Firstly, I am an old man. I built my first amp and loudspeaker in 1976 so it has been 40+ years. I am familiar with analogue audio but not with computers or digital audio. So please be kind.
I ripped all my CDs (about 2500-3000 albums) to WavPack (and have converted it to FLAC using FooBar). A friend ripped my DVDs and Blu Ray discs (about 1000) to MOV. So now I have a 6TB hard disk with my music and my movies.
I am trying to build a single box that would be capable of playing/streaming both high-quality audio (Tidal, WavPack/FLAC, etc) as well as video (NetFlix, Amazon Prime, etc. Is this even possible? An easy to use Apple TV-style GUI would be a bonus.
I have looked at the Allo USBridge Signature, NanoPi M4B, BananaPi M5, RockPi 4, RockPi N10, Khadas VIM3, NVIDIA Jetson Nano, LattePanda Alpha, ODROID C4 and N2 Plus, Firefly RK3399, etc but cannot find any information on:
My intention is to direct the I2S output of this media player to a DAC like the Topping D90 or Gustard X16 and then via XLR to a stereo amplifier.
The video from the RPi style media player will play from the HDMI out of the media player into my AVR. The AVR will power the centre and surrounds and will send the front output to the same stereo amplifier.
I ripped all my CDs (about 2500-3000 albums) to WavPack (and have converted it to FLAC using FooBar). A friend ripped my DVDs and Blu Ray discs (about 1000) to MOV. So now I have a 6TB hard disk with my music and my movies.
I am trying to build a single box that would be capable of playing/streaming both high-quality audio (Tidal, WavPack/FLAC, etc) as well as video (NetFlix, Amazon Prime, etc. Is this even possible? An easy to use Apple TV-style GUI would be a bonus.
- Is there any software that can do this? Plex Media Server? Jellyfin Media Server? Emby?
- What OS would I need? Linux? Android?
- Is there any RPi compatible SBC that has the power to run this software? I do not need transcoding but it would be nice to have if I never want to stream to my iPad or iPhone.
I have looked at the Allo USBridge Signature, NanoPi M4B, BananaPi M5, RockPi 4, RockPi N10, Khadas VIM3, NVIDIA Jetson Nano, LattePanda Alpha, ODROID C4 and N2 Plus, Firefly RK3399, etc but cannot find any information on:
- If they have the power to run Jellyfin/Plex/Emby or any software that can do both Netflix and FLAC?
- If the GPIO is RPi compatible and has I2S out so I can add a FiFo clock and transport from Ian Canada or Allo
Asynchronous I2S FIFO project, an ultimate weapon to fight the jitter
My intention is to direct the I2S output of this media player to a DAC like the Topping D90 or Gustard X16 and then via XLR to a stereo amplifier.
The video from the RPi style media player will play from the HDMI out of the media player into my AVR. The AVR will power the centre and surrounds and will send the front output to the same stereo amplifier.
Last edited:
My setup is capable of a few scenarios. Typically I don't bother going too deep into the source files, but it uses shairport-sync to receive the audio data with a raspberry pi from any device capable of sending it. This way, it can be any pc or apple device. I set one up for my mother using apple TV. At the moment, it's an all in one unit with the receiver and amplifier together, but in the future it will be also set for use as a receiver and DAC, plus a few extra goodies including the ability to use the Fifo. Anyway, using shairport-sync, videos and audio are synced up. Use any source and file you like. Here's a short video..
Amp description - YouTube
Amp description - YouTube
Since you want to play your movies as well as your music through the same software then a media player will be the best all in one solution.
The hardware devices you listed are not readily supported by most media players. You will find most support is limited to commonly available hardware such as Intel/AMD computers running windows, linux or the Raspberry Pi.
You may want to try OSMC, its a free open source media player based on Kodi. It runs on the Raspberry Pi as well as MS Windows. If you want to play around with OSMC you can install it on your computer and then if you like install it onto a Rpi later on as a permanent arrangement. If your TV supports HDMI-CEC then you can control OSMC via your TV's remote.
