Books, Movies, Music & Entertainment - Need a "NEW WORLD" receiver...

Now that I've ripped my CD collection to hard drive, I want a living-room receiver that I can plug my USB-external-hard-drive into. I want the receiver's remote to allow browsing of the hard drive's contents, and I want the receiver to have an internal decoder to play any format on the drive. In other words, I don't want to tie up a computer as a music server.

Who makes such receivers?

http://www.neurosaudio.com/osd/osd.asp

http://www.neurosaudio.com/osd/osd.asp

Thanks, but not what I'm looking for. I don't want a portable device involved at all (nor a computer). I want to plug the hard drive, with my media on it, into a self-contained converter-preamp-amp. The remote for this device MUST have a LCD screen for browsing the media available to the system.

I can get music to my receiver by using my laptop computer as a wireless server, but I don't want to tie up my computer in my living room, nor do I want to have to control my living room music from my computer room.

In fact, the external hard drive with my music on it, once filled, belongs in the living room - not the computer room. To get it there, I need an AV-receiver with a built in USB interface, iTunes or compatible software, MPEG and other converter functionality, and an integrated AV-receiver with preamp, amps, and a remote-control with graphic capabilities. THAT'S what I'm looking for!

Everywhere I've checked (including e-mailing the manufacturers) leads me to believe that decoding capabilities are NOT yet part of consumer AV receivers. Although dedicated "media servers" are available, the least expensive way to get where I need to go is to dedicate a cheap laptop to the living room with the external hard drive attached. The laptop will act as a wireless media server/remote control and the Apple AirPort module will deliver the decoded digital music signal to the Toslink digital-optical input on my current receiver. Least $$ to get what I want.

We just picked up a new Home Theater system this weekend, it has a USB port on the front panel. Samsung HT-Q45 > $300, tho I believe it will only play MP3's

EDIT: And you'll have to use your TV as a video interface for menu operation

We just picked up a new Home Theater system this weekend, it has a USB port on the front panel. Samsung HT-Q45 > $300, tho I believe it will only play MP3's EDIT: And you'll have to use your TV as a video interface for menu operation

Hi Stacey!

Thanks for the info! I expect decoding & USB interfaces to become common on the next generation of AV-receivers, but they (for the most part) aren't there yet. I'll opt to retain the computer as a media server for the moment & reshop receivers next year.

Enjoy your Samsung!