Step1
Pick the right PC to serve MP3s
For our project, we dug out an aging Dell Dimension 8100 with Windows XP Professional, a 1.7GHz Pentium 4 processor, and 512MB of RDRAM. This setup is more than up to the task of music management, but we pumped it up with a bigger hard drive, a sound card, some nice speakers, and a DVD burner for easy backup of our ripped and purchased tunes.
The only caveat: If your system is really old, its out-of-date components or operating system may have trouble communicating with any new software or hardware you add. If it's running anything older than Windows XP, you're better off upgrading the OS to avoid problems.
For those who would rather start with a shiny new box, we'd recommend something small and unobtrusive, such as the bare-bones AOpen XC Cube MZ855-II. It accepts a mobile processor, which minimizes fan noise by running at a cooler temperature, and it's small enough to put just about anywhere.
In addition to the processor, you'll also have to buy some RAM; 256MB is fine. You'll also need to buy Windows XP, but you may have needed at least the upgrade, anyway. (See How to build a small-form-factor (SFF) PC.) If your jukebox will share a room with your primary PC, you can add a keyboard/video/mouse (KVM) switch so that you'll need only one set of those three peripherals. We wanted our box in the living room, so we went the wireless-remote route.
Step2
Add enough storage for your MP3s
Fasten the new hard drive into the internal drive bay, then attach the IDE cable and the proper power connector
Fasten the new hard drive into the internal drive bay, then attach the IDE cable and the proper power connector.
Depending on the size of your existing hard drive and the depth of your music collection, you'll probably want a bigger hard drive. We decided to replace our 60GB drive with a massive 320GB 7,200rpm Western Digital Caviar SE WD3200JB. This drive will easily hold more than 4,000 albums at a high bit rate of 160Kbps.
Any pertinent data in the drive had been removed long ago, so installation was fast and easy. First, we powered down the system and unplugged the AC cord. Once inside the case, we got rid of the old drive by disconnecting the IDE and power cables and removing any screws securing it to the bay. We then slipped in the new drive, secured it to the bay, and reconnected the IDE and power cables.
After you've swapped the drives, plug in and power up the PC so that the BIOS can detect the drive. This will be your primary boot drive, and you'll need to format it and install a clean version of Windows. Within the BIOS screen (usually accessed by pressing a function key or by hitting Delete), change the boot order so that you start with your optical drive. Then restart and boot straight from your Windows XP install disc. (Keep in mind that even if the system already has XP, you may need to call Microsoft with your product key handy to reauthenticate the software.)
Step3
Upgrade your PC's sound
Insert the new sound card into a PCI slot and connect its power cable to the power supply
Insert the new sound card into a PCI slot and connect its power cable to the power supply.
If your system's not that old, its onboard sound or sound card may already be adequate. Ours had an out-of-date, inferior card, so we upgraded to Creative's Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeMusic sound card. Among its many great features are support for 7.1-channel surround sound, the ability to listen through headphones, and enhanced MP3 playback.
Installing the card was simple. As before, shut down and unplug your PC. Remove any existing sound card and replace it with the X-Fi card. Then, connect the card's power cable to your power supply and turn the PC back on. Windows should recognize the card, but you'll still need to install drivers from its installation CD.
Our room was small, so we decided 2.1 sound was sufficient. We went with the smart-looking and powerful Altec Lansing FX6021, a three-piece speaker system. (For more on audio upgrades, check out Upgrade your PC to 7.1 sound.)
Step4
Big, fast discs for MP3 backup
Our old Dimension had dual optical drives: one 12X CD-RW and one DVD-ROM. But with all this precious music, we decided 8.5GB beat 640MB for archiving purposes, so we swapped the CD-RW for the affordable Plextor PX-740A/SW double-layer DVD±RW drive. Aside from being able to burn CD-Rs at 48X and 8.5GB double-layer DVD+Rs at 8X, the PX-740A/SW rips audio CDs quickly.
After disconnecting the power and interface cables from the old drive, we unscrewed it from its bay and slid it out through the front of the case. We then slipped the new drive in, connected its power and interface cables, and reattached the front bezel. When we booted up, Windows recognized the new drive immediately.
Step5
Put your MP3 jukebox on a network
Finally, install the Belkin F5D7000 Wireless Desktop Network Card to connect to our wireless network. This allowed us to download song titles and album art, buy more tunes, and access our favorite Web radio streams. It also made it a lot easier to offload tunes from the primary PC to the new jukebox and gave others on the network access to the stored music.
Step6
Software for your MP3 jukebox
To manage your music collection, you'll need software. We loaded iTunes for use with our iPods, Musicmatch Jukebox 10 for its large On Demand music library, and the Nero media suite for its burning and ripping capabilities. (Nero came bundled with our optical drive.)
Our desktop had a graphics card with an S-Video output, so we were able to connect it to a standard television to navigate our collection. To facilitate couch-side control, we chose the Logitech Cordless Desktop S 510 Media Remote. It gives you the option of navigating via wireless keyboard, mouse, or remote control and comes with an easy-to-read graphical interface.
How to Convert a PC into an MP3 jukebox
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Comments
bmerritt said
on 6/4/2008 This is awesome! I always wanted a computer to use as a media center. This is great!