Digital Trends

Nitro Pro Music Server

August 25th, 2004 | by Jeff Fila

Usage and Navigation

While the Nitro Pro is comprised of fairly basic computer components, it's the software that really separates this product from other such devices. ReQuest's development team has spent years refining the system and it works just like we would want such a device to work.

One of the most important criterions we use to judge the quality of networked media devices on is the speed at which they change songs. The way we see it, since you're in-effect replacing a CD player, the device better perform as good as or better than a CD player. Some devices, like the Linksys Wireless Media Adapter and the Apple Airport Express have failed this test miserably while others, like the Slim Devices Squeezebox and the Gateway Connected DVD Player have bested the performance and response time of CD players. ReQuest Multimedia's Nitro Pro falls into the later category, with an almost instantaneous response time.

Navigation of the Nitro's menu system is intuitive and fast. There is virtually no learning curve to using the device; another plus that makes it a good option for those that have resisted the change. Much like software media players, the Nitro player supports “skins” that allow you to change the look and layout of the display. The default skin is a clean-looking aqua blue, white and black design with clear fonts that are readable from any realistic distance you may be from your TV.

The main navigation on the default skin is separated into three sections: the top contains current song information and album art; the bottom left is the top level menu that lets you browse by artist, song, albums, genres, playlists, and more; and the bottom right shows the actual songs in the playlists or albums. Using the up, down, left, and right buttons on either remote will get you where you need to go. You can also use the larger remote to find songs by number or letter. For instance, if you are browsing artists and you want to jump to the “M's”, simply hit the “M” button on the large remote and it will go to that section.

While playing a song the onscreen display shows the current song name, the artist info and other ID3 information from the CD, the album art, a level indicator visualizer, the time elapsed, remaining, and total for the song, and the next song in the queue.

The same controls you'd find on any other audio player are present in the Nitro's remotes and on-screen navigation. Songs can be fast-forwarded or rewound at 5-second intervals and the pause and play buttons respond instantaneously.

Control the Nitro with a Java remote (PC, Mac and Pocket PC), IR remotes, or control systems.

As mentioned earlier, the Nitro also supports keyboard navigation, and the company provides a printable overlay for wireless keyboards such as the Gyration RF keyboard. However, in our usage, we never encountered a situation where we would have needed a keyboard.

Anything that can be done on the Nitro Pro with a keyboard or the remote controls can also be accomplished with a web browser and/or ReQuest's included Java software applications. The Nitro has a built-in web server that allows you to configure the system, view your music, rename files and ID3 tags, upload album art, and even play music on your Nitro Pro from any computer on your network.

ReQuest Multimedia's Java Remote application runs on PCs and Macs, and they even have a version for Pocket PCs. The Java Remote allows you to control the playback of your music on one or more AudioReQuest units on your network, as well as search for music, create and edit playlists and ID3 tag information, upload album art, and pretty much anything else you can do with the device. The Java Remote is useful for general control of the unit and is similar to the control system found on Crestron home automation panels. The web application is useful for remote streaming of music, playlist management and overall system configuration. We were told that the company is looking to move towards a one-for-all application that combines the best of both applications.

As mentioned earlier, the Nitro Pro also features a character LCD display. The display isn't particularly bright and can't be seen from a distance of more than about 10 feet, but all music navigation can be controlled while viewing the LCD. This feature was a big plus for us, as many networked media devices force you to have to use your TV to navigate. The display looks like any other CD or receiver display you may have in your audio rack, again making the unit look at home with your equipment.