Control App

[Kev]

I'm slowly getting to grips with network streaming and loving it. Quality is very very good. I'm currently using a SB classic controlled with the squeezebox app which is fine. I've just bought a Pioneer N50 which has an appalling app, truly a crap app. The Pioneer uses the LMS server on my NAS but the squeezebox app won't recognize it.

Can someone recommend a half decent control app for the pioneer please?

Kev

 

[vacdac]

My guess is that even if you manage to get t' NP30 working at all using LMS as a server, that playback will be glitchy & you may even find that your player hangs or crashes too & you may have to perform factory resets to restore it to stable operation.

Your NP30 works as renderer using DLNA/UPnP media server S/W & you'll need to install suitable software on whatever you're currently using as a server instead of LMS (you don't have to uninstall LMS if you are still using your SB Classic elsewhere) i.e. your pooter /NAS.

I know that that LMS can prolly be seen as a 'Network Share' on your NP30 once you logged it on to your network & I guess this is what has foxed you into thinking you can continue to use it with the Pioneer. I've recently jumped ship from running SBT's myself & my C.A. Stream Magic 6 is also a UPnP/DLNA streamer like t Pioneer. When I first set it up I did try it running from LMS out of curiosioty & yes I did get it to play but experienced all the previously mentioned SNAFU's. However properly set up & running from the correct server S/W it's completely rock solid & stable/reliable. :^

If you're running a NAS there will prolly be a UPnP/DLNA S/W package available from your NAS mfr....there may even be one pre-installed, as there was on my old Netgear ReadyNAS. On my new Synology DS213 you download it from the package center so just a couple of clicks & you're done. If you're using a PC/Mac as a server, I can't advise other than do a search for UPnP/DLNA server S/W or ask peeps on here re any particular good ones.......with the caveat that Twonky server S/W is prolly best avoided as it has a fearsome bad reputation. :td:

Here's a couple of linkys to recent threads which may be of use. covering some aspects of UPnP/DLNA media servers/renderers + suitable NAS's etc. http://www.hifiwigwam.com/showthread.php?90009-UPNP-DLNA-music-renderer-recommendations,

http://www.hifiwigwam.com/showthread.php?88255-Upgrading-to-a-better-Nas-with-more-storage,

Finally......controller App for your NP30......Bubble UPnP for Android devices is wot I use & I think its brilliant......easily as good as Squeezebox Commander which I used with my SBT's, which is a very good App.....I actually prefer Bubble UPnP & I wuz more than happy with SB Commander, so I'd say even better than this IMV. Bubble cost around £3 for the paid licence....there is a free version with Ads but the functionality is fairly limited & buying the licence is a real steal.

I've had a similar offal experience re C.A.'s Android controller App which is completely feckin' hopeless....a real POS in fact & even when it works properly t' functionality is fairly limited:doh: :td: ......yes I did mean offal ;-)

You'll have ter excuse any typos until tomorrow as I've only managed to get access to the site again just now & I'm off ter bed. :zzzz:

 

[Kev]

Hi Chris

thanks for the reply.

I read loads of the threads on here, particularly your move to a Synology server. I went for the Synology Ds213j, which after a couple of hassles (I am a computer Numpty) is working brilliantly.

I'm keeping the SB Classic for the mancave and the Pioneer N50 looks like a keeper as well. I didn't realize I can use 2 media servers on the same NAS and BTW the Pioneer is rock stable with LMS, just the really really really crap app.

The sinology comes with 2 server options, Media server and Audio Station, any idea what the difference is between the two; to me they look as if they do the same thing.

cheers

Kev

 

[vacdac]

Mornin' Kev,

Interesting to hear your experience re stability running off LMS....When I tried it I wuz still running the old NAS so it could work better with the DS213. Going off what you're saying tho' you may still find the controller apps for LMS still have issues talking to the NP30 & that you might not get complete functionality. Basically that does seem to be the case from what you're saying re dedicated SB controller apps not seeing your NP30 player. When I tried it using my SM6, Bubble UPnP saw LMS on my NAS + recognized my player fine...but like I say I had glitches.....haven't honestly tried this with Syno's D.S. Audio App since as everything simply works.

I have Syno's Media Server & Audio Station installed* on the NAS (*M.S. + A.S.).....if I have this right M.S. is the UPnP/DLNA server package you need & also having A.S. installed gives you access to your music library from the NAS + internet radio too from smartphones/tablets or using a web browser interface on your pooter. (there's a matching D.S. Audio control App from Synology too for Android/i-os which I've also installed) Synology describe Audio Station as a web based audio application which gives access to your library + pre loaded internet radio stations from your D.S. NAS.

Glad you're liking t' DS213J despite initial setup niggles......Sounds like yer've done good fer a noob & that my thoughts re ease of setup fer Syno NAS's are on the money........trust me if it had been another mfrs NAS I bet you'd have had loads more hassles. My Netgear is well clunky & horrid by comparison & these are far from bad by NAS standards in terms of U/I

You may find that the D.S. Audio App does what you need instead of Bubble & its a free download from Android Marketplace. (I dinnae use Apple other than my i-pod Classic)

I've tried it & it's pretty good.....but I'd already gotten used to Bubble & I do still think Bubble betters it....Hey-ho tho D.S audio is free & it certainly looks & feels pretty good on my Google Nexus 7 32GB, soo deffo well worth trying. You'll find both these apps also give the added functionality of using your tablet/phone as a standalone portable renderer.....which can be v handy for use as a portable player around the house/garden etc.

scooooze any typos again as getting back on the site is still a bit crappy at the mo' but I know this is being worked on.

 

[Kev]

I've downloaded the Media Server and Audio Station. Media Server is seen by the Pioneer and Audio Station, but there's nothing there, sooooo, putting my little computing head on I looked and thought this needs re-indexing (I hope). I started indexing over an hour ago and it's still going!!!!!! How can I tell if it's crashed? Hopefully it's just that there's a lot of files to go through.

When I run Audio Station it sees my computers and the Pioneer and plays Internet radio fine, the GUI looks a LOT better than Pioneer app, so lets see what happens when the music indexing is finished.

thanks for the help Chris

Kev

 

[vacdac]

Cheers Kev,

As I remember it the first full library scan took around 45 mins or so for me for around 1600 albums/19,000 tracks & around 570 albums are 24bit 'high rez' (somewhere around 640/650GB.....I'd expect my DS213 runs scans a little quicker than t' 213J due to a more powerful processor.....but in real world day to day use I'd have thought they'd be of a muchness as t' 213J has exactly the same amount of RAM & in fact betters the pricier DS213Air in this respect.

Yeah it should just run in t' background until its done......at some point during the scan stuff will start showing up on Audio Station on your web browser or on the DS Audio App on your i-pad, it may not let you start accessing the library until the first scan completes or is near to doing so.

Dependent on how good your library structure is:dunno:, you may have to do a little restructuring/neatening up as UPnP seems to be far more fussy than LMS to work well & its a good habit to get into in any case. :^

 

[Werner]

Can someone recommend a half decent control app for the pioneer please?

After evaluating many I used 8player. It is much better than Control App, both in functionality and in speed, but of course it is not gapless, since Pioneer's gapless implementation is not DLNA-compatible.

My server is Twonky on a QNAP.

http://08software.com/products/8player/