MUSIC STREAMING can you recommend a solution?

[mkanter]

I have an HTPC running Assassin software with around 9000 songs ripped from cd's on a 4 terabyte drive.They were all saved as .flac files.

The pc needs to be in the next room because of the fan noise so i'm using a mouse program to control the pc via my ipad and wifi. Its not the most reliable way to control it but it sometimes works most of the time. I have the pc connected to my Emotiva XMC-1 processor via a 20' HDMI cable.

Its not the most elegant solution and i'd like a simpler way to select songs to listen to on my new Franklin Flint Rocketman speakers. Does anyone have any suggestions for a music streamer that would allow me to use the .flac files on my hard drive and let me control it more reliably on my I pad? It would be great if i could have it display on my 65" samsung like my current setup too.

 

[heeman]

I have an HTPC running Assassin software with around 9000 songs ripped from cd's on a 4 terabyte drive.They were all saved as .flac files.

The pc needs to be in the next room because of the fan noise so i'm using a mouse program to control the pc via my ipad and wifi. Its not the most reliable way to control it but it sometimes works most of the time. I have the pc connected to my Emotiva XMC-1 processor via a 20' HDMI cable.

Its not the most elegant solution and i'd like a simpler way to select songs to listen to on my new Franklin Flint Rocketman speakers. Does anyone have any suggestions for a music streamer that would allow me to use the .flac files on my hard drive and let me control it more reliably on my I pad? It would be great if i could have it display on my 65" samsung like my current setup too.View attachment 10010

I currently use this: https://theaudioannex.com/forum/threads/bluesound-node-2i.13285/

It's working fine, need a reboot every long once in a while. Some artwork is not showing up right, however everything else is fine.

 

[mzpro5]

I currently use this: https://theaudioannex.com/forum/threads/bluesound-node-2i.13285/

It's working fine, need a reboot every long once in a while. Some artwork is not showing up right, however everything else is fine.

I'm going to give this a serious look. My SquezzeBox has stopped conncting to my computer and I need a new streaming device.

 

[heeman]

I'm going to give this a serious look. My SquezzeBox has stopped conncting to my computer and I need a new streaming device.

Navigation and speed is what I enjoy most over the SB. It was more than I wanted to spend, however it seems worth it!

 

[Haywood]

Plex Media Server combined with a good client like the NVidia Shield TV will handle FLAC natively while also giving you a lot of other functionality. Plex also has a ton of music library management features. It is excellent for this application.

 

[heeman]

Plex Media Server combined with a good client like the NVidia Shield TV will handle FLAC natively while also giving you a lot of other functionality. Plex also has a ton of music library management features. It is excellent for this application.

Haywood, I looked into this before I when with the Node 2i, it didn't seem to be plug and play????

 

[Haywood]

Haywood, I looked into this before I when with the Node 2i, it didn't seem to be plug and play????

As long as the music is on network accessible storage, the only thing you need is an NVidia Shield TV Pro. It has both the Plex Server and the Plex Client built in and it is very easy to set up. He could be up and running in 20 minutes on a single device. It can also stream to other devices on his network if he wants music for less critical listening, as it can transcode FLAC to other formats on the fly as needed. The device costs $200.

 

[mkanter]

Plex Media Server combined with a good client like the NVidia Shield TV will handle FLAC natively while also giving you a lot of other functionality. Plex also has a ton of music library management features. It is excellent for this application.

I loaded a free trial of Plex and it works great! I'm still running an HDMI cable to my processor but i can pick a song on my phone or ipad using the plex app. I don't need the mouse program or my tv any more.
Would an optical cable from my computer to the processor instead of an HDMI cable give me better sound?

what advantage does NVidia Shield TV Pro give me over not using it?

 

[Haywood]

If you are happy running Plex on your computer, none from a server point of view. From a client point, it provides a really nice interface. You don't need the Pro for that. Almost every game system, streaming device and smart TV has a Plex client available, but most of them don't support FLAC. The Shield does and is also the best overall streaming device on the market. It is the only source component I use in my main system 99% of the time. The new version of the Shield is $150.

 

[mkanter]

If you are happy running Plex on your computer, none from a server point of view. From a client point, it provides a really nice interface. You don't need the Pro for that. Almost every game system, streaming device and smart TV has a Plex client available, but most of them don't support FLAC. The Shield does and is also the best overall streaming device on the market. It is the only source component I use in my main system 99% of the time. The new version of the Shield is $150.

Thank you very much!
I just tried Plex on the Roku in my living room tv and it works and plays flawlessly. Then i tried it in my Family room on my smart tv and that also worked perfectly. I didn't even know those apps were available on either of those streaming devices. The interface for the smart tv is pretty crappy so i'll look into the shield for streaming on that tv. Both had no issue playing FLAC files. Its nice when i can accomplish what i'm looking to do without paying a bunch of money. All of this didn't cost me anything today.
thanks for all your help Haywood and thanks everyone for your suggestions.

 

[mzpro5]

Started playing around with my receiver this morning as I thought it could directly stream music from my PC and it does. It has what they call HEOS.

Only problem is it doesn;t seem to have my playlists. I'll work on that.

 

[Wardsweb]

Plex is a great option for the TV to play your music. I use a Auralic Altair, with a 3TB drive, in my main system to play my music. It also streams, but I don't use that option. The iPad control interface is really good.

 

[Haywood]

Thank you very much!
I just tried Plex on the Roku in my living room tv and it works and plays flawlessly. Then i tried it in my Family room on my smart tv and that also worked perfectly. I didn't even know those apps were available on either of those streaming devices. The interface for the smart tv is pretty crappy so i'll look into the shield for streaming on that tv. Both had no issue playing FLAC files. Its nice when i can accomplish what i'm looking to do without paying a bunch of money. All of this didn't cost me anything today.
thanks for all your help Haywood and thanks everyone for your suggestions.

They will play the files because Plex is transcoding on the fly. What format it transcodes to depends on the target device. In the case of a Roku, it transcodes into PCM, so you shouldn't lose much (if anything). The smart TV may be getting MP3. It all depends on the device. That's the great thing about Plex. It adapts the media to the client.

 

[mzpro5]

I have spent the last several days kerning and setting up the streaming system HEOS that my Denon receiver has. It took some tweaking of my computer to get HEOS to recognize my computer but now all is good.

My old SB hasnt been working for a while so it is really nice to again be able to stream my own music collection. Spent yesterday afternoon creating some playlists (via Windows Media Player)