{
    "type": "entry",
    "author": {
        "name": "#indieweb",
        "url": "https://mastodon.social/tags/indieweb",
        "photo": null
    },
    "url": "https://mastodon.social/@lzon/117281784087840110",
    "content": {
        "html": "<p>Update to my previous post</p><p>I've put significant work into this page over the past few days. <br />I'm syndicating it just one more time so that everyone can see the final update. <br /><a href=\"https://lzon.ca/posts/other/visual-time/\"><span>https://</span><span>lzon.ca/posts/other/visual-tim</span><span>e/</span></a></p><p><a href=\"https://mastodon.social/tags/IndieWeb\">#<span>IndieWeb</span></a> <a href=\"https://mastodon.social/tags/PersonalWeb\">#<span>PersonalWeb</span></a> <a href=\"https://mastodon.social/tags/Blog\">#<span>Blog</span></a> <a href=\"https://mastodon.social/tags/Interactive\">#<span>Interactive</span></a> <a href=\"https://mastodon.social/tags/History\">#<span>History</span></a> <a href=\"https://mastodon.social/tags/Time\">#<span>Time</span></a></p>",
        "text": "Update to my previous post\n\nI've put significant work into this page over the past few days. \nI'm syndicating it just one more time so that everyone can see the final update. \nhttps://lzon.ca/posts/other/visual-time/\n\n#IndieWeb #PersonalWeb #Blog #Interactive #History #Time"
    },
    "published": "2026-09-16T17:00:04+00:00",
    "post-type": "note",
    "_id": "49580970",
    "_source": "8007",
    "_is_read": false
}

{
    "type": "entry",
    "published": "2026-09-16T16:24:39.000Z",
    "url": "https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:poblcg3dco2dmoozbn4uzsh3/post/3mvnkhk4i5752",
    "content": {
        "text": "The hVmark reference doc has seen a light overhaul, and now shows the actual source code that generates the doc at the bottom of the page, just to prove that it was actually written in hVmark.\n\nhttps://hisvirusness.com/hvmark\n\n#hVmark #markup #markdown #php #webdev #indieweb #smallweb"
    },
    "author": {
        "type": "card",
        "name": "hisvirusness.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy",
        "url": "https://bsky.app/profile/hisvirusness.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy",
        "photo": null
    },
    "post-type": "note",
    "_id": "49580595",
    "_source": "9305",
    "_is_read": false
}

{
    "type": "entry",
    "author": {
        "name": "#indieweb",
        "url": "https://mastodon.social/tags/indieweb",
        "photo": null
    },
    "url": "https://mastodon.social/@HisVirusness/117281644809384671",
    "content": {
        "html": "<p>The hVmark reference doc has seen a light overhaul, and now shows the actual source code that generates the doc at the bottom of the page, just to prove that it was actually written in hVmark.</p><p><a href=\"https://hisvirusness.com/hvmark\"><span>https://</span><span>hisvirusness.com/hvmark</span><span></span></a></p><p><a href=\"https://mastodon.social/tags/hVmark\">#<span>hVmark</span></a> <a href=\"https://mastodon.social/tags/markup\">#<span>markup</span></a> <a href=\"https://mastodon.social/tags/markdown\">#<span>markdown</span></a> <a href=\"https://mastodon.social/tags/php\">#<span>php</span></a> <a href=\"https://mastodon.social/tags/webdev\">#<span>webdev</span></a> <a href=\"https://mastodon.social/tags/indieweb\">#<span>indieweb</span></a> <a href=\"https://mastodon.social/tags/smallweb\">#<span>smallweb</span></a></p>",
        "text": "The hVmark reference doc has seen a light overhaul, and now shows the actual source code that generates the doc at the bottom of the page, just to prove that it was actually written in hVmark.\n\nhttps://hisvirusness.com/hvmark\n\n#hVmark #markup #markdown #php #webdev #indieweb #smallweb"
    },
    "published": "2026-09-16T16:24:39+00:00",
    "post-type": "note",
    "_id": "49580590",
    "_source": "8007",
    "_is_read": false
}

{
    "type": "entry",
    "author": {
        "name": "#indieweb",
        "url": "https://mastodon.social/tags/indieweb",
        "photo": null
    },
    "url": "https://norden.social/@gebastel/117281486612670528",
    "content": {
        "html": "<p>Webpage loading time: 57ms . No javascript, no pixel graphics: Only a single .html file (to keep request times down) filled with html, css and svg.<br /><a href=\"https://norden.social/tags/indieweb\">#<span>indieweb</span></a></p>",
        "text": "Webpage loading time: 57ms . No javascript, no pixel graphics: Only a single .html file (to keep request times down) filled with html, css and svg.\n#indieweb"
    },
    "published": "2026-09-16T15:44:25+00:00",
    "post-type": "note",
    "_id": "49580210",
    "_source": "8007",
    "_is_read": false
}

