Squeezbox and Rhapsody

[mstetz]

Hi,

I downloaded the SqueezeCenter software and SqueezeSoft to get an idea of how things are going to work once I purchase a Squeezebox. Everything went as expected. I pointed the software to my Music folder and streamed the music to the emulator.

My question is, when I tried to view how Rhapsody was going to work, I got a message that said I need at least Squeezebox2 to do this. Fair enough. How will Rhapsody look on the SqueezeCenter once I connect the Squeezebox that I'm hoping to buy soon? Will I be able to access both my Rhapsody Library (just links to music on the Rhapsody server) and Rhapsody's million song collection?

Regards,

Marty

[FredFredrickson]

Once you start using rhapsody- you'll find you don't use your local media library very much :P

When you go to the Rhapsody Menu, you have many options. From memory, my experience with squeezecenter (or the squeezebox controller) includes things like (but not limited to)

-My Library: Songs, Artists, Albums that you've personally enjoyed and added to your Rhapsody Library. This includes playlists you've created, and channels that you've saved as "my channels." I believe this includes channels you've created as well.

-Search/Browse: You can do an artist/song/album search through their entire catalog, which is a great feature for parties, specifically if your friends want to listen to music you don't have, and you don't care to get. I believe there are some browse features by genre as well.

-Channels: Stream from any one of Rhaposdy's many Channels, just like a radio station, except no commercials, and you can always skip a song if you don't like it. If you do like the song that's currently playing, you can add it to your library right from your squeeze center or from the squeezebox controller.

I hope this answers your questions. This is unlike other players on the market- because it can access the entire catalog, not just your small library. This was the major selling point for me.

[mstetz]

Thank you, Fred. That is EXACTLY what I wanted to hear!

Best regards,

Marty

[Goodsounds]

Does anyone know what level of sound quality Rhapsody uses?

Fred's comment of not using his own library much is quite an endorsement. But I didn't know that any "broadcasters" (Rhapsody or anyone else) were using high data rate streams. Would be curious to find out.

Thanks

[andyg]

We're now using the highest quality Rhapsody provides: 192k mp3.

[tomjtx]

We're now using the highest quality Rhapsody provides: 192k mp3.

I thought Rhapsody was offering 256VBR ?

[andyg]

I thought Rhapsody was offering 256VBR ?

Yeah, for purchases from their MP3 store, not as part of Rhapsody Direct.