If you want to try a media player with more hardware support then have a look at LibreELEC. It's also based on Kodi and supports some of the other devices you have listed.
The hardware devices you listed are not readily supported by most media players. You will find most support is limited to commonly available hardware such as Intel/AMD computers running windows, linux or the Raspberry Pi.
You may want to try OSMC, its a free open source media player based on Kodi. It runs on the Raspberry Pi as well as MS Windows. If you want to play around with OSMC you can install it on your computer and then if you like install it onto a Rpi later on as a permanent arrangement. If your TV supports HDMI-CEC then you can control OSMC via your TV's remote.
If you want to try a media player with more hardware support then have a look at LibreELEC. It's also based on Kodi and supports some of the other devices you have listed.
I saw the video and loved it. I loved the way the front panel LED changed colour based on the status.
I don't know anything about computers or operating systems. What is Shairport-Sync? Is it misspelt (Share-port)? Is it some addition to Linux that aids in connecting audio data to the operating system? Can it do video too?
I am finding that several RPi type SBCs are not compatible with the GPIO of the RPi. The Odroid N2 and Khadas VIM 3 for example are more certainly not.
HAT compatibility? - ODROID
Can I use raspberry pi accessories on khadas vim? - Hardware and Peripherals - Khadas Community
I did not know what Kodi is so I asked a younger friend. Apparently, it is an application that runs on an OS called OpenElec. It used to be called XBMC.
Is LibeElec an OS like OpenElec? And Kodi an application that runs on LibreElec? The same friend gave me his old "media box" that runs on OpenElec and Kodi and connected my 6TB hard disk to it. I find the menus in Kodi to be too deep. I prefer the simpler menu system of my Apple TV box. I suspect LibreElec might be just as "complicated" as Kodi.
Is there a media player that has a simpler interface than Kodi?
I assumed that if Plex Server can be installed on an RPi4, so could Jellyfin.
Set up a home media server using a Raspberry Pi and Plex | by Nitin Manju | Medium
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bz8E7LD5stg&feature=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onntSzweeTs&feature=youtu.be
However, according to the video below the RPi4 is just not powerful enough so I was looking for a more powerful alternate.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoXPmupW1iY&feature=youtu.be
The issue that arises is because you want video AND audio in good quality on the same device. Please note that almost any new smart TV plays video in all formats from the USB port (always check first). If you have or plan to buy a new TV then you can skip a device for video.... Just plug in the USB hard disk in the TV's USB port and off you go.
I used modded Wetek Hub devices till recently. Originally these are hampered by thermal problems that can be solved and by the resource hungry spyOS Android which can be removed. These are very small, can be bought second hand cheap and can be flashed with the simple Coreelec OS (free). They have the nowadays abandoned IR remote control which is way easier to use than a cell phone. These play high res H264/H265 HEVC (even 4K) video with ease contrary to RPI. RPI has its place and the support is overwhelming but the hardware isn't top notch for video. The look and feel of Coreelec can be adapted to the user, it is quite simple to use out of the box and I tested this with a few very old people and they could use it without much issues. Coreelec has one of the most user friendly interfaces of all media players. The ~DIY part is the modification of the case to allow for better cooling and the flashing of the device. If you can't find them and like the idea, I have a few of these left.
Since you are using a 6 tb external hard disk I suspect you don't/won't need any network features except for remote control. This makes the setup easier. You would need a simple but high quality audio player with an OS like Volumio. Since I like to experiment I obtained a few second hand Cubox quad core devices that perform excellent when used with the USB output to a digital amplifier. The amplifier reclocks and conical results are quite good for the price, not to mention it looks way better than the usual RPI contraptions with cables everywhere. It can be a cheap setup to try out if you like to play audio via an audio player or not.