{
    "type": "entry",
    "author": {
        "name": "#indieweb",
        "url": "https://mastodon.social/tags/indieweb",
        "photo": null
    },
    "url": "https://mas.to/@harriethw/117281354566638764",
    "content": {
        "html": "<p>and you can read more about why we built a VoIP server and docs to build one yourself here <a href=\"https://www.machine-streams.com/blog/post/queer-phone/\"><span>https://www.</span><span>machine-streams.com/blog/post/</span><span>queer-phone/</span></a></p><p><a href=\"https://mas.to/tags/Lowtech\">#<span>Lowtech</span></a> <a href=\"https://mas.to/tags/indieweb\">#<span>indieweb</span></a> <a href=\"https://mas.to/tags/smallWeb\">#<span>smallWeb</span></a> <a href=\"https://mas.to/tags/selfhosting\">#<span>selfhosting</span></a></p>",
        "text": "and you can read more about why we built a VoIP server and docs to build one yourself here https://www.machine-streams.com/blog/post/queer-phone/\n\n#Lowtech #indieweb #smallWeb #selfhosting"
    },
    "published": "2026-09-16T15:10:50+00:00",
    "post-type": "note",
    "_id": "49580033",
    "_source": "8007",
    "_is_read": false
}

{
    "type": "entry",
    "author": {
        "name": "#indieweb",
        "url": "https://mastodon.social/tags/indieweb",
        "photo": null
    },
    "url": "https://social.lol/@justincox/117281315046147277",
    "content": {
        "html": "<p>Today's Write Now interview features Beck Kubrick, author of DEAD GIRLS.<br /><a href=\"https://justincox.com/blog/2026/09/write-now-with-beck-kubrick/\"><span>https://</span><span>justincox.com/blog/2026/09/wri</span><span>te-now-with-beck-kubrick/</span></a><br /><a href=\"https://social.lol/tags/IndieWeb\">#<span>IndieWeb</span></a> <a href=\"https://social.lol/tags/Blogging\">#<span>Blogging</span></a> <a href=\"https://social.lol/tags/Interview\">#<span>Interview</span></a></p>",
        "text": "Today's Write Now interview features Beck Kubrick, author of DEAD GIRLS.\nhttps://justincox.com/blog/2026/09/write-now-with-beck-kubrick/\n#IndieWeb #Blogging #Interview"
    },
    "published": "2026-09-16T15:00:47+00:00",
    "post-type": "note",
    "_id": "49580034",
    "_source": "8007",
    "_is_read": false
}

{
    "type": "entry",
    "published": "2026-09-16T14:39:34.199Z",
    "url": "https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:dqhlj73ft3222rilsh6wmnum/post/3mvnelgg75h24",
    "content": {
        "text": "I made a \"theme\" for NetNewsWire (on MacOS). It loads the original site so I can enjoy the creator's CSS. It's much more fun on personal/indieweb sites than big news sources, as you might expect. Download link:"
    },
    "author": {
        "type": "card",
        "name": "boxboxbagbag.com",
        "url": "https://bsky.app/profile/boxboxbagbag.com",
        "photo": null
    },
    "post-type": "note",
    "_id": "49579342",
    "_source": "9305",
    "_is_read": false
}

{
    "type": "entry",
    "author": {
        "name": "#indieweb",
        "url": "https://mastodon.social/tags/indieweb",
        "photo": null
    },
    "url": "https://xoxo.zone/@artlung/117281018132960061",
    "content": {
        "html": "<p>Are you in the Twin Cities? Interested in owning your digital life? Check out IndieWeb Club Twin Cities next week! <a href=\"https://events.indieweb.org/2026/09/homebrew-website-club-twin-cities-R2UxWLeu3IHZ\"><span>https://</span><span>events.indieweb.org/2026/09/ho</span><span>mebrew-website-club-twin-cities-R2UxWLeu3IHZ</span></a> <a href=\"https://xoxo.zone/tags/IndieWeb\">#<span>IndieWeb</span></a> <a href=\"https://xoxo.zone/tags/Minneapolis\">#<span>Minneapolis</span></a> <a href=\"https://xoxo.zone/tags/Websites\">#<span>Websites</span></a> cc <span class=\"h-card\"><a class=\"u-url\" href=\"https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://benji.dog/\">@<span>benji</span></a></span></p>",
        "text": "Are you in the Twin Cities? Interested in owning your digital life? Check out IndieWeb Club Twin Cities next week! https://events.indieweb.org/2026/09/homebrew-website-club-twin-cities-R2UxWLeu3IHZ #IndieWeb #Minneapolis #Websites cc @benji"
    },
    "published": "2026-09-16T13:45:16+00:00",
    "post-type": "note",
    "_id": "49579331",
    "_source": "8007",
    "_is_read": false
}

{
    "type": "entry",
    "published": "2026-09-16T13:45:40.965Z",
    "url": "https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:wgs7q4u4cifplpfpefir6nay/post/3mvnbl2wdnk2f",
    "content": {
        "text": "Are you in the Twin Cities? Interested in owning your digital life? Check out IndieWeb Club Twin Cities next week! events.indieweb.org/2026/09/home... #IndieWeb #Minneapolis #Websites cc @benji.dog"
    },
    "author": {
        "type": "card",
        "name": "artlung.com",
        "url": "https://bsky.app/profile/artlung.com",
        "photo": null
    },
    "post-type": "note",
    "_id": "49578731",
    "_source": "9305",
    "_is_read": false
}

