Remote for use with headless computer

[mmesford]

I'm wondering if anyone has a solution for simple music playback WITHOUT having to have a computer screen. We've gotten by with an old Roku player which has been out of production for some time. It showed us our basic iTunes playlists and allowed access by song, artist, album, etc. It worked well and had an IR remote and a small unobtrusive display. But since it hasn't been supported for some time it's kinda fallen behind the times. No smart playlists, no genius, no support for streaming services such as Spotify, etc.

So what's available that will bring our music choices up to date and still allow us to have a dedicated remote control with a small display for selecting music? This is all based on using a computer as the basic repository for song files, though streaming is important too. I know there are phone based solutions but I'd like to only use those as a last resort. I don't mind a bit of self-rolling if necessary...

Thanks,
Mike

 

[canuckaudiog]

Hey Mike,

A little late here but I hope this helps.

I have explored various different options because I too do not want to have to use a monitor.

So far, here is what I've found.

One option is to simply run the server 24/7, and use a remote desktop software, linked to another device such as a mobile phone or a tablet. I think at the very least you will need this in case you need to access the PC to troubleshoot any issues (network connectivity, programs shutting down, etc).

Then with various different softwares, some of them are useable with a remote application. For example, JRiver has a mobile app that allows you to control the PC software from another device. Spotify also has this option. The problem I have found is with JRiver, if you turn your DAC off and leave the program running, but then turn the DAC on, you have to restart the software in order for sound to come out. Spotify is the same deal, if you shut the DAC off it thinks you no longer have an audio device available and then when you turn it back on, it does not work.

So far the only thing I have found to work bullet proof is simply leaving the DAC on 24/7. This removes the need for having to restart the software and when you go to use it, it works every time. This does not remove the issue of something going wrong, like in a power outage, but you could set-up the PC to automatically run certain programs upon rebooting.

That's about all I have found. I am still looking for better options and if I find more, I'll let you know.

 

[KingBubba]

You can get a used Thinkpad for very little. Most T model Thinkpads allow for a second hard drive. My set up is a Thinkpad T60 with a 1TB boot drive and a second removable 1TB drive. Even if your music is all in .flac, the setup like that could still hold a large amount of files. The space taken up by this system is very minimal.

 

[uofmtiger]

I'm wondering if anyone has a solution for simple music playback WITHOUT having to have a computer screen. We've gotten by with an old Roku player which has been out of production for some time. It showed us our basic iTunes playlists and allowed access by song, artist, album, etc. It worked well and had an IR remote and a small unobtrusive display. But since it hasn't been supported for some time it's kinda fallen behind the times. No smart playlists, no genius, no support for streaming services such as Spotify, etc.

So what's available that will bring our music choices up to date and still allow us to have a dedicated remote control with a small display for selecting music? This is all based on using a computer as the basic repository for song files, though streaming is important too. I know there are phone based solutions but I'd like to only use those as a last resort. I don't mind a bit of self-rolling if necessary...

Thanks,
Mike

The format of using the display to choose music is less common in the inexpensive options. The typical option is to use a tablet/smartphone to control the music selections and a separate unit that plugs into your preamp.

Android-Chromecast
iOS-Airport Express, AppleTV or Chromecast
iOS/Android - Sonos

 

[SpyderMike]

I use Raspberry Pi's in various configurations in about 4 different systems. I have 60,000 songs in all kinds of formats on a hard drive plugged into one Pi. This is available 24/7 on my network as the server. I have other Pi's as the receiver with HiFi Berry dac plugged into my stereo. I use my cellphone as the controller. I have had these running for a few years and they work great.