "labeling" the cd with track, album & artist info. I was wondering how to get that info from the web....computer illiterate that I am I didn't think of the wireless router option. Thanks John....

[Gordy]

Thanks John, dang, I was hoping to use one as a controller for the main unit as well....

Actually it doesn't need to be connected to "a computer".  It simply needs to be connected to the internet via a wireless or ethernet connection (router)

You would want to do this anyhow for internet radio (which is way cool )

Don't quote me, but I think "once connected" it will download the info at the s ...

That's right!  Once connected it'll display info from the net that's not available on the software about a cd to be played or imported and it'll import the info along with your music data to the HD.