{
    "type": "entry",
    "published": "2026-09-16T10:08:35.768Z",
    "url": "https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:ubymeozp4tqvyekautbxcvvd/post/3mvmvgv4sqs26",
    "content": {
        "text": "Void Template - Manual how to start on IndieWeb with stock template based on my website got an article update. Grab your template for free and start your journey here ^p^/\nransei.neocities.org/pages/other/...\n\n#neocities #nekoweb #indie #indieweb #blog #personal"
    },
    "author": {
        "type": "card",
        "name": "ransei.neocities.org",
        "url": "https://bsky.app/profile/ransei.neocities.org",
        "photo": null
    },
    "post-type": "note",
    "_id": "49576811",
    "_source": "9305",
    "_is_read": false
}

{
    "type": "entry",
    "author": {
        "name": "#indieweb",
        "url": "https://mastodon.social/tags/indieweb",
        "photo": null
    },
    "url": "https://caneandable.social/@WeirdWriter/117279432479150399",
    "content": {
        "html": "<p>Dead Skyrim Fan Lives on Through Mod <a href=\"https://sightlessscribbles.com/posts/dead-skyrim-mod/\"><span>https://</span><span>sightlessscribbles.com/posts/d</span><span>ead-skyrim-mod/</span></a> <a href=\"https://caneandable.social/tags/IndieWeb\">#<span>IndieWeb</span></a> <a href=\"https://caneandable.social/tags/Blog\">#<span>Blog</span></a> <a href=\"https://caneandable.social/tags/Blogging\">#<span>Blogging</span></a> <a href=\"https://caneandable.social/tags/Blogs\">#<span>Blogs</span></a></p>",
        "text": "Dead Skyrim Fan Lives on Through Mod https://sightlessscribbles.com/posts/dead-skyrim-mod/ #IndieWeb #Blog #Blogging #Blogs"
    },
    "published": "2026-09-16T07:02:01+00:00",
    "post-type": "note",
    "_id": "49575654",
    "_source": "8007",
    "_is_read": false
}

{
    "type": "entry",
    "published": "2026-09-16T07:02:01.000Z",
    "url": "https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:toeprth46la3hvcfuaamzz7c/post/3mvmkzdpd2c52",
    "content": {
        "text": "Dead Skyrim Fan Lives on Through Mod https://sightlessscribbles.com/posts/dead-skyrim-mod/ #IndieWeb #Blog #Blogging #Blogs"
    },
    "author": {
        "type": "card",
        "name": "weirdwriter.caneandable.social.ap.brid.gy",
        "url": "https://bsky.app/profile/weirdwriter.caneandable.social.ap.brid.gy",
        "photo": null
    },
    "post-type": "note",
    "_id": "49575488",
    "_source": "9305",
    "_is_read": false
}

{
    "type": "entry",
    "published": "2026-09-16T06:11:26.558Z",
    "url": "https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:ceqwutvzhbe2hcffbahs4klz/post/3mvmi6t3tss2j",
    "content": {
        "text": "Nothing makes you feel more like a captain of industry than paying twelve pounds a year for a digital address that you will eventually use to host a single, unformatted page saying \"Under Construction\" until the end of time. \ud83c\udf10\ud83d\udcb8\n#WebDev #DomainNames #IndieWeb #TechHumour"
    },
    "author": {
        "type": "card",
        "name": "jamesklonowski.bsky.social",
        "url": "https://bsky.app/profile/jamesklonowski.bsky.social",
        "photo": null
    },
    "post-type": "note",
    "_id": "49575189",
    "_source": "9305",
    "_is_read": false
}

{
    "type": "entry",
    "author": {
        "name": "#indieweb",
        "url": "https://mastodon.social/tags/indieweb",
        "photo": null
    },
    "url": "https://mastodon.online/@ilyess/117278036340255139",
    "content": {
        "html": "<p>Added a microformats2 h-card to my website. I\u2019m a step closer to full <a href=\"https://mastodon.online/tags/indieweb\">#<span>indieweb</span></a> compliance!</p><p><a href=\"https://mastodon.online/tags/blog\">#<span>blog</span></a></p>",
        "text": "Added a microformats2 h-card to my website. I\u2019m a step closer to full #indieweb compliance!\n\n#blog"
    },
    "published": "2026-09-16T01:06:58+00:00",
    "post-type": "note",
    "_id": "49573100",
    "_source": "8007",
    "_is_read": false
}