For me the streaming hype does not offer any technical or sonical advantages, on the contrary as it is only done because it is cheap. Therefor I like devices that have a possibility for an internal hard disk or SSD. Local playback and network for controlling the device is in practice a good combination for the elderly. These devices are however quite rare and they are also more expensive.
I used modded Wetek Hub devices till recently. Originally these are hampered by thermal problems that can be solved and by the resource hungry spyOS Android which can be removed. These are very small, can be bought second hand cheap and can be flashed with the simple Coreelec OS (free). They have the nowadays abandoned IR remote control which is way easier to use than a cell phone. These play high res H264/H265 HEVC (even 4K) video with ease contrary to RPI. RPI has its place and the support is overwhelming but the hardware isn't top notch for video. The look and feel of Coreelec can be adapted to the user, it is quite simple to use out of the box and I tested this with a few very old people and they could use it without much issues. Coreelec has one of the most user friendly interfaces of all media players. The ~DIY part is the modification of the case to allow for better cooling and the flashing of the device. If you can't find them and like the idea, I have a few of these left.
Since you are using a 6 tb external hard disk I suspect you don't/won't need any network features except for remote control. This makes the setup easier. You would need a simple but high quality audio player with an OS like Volumio. Since I like to experiment I obtained a few second hand Cubox quad core devices that perform excellent when used with the USB output to a digital amplifier. The amplifier reclocks and conical results are quite good for the price, not to mention it looks way better than the usual RPI contraptions with cables everywhere. It can be a cheap setup to try out if you like to play audio via an audio player or not.
For me the streaming hype does not offer any technical or sonical advantages, on the contrary as it is only done because it is cheap. Therefor I like devices that have a possibility for an internal hard disk or SSD. Local playback and network for controlling the device is in practice a good combination for the elderly. These devices are however quite rare and they are also more expensive.
Last edited:
Wow! Thanks so much. This is a lot of information. Let me research Wetek, CoreElec, Cubox etc.
I do agree that I do not need to stream audio. With 30k+ songs already in my library, and nostalgia limiting my desire to seek new music, streaming is not really essential but it is fun. Streaming video, on the other hand, is a requirement.
Yes, you nailed the challenge. The Kodi box (based on some X86 architecture) my friend gave me played both Audio (FLAC) and Video but the user interface was not user friendly and required a lot of menu diving. That encouraged me to look for a solution that can play Audio and Video but also have a better GUI.
Then I figured, while I was at it, I figured I could add an external DAC for the audio (I have identified the Gustard X16 for this purpose). Then when I saw the Gustard had IIS (I2S) input I wondered why not have a media player that puts out IIS at least for audio. The Video could be fed directly (bypassing the DAC) via HDMI to my AVR.
When I found Emby, Jellyfin and Plex (which have a better GUI than Kodi) I figured why not find the hardware that can run this software but yet have an RPi4 compatible GPIO with I2S and so I found ROCKPro64, Rockpi4, Banana Pi BPI-M5, etc.
Banana Pi BPI-M5 - Banana Pi Wiki
Rock Pi 4 - the next generation RPI.
ROCKPro64 - PINE64
ROCKPro64 - RP64.GPIO | forum.frank-mankel.org
Now I have some more homework. Thanks a lot for the new leads.
Last edited:
Shairport Sync is an AirPlay audio player – it plays audio streamed from iTunes, iOS, Apple TV and macOS devices and AirPlay sources such as Quicktime Player and ForkedDaapd, among others.
Audio played by a Shairport Sync-powered device stays synchronised with the source and hence with similar devices playing the same source. In this way, synchronised multi-room audio is possible for players that support it, such as iTunes and the macOS Music app.
Shairport Sync runs on Linux, FreeBSD and OpenBSD. It does not support AirPlay video or photo streaming.
In summary I guess you need to work out what your priorities are, there won't be a media player that does everything you want it to.
Kodi, OSMC and Libreelec are highly customisable, hence the deep menu systems and may seem complicated to use and navigate, but will work on the widely available and cheap Raspberry Pi.
Pros - hardware is cheap.
