Using Airport Express/AirTunes.

Playback was going well this morning, but then it dropped out for a second after about an hour, and again later. Not as bad as with the SBT but still an issue. It has to be the wireless signal strength.

Being able to play from iPhone 4 w/ Remote app, or iMac, is great, but the interface is a bit unintuitive. It also had some difficulty with choosing AirPlay speakers on both iPhone and iMac. I didn't realize also that iTunes app had to actually be running. I thought it would find it like Squeezebox Server.

I have a couple options for controlling the AppleTV as a music server now; as now with Remote app from iPhone 4 or iMac, or buy a small LED w/ HDMI using AppleTV directly, or with an iPad via Remote app. The iPad could be set up on a charging dock acting similar to a Sooloos touch screen. Is there a way to connect the iPad to AppleTV or is it streaming only via AirPlay w/ Remote app?

Continuing issues with AirPlay through AppleTV. I have to accept the fact that wireless just doesn't work in my set up/home. Funny, I can see neighbors wireless networks, barely, but my own network, which my iMac see as 100% signal strength and is ten feet away from AppleTV, yet can't handle transmitting the music through the network in the house to it. Ridiculous. Is the answer more AE's? I hate that I have to keep spending more $$ to figure out an answer, find a solution with wireless, and how simple it was with iTransport/iPod - voila. Unfortunate because the sound isn't that bad with optical. Wireless is unreliable, unpredictable.

There must not be many MAC users with wireless here. Apple discussion forum not of much help either.

Talking to myself....

It's possible you are getting some 2.4ghz frequency interference from other devices in your area. Can you hardwire the AppleTV via Ethernet? That or get a 5ghz router. If you are getting a strong signal adding additional AE will be a waste of money. That's not the problem.

Here's something for you to consider: Avoid streaming. I used to stream from my MacBook Pro to an Airport Express, then bypassed the AE DAC by using an optical out from the AE into my Benchmark DAC. Recently, I cut out the streaming by putting all my music on a Mac Mini with a direct connection to the Benchmark. No more streaming, which results in better sound IMHO, and here's the neat part: I use the "screen sharing" feature on my MacBook Pro to control the Mac Mini/iTunes, which is a wireless connection. In other words, my MacBook Pro serves as the screen of the Mac Mini. I'm still wirelessly controlling the music, but the music travels through a direct connection rather than streaming. Great setup and the Mac Mini can be tucked away on my rack.

That's easy to say in hindsight, not if you haven't tried it before.

In the end... the sound was terrible from AppleTV via optical. And wireless didn't help. I discovered there's a "Bermuda Triangle" wireless zone in that part of my room where the audio system sits. I was able to improve it somewhat with rearranging the order of the AE and AEBS units but it would require adding one or two more AE's to make it more reliable. No point though as stated above.

Also tried USB converter. Awful. Going back to what worked before; iTransport/iPod. The 171i this time.