{
    "type": "entry",
    "author": {
        "name": "#indieweb",
        "url": "https://mastodon.social/tags/indieweb",
        "photo": null
    },
    "url": "https://mast.lat/@autumn64/117277804054048432",
    "content": {
        "html": "<p>\u00a1Me cambi\u00e9 a Neocities y ahora mi p\u00e1gina se encuentra all\u00ed!</p><p><a href=\"https://autumn64.neocities.org\"><span>https://</span><span>autumn64.neocities.org</span><span></span></a></p><p><a href=\"https://mast.lat/tags/autumn64\">#<span>autumn64</span></a> <a href=\"https://mast.lat/tags/neocities\">#<span>neocities</span></a> <a href=\"https://mast.lat/tags/indieweb\">#<span>indieweb</span></a> <a href=\"https://mast.lat/tags/oldweb\">#<span>oldweb</span></a> <a href=\"https://mast.lat/tags/y2k\">#<span>y2k</span></a> <a href=\"https://mast.lat/tags/frutigeraero\">#<span>frutigeraero</span></a> <a href=\"https://mast.lat/tags/foss\">#<span>foss</span></a> <a href=\"https://mast.lat/tags/mastodon\">#<span>mastodon</span></a> <a href=\"https://mast.lat/tags/fediverse\">#<span>fediverse</span></a></p>",
        "text": "\u00a1Me cambi\u00e9 a Neocities y ahora mi p\u00e1gina se encuentra all\u00ed!\n\nhttps://autumn64.neocities.org\n\n#autumn64 #neocities #indieweb #oldweb #y2k #frutigeraero #foss #mastodon #fediverse"
    },
    "published": "2026-09-16T00:07:53+00:00",
    "photo": [
        "https://files.mastodon.social/cache/media_attachments/files/117/277/805/100/284/133/original/a4a2e9588410ce24.png"
    ],
    "post-type": "photo",
    "_id": "49572798",
    "_source": "8007",
    "_is_read": false
}

{
    "type": "entry",
    "author": {
        "name": "#indieweb",
        "url": "https://indieweb.social/tags/indieweb",
        "photo": null
    },
    "url": "https://mast.lat/@autumn64/117277801821230068",
    "content": {
        "html": "<p>\u00a1Me cambi\u00e9 a Neocities y ahora mi p\u00e1gina se encuentra all\u00ed!</p><p><a href=\"https://autumn64.neocities.org\"><span>https://</span><span>autumn64.neocities.org</span><span></span></a></p><p><a href=\"https://mast.lat/tags/autumn64\">#<span>autumn64</span></a> <a href=\"https://mast.lat/tags/neocities\">#<span>neocities</span></a> <a href=\"https://mast.lat/tags/indieweb\">#<span>indieweb</span></a> <a href=\"https://mast.lat/tags/oldweb\">#<span>oldweb</span></a> <a href=\"https://mast.lat/tags/y2k\">#<span>y2k</span></a> <a href=\"https://mast.lat/tags/frutigeraero\">#<span>frutigeraero</span></a> <a href=\"https://mast.lat/tags/foss\">#<span>foss</span></a> <a href=\"https://mast.lat/tags/mastodon\">#<span>mastodon</span></a> <a href=\"https://mast.lat/tags/fediverse\">#<span>fediverse</span></a></p>",
        "text": "\u00a1Me cambi\u00e9 a Neocities y ahora mi p\u00e1gina se encuentra all\u00ed!\n\nhttps://autumn64.neocities.org\n\n#autumn64 #neocities #indieweb #oldweb #y2k #frutigeraero #foss #mastodon #fediverse"
    },
    "published": "2026-09-16T00:07:19+00:00",
    "post-type": "note",
    "_id": "49572799",
    "_source": "8007",
    "_is_read": false
}

{
    "type": "entry",
    "published": "2026-09-16T00:07:53.000Z",
    "url": "https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:7mefvrckat22gapbqjclar7v/post/3mvltveyjtal2",
    "content": {
        "text": "\u00a1Me cambi\u00e9 a Neocities y ahora mi p\u00e1gina se encuentra all\u00ed!\n\nhttps://autumn64.neocities.org\n\n#autumn64 #neocities #indieweb #oldweb #y2k #frutigeraero #foss #mastodon #fediverse"
    },
    "author": {
        "type": "card",
        "name": "autumn64.mast.lat.ap.brid.gy",
        "url": "https://bsky.app/profile/autumn64.mast.lat.ap.brid.gy",
        "photo": null
    },
    "post-type": "note",
    "_id": "49572786",
    "_source": "9305",
    "_is_read": false
}

{
    "type": "entry",
    "author": {
        "name": "#indieweb",
        "url": "https://mastodon.social/tags/indieweb",
        "photo": null
    },
    "url": "https://mastodon.social/@TheMoonZine/117277773467515578",
    "content": {
        "html": "<p>Here is the emoji trophy case for <a href=\"https://mastodon.social/tags/MoonEnthusiast\">#<span>MoonEnthusiast</span></a>:</p><p>\ud83d\udddc \ud83d\ude4b\ud83c\udffc\u200d\u2642\ufe0f \ud83e\uddd1\ud83c\udffb\u200d\u2708\ufe0f \ud83d\udc4b\ud83c\udffb \u26f1 \ud83d\udc69\ud83c\udffc\u200d\ud83c\udf7c \ud83d\udc9e \ud83c\udfbf \u2604 \ud83e\ude79</p><p>Come check out their stories:<br />\ud83d\udc49 <a href=\"https://moon-zine.net/profile/Moon\"><span>https://</span><span>moon-zine.net/profile/Moon</span><span></span></a> Enthusiast</p><p><a href=\"https://mastodon.social/tags/writingcommunity\">#<span>writingcommunity</span></a> <a href=\"https://mastodon.social/tags/indieweb\">#<span>indieweb</span></a></p>",
        "text": "Here is the emoji trophy case for #MoonEnthusiast:\n\n\ud83d\udddc \ud83d\ude4b\ud83c\udffc\u200d\u2642\ufe0f \ud83e\uddd1\ud83c\udffb\u200d\u2708\ufe0f \ud83d\udc4b\ud83c\udffb \u26f1 \ud83d\udc69\ud83c\udffc\u200d\ud83c\udf7c \ud83d\udc9e \ud83c\udfbf \u2604 \ud83e\ude79\n\nCome check out their stories:\n\ud83d\udc49 https://moon-zine.net/profile/Moon Enthusiast\n\n#writingcommunity #indieweb"
    },
    "published": "2026-09-16T00:00:07+00:00",
    "post-type": "note",
    "_id": "49572733",
    "_source": "8007",
    "_is_read": false
}

