Finally, a network music player that looks as good as it sounds! Roku SoundBridge plays your PC or Mac digital music files anywhere in the house - connecting your stereo or powered speakers to your computer's digital music library. Or, listen to a variety of Internet Radio stations, without even turning on your computer. WMA, MP3, AAC, AIFF and WAV music formats are supported - and it's network ready with wired Ethernet or Wi-Fi.
Winner of the CES 2004 Innovations Award and a Wired editor's pick, Roku's SoundBridge M1000 digital music receiver employs WiFi technology to broadcast media files from your Mac or PC to just about anywhere in the house. You no longer have to be sitting at your computer to hear your music, nor do you need to burn your Internet-sourced audio to CDs to import it to the living room. Just plug the M1000 into your integrated amplifier or surround receiver and you can listen to all your digital music on your stereo or multichannel speaker system. The M1000 includes built-in 802.11b WiFi for wireless use but also offers a RJ-45/Cat5 Ethernet port for hard-wired connections.
The M1000 features an extra-bright 280 x 16 vacuum fluorescent display that shows the track and artist name. Take a closer look.
The SoundBridge is compatible with WMA, MP3, AAC, AIFF, and WAV music formats right out of the box. Further, its native support for Apple Rendezvous and iTunes means the M1000 is instantly ready to play your Apple media--no additional software is required, as you're already set up for Rendezvous or iTunes. Just enable iTunes' sharing feature (though please be aware that iTunes Music Store "Protected AAC" files are not supported). SoundBridge uses Apple's DAAP (digital audio access protocol) to communicate directly with iTunes, and reduces its network bandwidth by decoding AAC files in the player rather than in the computer.
PC owners, meanwhile, will delight in the SoundBridge's built-in Windows Media Connect, Windows Media Player 10, and Rhapsody support. The device also works with any music service using Windows Media DRM 10, such as Napster, MusicMatch, and Walmart.com. All told, the M1000 is the most compatible music player around.
The M1000's remote includes search, brightness, navigation, and playback controls.
With its convenient remote control, it's easy to browse, select, and control your music from across the room, or you can control playback from your computer using the intuitive web interface. The M1000 also offers a 280 x 16 display with your choice of four "EQ display" music visualizers that play along with the beat of your music. And the bright, sharp vacuum-fluorescent readout is easy to see in all lighting conditions and from any angle--even from across the room.
The SoundBridge offers Internet radio access, too, bringing you a selection of free music and talk-radio stations (with up to 10 station presets). Roku's Fast Browse feature lets you browse huge music collections by album, artist, genre, or composer (providing your files are properly encoded with said details). You can also play your stored iTunes playlists or use the keyword search to find the title you seek.
Beyond its WiFi and RJ-45 interfaces, the M1000 offers straight-ahead audio connections: an S/PDIF coaxial digital output and an optical Toslink output (one each) for those that want a pure digital connection with a surround receiver or a CD or minidisc recorder. The unit also comes with a stereo RCA-to-minijack connector that hooks directly into a set of powered computer speakers to create a stylish and minimalist compact stereo system.
In addition, Roku has outfitted the SoundBridge with a super-fast, 400 MHz Blackfin DSP and 16 MB of DRAM memory, giving it more than enough headroom to handle future software updates. Finally, the SoundBridge's sleek industrial design looks comfortable anywhere of the house, and even fits conveniently on the wall or under a shelf or cabinet using Roku's optional mounting accessory.
The M1000 measures 10 inches wide by 2.37 inches in diameter and is backed by a one-year warranty.
What's in the Box M1000 SoundBridge receiver, custom remote control, two AAA batteries, localized power adapter, 3.5 mm-to-RCA cable, detachable rubber base, user's manual.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Roku Soundbridge M1001:
The Roku Soundbridge does what it was made to do. Play music from your computer on any stereo system you plug it into, and play Internet radio. Unfortunately, even though I got the latest version, it only accepts the rather basic WEP wireless security settings. My laptop doesn't even offer WEP, because the encryption is easier to break than the newer security protocols, so I had to run Ethernet from my wireless router to get it to work. Unfortunately, my router is upstairs, and the radio system I connected... more info
Truly pathetic customer support:
I bought this for one purpose: to hook it up to my stereo system and listen to Internet radio stations around the world. It does it's main function fairly well, but their website which is required for that functionality is down several times a year, sometimes as long as 3 days. They also have no more online support or even online documentation. I can understand moving on, but getting rid of all documentation, etc, at your website?! There is a workaround to get it work with the website down, but it's a bit... more info
Awesome bang for the buck:
I was waffling between this and a Logitech Slim device. The price point won me over, and it's been a good addition to my home theater. I tried using both the Slim Server compatibility mode, and the native Firefly Server. The Slim Server compatibility mode is quite lacking in both usability and user interface (the fonts are very small in that mode). The Firefly server works like a charm and is very easy to use. It also connects to my Mac's music shares as well. Browsing is intuitive, quick, and playback... more info
Perfect !!!:
First i will say thanks Amazon.com for fast shipment and handling outside USA (Germany). I have searched this device in germany but i found only used devices. This devices is branded by pinnacle and comes without iTunes Server support. My original Roku SoundBridge works perctly with my iTunes Server on my NAS. For german orders only:
- The PSU works fine with 230V but for the US-Prongs must have an US to EU Prong converter.
- Amazon.com has made all zoll and formalities for me.more info
Privacy policy: we don't collect information
about visitors except for the standard technical server logs. We don't send unsolicited emails. We don't
sell the information that we don't collect about you to anyone. When you follow
links to other sites, their privacy policies apply. Thanks for visiting!