Cons - Not very user friendly.
If you want a media player thats easy to use then as you have already discovered the Apple 4K TV is the winner, but you now have to use Apple hardware. But the average consumer like this, they just plug it into their tv and start watching movies.
Pros - Easy to use.
Cons - Apply only hardware (not necessarily a bad thing). Software is controlled by Apple.
Jellyfin looks easy to use but only x86 Linux and windows versions are available. There's no support for Rpi or other hardware platforms.
Pros - Easy to use.
Cons - Limited hardware support.
Emby and Plex supports more hardware, but you will have to pay for some features that are free with other media players.
Pros - More hardware support.
Cons - Some features are paid only.
Be aware software development is a time consuming task for software developers who give up their free time to maintain all these open source media players, this is why they mainly concentrate on the raspberry pi as its easier to maintain software for one hardware device.
Kodi, OSMC and Libreelec are highly customisable, hence the deep menu systems and may seem complicated to use and navigate, but will work on the widely available and cheap Raspberry Pi.
Pros - hardware is cheap.
Cons - Not very user friendly.
If you want a media player thats easy to use then as you have already discovered the Apple 4K TV is the winner, but you now have to use Apple hardware. But the average consumer like this, they just plug it into their tv and start watching movies.
Pros - Easy to use.
Cons - Apply only hardware (not necessarily a bad thing). Software is controlled by Apple.
Jellyfin looks easy to use but only x86 Linux and windows versions are available. There's no support for Rpi or other hardware platforms.
Pros - Easy to use.
Cons - Limited hardware support.
Emby and Plex supports more hardware, but you will have to pay for some features that are free with other media players.
Pros - More hardware support.
Cons - Some features are paid only.
Be aware software development is a time consuming task for software developers who give up their free time to maintain all these open source media players, this is why they mainly concentrate on the raspberry pi as its easier to maintain software for one hardware device.
Last edited:
Personally I would advice getting 2 boxes, sorry.
For all your video needs I would go for an Android box, Nvidia Shield Pro 2019 (or something cheaper) with Kodi.
All the worthwhile boxes listed for 2020 here: Chigz Tech Reviews | Official Website for YouTube Tech
Channel
For your audio needs RPi or something similar, these you seem to know quite well already.
For all your video needs I would go for an Android box, Nvidia Shield Pro 2019 (or something cheaper) with Kodi.
All the worthwhile boxes listed for 2020 here: Chigz Tech Reviews | Official Website for YouTube Tech
Channel
For your audio needs RPi or something similar, these you seem to know quite well already.
This is nice to know. My wife and I are on the Apple platform (iPad and iPhones) because it is as the kids put it "grandparent proof". The only non-apple devices we have is our kindles, 2 Lenovo laptops and an all-in-one Lenovo desktop.
Too bad it does not support video or photos.
Yes, I am aware that software development is hard and time-consuming. I happen to be Indian even though I don't know the first thing about software. I am happy to pay for any software I find useful. Software engineers need to eat too. 😉
The Apple TV box cannot accommodate external hard disks and its audio quality is average. Acceptable for video but not for 2 channel audio.
The only reason I was enamoured by the RPi Platform was that there was the option of building a really superior audio player using Allo's or Ian Canada's reclocker and transport.
ESP32 - Intro to I2S Episode 1, explanation with basic example outputting a square wave - YouTube
Then there was this video that gave me hope of building a Plex server on an RPi compatible SBC such as the Banana Pi M5
Turn A Raspberry Pi 4 Into A PLEX Media Server - YouTube
While I was investigating Plex (and Jellyfin) I figured why not build something that has enough power for 3-4 simultaneous video streams with 1 4k stream, 1 1080p video streams and 1-2 720p stream (this is a worst-case condition for a house with only 2 full-time geriatric adults).
I understand RPi4 does not have the power to do this, and I can't find any RPi compatible board that does. Would the Banana Pi M5 work?
