HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

SoundBridge is a hardware device from Roku, Inc. designed to play
internet radio Internet radio, also known as online radio, web radio, net radio, streaming radio, e-radio and IP radio, is a digital audio service transmitted via the Internet. Broadcasting on the Internet is usually referred to as webcasting since it is not ...
or
digital audio Digital audio is a representation of sound recorded in, or converted into, digital signal (signal processing), digital form. In digital audio, the sound wave of the audio signal is typically encoded as numerical sampling (signal processing), ...
streamed across a home network, over either
Wi-Fi Wi-Fi () is a family of wireless network protocols based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for Wireless LAN, local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by ...
or
ethernet Ethernet ( ) is a family of wired computer networking technologies commonly used in local area networks (LAN), metropolitan area networks (MAN) and wide area networks (WAN). It was commercially introduced in 1980 and first standardized in 198 ...
. SoundBridge devices directly browsed the Radio Roku guide. As of 2008, all Roku SoundBridge products were discontinued; Roku focused on
IPTV Internet Protocol television (IPTV), also called TV over broadband, is the service delivery of television over Internet Protocol (IP) networks. Usually sold and run by a Telephone company, telecom provider, it consists of broadcast live telev ...
. As of January 2012, the SoundBridge was no longer available from Roku. As of May 2018, internet radio functionality was no longer supported by Roku; they shut down their Radio Roku server that provided searching, saving, and accessing "Favorite" stations. However, the Roku SoundBridge can still access radio streams stored in its 18 URL presets. The music is also made available by a streaming server, usually a PC running media
software Software consists of computer programs that instruct the Execution (computing), execution of a computer. Software also includes design documents and specifications. The history of software is closely tied to the development of digital comput ...
. The SoundBridge had a high-resolution
vacuum fluorescent display A vacuum fluorescent display (VFD) is a display device once commonly used on consumer electronics equipment such as video cassette recorders, car audio, car radios, and microwave ovens. A VFD operates on the principle of cathodoluminescence, ...
and was compatible with various media servers, namely servers using
Apple An apple is a round, edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus'' spp.). Fruit trees of the orchard or domestic apple (''Malus domestica''), the most widely grown in the genus, are agriculture, cultivated worldwide. The tree originated ...
's
Digital Audio Access Protocol The Digital Audio Access Protocol (DAAP) is the proprietary protocol introduced by Apple in its iTunes software to share media across a local network. DAAP addresses the same problems for Apple as the UPnP AV standards address for members of the ...
;Roku forums: Soundbridge vs Rhythmbox
/ref> popular servers are
iTunes iTunes is a media player, media library, and mobile device management (MDM) utility developed by Apple. It is used to purchase, play, download and organize digital multimedia on personal computers running the macOS and Windows operating s ...
, mt-daapd, Windows Media Connect, Rhapsody, SlimServer, and
UPnP Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) is a set of networking protocols on the Internet Protocol (IP) that permits networked devices, such as personal computers, printers, Gateway (telecommunications), Internet gateways, Wi-Fi access points and mobile de ...
(Universal Plug and Play) compatible servers such as TwonkyVision. Some of these servers run not only on PCs but also on
NAS Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air (S ...
devices like the Linksys NSLU2, so a SoundBridge could be operated without a PC.


Models

There were several SoundBridge models: The M1000, the M500, and the M2000. There was also a tabletop model called the SoundBridge Radio that had built-in speakers, an AM/FM radio, and an alarm clock. SoundBridge models sold in most countries were manufactured and sold by
Pinnacle Systems Pinnacle Systems, Inc., was an American manufacturer of digital video hardware and software for the mainstream and broadcast markets. Pinnacle was a pioneer of using Workstation, computer workstations for video production and was the top player in ...
under a license from Roku. Although some Pinnacle models were similar or identical in hardware, Pinnacle didn't have a license for the DAAP protocol, so Pinnacle models couldn't directly connect to
iTunes iTunes is a media player, media library, and mobile device management (MDM) utility developed by Apple. It is used to purchase, play, download and organize digital multimedia on personal computers running the macOS and Windows operating s ...
. Pinnacle and Roku promoted the Firefly Media Server as an alternative that offers similar functionality. Pinnacle models include: * SoundBridge (one version identical to Roku SoundBridge M1001, another known as M1001HR with the higher resolution 280×32 pixel display as used in the SoundBridge Radio) * SoundBridge Radio (identical to Roku SoundBridge Radio sans native iTunes support) * Soundbridge HomeMusic - M400PX (character-based LCD - 16×2 characters; no Ethernet; no digital output; SD card slot; low-cost plastic housing in place of aluminum extrusion on original models) Those sold in the US included: * M1001 SoundBridge (bitmapped VFD display - 280×16; similar to original M1000 model) * R1000 SoundBridge Radio (bitmapped VFD display - 280×32; AM/FM tuner; SD card slot; built-in speakers) * M500 SoundBridge (character-based LCD display - 40×2 characters) * M1000 SoundBridge (bitmapped VFD display - 280×16) * M2000 SoundBridge (bitmapped VFD display - 512×32; larger, enclosure with very large display)


WPA support

Firmware version 2.7 supported
Wi-Fi Protected Access Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) (Wireless Protected Access), Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2), and Wi-Fi Protected Access 3 (WPA3) are the three security certification programs developed after 2000 by the Wi-Fi Alliance to secure wireless computer n ...
, but only for the M1001, the SoundBridge Radio, and the European versions from Pinnacle; not for the older M500/1000/2000 versions. The SoundBridge is an 802.11b device, but it can be used with backward compatible 802.11g networks.


Open source

Since the appliance was abandoned by Roku, an open-source version was released using the Roku Server Protocol (RSP). The software is used in a number of Linux media players.


See also

* PlaysForSure * Firefly Media Server * Squeezebox (network music player) *
Sonos Sonos, Inc. is an American audio equipment manufacturer headquartered in Santa Barbara, California. The company was founded in 2002 by John MacFarlane, Craig Shelburne, Tom Cullen, and Trung Mai. Sonos has partnered with over 100 companies th ...
* Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA)


References

{{reflist


External links


Roku: SoundBridge product website

Radio Roku - Internet radio portal, where 'Favorites' can be stored

essential fix for the SoundBridge its limitation onto HTTP sources
Internet audio players Streaming software