As many of us are being thrown off of our CR100's, and forced onto an external third party device, please use this thread to say what device you will use or have tried, and advise what settings and configurations make it work.
Please keep it on topic, use the "Save the CR100" thread to put the world to rights on the bricking of our functioning devices.
Life must go on, The CR100 will die, lets try to help each other find our best solution.
To start,
I have just purchased a Lenovo Tab 7 Essential, 7" screen so similar overall size to the controller, ordered through Tesco Direct, very fast service available in 3 hours from ordering.
Tesco added a discount so got it for £62, although They advertised it as the Tab 4 7" which is actually a different unit with slightly higher res and should retail at £99 rather than £69 anyway its fine at the right price. both run Android 7.0
So set it up with no security as I don't want a pin entry each time I pick it up.
Installed Sonos from Google play and allowed Sonos net connections and connected straight to my system.
Then set the sonos options to "Show lock screen controls" and "Show Volume on Home screen"
Set the Android screen saver to Clock (its a bit too small compared to the Controller) but can be shown when docked (charging), so leave the unit on and it blacks out to a clock, can be digital or analogue.
One downside of this particular device is the micro usb charging port is not central, so Belkin docks wont work, so the cradle/dock could be an issue!? Any ideas?
Leave the Sonos app running and it comes out of the lock screen into Sonos.
Without a proper cradle its not so easy to directly compare, sometime touching the display unlocks, othertimes I need to press the side power button.
If you touch the button it goes to the home screen, which needs a swipe to unlock, a nice touch, if sonos is playing and running, then the home screen wallpaper is the artwork.
On the home screen are quick access play,stop and skip but no volume, there is a tiny expander arrow that opens up a menu that has a button to change volume, but thats way too complex, easier to double tap the quick access area and it opens the sonos app to show you the zone with volume control, art, queue etc.
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Please keep it on topic, use the "Save the CR100" thread to put the world to rights on the bricking of our functioning devices.
Life must go on, The CR100 will die, lets try to help each other find our best solution.
To start,
I have just purchased a Lenovo Tab 7 Essential, 7" screen so similar overall size to the controller, ordered through Tesco Direct, very fast service available in 3 hours from ordering.
Tesco added a discount so got it for £62, although They advertised it as the Tab 4 7" which is actually a different unit with slightly higher res and should retail at £99 rather than £69 anyway its fine at the right price. both run Android 7.0
So set it up with no security as I don't want a pin entry each time I pick it up.
Installed Sonos from Google play and allowed Sonos net connections and connected straight to my system.
Then set the sonos options to "Show lock screen controls" and "Show Volume on Home screen"
Set the Android screen saver to Clock (its a bit too small compared to the Controller) but can be shown when docked (charging), so leave the unit on and it blacks out to a clock, can be digital or analogue.
One downside of this particular device is the micro usb charging port is not central, so Belkin docks wont work, so the cradle/dock could be an issue!? Any ideas?
Leave the Sonos app running and it comes out of the lock screen into Sonos.
Without a proper cradle its not so easy to directly compare, sometime touching the display unlocks, othertimes I need to press the side power button.
If you touch the button it goes to the home screen, which needs a swipe to unlock, a nice touch, if sonos is playing and running, then the home screen wallpaper is the artwork.
On the home screen are quick access play,stop and skip but no volume, there is a tiny expander arrow that opens up a menu that has a button to change volume, but thats way too complex, easier to double tap the quick access area and it opens the sonos app to show you the zone with volume control, art, queue etc.
Try this sliding port stand............. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B06X6GYMWY/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=INE5CZK8SXVKN&colid=1JQ4EP7YV32CD&psc=0
I've noted this irritant. Unlocking returns to the child home screen, not the Sonos app. I don't know whether using the official case would resolve this, since it can auto-wake on opening, bypassing the lockscreen.
OK those are fair points. However, the child account may not be the best model for everyone (as it closes the Sonos app on switching off the screen on a child profile), depending on circumstances. My other model for using the Fire is just to leave the Sonos app open permanently on an adult profile. To get into the Sonos app requires a single button press and a tap on the lock-screen widget. (That is assuming the screen has been turned off.)
If hard buttons are an essential for a user then this touchscreen device is not for them. But touchscreen is all I have ever known so I come from a different place and prefer that. I accept that not everyone does.
But it does give you a dedicated controller with quick access to control. It is cheap enough for many users to buy more than one, however unwelcome any expenditure may be. I think many would find it a good, though imperfect, dedicated alternative to the CR100 if hard buttons are not imperative for them.
If hard buttons are an essential for a user then this touchscreen device is not for them. But touchscreen is all I have ever known so I come from a different place and prefer that. I accept that not everyone does.
But it does give you a dedicated controller with quick access to control. It is cheap enough for many users to buy more than one, however unwelcome any expenditure may be. I think many would find it a good, though imperfect, dedicated alternative to the CR100 if hard buttons are not imperative for them.
Limited Amazon approved apps - does do Sonos
No pinning to home screen
Very slow to respond
No pinning so pretty much useless as instant go to controller, which explains why it was in drawer in the first place. Could possibly be jail broken but there are risks in this.
Within the app I find response to touch is instantaneous.