BananaPi M5
If there exists any reclocker and transport options for the X86/Ryzen platform (such as the RockPi X or DFI's GHF51) I would be happy to investigate that too. That will open up the OS options and will ensure enough computing power to run multiple video streams with transcoding using Plex or Jellyfin.
Rock Pi
GHF51 | AMD Ryzen Embedded R1000 Series | 1.8" SBC | Industrial Motherboards | DFI
It is obvious that Kodi, LibreElec, OSMC etc. are outside my ability. My young friend came over and showed me how to operate Kodi for my music using an iPad. It looked simple enough. But after he left, my wife and I struggled. We got it to work but it was too cumbersome. Frustrated, we went back to playing CDs and Albums. We currently use Apple TV for Netflix and that's about as complicated an interface we can manage.
I suspect Plex or Emby (given the support they offer) might be my best option.
I understand. This is what everyone sane around me is also recommending. It also means I will have a 3 box solution with the DAC being the 3rd box.
Can the NVIDIA Sheild Pro work with Plex, Emby or Jellyfin and handle all my streaming, either from a USB disk or from the internet? If not is there another option? If I am going to do this, I might as well do it well and cover any future needs such as transcoding as well.
The other box would then have Volumio on an RPi 4 with reclocker and all the goodies.
Just to be clear, shairport-sync IS ONLY your speaker system. It is entirely separate of the built in audio of the sending device. It receives the pure PCM data.
You can use the Apple TV box for all of your video and anything else that you wish to run on it's platform like spotify or whatever else, then you run your special files from whatever other devices you want to. You don't need to have only one source. You can literally walk into the house and play something directly from your phone, then you can play something from a tablet, then you can play something from Apple TV etc... Do whatever you want to do with the receiver end of things like USB DAC or GPIO DAC or clock whatever.
What you will most likely find yourself doing is using the Apple TV exclusively and letting go of your ripped files. Theres too many benefits and fields of enjoyment beyond the quibbles over the minutia.
You can use the Apple TV box for all of your video and anything else that you wish to run on it's platform like spotify or whatever else, then you run your special files from whatever other devices you want to. You don't need to have only one source. You can literally walk into the house and play something directly from your phone, then you can play something from a tablet, then you can play something from Apple TV etc... Do whatever you want to do with the receiver end of things like USB DAC or GPIO DAC or clock whatever.
What you will most likely find yourself doing is using the Apple TV exclusively and letting go of your ripped files. Theres too many benefits and fields of enjoyment beyond the quibbles over the minutia.
"Exclusively Apple TV" and "letting go of ripped files" are not exactly the scope of the OP. I also think OP is not the kind of person that likes to be locked in.
"My wife and I are on the Apple platform (iPad and iPhones) because it is as the kids put it "grandparent proof". The only non-apple devices we have is our kindles, 2 Lenovo laptops and an all-in-one Lenovo desktop."
I suppose we could ask when he let go of his VHS collection.
Seeing how he is poking into the RPi capabilities, I am confident that there will be changes to his approach soon. I personally have no ideas where my old music and movie files are anymore and neither do I care.
All this being said, I have exactly 0 Apple devices personally
OP has more non Apple hardware than Apple hardware, has a 6 tb hard disk with movies and ripped music. He apparently does care where his files are (and what quality they are).
Last edited:
Good point JP -
"You can use the Apple TV box for all of your video and anything else that you wish to run on it's platform like spotify or whatever else, then you run your special files from whatever other devices you want to. You don't need to have only one source."
"You can use the Apple TV box for all of your video and anything else that you wish to run on it's platform like spotify or whatever else, then you run your special files from whatever other devices you want to. You don't need to have only one source."
"You can use the Apple TV box for all of your video and anything else that you wish to run ON IT'S platform like spotify or whatever else"
Last post for me here....
Last post for me here....
I don't have any music on my phone. I have an iPod Classic 160GB for my music (in ALAC) but that is only for the car.
