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Author Topic: Linked Zones Questions  (Read 1806 times)

bblue

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Linked Zones Questions
« on: June 09, 2014, 04:54:42 pm »

Well, I think Bob and I got things straightened out.

But some other issues now that I use it more.

1.  I'm operating on an MC client machine called 'Audio'.  My main database server is an MC server called 'Bserve'.  'Audio' primarily uses the main media library on 'Bserve' for all things audio and video, and is configured to use local copies of media if they are available local (hierarchy is identical on both machines).  Now with the Id or other DLNA clients, when I want to play songs to a DLNA client, I use the Playing Now zone called There: id-<macaddress>.  Apparently MC automatically refers these types of zones to the library host 'Bserver' rather than the machine I'm on 'Audio'.  That's fine and sensible.

Now I want to play to two zones, 'Audio' local, and id-<macaddress>.  The only way I can link them is to start a list playing on 'id-<macaddress> and once playing, link the 'Audio' local zone to it.  There's a pause and they both continue in sync.

If I don't use that procedure, or stop the playback and try to restart it I get the message "Linked Zones only support audio playback.  Would you like to unlink the zone and continue playback?"  But I'm only playing audio.  Do these two situations have the same cause?  Every once in a while you can stop and restart play when both zones are linked and it is accepted.

I would originate the two linked zones on 'Bserve' except the 'Audio' local player zone isn't visible on 'Bserve' as renderer.  But a different audio zone from 'Audio' does appear.

2. If you're using R128 volume leveling (and Adaptive volume afterwards, optional), it only is effective on the local 'Audio' zone, not to the DLNA client being served by 'Bserve'.  Kinda irregular level balances for the most part.  Sometimes it seems like the two outputs are balanced, while other times they're way off, using the same source material.  I can't account for that.

I'm not sure just how useful linking is unless there is maintenance of volume between zones.

3. If you make a change to a playlist that is played to two zones, one of which is a DLNA client (renderer like Id), how long should it take before the DLNA version of the playlist is reconciled with the changes made in the actual playlist?  I delete an album of tracks that appeared after a full album of where it was playing, and the local play zone had the right songs when it got there, but the Id started playing tracks I had deleted apparently because the DLNA database hadn't yet been updated.  Some time later, they were in sync.

Any advice on these issues?

--Bill
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JimH

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Re: Linked Zones Questions
« Reply #1 on: June 10, 2014, 06:52:46 am »

1.  Are you sure you don't have some non-audio files in the list you're playing?

2.  DLNA doesn't apply DSP.  We might be able to do something about that in the future, but it's not certain.

3.  When you're using DLNA this way, you're giving the list of tracks to play to the Renderer, and it requests the tracks from the Server.  To stop this you would need to press stop.
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bblue

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Re: Linked Zones Questions
« Reply #2 on: June 10, 2014, 12:17:55 pm »

1.  Are you sure you don't have some non-audio files in the list you're playing?

Up until this morning I would have said yes, but just an hour ago I noticed a couple of .pdf's at the bottom of one of my test lists.  Not sure how they got there.  Removing them was the cure!

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2.  DLNA doesn't apply DSP.  We might be able to do something about that in the future, but it's not certain.

I hope it turns out to be possible.  It would be a nice touch if it could be optional per link.  Seems like it would solve numerous consistency issues, hopefully without becoming too complex. 

If all DLNA renderers were Id's I suppose you could apply the DSP settings (if simple enough) at each Id...

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3.  When you're using DLNA this way, you're giving the list of tracks to play to the Renderer, and it requests the tracks from the Server.  To stop this you would need to press stop.

So make the changes, stop and restart the linked playing, and that action will update the list sent to the Renderer.  Is that the idea?

Thanks Jim.

--Bill
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