{
    "type": "entry",
    "author": {
        "name": "#indieweb",
        "url": "https://mastodon.social/tags/indieweb",
        "photo": null
    },
    "url": "https://social.lol/@birming/117276813887065051",
    "content": {
        "html": "<p>Added a status page to my <span class=\"h-card\"><a class=\"u-url\" href=\"https://mastodon.world/@goodenough\">@<span>goodenough</span></a></span> Pika blog, so now I have <span class=\"h-card\"><a class=\"u-url\" href=\"https://social.lol/@neatnik\">@<span>neatnik</span></a></span> status.lol for short updates and some.pics for photos \ud83e\udd73</p><p><a href=\"https://birming.com/status\"><span>https://</span><span>birming.com/status</span><span></span></a></p><p><a href=\"https://social.lol/tags/blogging\">#<span>blogging</span></a> <a href=\"https://social.lol/tags/indieweb\">#<span>indieweb</span></a></p>",
        "text": "Added a status page to my @goodenough Pika blog, so now I have @neatnik status.lol for short updates and some.pics for photos \ud83e\udd73\n\nhttps://birming.com/status\n\n#blogging #indieweb"
    },
    "published": "2026-09-15T19:56:05+00:00",
    "post-type": "note",
    "_id": "49570982",
    "_source": "8007",
    "_is_read": false
}

