Chromecast Audio/Airport Express

[ResumeMan]

Hello,

I think this is the right place for this, if not please move it where it belongs.

I need a solution to transmit audio via WiFi from a Windows PC in one room to a stereo in another room (the stereo is old and has RCA inputs). I use MediaMonkey exclusively to manage and play my music collection. This setup will be used exclusively on my own WiFi LAN. I have an iPhone, no Android devices, but in any case I'm not looking to cast anything from a phone, just from a PC.

(To be really specific, the music files are all stored on a headless Linux server box in yet another room. But for using MM, I just use the server as a lettered drive using Samba. This probably doesn't matter but I wanted to include the detail)

I'm pretty familiar with both MM and LAN setup. But I know NOTHING about DLNA or UPnP. Like I don't even really know what they are supposed to do.

My research so far has been inconclusive as to the best approach (and most of the info I've seen goes back a few years, so I don't know if it is up to date). Here are the options I believe will work.

1. Apple Airport Express. Use a third party output plugin (http://emilles.dyndns.org/software/out_apx.html) in MM, which will allow me to switch between the PC audio and the Airport Express

2. Google Chromecast Audio. Use BubbleUPnP server in some way to transmit the audio from MM to the Chromecast. Not sure if this will appear as an audio output plugin, or what.

So - the Chromecast is considerably cheaper. However I would be ok with dropping a hundred bucks on the Airport if it will be significantly better and/or easier. Can you give me some advice as to which of these is a better approach and works more reliably? I've seen a few threads that imply that native Chromecast support may be on the way, but it doesn't appear to be the case now.

Thanks for the help.

[Lowlander]

To stream directly from MediaMonkey (using it for control) you will need a DLNA (UPnP) capable client as that's the only thing supported for now. Chromecast support has been promised and is already possible with MediaMonkey for Android (MMA). BubbleUPnP can act as an intermediary between MediaMonkey (using DLNA) and a Chromecast (using Chromecast), but would be used as your control point (MMA also can stream from DLNA to Chromecast, but requires an Android device).

[Ludek]

Note that MMA can also be the UPnP/DLNA control point (no need for Bubble UPnP)

Chromecast support has been already added to MMW too (version 5 that is currently in alpha testing)