DLNA/UPnP Server Capabilities

[Hi-Fi Cast Help Forum]

Some of the features of Hi-Fi Cast depend on the capabilities on the DLNA/UPnP server. Listed below are a number of these features and a selection of DLNA/UPnP servers that these features have been tested against.

Server                                                Hi-Fi Cast features available 

                            Shuffle Library      Search Tracks     Search Albums     Search Artists   Smart Queue*

Asset UPnP                  Yes                  No                No                No               Yes

R4.7 (Linux)

JRiver Media Center         Yes                  Yes               No                No               Yes

19.0.163

MiniDLNA                    Yes                  Yes               Yes               Yes              Yes

1.1.5

MinimServer                 Yes                  Yes               Yes               Yes              Yes

0.8.4

Plex Media Server           No                   No                No                No               No

0.9.16.6

ReadyNAS 102                Yes                  Yes               Yes               Yes              Yes

6.4.1

Windows Media Player        Yes                  Yes               Yes               Yes              Yes

12.0

* Smart Queue

This is a Hi-Fi Cast feature that allows containers of unlimited size to be added to the playback queue.

Otherwise a maximum of 200 songs are added (or 30 songs in shuffle mode) to the queue from the container.

[hmurak...@gmail.com]

I can't play .wav files made by windows media player! mp3 is ok.

[Hi-Fi Cast Help Forum]

You could try turning off the 'Check Chromecast compatibility' setting. To do this:

• Select 'Settings' from the overflow menu (The 3 dots icon in the toolbar of the 'Music on ....' screen of the app)
• Tap 'Playback'
• Turn off the 'Check Chromecast compatibility' setting
• Tap the back arrow twice
• Clear your playback queue (via the overflow menu)
• Try playing a WAV file

If this doesn't work, what error message (if any) are you seeing?

Good luck.

[blue7...@googlemail.com]

Let me add my feature findings on the SERVIO DLNA to this feed:
Shuffle Tracks YES
Search Artists NO
Search Albums NO

Lets hope that Petr Nejedly will add these features to his very good DLNA server some time. I'll appreciate this DLNA server at most for his performance and shuffle function. And I have the feeling that the musics sounds better in comparision of being streamed from my Plex or Minim Server who are running in parallel on my Asustor (either listened on my Linn Majik or chord mojo/galayy tab s3)

[theteste...@gmail.com]

Could you add Emby to the list ?

[bu...@masfa.org]

Is there an update for this list that includes "Search Composers"?

[Hi-Fi Cast Developer]

Is there an update for this list that includes "Search Composers"?

Sorry but no, I'm not actively maintaining the list.

If you're looking for a server that handles classical music well then I suggest you have a look at MinimServer.

However, Hi-Fi Cast doesn't yet support searching by composer.

[Philip Biduletruc]

well as myself I am using openmediavault very innexpensive if you use an old pc or a raspberry although I moved up to a better board anyway you can do lot more than only DNLA with it.

[bu...@masfa.org]

Searching the local library returns results for the composer, however it just shows the results under Songs, I supposed including results on other metadata too. At least it will find the tracks instead of returning nothing. The composer tab is available too, unlike with my DLNA server.

[nicky...@gmail.com]

Has anyone tried the app with 'Western digital my cloud home'? Not the standard 'my cloud' but the budget version named my cloud 'home'. Need to store my flacs on a cheap and quiet storage, my PC is to noisy. The disk noise is bearable but the fan drone disturbs my enjoyment and my phone only holds 100 hires albums. So am looking for a cheap (near)silent storage in the 2-6tb range. I play 3000kbpsmax, Any suggestions?

[ShellstaX]

No WDMCH but mixed opinions here.

It appears you can only use PLEX - but requires a free login ... so is likely collecting 'bigdata'.

I don't know how heavily it pushes PlexPass subscription/extras down your throat like the regular PLEX implementations.

Do you have a USB port and UPnP Server on your Router? Works OK, is cheap,  but my library is not 2TB (on that Server).

  

[ShellstaX]

... Else a lower end QNAP or Synology with Minim Server.

[nicky...@gmail.com]

Ok thanks for the info. I'll have to investigate further afield, it seems.

[sanderko...@gmail.com]

I'm seeing that Hificast doesn't stream from local network sources. Instead, it downloads the file from the server and rebroadcasts it to the Chromecast. This seems to be very inefficient as it uses battery and also creates indirect network traffic. Can't Hificast stream URLs that are on the local network directly as it does with internet streams?

[Hi-Fi Cast Developer]

I'm seeing that Hificast doesn't stream from local network sources. Instead, it downloads the file from the server and rebroadcasts it to the Chromecast. This seems to be very inefficient as it uses battery and also creates indirect network traffic. Can't Hificast stream URLs that are on the local network directly as it does with internet streams?

Hi,

It streams directly from the source to the Chromecast if the source on the local network is a UPnP/DLNA media server ..... except when:

• Chromecast gapless playback is enabled
• Chromecast volume normalisation is enabled
• transcoding is in effect - ie. when playing a format that is not supported by the Chromecast eg. DSD, ALAC, WMA
  

And the only type of local network source that the app supports is UPnP/DLNA. There is no support for shared network drives.

[nicky...@gmail.com]

Hi Developer, Please consider adding using the Public folder in a home network as an option via SMB? Not sure how much trouble and strife is involved in the implementation but I know it is possible for an android app to categorise and play albums on smb/public. My opinion is that it will make a great marketing/selling point on Play store among the other features.

[Hi-Fi Cast Developer]

 

Hi Developer, Please consider adding using the Public folder in a home network as an option via SMB? Not sure how much trouble and strife is involved in the implementation but I know it is possible for an android app to categorise and play albums on smb/public. My opinion is that it will make a great marketing/selling point on Play store among the other features.

Hi,

Thanks for the suggestion. I agree it would be good feature to add to the app.

[cuch...@gmail.com]

So, whatbhappen to rhat function of stremaing from a shared or public home drive?
Is only DLNA still valid?
Thanks

[Hi-Fi Cast Developer]

So, whatbhappen to rhat function of stremaing from a shared or public home drive?
Is only DLNA still valid?
Thanks

Yes. It is still only DLNA. I don't know if or when SMB/CIFS support will be added.

:)