Plex Endpoint Support / Plexamp Headless

[nadanre]

I just had a little conversation with the Plex-Support, asking about the state of plex endpoint integration. As of their last roadmap Plex Endpoint/Plexamp Headless support is listed under "actively working on".
According to the support they are still evaluating it and are in fact not actively working on it. I really would like to see headless plexamp on the wiim ultra, because the current implementation is really flawed.
For example: Under artist pages there are only albums shown, no eps or live-albums or compilations.
Also preset-playlists only contain the first 500 tracks...
From my understanding it should be easier to implement a true plex endpoint, than trying to implement all the functions "manually" and bit by bit within the wiim home app.
I guess there are a few others that would like to see this feature, since also chromecast with plexamp is really in dire need of an update, since it doesnt even show track, or artist names not even talking about album art. But from my understanding that is something the Plex/Plexamp team would need to fix/implement.

All that aside, I am still really happy with the plex support so far, and all the improvements that have been made so far.
All the best to all of you,
Navid

 

[Paulf2020]

It is "just a Linux package" but there are some dependencies that are probably not in either Roon or Squeezelite and may not have been compiled for the Linux variant that WiiM use. If you look at installing PlexAmp onto a Raspberry Pi you will see that this is the case. Raspberry Pi OS is a Debian variant. Debian is very well supported. I am not sure what the cut down Linux that WiiM are using is based on.

Fair enough, I'm not saying it is one minute job, but considering they have assistance from Plex and they're probably not one man team it should be doable. openwrt has sdk specifically for that purpose. Also, what stopping them to open OS for developers, sort of dev mode, when anyone can mess with it (assuming no warranty provided of course).

 

[d6jg]

Fair enough, I'm not saying it is one minute job, but considering they have assistance from Plex and they're probably not one man team it should be doable. openwrt has sdk specifically for that purpose. Also, what stopping them to open OS for developers, sort of dev mode, when anyone can mess with it (assuming no warranty provided of course).

I suspect it is Node.js that is the main stumbling block.

The Plexamp install instructions for Raspberry Pi are (very broadly)

1. Install Raspberry Pi OS (debian based)
2. Install Node.js
3. Install PlexAmp

I know for certain that Squeezelite does not need Node.js and I can't find anywhere that suggests the Linux Roon client does either.

EDIT
Node.js is sort of like a VM environment in its own right. Node runs on the Pi OS and then PlexAmp runs within Node. It allows a server to run javascript which is normally done client side in a browser.

 

[Paulf2020]

I suspect it is Node.js that is the main stumbling block.

The Plexamp install instructions for Raspberry Pi are (very broadly)

1. Install Raspberry Pi OS (debian based)
2. Install Node.js
3. Install PlexAmp

I know for certain that Squeezelite does not need Node.js and I can't find anywhere that suggests the Linux Roon client does either.

EDIT
Node.js is sort of like a VM environment in its own right. Node runs on the Pi OS and then PlexAmp runs within Node. It allows a server to run javascript which is normally done client side in a browser.

Possibly, however there are nodeJS packages for openwrt, maybe RAM is the problem, now sure how much ram ultra has.

 

[d6jg]

Possibly, however there are nodeJS packages for openwrt, maybe RAM is the problem, now sure how much ram ultra has.

What has openwrt got to do with it? It is a completely different version of Linux admittedly also for embedded systems but different none the less.

EDIT
Having looked I see that Tina is based on openwrt. Sorry.

 

[Burnside]

Possibly, however there are nodeJS packages for openwrt, maybe RAM is the problem, now sure how much ram ultra has.

Quadcore A53 CPU, 512 MB of DRAM, and 512 MB of Flash memory supposedly

 

[pieterv1]

I suspect it is Node.js that is the main stumbling block.

The Plexamp install instructions for Raspberry Pi are (very broadly)

1. Install Raspberry Pi OS (debian based)
2. Install Node.js
3. Install PlexAmp

I know for certain that Squeezelite does not need Node.js and I can't find anywhere that suggests the Linux Roon client does either.

EDIT
Node.js is sort of like a VM environment in its own right. Node runs on the Pi OS and then PlexAmp runs within Node. It allows a server to run javascript which is normally done client side in a browser.

