Help me stream music to my outside patio surround sound

[Mcfire12]

Hi guys, i'm trying to wrap my head around how apple tv, apple airports, and airplay all work, kind of a lot to take in, I feel like i'm way behind on times here!

After my last PC died again I decided to just go all out apple. So i have an iPhone, iPad, iPod, and an iMac now. Might as well attempt to integrate everything!

Anyway, my goal is to be able to use my iPad or iPhone to control the music on my patio. Right now in my garage I have a samsung flat screen with a samsung surround sound that has a dish network box on it. Currently I just turn on the XM channel I want and the surround sound plays it through my patio and or garage speakers. It's a pain because if I want to change the volume I have to get up and walk to the garage to turn it up or down. And i'm locked into that xm channel unless I walk to the garage and turn the channel.

I now have a wifi extender and have awesome wifi signal all through the garage and all over my patio. My buddy gave me an apple airport express that he no longer uses. I was curious if I could use that to accomplish something here. Do I need an apple tv box to do this? I have no idea what my options are, nor do I have any clue of how to go about making this happen. I just know that there has got to be a better set up then what i'm doing now. Can someone please educate me?

 

[jimN]

You can plug the express in near your surround, run an audio cable from it to the system and add the express to your wifi network. It can then be selected as an AirPlay point for your iPad, iPhone or mac. So find the music you want on any of those and hit play - volume selection and music all from Palm of your hand. Very simple.

 

[Batt]

You can plug the express in near your surround, run an audio cable from it to the system and add the express to your wifi network. It can then be selected as an AirPlay point for your iPad, iPhone or mac. So find the music you want on any of those and hit play - volume selection and music all from Palm of your hand. Very simple.

This is what I've been doing for years. Simple and effective.

 

[Mcfire12]

You can plug the express in near your surround, run an audio cable from it to the system and add the express to your wifi network. It can then be selected as an AirPlay point for your iPad, iPhone or mac. So find the music you want on any of those and hit play - volume selection and music all from Palm of your hand. Very simple.

So I don't even have to mess around with running an ethernet cable at all? Well that's super easy!!

 

[takeshi74]

If your WiFi coverage is sufficient you don't. If it isn't you will.

 

[Uofmtiger]

If your WiFi coverage is sufficient you don't. If it isn't you will.

You can also buy Wifi boosters or Powerline Ethernet ("Homeplug") rather than running Ethernet cable...if necessary.

 

[AtomicGrog]

With something like this you want it 100% reliable so it just works...

Have had very little success with the boosters tbh, they work for a few hours, maybe a few days but they all seem to drop out. If you don't have the range stick to cables (not repeaters) whether it be raw Ethernet or over power lines.

 

[marzer]

So I don't even have to mess around with running an ethernet cable at all? Well that's super easy!!

Don't know what kind of speakers you're looking for but I use one of these on the patio, it's weather resistance but not proof, so I don't let it sit outside when I'm not using it. The sound is fantastic for its size, a clearance product because it uses the older model Airport Express which is no longer produced, but I paid $200 for mine years ago on clearance.

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_543AIR...68185&awat=pla&awnw=g&awcr=47748463825&awdv=t

And then get a couple of these from Amazon or eBay, one for use and one for spare, the older Airport Express. It installs in the speaker to make it an AirPlay speaker. Nice thing is ithe speaker can double as a wifi extender for better wifi coverage outside.

http://www.amazon.com/Apple-Airport...id=1425353557&sr=8-2&keywords=airport+express

Then you can stream from a computer, iPad, iPhone, and AirPlay compatible source.

 

[bassjunky]

OP, since you already have an Airport Express, that will work super easy for your music library. You can use either an analog or digital cable since the Express supports both.

To increase functionality, you could also get an Apple TV since you have a TV out in your garage, too. This way, you get all of the benefits of an Airport Express for music, plus streaming movies and shows...

 

[Mcfire12]

Well I attempted to hook up my express to my surround sound today and nothing works. I Ended up taking it inside and plugging it into my router with an ethernet cable, then going to my mac and running the airport utility. It found it right away after I reset the express. Got on my iPhone and it showed the express on there. I unplugged it and brought it back out to the garage and put power to it and the mini audio cable to it. Now my iPhone won't find anything. Does this thing need an ethernet cable ran to it for it to do anything? Won't it just work off my wifi? I don't understand how I can make this work

 

[Lumpy05]

Well I attempted to hook up my express to my surround sound today and nothing works. I Ended up taking it inside and plugging it into my router with an ethernet cable, then going to my mac and running the airport utility. It found it right away after I reset the express. Got on my iPhone and it showed the express on there. I unplugged it and brought it back out to the garage and put power to it and the mini audio cable to it. Now my iPhone won't find anything. Does this thing need an ethernet cable ran to it for it to do anything? Won't it just work off my wifi? I don't understand how I can make this work

I run my three airport expresses connected via Ethernet for the most reliable Airplay service. It "should" work over wifi if it has a strong signal. I had intermittent dropouts in audio when using wifi.

Dumb questions, when you configured the AE connected via ethernet did you go through complete setup and ensure that you have it joining your wifi and operating as an airplay node? Those are options in the airport utility.

 

[rockarollr]

Dumb questions, when you configured the AE connected via ethernet did you go through complete setup and ensure that you have it joining your wifi and operating as an airplay node? Those are options in the airport utility.

The setup he speaks of, for the Airport Express, is the key here. Make sure to configure the Airport Express as a "bridge" on your network while you have it plugged into the router via ethernet cable. That part is crucial. After completion of the setup, unplug it and take it into the garage and plug it into the wall to get power somewhere near the surround sound receiver. After you do that, it will effectively turn the Airport Express into a wifi extender for your existing wireless network, as well as a way to Airplay your iMac/iPad/iPhone music library, wirelessly, to the Airport Express that will be connected, via 1/8 audio cable, to the surround sound unit in the garage.