Thinking about a digital media player. No streaming. But there's a problem...


I'd like to get a digital media player for my listening room.  I don't really care about streaming or network capabilities.  I basically just want a unit where I can connect it to my pre-amp, attach a hard drive with all of my music files, and go.

The thing is, though, my eyes aren't as good as they used to be.  So, I think I need either a unit with (1) a screen large enough to see from my listening chair about eight feet away or (2) some sort of remote with a screen I can use to browse with.

I *don't* want to use a tablet/phone for controlling the digital media player if at all possible.  I just have nightmares about performing an IOS/Android update one day and finding out that the tablet no longer works with unit.

Any suggestions?
des_esseintes

Showing 1 response by mike_in_nc

I can’t really answer your question as you posed it, but I would like to give you a few thoughts. IMO, the obvious answer to the visibility issue is something controlled with a tablet -- a Roon or DLNA system. (That’s what I use, with my 70-yr-old eyes.)

There are concerns, but possibly not the one you bring up. If you choose a DLNA system, it seems unlikely that one morning, the tablet won’t work with your client. There are standard DLNA clients that are not fussy about hardware and that often are better than the manufacturer’s clients. Roon also works on a wide variety of hardware.

The concerns I’d have are the increase in system complexity, the need for good networking, and the need to learn and configure new system elements. Backing up the files also will be critical.


Maybe other users will have some ways of achieving what you want without a tablet, so I’ll stop here. Hope it was a little helpful, at least.