I see... the Plexamp implementation on the WiiM could do without the whole web interface probably. It would merely have to act as an endpoint.
All settings for output, DSP, EQ etc are already accessible through the WiiM Home app itself.

I suppose that's also the case with the Lumin & Audiolab 9000N streamers which are already supported - which again shows it CAN be done.

 

[ZyntaX]

I run Ropieee now at home and it works flawless with real Plex integration and Spotify Connect.
Had hopes of Wiim implementing real Plex support but since they dont give any updates i gave up and sold my Wiim.

 

[ihearurdog]

It would merely have to act as an endpoint.
All settings for output, DSP, EQ etc are already accessible through the WiiM Home app itself.

I don't know about anyone else, but this is what I really want.
I like using the native apps to control playback anyway. The Wiim app is cute for being able to queue up music from some of the services, but other than being able to quickly start a playlist from one of the remote buttons I don't personally care about it at all. The apps for each service are (at least the ones I use) all better than using the Wiim app.

 

[d6jg]

I see... the Plexamp implementation on the WiiM could do without the whole web interface probably. It would merely have to act as an endpoint.
All settings for output, DSP, EQ etc are already accessible through the WiiM Home app itself.

I suppose that's also the case with the Lumin & Audiolab 9000N streamers which are already supported - which again shows it CAN be done.

Didn't know that. If Audiolab also added Squeezelite I'd be shelling out for a 9000N in no time.

 

[d6jg]

I run Ropieee now at home and it works flawless with real Plex integration and Spotify Connect.
Had hopes of Wiim implementing real Plex support but since they dont give any updates i gave up and sold my Wiim.

IMHO the reason that WiiM has a market is because lots of people prefer the "pre-built" solution when in fact a Raspberry Pi in a nice case coupled with a decent DAC will produce the same results audio wise. I have a few WiiM's but also a few Pi's. As a Lyrion person I don't have a need for a headless Plexamp otherwise I would look at RoPieee. Did you need a Plexpass? I do use Plexamp in the car though.

 

[Paulf2020]

I run Ropieee now at home and it works flawless with real Plex integration and Spotify Connect.
Had hopes of Wiim implementing real Plex support but since they dont give any updates i gave up and sold my Wiim.

I'm thinking about the same tbh, I initially bought to use it as a streamer, but now once I'm leaning towards plex vs roon it becomes redundant.
Maybe I'll get Eversolo or just stick to ropiee on PI + dac/preamp of some sort( I also have topping E30 which has pramp function), the only thing which will be missing is parametric EQ/Room correction.

 

[harkpabst]

Node.js is sort of like a VM environment in its own right. Node runs on the Pi OS and then PlexAmp runs within Node. It allows a server to run javascript which is normally done client side in a browser.

On an unrelated side note: Server-side JavaScript predates Node.js by at least one decade.

See e.g. here:

Server-side JavaScript a decade before Node.js with Netscape LiveWire

An overview of Netscape LiveWire, one of the very first server-side implementations of JavaScript

dev.to

 

[d6jg]

I'm thinking about the same tbh, I initially bought to use it as a streamer, but now once I'm leaning towards plex vs roon it becomes redundant.
Maybe I'll get Eversolo or just stick to ropiee on PI + dac/preamp of some sort( I also have topping E30 which has pramp function), the only thing which will be missing is parametric EQ/Room correction.

The EQ/RoomFit is the only thing that would be missing

 

[d6jg]

On an unrelated side note: Server-side JavaScript predates Node.js by at least one decade.

See e.g. here:

Server-side JavaScript a decade before Node.js with Netscape LiveWire

An overview of Netscape LiveWire, one of the very first server-side implementations of JavaScript

dev.to

I can only assume you tripped over that when Googling "server-side javascript" !

We (a colleague and I) used Node.js in an Internet Radio test project during Covid. What we set out to achieve worked but we couldn't find a way of elegantly closing the tiny programmatic call we were making. It didn't use much memory but eventually it would consume the whole of the available RAM and Swap space on the box. It is quite complicated to get right.

 

[harkpabst]

I can only assume you tripped over that when Googling "server-side javascript" !

No. I'm just that old.