by ctbarker32 » Wed Feb 22, 2017 12:14 pm
Hi,
I am a very very longtime MediaMonkey Gold user. MM has worked well for me for more than a decade? But, my eye is wandering as my audio and specifically network audio needs evolve.
I also have been running LMS (Logitech Music Server aka "Squeezebox") for more than a decade and MM is my CD ripping library management tool of choice. I run a mix of original Logitech Squeezeboxes as well as newer Raspberry Pi based PicorePlayer LMS Squeezebox clients. I run LMS on three servers (VortexBox DIY, and Qnap, and WD NAS). I also run Plex for all of my Video server needs but also have been exploring Plex's Music features as well.
Recently I have purchased new DACs from Oppo including the brand new Sonica DAC and Sonica Speaker. These both support DLNA only so I have been forced to explore the world of DLNA servers/renderers/controllers. I have always considered DLNA inferior to LMS (no gapless support, very slow compared to LMS, etc) so I had only given it a cursory look.
As network audio has evolved in the vacuum that was created after Logitech stopped making LMS hardware, DLNA products have evolved and become dominant as well as MPD players and the higher end solution called Roon. Mostly, IMHO, these products have just reinvented the wheel since LMS solved a lot of these issues long ago. Along with LMS extensive plug-in support and open source, it has continued to stay relevant to this day.
This long preamble has brought me to the purpose of this post. What is the Ventis/MediaMonkey road map for network audio?
I ask this question after watching an extensive presentation on the features of JRiver. I was trying to understand why this product (JRiver) was so popular among the Audiophile community? I would say JRiver along with Roon are the top two network audio products currently.
As I watched the JRiver demo, I discovered how it was very easy to filter and organize an Audio collection as well control via DLNA where audio would be played. All of this functionality was exposed at a high level in the GUI.
I then started to research MM and discovered to my surprise it too could be used as a controller/renderer. I always knew about MM's DLNA server capability, but did not know of it's controller/renderer capabilities. But, the reason I didn't know is this capability is buried deep in the options menu unlikely to be found easily? JRiver on the other hand exposes this feature at a top level along with other Audiophile hot buttons such as file bit rate/depth and DSD support, etc.
It seems the current MM paradigm is getting a bit long in the tooth and a strategic rethink of the GUI and network audio in particular would be in order?
Thanks.
-CB
Hi,
I am a very very longtime MediaMonkey Gold user. MM has worked well for me for more than a decade? But, my eye is wandering as my audio and specifically network audio needs evolve.
I also have been running LMS (Logitech Music Server aka "Squeezebox") for more than a decade and MM is my CD ripping library management tool of choice. I run a mix of original Logitech Squeezeboxes as well as newer Raspberry Pi based PicorePlayer LMS Squeezebox clients. I run LMS on three servers (VortexBox DIY, and Qnap, and WD NAS). I also run Plex for all of my Video server needs but also have been exploring Plex's Music features as well.
Recently I have purchased new DACs from Oppo including the brand new Sonica DAC and Sonica Speaker. These both support DLNA only so I have been forced to explore the world of DLNA servers/renderers/controllers. I have always considered DLNA inferior to LMS (no gapless support, very slow compared to LMS, etc) so I had only given it a cursory look.
As network audio has evolved in the vacuum that was created after Logitech stopped making LMS hardware, DLNA products have evolved and become dominant as well as MPD players and the higher end solution called Roon. Mostly, IMHO, these products have just reinvented the wheel since LMS solved a lot of these issues long ago. Along with LMS extensive plug-in support and open source, it has continued to stay relevant to this day.
This long preamble has brought me to the purpose of this post. [u]What is the Ventis/MediaMonkey road map for network audio?
[/u]
I ask this question after watching an extensive presentation on the features of JRiver. I was trying to understand why this product (JRiver) was so popular among the Audiophile community? I would say JRiver along with Roon are the top two network audio products currently.
As I watched the JRiver demo, I discovered how it was very easy to filter and organize an Audio collection as well control via DLNA where audio would be played. All of this functionality was exposed at a high level in the GUI.
I then started to research MM and discovered to my surprise it too could be used as a controller/renderer. I always knew about MM's DLNA server capability, but did not know of it's controller/renderer capabilities. But, the reason I didn't know is this capability is buried deep in the options menu unlikely to be found easily? JRiver on the other hand exposes this feature at a top level along with other Audiophile hot buttons such as file bit rate/depth and DSD support, etc.
It seems the current MM paradigm is getting a bit long in the tooth and a strategic rethink of the GUI and network audio in particular would be in order?
Thanks.
-CB