Simplifying music playback

{
    "type": "entry",
    "author": {
        "name": null,
        "url": "https://petermolnar.net/",
        "photo": null
    },
    "url": "https://petermolnar.net/article/music-center-no-cast/",
    "published": "2025-10-30T18:46:00+00:00",
    "content": {
        "html": "<p>I decided to throw complications away and use a tablet, and a tablet alone via it's headphone jack to the amplifier. Blasphemy, sacrilege - no separate DAC, no dedicated streamer, no NAS, no nothing. </p><p><em>In 2023, I wrote another entry: The quest for simple, high quality music and video playback in 2023<a href=\"https://petermolnar.net/#fn1\">1</a> My plan was to turn that entry into a digital garden<a href=\"https://petermolnar.net/#fn2\">2</a> entity, but I came to realise it'd be an overgrown garden if I only ever just add to it. So: new post it is.</em></p> <h2>No <del>capes</del> snowflakes!</h2> <p>In my previous entry I established the following:</p> <ul><li>things need to be able to run on their own, long term</li> <li>they need to be simple enough so any family members can use it, children included</li> <li>someone with a baseline IT knowledge can learn how to maintain it</li> </ul><p>But that second point... just because it's not snowflake, it can still be too complex.</p> <h2>The 2025 Chromecast Audio Troubles</h2> <p>When 2025 started I had the setup of:</p> <ul><li>a streamer or renderer, in form of: <ul><li>a TV</li> <li>a Chromecast with Google TV</li> <li>a Chromecast Audio</li> </ul></li> <li>tablet, phone, etc as controller and as data source</li> <li>amplifier</li> <li>speakers</li> </ul><p>So at this point I already got rid of the separate NAS.</p> <p>Early March in 2025 however, brought something unexpected: The Chromecast Apocalypse - Reddit will tell you a lot about it<a href=\"https://petermolnar.net/#fn3\">3</a>. To keep it simple, the on-device certificates expired after 10 years and Google took a week to fix it, but I wasn't sure there will be a fix at all.</p> <p>I have been having troubles with the Chromecast Audio connectivity before, I decided to dust off the Rasbperry Pi approach once again.</p> <p>It was a pleasant surprise that Raspotify, MPD, and upmpdcli works perfectly, just as I left them 2 years ago. I bought a Hifiberry DAC+<a href=\"https://petermolnar.net/#fn4\">4</a> off ebay to boost the quality a bit, and it's so far pretty nice, and sold the CCA.</p> <p>And it was fun... until a Spotify API update, at which point it broke, again. Or when it randomly stopped playing and refused to do anything until a reboot.</p> <h2>Source! Controller! Renderer! ... But... why?</h2> <p>After the both the Chromecast Audio and the Raspberry Pi failures I decided to revisit the whole source - controller - renderer idea. Is it possible to merge them?</p> <p>There are fanastic all-in-one solutions now, but I'm sceptical how long they'll last. Given how the CCA failed in 10 years, unless I go for something extendable, like a NAD C 3050<a href=\"https://petermolnar.net/#fn5\">5</a>, chances are it'll go bust as well in no time. The WiiM Ultra looks like a fantastic option though<a href=\"https://petermolnar.net/#fn6\">6</a>.</p> <p>So I decided to run an experiment: to use a Samsung SM-T545, better known as Galaxy Tab Active Pro<a href=\"https://petermolnar.net/#fn7\">7</a> tablet, with a 2TB microSD card, as the center of it all. It's 10.1\" tablet aimed at enterprise and light industrial use, as comes with a protective case by default, IP65 rating, so it's somewhat child-proof. Has a replaceable battery (sic!) so there's a bit of longevity, and still has a 3.5mm headphone jack.</p> <a href=\"https://petermolnar.net/article/music-center-no-cast/Samsung_SM-T545_huge.jpg\">   <img src=\"https://petermolnar.net/article/music-center-no-cast/Samsung_SM-T545.jpg\" title=\"Samsung_SM-T545.jpg\" alt=\"A single table as music/media center\" /></a>  A single table as music/media center   PENTAX K-5 II s, 35.0 mm, f/4.5, 1/20 sec, ISO 800   \u22c5 <a href=\"https://www.pentaxforums.com/lensreviews/SMC-Pentax-DA-L-35mm-F2.4-AL.html\">smc PENTAX-DA 35mm F2.4 AL</a>   \u22c5 <a href=\"https://spdx.org/licenses/CC-BY-NC-ND-4.0.html\"> CC-BY-NC-ND-4.0 </a>   <p>After some troubles I eventually got that microSD card - the envelope arrived dirty, weeks later, after I kept chasing DHL, but at least it got here. It can hold my whole media collection - yes, it fits on 2TB. An easy feat when they are ripped CDs and DVDs, or flacs from bandcamp.</p> <p>Loaded with local data, and official apps for streaming, this setup is much closer to a physical media collection, then having a NAS, a renderer/streamer, and a controller separately.</p> <h2>DAC? I already have one...</h2> <p>There's a lot of information out there. And a lot of opinions. And, in many cases, people confuse those two. One forum claims to be scientific, but limits their measurement by not taking the human ear and perceived hearing into account. Other base everything on human hearing, without relable scientific approach. There are good attempts, but they are rare<a href=\"https://petermolnar.net/#fn8\">8</a>.</p> <p>Among the many things these two camps can't agree on is if there's a difference between DACs - as in the chips and devices that convert bits to sound. I was curious, so I bought a second hand Cambridge Audio DACmagic XS - a micro, portable DAC. It did sound nice, but I couldn't shake the feeling that (a) it's louder, than any other output I have and</p> <ol><li>it colours the sound.</li> </ol><p>Mainly though it's utter pain to have it with a tablet that has a single USB-C connection: I need to connect a hub that can do PD charging; it's micro USB, and the last time I tried a USB-C to microUSB cable, it overheated the DACmagic.