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Author Topic: Remotely controlling MC doesn't change the zone  (Read 4491 times)

csimon

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Remotely controlling MC doesn't change the zone
« on: June 13, 2014, 04:14:01 am »

When sending from one instance of MC to another, whether this is a client controlling a server (not sure why a server shouldn't be able to control a client, but apparently it's not possible as client zones don't appear on the server), or sending to an instance of MC that is a DLNA renderer, and you have multiple zones on the receiving instance, the receiving instance doesn't switch the zone even though you've selected it on the controller.

For audio this means that even though the audio plays, you cannot see the cover art or visualisation (i.e. the Display View) on the receiving instance unless you manually switch the zone on the receiving instance.

For video this means that the audio plays but the video doesn't, as you cannot see the Display View.

I was trying this in order to get around the confusing aspect of needing to set up multiple library servers on the network and having to connect to each one separately to control them - I was hoping to only need to connect to one "central" instance which can see all the zones on remote instances.
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csimon

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Re: Remotely controlling MC doesn't change the zone
« Reply #1 on: June 16, 2014, 06:43:14 am »

<bump>

Is it a bug that the receiving PC doesn't switch zone or was it intended that videos can't be played to another instance of MC? Or is it a configuration problem with my Display View?
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Matt

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Re: Remotely controlling MC doesn't change the zone
« Reply #2 on: June 16, 2014, 07:57:52 am »

This is by design.  You can play to a background zone and it doesn't have to be active.  I think you want to switch the active zone.
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Matt Ashland, JRiver Media Center

csimon

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Re: Remotely controlling MC doesn't change the zone
« Reply #3 on: June 16, 2014, 09:14:55 am »

So you can't fully remotely control another instance of MC?  Even if you're sitting at one PC you still have to go to the receiving PC to change the active zone in order to view the video?

I think this "feature" will need to be ironed out for when the ID is video enabled...
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csimon

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Re: Remotely controlling MC doesn't change the zone
« Reply #4 on: April 14, 2015, 05:26:44 am »

<bump>
Allow video to be played remotely from one instance of MC to another, or from Gizmo to Mc, or from a DLAN controler to MC, or gnerally from MCWS remotes to MC. (Because unless manually do it on the server you are trying to control remotely you cannot change the active zone from the remote and the video fails to play).

It has been suggested before that an enchancement to Zone Switch rules could do this, i.e. switch to this zone if a file has been started/invoked/played in this zone.
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mwillems

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Re: Remotely controlling MC doesn't change the zone
« Reply #5 on: April 14, 2015, 07:11:04 am »

Not exactly what you're looking for (I think), but if you have mutually exclusive zones on the machine that can be described with routing rules (i.e. one for audio and one for video), you can actually do what you want with zoneswitch right now.  My living room PC has three zones setup with zoneswitch rules routing between them.  When I play a video on my living room pc (which is a library client) using gizmo, it automatically switches to the correct zone and the video displays, and likewise with audio, etc.   
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csimon

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Re: Remotely controlling MC doesn't change the zone
« Reply #6 on: April 14, 2015, 07:16:33 am »

This will only work in very limited circumstances when you can predetermine and forecast what zone, room and and settings you will eventually want to play each file in/with.  I'm looking for a way that will respect my choice of zone at that particular time. If you start setting up mutually exclusiove stop rules you then fall foul of other limitations of Zone Switch when you want a zone that is optional, as I've reported before.
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csimon

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Re: Remotely controlling MC doesn't change the zone
« Reply #7 on: May 07, 2015, 07:25:55 am »

<bump>
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csimon

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Re: Remotely controlling MC doesn't change the zone
« Reply #8 on: July 08, 2015, 03:34:40 am »

<bump>

Has this issue actually been taken on board or has it not been understood?  Can you confirm that it's a deliberate design decision not to allow videos to be sent to a multizone server from an external controller?
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csimon

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Re: Remotely controlling MC doesn't change the zone
« Reply #9 on: July 08, 2015, 09:55:53 am »

Has this been taken on board, and is it going to be fixed or is it deliberate behaviour?  Does anyone actually understand it or is it going to be unprofessionally ignored like all other bugs?
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csimon

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Re: Remotely controlling MC doesn't change the zone
« Reply #10 on: July 08, 2015, 09:56:33 am »

There seems to be a bit of stubborn throwing toys out of prams here with refusals to answer this.
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Hendrik

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Re: Remotely controlling MC doesn't change the zone
« Reply #11 on: July 08, 2015, 10:03:50 am »

MCWS has a function to set the active zone, Playback/SetZone. If you're using JRemote, there is also an option to make the selected zone in JRemote the active zone at all times, which may work for you.

If you want your threads to get closed, you can also keep ranting uncontrollably, as well.
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JimH

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Re: Remotely controlling MC doesn't change the zone
« Reply #12 on: July 08, 2015, 10:18:40 am »

csimon is on sabbatical for a day.
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