Streaming with Windows Media Player??
Posted by: Consciousmess on 07 May 2012
I have read several posts and consulted the manual for the NDX regarding UPnP streaming. What I gave gathered is that Windows Media Player Version 11 upwards can stream to the NDX (and of course the NDS and the ND5xs).....
So why have people gone for other programmes if they are PC folk?
Will I be able to use nStream and control all my albums which are organised with Windows Media Player??
Plus where does the Ethernet cable from the NDX be connected to: the PC directly or with the router??
Many thanks,
Jon
Windows media player is like a crapier version of itunes.
Connect the ethernet to your home router.
Nothing to do with sound quality, it's a usability thing.
There are other considerations too. In my experience it has been to do with the import side of things,rather than UPnP hosting afterwards.
The key point for making the ripped music collection easy to navigate later is getting the metadata correct (which will vary depending on how an individual thinks about finding their music).
I haven't used Windows Media Player in over a decade but I think it is safe to say that it is still of the lowest common denominator for media player out there.
That said, it probably is #2 in popularity behind iTunes. That doesn't say anything to me other than, "this will suck". Just like a burger from McDonalds or a episode of Dancing with the Stars.
I think you still need to download codecs for things like ALAC or FLAC. No native support. Can it be a UPNP server? Can it be more than one server (nice for streaming off network)? Does it do things like library syncing and sharing on a robust level?
I would either drop $50 on J River or use the free Foobar Player (for experienced PC users only).
-Patrick
...oh and that only addresses audio. It is nice to be able to browse, play and SERVE pictures, data, and video.
J River does all of this very nicely.
It really depends on how your ripped CDs are encoded - if you want to use FLAC then Windows Media Player will not stream those - it will stream WAV files. You could try an alternative server software such as Asset or Twonky. I prefer Asset for its better database capabilities but this is a persoan choice. Asset will need a PC or server running Windows to work whereas Twonky is often installed on NAS drives in cut down form.