I don't even use my phone as a serious camera (casual photos are ok) or for email or browsing the internet (too small a screen), I use a small mirrorless for a camera as DSLRs are too heavy. Whatsapp, Facetime and Phone calls are what we use phones for.
I am old and sorta "locked-in" to the music I have so carefully ripped and tagged. 😱
Streaming movies makes more sense but I would also like to stream music more often as I want to expand my listening to beyond my own collection.
I once had several tape decks and VCRs but all the tape eventually got fungus (even the Maxell MX metal tapes) so we discarded them. I do have all the original DVDs and Blu Ray discs and CDs and Albums. It's just that the convenience of having them all ripped on one hard disk is too tempting. This way we don't have to walk to the music cabinet each time we want to play a CD or Album. Then again, maybe we should, we could use the exercise. 😉
RPi came to my notice primarily because it's GPIO offers access to IIS (I2S) data stream and I can reclock that stream and use an external DAC. DACs nowadays have multiple inputs so the idea was to use the IIS (LVDS) input for a media player, the CoAx (SPDIF) input to extend the life of my 8-year-old Marantz Pearl CD player, The TosLink input for my Sony PS4-Pro (gaming), and leave the USB input free in case I ever need to connect my laptop to the DAC.
I do stream some music but I think they will have to bury me with my CD/Album collection and pry the remote controls from my cold dead hands. 😛
If you count all the audio hardware, I will easily have more non-Apple products that Apple products. I think any old "audiophile" will have a collection of amplifiers, CD players, turntables, etc.
Apple products are limited to our iPads, iPhones and 2 Apple TV boxes. Almost all of them gifted to us by our nephew (guess where he works). 😉
To be honest when our nephew first told us that he was getting us Apple TV we actually thought it was a TV! We told him "are you mad, how are you going to carry a TV from California to Mumbai?" Then he sent us a photo of this black box. 😱
Why?
I wanted to say this earlier, but I am much obliged to all of you for your inputs. I asked this same question on another forum (hint: they have a strong bias towards measurements) but was only subject to ridicule. No one bothered to tell me why my idea was "so mad".
Good luck with your project. I would like to advise you to buy a NAS with 2 hard disks in RAID 1 to backup your stuff. A single external disk with ALL your stuff is an accident waiting to happen.
I have tried and owned many expensive A branded types but to my surprise the WD My Cloud EX2 Ultra is the cheapest I ever found (no one seems to like it and people buy these for the harddisks) and it is fast and can do everything essential. Coincidentally WD had its engineers do something useful during corona and they recently published a complete new version of the OS with most recent Twonky 8.5.1 version etc. These devices can be found without disks for 75 to 100 Euro here. You definitely need to update it maybe even a few times for the latest OS. Some issues came with the new version but they are meanwhile solved. The only real drawback I found is that they don't have a power on/off button. They can be put to sleep and then the plug can be pulled or, more elegantly, one can make a switch box for them. As said they are often bought with disks only to pull the disks out but if you don't have any harddisks the device with disks might be a good way to secure the precious hours you invested already.
I have tried and owned many expensive A branded types but to my surprise the WD My Cloud EX2 Ultra is the cheapest I ever found (no one seems to like it and people buy these for the harddisks) and it is fast and can do everything essential. Coincidentally WD had its engineers do something useful during corona and they recently published a complete new version of the OS with most recent Twonky 8.5.1 version etc. These devices can be found without disks for 75 to 100 Euro here. You definitely need to update it maybe even a few times for the latest OS. Some issues came with the new version but they are meanwhile solved. The only real drawback I found is that they don't have a power on/off button. They can be put to sleep and then the plug can be pulled or, more elegantly, one can make a switch box for them. As said they are often bought with disks only to pull the disks out but if you don't have any harddisks the device with disks might be a good way to secure the precious hours you invested already.
Last edited:
Will a NAS be able to stream video as well as audio?
I have 2 6TB hard disks so there are 2 copies of my old audio and video files. The idea was once I set up one system I would replicate it at our second residence.