Songcast

Songcast

Overview

Songcast allows a DS to tune into another DS. A DS can songcast to more than one DS. Further, a DS can songcast no matter what source is selected. Songcast was introduced in Davaar 1.

Depending on your requirements, Songcast can operate in one of two modes: small-scale or large-scale. These modes only impact the scalability of songcast. They do not impact the quality of the Songcasted audio.

Small-scale mode

Small-scale mode is suitable for those with 6 or fewer DS's and should work with an existing DS setup.

Large-scale mode

Large-scale mode is required for those with more than 6 DS's and can handle many thousands of DS's. It requires networking equipment specially designed to handle multicast messages. Most modern, high quality networking equipment falls into this category. Further, an increasing amount of consumer level equipment does as well. However, a considerable amount of existing consumer level equipment either does not implement or has a poor implementation of the required multicast functionality.

Setup Considerations

Small-scale mode

Small scale mode operates by transmitting multiple copies of the audio across the network. It will therefore work on any network that can handle the required amounts of data.

Most DS users have one of two types of network wiring:

• Wired ethernet. Here the limit of 6 DS players has been designed to ensure that songcast will operate flawlessly, even using the highest resolution audio files, on common consumer grade switches.

• Ethernet over power adaptors (homeplugs). The bandwidth available to a network utilising homeplugs is considerably less than that of a wired network. Further, this reduced level of available bandwidth is shared between all devices connected via the homeplugs. Successfully using songcast over homeplug depends on three factors:
  • The resolution of music being songcasted.
  • The number of songcast receivers.
  • The available bandwidth of your homeplugs.

If your songcast requirements exceed the available bandwidth of your homeplugs, you will experience audio dropouts on one or more of the songcast receivers. The available bandwidth of homeplugs depends on the quality of the wiring in your home, so we cannot definitively state what will work. Testing at Linn suggests:

• CD quality - works with 1 sender and all 5 receivers.
• 96/24 - works with 1 sender and 1 or 2 receivers.
• 192/24 - works with 1 sender and 0 or 1 receivers.

Large-scale mode

More information can be found here

How to Songcast

Initial Setup

• Your DS must be running Davaar 1 firmware or higher.
• You will require a Davaar compatible Linn Konfig to update and configure your DS
• You will require Davaar compatible control software to control your DS

Using Kinsky Desktop

• Insure you have installed KinskyDesktop Davaar
• Select the Songcast source on a DS (similar to Playlist or Radio)
• Select the Songcast sender from the list that you wish to listen to

Using Kinsky PDA

• Insure you have installed KinskyPda Davaar
• Select the Songcast source on a DS (similar to Playlist or Radio)
• Switch to the "playlist" screen (not the Playlist source) by clicking the buttons at the bottom of the screen
• Select the Songcast sender from the list that you wish to listen to

Using the handset (REM 019)

• Configure each Songcast sender in your home to have a unique preset number using Linn Konfig.
• Select the Songcast source on a DS (GOTO/Sat button will select the source directly)
• Enter the preset number that corresponds to the Songcast sender you wish to listen to