</p> <p>The tablet already has a jack output. At the level I can afford to listen to music, which isn't only limited by wealth, but by space, time, a young child, hearing, and so on, the built in jack of that tablet is already crystal clear, and it's convenience is inquestionable.</p> <p>I checked my hearing. With good headphones I seem to hear up to 18kHz at the volume I'd listen music; 19kHz if I push the volume up, but basically nothing abouve that. This is less, than the people who can hear the differences between DACs<a href=\"https://petermolnar.net/#fn9\">9</a>. I'm 40 years old, so it's most likely downhill from here.</p> <p>So at this point the stack has reduced to:</p> <ul><li>a 32\" gaming monitor with built-in speakers<a href=\"https://petermolnar.net/#fn10\">10</a> - my previous TV died, and I didn't like a single one of the new TVs picture, hence the IPS gaming monitor that actually lets me see the dark parts in movies, unlike UltraSuperMegaHDR OLEDs</li> <li>a Chromecast with Google TV</li> <li>a tablet</li> <li>an amplifier</li> <li>speakers</li> </ul><p>And it lets me focus on the music without worrying about stuff breaking every week.</p>   <ol><li><p><a href=\"https://petermolnar.net/article/music-center-chromecast-dlna/index.html\">https://petermolnar.net/article/music-center-chromecast-dlna/index.html</a><a href=\"https://petermolnar.net/#fnref1\">\u21a9\ufe0e</a></p></li> <li><p><a href=\"https://indieweb.org/digital_garden\">https://indieweb.org/digital_garden</a><a href=\"https://petermolnar.net/#fnref2\">\u21a9\ufe0e</a></p></li> <li><p><a href=\"https://old.reddit.com/r/Chromecast/\">https://old.reddit.com/r/Chromecast/</a><a href=\"https://petermolnar.net/#fnref3\">\u21a9\ufe0e</a></p></li> <li><p><a href=\"https://www.hifiberry.com/\">https://www.hifiberry.com/</a><a href=\"https://petermolnar.net/#fnref4\">\u21a9\ufe0e</a></p></li> <li><p><a href=\"https://nadelectronics.com/product/c-3050-stereophonic-amplifier/\">https://nadelectronics.com/product/c-3050-stereophonic-amplifier/</a><a href=\"https://petermolnar.net/#fnref5\">\u21a9\ufe0e</a></p></li> <li><p><a href=\"https://www.wiimhome.com/wiimultra/overview\">https://www.wiimhome.com/wiimultra/overview</a><a href=\"https://petermolnar.net/#fnref6\">\u21a9\ufe0e</a></p></li> <li><p><a href=\"https://www.samsung.com/uk/support/model/SM-T545NZKAU07/\">https://www.samsung.com/uk/support/model/SM-T545NZKAU07/</a><a href=\"https://petermolnar.net/#fnref7\">\u21a9\ufe0e</a></p></li> <li><p><a href=\"https://www.lttlabs.com/blog/2025/07/14/we-promise-these-lines-mean-something-new-audio-testing-method\">https://www.lttlabs.com/blog/2025/07/14/we-promise-these-lines-mean-something-new-audio-testing-method</a><a href=\"https://petermolnar.net/#fnref8\">\u21a9\ufe0e</a></p></li> <li><p><a href=\"https://youtu.be/UzECc522A1Y?si=PhinNQ919iAEXOi4&amp;t=899\">https://youtu.be/UzECc522A1Y?si=PhinNQ919iAEXOi4&amp;t=899</a><a href=\"https://petermolnar.net/#fnref9\">\u21a9\ufe0e</a></p></li> <li><p><a href=\"https://www.richersounds.com/benq-mobiuz-ex3210u/\">https://www.richersounds.com/benq-mobiuz-ex3210u/</a><a href=\"https://petermolnar.net/#fnref10\">\u21a9\ufe0e</a></p></li> </ol><a href=\"https://indieweb.org/digital_garden\">https://indieweb.org/digital_garden</a>\n<a href=\"https://nadelectronics.com/product/c-3050-stereophonic-amplifier/\">https://nadelectronics.com/product/c-3050-stereophonic-amplifier/</a>\n<a href=\"https://old.reddit.com/r/Chromecast/\">https://old.reddit.com/r/Chromecast/</a>\n<a href=\"https://petermolnar.net/article/music-center-chromecast-dlna/index.html\">https://petermolnar.net/article/music-center-chromecast-dlna/index.html</a>\n<a href=\"https://spdx.org/licenses/CC-BY-NC-ND-4.0.html\">CC-BY-NC-ND-4.0</a>\n<a href=\"https://www.hifiberry.com/\">https://www.hifiberry.com/</a>\n<a href=\"https://www.lttlabs.com/blog/2025/07/14/we-promise-these-lines-mean-something-new-audio-testing-method\">https://www.lttlabs.com/blog/2025/07/14/we-promise-these-lines-mean-something-new-audio-testing-method</a>\n<a href=\"https://www.pentaxforums.com/lensreviews/SMC-Pentax-DA-L-35mm-F2.4-AL.html\">smc PENTAX-DA 35mm F2.4 AL</a>\n<a href=\"https://www.richersounds.com/benq-mobiuz-ex3210u/\">https://www.richersounds.com/benq-mobiuz-ex3210u/</a>\n<a href=\"https://www.samsung.com/uk/support/model/SM-T545NZKAU07/\">https://www.samsung.com/uk/support/model/SM-T545NZKAU07/</a>\n<a href=\"https://www.wiimhome.com/wiimultra/overview\">https://www.wiimhome.com/wiimultra/overview</a>\n<a href=\"https://youtu.be/UzECc522A1Y?si=PhinNQ919iAEXOi4&amp;t=899\">https://youtu.be/UzECc522A1Y?si=PhinNQ919iAEXOi4&amp;t=899</a>",
        "text": "I decided to throw complications away and use a tablet, and a tablet alone via it's headphone jack to the amplifier. Blasphemy, sacrilege - no separate DAC, no dedicated streamer, no NAS, no nothing. \n\nIn 2023, I wrote another entry: The quest for simple, high quality music and video playback in 20231 My plan was to turn that entry into a digital garden2 entity, but I came to realise it'd be an overgrown garden if I only ever just add to it. So: new post it is. No capes snowflakes! In my previous entry I established the following: things need to be able to run on their own, long term they need to be simple enough so any family members can use it, children included someone with a baseline IT knowledge can learn how to maintain it But that second point... just because it's not snowflake, it can still be too complex. The 2025 Chromecast Audio Troubles When 2025 started I had the setup of: a streamer or renderer, in form of: a TV a Chromecast with Google TV a Chromecast Audio  tablet, phone, etc as controller and as data source amplifier speakers