Or according to Google … yes I know…
Well that is an interesting question. UPnP / DLNA is designed to work in a local network only.. so by definition not internet connected… however typically such products often also connect to web based cloud streaming services like Spotify and Tidal… and these products’ transport circuitry will typically handle both types of applications.
Another consideration is UPnP / DLNA has no real security so a system offering it could be liable to compromise from an internal network piece of malware.. so protections are reliant on the devices operating system… and in closed systems one is reliant for the manufacturer to provide such patches. A bit of perspective however a small limited functionality UPnP streamer that does not support any other methods like casting or web streaming is possibly not open to too many vulnerabilities
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One of the changes in the latest firmware for the ‘Stream Unlimited’ based streamers is to remove the web admin portal, as it could offer a vulnerability fabric for attack.
I was just commenting that the NDS does not have this, just a status page.
Yes I was always surprised that was enabled… as legally one is not permitted to have ‘hidden’ back doors without hardened access controls.
It’s all to do with the evolution of language. Words and terms come into common use without approval of some standards committee or similar.
Don’t forget it’s not really that important that it’s not an officially approved term, it’s not as though it’s being used to transmit data around a nuclear power plant, we are talking about hifi equipment. Seems a good idea to differentiate between a streamer, because it’s clearly not a streamer. (network enabled DAC).
I’m pretty sure the vast majority of people who post in this section of this forum understand the term streaming bridge.
In the foundational documents of network streaming architectures, what term is given to a device that takes data from a network switch or router and converts it to S/PDIF.
Sure, you can call your product whatever you like, but in the technical world of streaming and networks a bridge is a defined term, and yes if you undertake security or network qualifications you would be required to understand its real technical meaning (nothing to do with standards) … but you are right in consumer land language is used if it helps sell more product rather than being technically accurate. But personally I think it can lead to confusion for the poor consumer customer as not all consumers are naive… and we have seen several examples of that even on this forum over the years , and it’s perhaps lazy marketing, perhaps would be better to come up with a unique term. Even the term ‘streaming bridge’ has caused queries and confusion.. I think about 12 months ago there were various confusions as some manufacturers were marketing their products using the term… it was at the time of the firmware challenges… and I suspect you would get a rainbow of understandings of what a ‘streaming bridge’ is supposed to mean. My interpretation of the term in consumer land would align say with Melcos use of of the term Network Streaming Bridge… which is about isolating and bridging the Ethernet.
It’s called a renderer… SPDIF is digitized rendered audio that is timed into a framing sample value stream stream to allow a DAC to reconstruct the discrete data stream into a continuous data stream (analogue signal). A renderer may also contain a DAC and they frequently do. A key function of the renderer is that it provides transport control of the encoding media streams so it can render a continuous digital or analogue audio stream.
A streamer can and typically receives encoded formats that may or not be encrypted and are under some sort of streaming application control. That data is meaningless to SPDIF or a DAC unless it is rendered. The digitised audio data is recovered and reconstructed by the renderer.
Renderer is noun.
A Primare NP5 Mk2 streaming bridge is a renderer.
A Naim NAC272 is renderer.
A Naim CDX2 is a renereer.
They are not the same type of devices.
If I suggested to somebody they should buy a renderer, it could mean anything.
In the foundational documents of network streaming architectures, what term is given to a device that ONLY takes data from a network switch or router and converts it to S/PDIF.
Architecturally it’s called a Renderer, as I said… it decodes the transported data and renders it into digital or analogue audio… or video for that matter.
A streamer incorporates a renderer fronted by a streaming application processor of some description. A streamer may additionally incorporate a DAC or simply provide digital audio such as SPDIF or USB Audio.
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If I suggested to somebody they should buy a renderer, it could mean anything.
The term Streaming Bridge refers to a specific type of renderer.
It’s not complicated or confusing. It’s obviously the opposite.
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I think I’ll spend the rest of the day thinking about angels and calculating how many can dance on the head of a pin.
Roger
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I’ll be calculating how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall.
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I feel as if I have checked into the Hotel California with this thread/topic, I want to leave but cannot do it. Forever to be spamed with emails everytime posts something to this thread/topic.
I think you’re going to be in trouble there.
Results are bound to be disputed if you can’t adequately advise type of pin, size of head and to which recognised international standard it has been manufactured too.
Hi @simon.pepper is this an upcoming change?
Software changes in these components will typically pass through to the Naim builds in the next Naim firmware/software updates
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I do hope Naim is going to provide full equivalent settings access via the app and has fully thought through potential consequences, given it is the only method of making their streamers sound decent.
Returning to the theme of the thread my NDS seems to be dropping Tidal more often. Used to be every few days, now seems to be a issue when it isn’t used for a while (like every morning). Have to switch off the p/s and reboot it to make it work.
It is not a network or broadband issue (fully wired 900bps) so I assume it is the old software architecture. Is this just something I have to accept?
Bruce
You could buy modern high quality Streaming Bridge for very little money.
I use a Primare NP5 Mk2 into an ndac. People are using it with the NDS and reporting it also improves SQ, although not everybody.
People are using Limetree Bridge, probably others. Plenty to choose from.
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