Control Point for IPhone and Surface 3

[DavidHB]

(11-07-2016 17:47)simoncn Wrote:  Linn Kazoo requires an OpenHome renderer. If it can't find your renderer(s) and/or refuses to start, this is because your renderer(s) don't support OpenHome.

If that happens, you may be able to use BubbleUPnP Server to turn your renderer/player, in effect, into an OpenHome renderer. Despite its name, BubbleUPnP Server is not actually a server; it is bridge software that adds capabilities to UPnP and OpenHome devices.

Both of Linn's control points (Kinsky and Kazoo) run on the Surface 3, and they don't have much competition. Foobar2000 with the fooUPnP add-on is one possibility, but it is complicated to install and is a complex app just to use as a control point. There is also Upplay, which is almost entirely text-based, but is very straightforward to use, especially when you amend the configuration files to tweak the on screen text sizes.

None of these apps are 100% comfortable in a touchscreen environment. I am not that fond of the trackpad on my Surface 3, but in the right environment (say on a lap tray or desk) a wireless mouse plugged into the full size USB socket makes the apps very usable. Because the Surface has such a small footprint, it can be used with a mouse in much tighter spaces than even the smallest laptops.

Linn have issued a beta of a re-designed Kazoo for Windows. It seems to work reasonably well on the Surface, so, subject to the OpenHome compatibility issue, could well be a good prospect for the future.

David