So at this point I already got rid of the separate NAS. Early March in 2025 however, brought something unexpected: The Chromecast Apocalypse - Reddit will tell you a lot about it3. To keep it simple, the on-device certificates expired after 10 years and Google took a week to fix it, but I wasn't sure there will be a fix at all. I have been having troubles with the Chromecast Audio connectivity before, I decided to dust off the Rasbperry Pi approach once again. It was a pleasant surprise that Raspotify, MPD, and upmpdcli works perfectly, just as I left them 2 years ago. I bought a Hifiberry DAC+4 off ebay to boost the quality a bit, and it's so far pretty nice, and sold the CCA. And it was fun... until a Spotify API update, at which point it broke, again. Or when it randomly stopped playing and refused to do anything until a reboot. Source! Controller! Renderer! ... But... why? After the both the Chromecast Audio and the Raspberry Pi failures I decided to revisit the whole source - controller - renderer idea. Is it possible to merge them? There are fanastic all-in-one solutions now, but I'm sceptical how long they'll last. Given how the CCA failed in 10 years, unless I go for something extendable, like a NAD C 30505, chances are it'll go bust as well in no time. The WiiM Ultra looks like a fantastic option though6. So I decided to run an experiment: to use a Samsung SM-T545, better known as Galaxy Tab Active Pro7 tablet, with a 2TB microSD card, as the center of it all. It's 10.1\" tablet aimed at enterprise and light industrial use, as comes with a protective case by default, IP65 rating, so it's somewhat child-proof. Has a replaceable battery (sic!) so there's a bit of longevity, and still has a 3.5mm headphone jack.      A single table as music/media center   PENTAX K-5 II s, 35.0 mm, f/4.5, 1/20 sec, ISO 800   \u22c5 smc PENTAX-DA 35mm F2.4 AL   \u22c5  CC-BY-NC-ND-4.0    After some troubles I eventually got that microSD card - the envelope arrived dirty, weeks later, after I kept chasing DHL, but at least it got here. It can hold my whole media collection - yes, it fits on 2TB. An easy feat when they are ripped CDs and DVDs, or flacs from bandcamp. Loaded with local data, and official apps for streaming, this setup is much closer to a physical media collection, then having a NAS, a renderer/streamer, and a controller separately. DAC? I already have one... There's a lot of information out there. And a lot of opinions. And, in many cases, people confuse those two. One forum claims to be scientific, but limits their measurement by not taking the human ear and perceived hearing into account. Other base everything on human hearing, without relable scientific approach. There are good attempts, but they are rare8. Among the many things these two camps can't agree on is if there's a difference between DACs - as in the chips and devices that convert bits to sound. I was curious, so I bought a second hand Cambridge Audio DACmagic XS - a micro, portable DAC. It did sound nice, but I couldn't shake the feeling that (a) it's louder, than any other output I have and it colours the sound. Mainly though it's utter pain to have it with a tablet that has a single USB-C connection: I need to connect a hub that can do PD charging; it's micro USB, and the last time I tried a USB-C to microUSB cable, it overheated the DACmagic. The tablet already has a jack output. At the level I can afford to listen to music, which isn't only limited by wealth, but by space, time, a young child, hearing, and so on, the built in jack of that tablet is already crystal clear, and it's convenience is inquestionable. I checked my hearing. With good headphones I seem to hear up to 18kHz at the volume I'd listen music; 19kHz if I push the volume up, but basically nothing abouve that. This is less, than the people who can hear the differences between DACs9. I'm 40 years old, so it's most likely downhill from here. So at this point the stack has reduced to: a 32\" gaming monitor with built-in speakers10 - my previous TV died, and I didn't like a single one of the new TVs picture, hence the IPS gaming monitor that actually lets me see the dark parts in movies, unlike UltraSuperMegaHDR OLEDs a Chromecast with Google TV a tablet an amplifier speakers And it lets me focus on the music without worrying about stuff breaking every week.   https://petermolnar.net/article/music-center-chromecast-dlna/index.html\u21a9\ufe0e https://indieweb.org/digital_garden\u21a9\ufe0e https://old.reddit.com/r/Chromecast/\u21a9\ufe0e https://www.hifiberry.com/\u21a9\ufe0e https://nadelectronics.com/product/c-3050-stereophonic-amplifier/\u21a9\ufe0e https://www.wiimhome.com/wiimultra/overview\u21a9\ufe0e https://www.samsung.com/uk/support/model/SM-T545NZKAU07/\u21a9\ufe0e https://www.lttlabs.com/blog/2025/07/14/we-promise-these-lines-mean-something-new-audio-testing-method\u21a9\ufe0e https://youtu.be/UzECc522A1Y?si=PhinNQ919iAEXOi4&t=899\u21a9\ufe0e https://www.richersounds.com/benq-mobiuz-ex3210u/\u21a9\ufe0e https://indieweb.org/digital_garden\nhttps://nadelectronics.com/product/c-3050-stereophonic-amplifier/\nhttps://old.reddit.com/r/Chromecast/\nhttps://petermolnar.net/article/music-center-chromecast-dlna/index.html\nCC-BY-NC-ND-4.0\nhttps://www.hifiberry.com/\nhttps://www.lttlabs.com/blog/2025/07/14/we-promise-these-lines-mean-something-new-audio-testing-method\nsmc PENTAX-DA 35mm F2.4 AL\nhttps://www.richersounds.com/benq-mobiuz-ex3210u/\nhttps://www.samsung.com/uk/support/model/SM-T545NZKAU07/\nhttps://www.wiimhome.com/wiimultra/overview\nhttps://youtu.be/UzECc522A1Y?si=PhinNQ919iAEXOi4&t=899"
    },
    "name": "Simplifying music playback",
    "post-type": "article",
    "_id": "49570772",
    "_source": "268",
    "_is_read": false
}