'Limited Amazon approved apps' seems a strange criticism of an alternative to a CR100.
I have been using it as a dedicated controller for some time and find it a good solution.
The issue with the limited approved apps is that there are numerous suggestions of third party apps that allow pinning to home screen and other Sonos alternative apps that may be closer to a dedicated controller. Readily available on Google Play, not available on Amazon App store. If it could be pinned then hard buttons would apparently be always ready.
Its not the lack of apps per se, its the lack of apps to help it be dedicated to Sonos. Obviously in conflict of Amazons aim for the device which is to be a dedicated shop window keeping you in touch with Amazon.
OK Dave, don't use it. Others may choose to. I never said it could be turned into a CR100
Limited Amazon approved apps - does do Sonos
No pinning to home screen
Very slow to respond
No pinning so pretty much useless as instant go to controller, which explains why it was in drawer in the first place. Could possibly be jail broken but there are risks in this.
Do the hard buttons always correspond to Sonos? Can it be pinned to the home screen or do you always have to open the app. I need a controller, it needs to be instant on, opening apps is way too much of drag when you might take 30+ phone calls in a day. I'll have a go at this but so far it isn't doing it for me.
As with many Sonos owners budget isn't the real issue, I don't need cheap otherwise I would have bought Squeezebox and cobbled something together years ago. I want quick, easy, bullet proof. (Its why I have a mac, an iPhone, an iPad, & an iPod - they just work).
The best solution I have seen is the iportExpress for the mute stuff. But then I need to replace three CR100s with probably 5 iportExpresses (as they only do one room), plus I still need three controllers. So figure £100 per controller another £300. So replacement cost for existing functionality is £800, I still have to find docks to hold the controllers and charge them and plug them in and out. Budget roughly £1,000 and for that I would hope it works.
The downsides I see:
- no guarantee the iportExpress thingys will be supported
- no guarantee the Android/tablet will be supported (dropped by OS or Sonos)
- will probably have to connect to my Wi-Fi network
I now have another 8 devices to manage on an already crowded network of over 100 devices (which is ridiculous for a home!)
Dave
Limited Amazon approved apps - does do Sonos
No pinning to home screen
Very slow to respond
No pinning so pretty much useless as instant go to controller, which explains why it was in drawer in the first place. Could possibly be jail broken but there are risks in this.
Within the app I find response to touch is instantaneous.
'Limited Amazon approved apps' seems a strange criticism of an alternative to a CR100.
I have been using it as a dedicated controller for some time and find it a good solution.
I'm still thinking there must be a way of using the 3 hard keys on Samsung's Galaxy Active or Xcover ranges to drive the Sonos app from a splashproof device. The separate Xcover key can be used to jump straight to the Sonos app. Not sure on the Active equivalent as its generally a US product.
There are third party widgets that overcome some of the limitations. One example: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=se.freddroid.sonos.pro&hl=en
Userlevel 7
+22
On pinning the Sonos app, if you put the Sonos widget on your home page and drag it fairly large you don't need to pin the app. Play/Pause, last/next, room selection, volume and the current selection name and album cover are shown on the widget. A single tap on it brings up the full Sonos app.
Only thing that sucks for her is that the widget buttons are so small she has to use a stylus to keep from fat-fingering stuff. It would be much nicer if Sonos offered a double sized user interface if you enlarged the widget.
Only thing that sucks for her is that the widget buttons are so small she has to use a stylus to keep from fat-fingering stuff. It would be much nicer if Sonos offered a double sized user interface if you enlarged the widget.
Userlevel 7
+22
I'm going to try a Samsung Galaxy Tab A (on sale for $129 at Costco) and see how it works out for the wife. I use one set up like this for Sonos control and as an alarm clock and it seems perfectly adequate for my needs.
https://www.costco.com/Samsung-Galaxy-Tab-A-Wi-Fi-Tablet---Quad-Core---Lollipop---Smoky-Titanium---Bonus-Sleeve.product.100215599.html
Add to that a magnetic power cable from Amazon, they make several colors and lengths, so picking it up or putting it back on charge is less frustrating.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B071YCQRHM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
And a stand that I've had good luck with from Monoprice.
https://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=108&cp_id=10843&cs_id=1084305&p_id=16265&seq=1&format=2
https://www.costco.com/Samsung-Galaxy-Tab-A-Wi-Fi-Tablet---Quad-Core---Lollipop---Smoky-Titanium---Bonus-Sleeve.product.100215599.html
Add to that a magnetic power cable from Amazon, they make several colors and lengths, so picking it up or putting it back on charge is less frustrating.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B071YCQRHM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
And a stand that I've had good luck with from Monoprice.
https://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=108&cp_id=10843&cs_id=1084305&p_id=16265&seq=1&format=2
Tried an Amazon Fire 5th gen because I had one to hand.
Limited Amazon approved apps - does do Sonos
No pinning to home screen
Very slow to respond
No pinning so pretty much useless as instant go to controller, which explains why it was in drawer in the first place. Could possibly be jail broken but there are risks in this.
Limited Amazon approved apps - does do Sonos
No pinning to home screen
Very slow to respond
No pinning so pretty much useless as instant go to controller, which explains why it was in drawer in the first place. Could possibly be jail broken but there are risks in this.
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