Topic: How to add extra room to my setup (Read 8053 times)

fobos8 · « **on:** February 03, 2016, 02:35:20 pm »

Hi all

In my living room I have my HTPC with JRiver which contains all my music, films and photos. Thing is as the kids have got older they monopolise this room watching TV and films so I don't get a chance to listen to my music any more! The room next door is the dining room where I'd like to listen to the music files which are on the living room's HTPC. I'm going to get a new Hifi setup for this room. I've got a decent wifi system throughout the house.

My knowledge on what JRiver is capable of is limited so I'd be very grateful if simple could suggest roughly how I'd be able to be able to listen to my music files in the room next door. The HTPC has really good sound card which is wired to the speakers in the TV room. I could get another sound card and drill a hole into the room next door and link into the new Hifi system. Could the kids run one copy of JRiver for their films while I run another copy of JRiver on the same PC for the Hifi next door? Could I control my copy of JRiver with a tablet/mobile?

I hope if explained myself well enough! Please ask me to elaborate if I haven't

All the best, Andrew

JimH · « **Reply #1 on:** February 03, 2016, 02:39:55 pm »

This would help you understand what can be done:
http://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Media_Network

You should be able to do what you're thinking about.

rudyrednose · « **Reply #2 on:** February 03, 2016, 03:33:15 pm »

To add just a bit of info.
First start by reading Jim's link.

Assuming that you do not want another computer in the living room:
- A tablet/mobile can control a JRiver computer through Gizmo or JRemote.
- A JRiver computer can output different programs to different "zones", so the HTPC should be able to play a movie on zone 1 and play music on zone 2, if it is not underpowered (barely able to do video).
- JRiver can run multiple instances on the same computer, but in your case you are probably better off with 2 zones.
- You could drive the living room amp/receiver using a small DAC. You would have a USB connexion from the HTPC to the DAC, and would be in business.

Those are probably the three "magic" keywords you want to read about. I do have a HTPC dedicated to every TV in the house, so I cannot really help you further on the zones, never used them. Gizmo and JRemote are fairly intuitive though.

Cheers.

fobos8 · « **Reply #3 on:** February 04, 2016, 01:23:22 am »

.....so could I get say zone one to output to sound card one and zone two to output to sound card two?

or.. have two instances of JRiver with JRiver one to output to sound card one and JRiver two (on the same PC as JRiver one) to output to soundcard two?

Cheers, Andrew

Arindelle · « **Reply #4 on:** February 04, 2016, 03:51:45 am »

Quote from: fobos8 on February 04, 2016, 01:23:22 am

.....so could I get say zone one to output to sound card one and zone two to output to sound card two?

yes you can .. and thats how you should be doing it. All audio configs are by zone. The default one called "Player" unless you renamed it is a "zone". You can also use zones for different configs (eg DSPs like eq or volume leveling in one zone and no DSPs in another) outputting to the same aduio device.

Quote

or.. have two instances of JRiver with JRiver one to output to sound card one and JRiver two (on the same PC as JRiver one) to output to soundcard two?

well I suppose it is possible, but if you are using the same "Library", you'd still have to configure the second audio output device. Running multiple instances at the same time on the same PC .. is pretty rare and is often just temporary for testing and things. Not to be confused with running multiple installs on different machines on your LAN.

read => https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Zones

The word zone can be confusing ... although it can indeed refer to a separate "physical" playback area .. like in a new room, it doesn't have to be (I have 5 zones for audio playback, video playback and web streaming) Look at it rather as a separate configuration of an audio device, or a config of an additional audio device. Each install of JRiver can be used server, controller, and or renderer. You can even control remote zones from client PCs. Basically you can do pretty much what you want to ... with some limitations on certain DLNA renderers.

If you are just going to connect active speakers in a different room for example, this is easy. Just create a new zone, choose the second sound card if you wan to. You can even link the two "zones" together so they play in both rooms. OR the second room can have a client PC or a DLNA renderer of some kind. Endless possibilities, as your license includes multiple installs (if the are on the same OS, othe wise you need the master license).

Normally, you would have only one machine running media server, and only one instance of JRiver running (per machine)

rudyrednose · « **Reply #5 on:** February 04, 2016, 01:03:26 pm »

Quote from: Arindelle on February 04, 2016, 03:51:45 am

Running multiple instances at the same time on the same PC .. is pretty rare and is often just temporary for testing and things.

I agree, do not use multiple instances on the same PC if you do not HAVE to.
As a tool, it is good to know it is possible, but you may create yourself more problems down the road. For a very specific need, I do run 2 instances at once, but only for a limited time and a limited operation.

