Slim Devices and Infrant have teamed up to deliver a bundled networked-audio solution that requires no PC.
Their package consists of a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device from Infrant Technologies and a pair of wireless Squeezebox digital media players (DMPs) marketed here by Slim Devices.
Infrant’s ReadyNAS NV is the first commercially available NAS to come preloaded with Slim Server software, enabling the 1TB device to stream music directly to Squeezebox players without the need for a PC. Slim Devices is offering a package that includes Infrant’s ReadyNAS NV and two wireless Squeezeboxes at a suggested $1,499, or $300 off the regular suggested prices. The bundled Squeezeboxes incorporate wireless 802.11g technology as well as wired-Ethernet ports.
Using a Squeezebox’s remote control, consumers access any song stored on the ReadyNAS or computer plus hundreds of Internet radio stations. Songs are streamed from the NAS in the FLAC, Ogg Vorbis, WMA lossless, Apple lossless, MP3 and AAC formats. Additional Squeezeboxes can be purchased to stream the same song or independent streams to up to 20 rooms.
The Squeezeboxes stream only audio, but the NAS can also be used to store video, still images and other data.
The NAS, which separately retails for a suggested $1,199, incorporates four 250GB HDDs drives for redundancy and capacity.
Squeezeboxes are also available separately at $299 each for the wireless version and $249 for the wired version.
Slim sells through computer retailers, custom installers, Amazon.com and its own Web site.
