Advice with streaming music via wifi (possibly Chromecast)

[GRW]

Hi

Have been reading many posts and many seem to be either referring to Android devices or are a couple of years old and well out of date! I currently use Media Monkey on a Windows 10 PC where my MP3 library is stored and I control it playing directly or via the Media Monkey remote on my phone. I prefer MM to do the work as then I can use the cross fading function and this is also the only way I can get my playlists to work correctly on my set up. I have 2 different ways I can currently connect:

* connect the PC via a fairly expensive phono lead to my Onkyo NR414 amp (the sound quality of this is very poor even after playing around with equaliser settings inside MM).
* connect via UPnP with MM acting as a server and then use my Xbox 360 for example to access the tracks. (They sound STUNNING but I can't control it remotely or use cross fading).

They may be MP3s but they sound considerably better than the CDs I took them off! It would be so much better when people are round to not be sitting at my PC so am I missing something? Is there are a better option? My PC only has 1 HDMI socket so I would like to send video to the TV without keep mucking about with dragging out the entertainment unit and PC swapping leads and Chromecast seems to be a good option if I connect it to an HDMI socket on the amp (I don't want to have to buy 2 lots). Does anyone use it as this appears to be able to do it as long as the software can send it? So can MediaMonkey use the Chromecast option (I'm guessing it doesn't have a streaming option so I guess not)! Does the Android app allow this or just to play files on the phone itself (which I don't currently use). Why is there such a stark difference in playback quality through a lead how we used to do it in the old days compared with streaming over the air via wifi? Confused.

[Lowlander]

MediaMonkey can not send to Chromecast at the moment. Chromecast is very limited and always depends on an App/software to send it content. However it does do that wonderfully (and Chromecast 2 is much improved over the first one).

If you use DLNA/UPnP it depends on the client if crossfading is done (the client plays streamed files). You can control most clients from within MediaMonkey, but crossfading is still up to the client.

[GRW]

Thank you, I thought that might be the case. Its annoying as it feels as if we are "almost there" in terms to connecting anything to everything but always falls down somewhere! I think I will get a Chromecast then as it will solve one problem but not my music one. I have very young children so trailing long leads across the room is a no no and for some reason Dell provided 2 HDMI sockets on my new PC but only the one on the graphics card works so I can't use a dual screen option (very odd in this day and age). Streaming is so effortless though and it sounds a million times better than through a cable. I guess its the amps decoding of the signal that must be far superior than the PC's output!

I have seen a few posts regarding this in the request section of this forum so perhaps, as we see more and more integration between all wireless devices (just like Windows 10 has done), perhaps MM will find a way to do similar.

[Lowlander]

I know that Chromecast is on the radar for the Android App, but I'm not aware it is the case for the Windows Software.

[GRW]

Even with the greatest memory cards in the world I would never get my collection on it! I like the app but music will always be stored and accessed from either the PC or the NAS so I doubt I would ever use the app to do it. I am so pleased with the streaming results I can't ever see me doing anything different, its just annoying that I need to use the Xbox or the amp itself to select the tracks - not a very user friendly experience. I am going to try Xbox Smart Glass app to see if that allows me some extra control. I can forego the cross fading as I don't have a party very often but I would rather not have every device in the house on just replace playing a CD!!!

[Lowlander]

App can access MediaMonkey on the desktop through DLNA (not sure if it crossfades in that scenario).

[Lyndon]

Hi, Lowlander.
Always grateful that you are helping on this forum. I just bought the Chromecast Audio dongle, and am frustrated with casting as well. I want to cast my hard drive files on my Windows 7 desktop, to my Chromecast Audio dongle>stand alone dac>preamp>amp>speakers. But I do want to be able to control it with either my Android tablet or my iPad, so I can search for music, and view album art via my Media Monkey.

I can send Pandora via chromecast app to my system, but not my hard files.

Some people at AVS Forum have said they have had some success with BubbleUpnp app, but I think that is using UPnP/DLNA which I am not familiar with.
Also, my Plex is not working, and claims I have to get a Plex Premium Membership to use the Plex App. Ugh.

Thanks again, Lowlander.
Lyndon
Salt Lake City

[Lowlander]

BubbleUPnP is originally a DLNA App, but I believe like many has Chromecast support. You may need to a DLNA server (like MediaMonkey) to stream the files of your PC to the Chromecast using BubbleUPnP on your device.

I have no issues with Plex and Chromecast 2. I do however have the Plex Pass.

[GRW]

I have found a fairly decent workaround, it doesn't solve the crossfading problem but in the rare occasion I would use it, I can always connect the laptop and use MM on that to do the work.

I am really enjoying the Chromecast. I installed ES File Explorer which can send files stored on network drives etc to the Chromecast. The only problem with this is that you have to know the location of the file which is a problem if you have a lot of various artist CDs ripped or a neat music folder for example. So I open the remote, browse my amazing library listed how I like it and use the details option to tell me the location of the song I want to play. I can then get ES File Explorer to navigate to the file and send it to the Chromecast. Not perfect but it works. Apparently the MM Remote will be unable to send files to a Chromecast so any requests for this won't be accepted. I guess that's what I shall have to do until MM itself sees the need to add casting in the actual software itself.