In your case, I think that the kids would use the current config (call it zone 1) and I really suggest, instead of an additional audio card, a USB connected DAC (much shorter audio path) in your living room defined in JRiver as zone2. You would then use a tablet to control playback of zone 2.

fobos8 · « **Reply #6 on:** February 04, 2016, 03:58:15 pm »

Hi guys

Many thanks for your replies - the zone idea sounds great but I can see a possible hurdle. On the main HTPC that my kids use in the TV room they also stream videos on the internet and watch TV using Window Media Centre. When they do this the transmitted code from the play button on our remote will get picked up by the video player in the internet, Windows Media Centre, and JRiver at the same time if these apps are open. You end up with more than one file being played simultaneously. To get round this they close down JRiver or any other app when they're not using it. Therein lies the problem. If they're constantly turning JRiver on and off and I'll not be able to use it reliably in the other room.

Any ideas how I get round this?

Cheers, Andrew

JimH · « **Reply #7 on:** February 04, 2016, 04:16:18 pm »

Run MC's Media Server on Windows Start. If someone closes MC, the server will still be running and can play in your zone. Use a remote control like Gizmo or JRemote to choose what you want.

The best way to learn is to try it.

rudyrednose · « **Reply #8 on:** February 04, 2016, 04:23:11 pm »

Quote from: fobos8 on February 04, 2016, 03:58:15 pm

When they do this the transmitted code from the play button on our remote will get picked up by the video player in the internet, Windows Media Centre, and JRiver at the same time if these apps are open.

Have you actually seen this occur ? I thought that remote codes, like a mouse or a keyboard, went to the program that currently has the "focus". Like the currently active window is the one that will receive key presses.

fobos8 · « **Reply #9 on:** February 04, 2016, 04:45:56 pm »

Quote

Have you actually seen this occur ?

yes it happens to me too - its annoying

Arindelle · « **Reply #10 on:** February 05, 2016, 11:32:45 am »

Quote from: JimH on February 04, 2016, 04:16:18 pm

Run MC's Media Server on Windows Start. If someone closes MC, the server will still be running and can play in your zone. Use a remote control like Gizmo or JRemote to choose what you want.

The best way to learn is to try it.

yes this is your workaround. You will probably have to take JRiver out of exclusive mode however (although you could get around this too.

Best scenario is get rid of WMC for the kids - its going away anyways. They can stream what ever they want; can even use the WDM driver in JRiver. Kids in general are smarter than their parents anyways especially in terms of computers and things. There is a learning curve to JRiver for the person that sets up and administers it. But for playback if your children are older than 8, they'll pick it up right away. (At 10 my kids were hacking through my passwords to play World of Warcraft )

fobos8 · « **Reply #11 on:** February 07, 2016, 03:11:17 am »

Quote

Best scenario is get rid of WMC for the kids - its going away anyways

the kids use WMC for TV - they tell me the TV on JRiver keeps going wrong

JimH · « **Reply #12 on:** February 07, 2016, 06:49:50 am »

MC is well behaved with respect to WMC and other apps. WMC is not. MC has an option to disable WMC when MC is in use. Have you tried that?

fobos8 · « **Reply #13 on:** February 07, 2016, 08:39:26 am »

no - i haven't tried that - thanks

blgentry · « **Reply #14 on:** February 07, 2016, 09:02:54 am »

This post *screams* for a second computer. I'd advise a totally stand alone computer that has just the audio files copied to it with a separate installation of MC. Seems like the easiest solution that can't be influenced by the other computer or anything else.

Brian.

fobos8 · « **Reply #15 on:** February 07, 2016, 10:43:17 am »

Quote

This post *screams* for a second computer

sure - if only computer's grew on trees!

Arindelle · « **Reply #16 on:** February 07, 2016, 11:00:03 am »

Quote from: fobos8 on February 07, 2016, 10:43:17 am

sure - if only computer's grew on trees!

well all is not lost! just set up 2 zones as referred to above; I believ you will have to set your audio device options to not be exclusive however, otherwise JRiver will always be in control of the sound output ... and that might be problematic for your kids if they are a bit "impatient" (you could set up zone 2 to run in exclusive mode I suppose but if you forget to switch it back they might be blaming JRiver

) That way even if JRiver wasn't booted up, they can still use their controller. For you to control your second zone you could do that from your tele^phone or a tablette using the JRemote app

fobos8 · « **Reply #17 on:** February 08, 2016, 03:24:50 pm »

thanks for all your help - have got things set up and working. Just need to order some new speakers for the other room

Cheers, Andrew

Arindelle · « **Reply #18 on:** February 09, 2016, 02:18:10 am »

sure, no problem. Happy Listening!

fobos8 · « **Reply #19 on:** February 11, 2016, 08:11:33 am »

Hi guys

Things not working that great now. This is a typical scenario. I go into Dining room - use Gizmo and JRiver server and play some music. When I've finished playing music I hit the stop button.

The kids go into TV room and start up Windows Media Centre to watch TV. One of them needs a pee so they press the pause button (which doubles up as the play button). This action causes the music I was playing on JRiver to start playing again!!

They're using a regular remote to control stuff. Anyone got a clue how to fix this?

Best regards, Andrew

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Author Topic: How to add extra room to my setup (Read 8053 times)