Streamer controlled from a PC?

[admin_exported]

I'm looking for a network streamer that will integrate with my hi-fi separates and that I can control from my PC. I don't need it to store anything itself, just play audio files sent from my PC (e.g. DLNA/uPnP from Windows Media Player). The Denon DNP720AE looks like a possible candidate, but I can't see any mention in the manuals (available from the Denon webste) of being able to control it from a PC (it has a remote control, and there's an iPhone app, but no mention of a Windows application). An alternative would be if it ran its own webserver so it could be controlled by a web browser. Thinking about it, can Windows Media Player (or other uPnP software) control such a device directly?

Does anybody know if such a device exists please? Basically a box that will stream music from a PC to a hi-fi amp, have good quality audio, and be controllable from a PC. Thanks.

 

[John Duncan]

Jamcast software has a 'virtual soundcard' mode that means anything playing on your PC can be picked up by a DLNA client. So buy that and you can use any DLNA streamer you fancy.

 

[mykspence]

A Sonos will do that.

 

[AnotherJoe]

There are 2 ways to play media with a streamer and pc.

Your PC can 'push' media to the streamer (if the streamer supports dlna rendering), or your streamer can 'pull' media from a mediaserver running on a pc/nas.

The latter is usually the best way, as long as you select a streamer that plays the correct formats, and u can select your music whilst lying on the sofa.

 

[AnotherJoe]

windows media player has an option called PlayTo.... which plays to any DLNA enabled device

 

[Anonymous]

Does DLNA really allow pushing?

From the Jamcast documentation it seems that once you set up the Virtual Soundcard stream, you still have to select that stream from your DLNA device. That's not pushing at all, you just tell it to pull a certain specified stream from your computer that you can then modify on your computer, thereby granting you the illusion that you are pushing data to your device, but all you are doing is controlling the stream that the device is pulling.

If that is the best DLNA can do, it's not much. No wonder Apple has such a succesful device in the Airport. At least with Airport, you can just select an input source on your receiver device and that's all you need to do. Having the device pull content from your computer while you are deciding what is being pulled is really weak. Unless you are actively controlling the device from your application. That's why all those DLNA devices have Android/iOS apps. It wouldn't be so bad if you could control the DLNA client from your PC and then have IT pull data from the same pc... but that means you can't use your fav music player like you can with the Airport.

I don't think there are any other receiver devices like the Airport that you can control from your music player.

There are wireless solutions for audio transmission but they don't rely on WiFi and require you to place a separate USB sender next to your laptop. When your laptop already has built-in WiFi.

Are you telling me the Apple Airport is the ONLY WiFi receiver device that can just connect to a hifi system?

I will post the question in a thread of my own.

 

[Anonymous]

Seriously! I didn't know. There is so little clear information on DLNA. Only sales gibberish. Hard to get to understand what it really is.

I just tested it, you are right. I have a DLNA capable TV. Never connected it to the network before. I am able to play an album on the TV. The TV takes about 15 seconds to respond though. After every song a new connection is made and it takes the TV 15 seconds to adjust to that. But that wouldn't happen on an audio device.

I can't get Media Player to always play to that destination though. I have to select "play to device" every time I play an item (or album). That is not workable. But that's just a software limitation.

But this means DLNA is a dual client-server architecture. Each device can function as server and as controller. The information I read suggested that a device was either a server or a controller. But they are both at the same time.

I even read Wikipedia to understand what DLNA was, and it wasn't explained. Now finally I understand and I can go and use it .

Thanks.

 

[Anonymous]

streamer controlled are the basic functional area of any system.

funny clips

 

[AV-Fan]

Netbook (Spotify/iTunes/etc...) > Jamcast > Blu Ray Player (DLNA) > Optical to AV Reciever > Pre-Outs to stereo amp.

This works nicely, track selection, playlists, controlled directly from Netbook. Or an IOS remote app. :rockout: