Roon Core Machine
Current core is HP Elite desk G2, 16GB ram and 256gb ssd.
Networking Gear & Setup Details
NAS with FLAC collection on Synology DS420+ hardwired ethernet to roon core. 250mb fibre internet and 5g wifi.
Connected Audio Devices
Using mostly Denon AVR x3600h + Samsung TV UN58RU7100FXZC using airplay.
Occasionally samsung S20+ usually as roon controller, but occasionally to listen via JBL Live earpods either through Roon or ARC when on the go.
Also listen to RPi4 8GB as endpoint w Roon Bridge to a USB Topping EX5 DAC.
Number of Tracks in Library
21000 Tracks
Description of Issue
Trying to kill multiple issues with one change. 90% of my listening is on my home theatre (Denon x3600h) using airplay. The HEOS airplay UI is ugly compared to Roon’s UI so I thought instead of using airplay over wifi, I could get a mini pc/nuc style computer and run the roon app off it (not as core, just as windows app) and have the mini HTPC output via HDMI to the denon then I gain the nice roon UI for album art, lyrics and band images. (Incidental bonus now I have a computer as a HTPC on my TV)
This got me thinking, if the HTPC is powerful enough, could I not also run DIRAC live on it where it creates a virtual soundcard as output for Roon to latch onto and now I have DIRAC live room correction at least in the one room with the Denon AVR and TV.
Questions:
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Can a windows HTPC output sound and video via HDMI when runing Dirac Live? Stereo and Multichannel?
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How powerful does the HTPC need to be to run Roon and Dirac Live?
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Would this HDMI output of the entire PC output have Dirac room correction? For example, playing HD video through Plex on the HTPC out to the AVR?
FYI was thinking either :
Beelink SEI8 Mini PC,Intel 8th Gen i5-8279U(UP to 4.1GHz) 16GB DDR4, 500GB NVMe SSD Iris Plus Graphics 655,Dual 4K HDMI Mini Desktop Computer
Or a NUC of some type.