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[dmitch77]

I have some general questions on the relationship between “Media Network” and DLNA. I’m converting my network to MC-only nodes, as opposed to using some DLNA renderers. I’ve found that using MC nodes to communicate together works really well, whereas DLNA kind of, you know, sucks.

So the network I want has 3 computers (Macs) all running MC. I usually control everything using JRemote on an iPad.

I’d like to minimize the servers and services on my machines and my network. So my first basic question is: do instances of MC, as well as JRemote, communicate with each other via DLNA? Or do they use a different (presumably private) protocol? The MC options panel has one switch for enabling Media Network. Then it has separate switches for DLNA renderer, controller, and server. If I don’t want to use *any* DLNA devices on my network, is it safe to turn all of these DLNA switches off, and just have Media Network enabled? I.e. will the MC instances still work with each other, sharing libraries, using each other as renderers (zones), being controlled by JRemote, etc.?

Also: if I’m not using DLNA, but just using Media Network to communicate between MC nodes and JRemote, is there any reason to have the separate “server” process running? I’m talking about the option where you specify what runs at startup: Media Center, Media Server, or Media Center & Server. Is the “server” only for DNLA? Or is it necessary to have one MC node share its library with another MC node?

Another question related to “Media Center” vs. “Media Server”: If you don’t run both at Mac startup, when (if ever) does the “Media Server” process run? If I start both “Media Center” and “Media Server” at startup, there is an icon for the server in the menu bar. But that icon isn’t there if I just run MC myself, even though that instance of MC is in fact serving up its library for other JRMS nodes on the network. So what exactly does that separate “Media Server” process do?

Thanks in advance. I know this is all kind of vague and long-winded. But I’m hoping to optimize my network by gaining a more complete understanding of what’s going on under the hood.

[JimH]

Yes, I think you can turn off the DLNA server and renderer if you want to.

Media Server is a small footprint version of Media Center.  If you want to share media between machines, loading it on startup is a good idea. 

The wiki has topics on Media Network and Media Server.

[aoqw76]

You dont need dlna enabled unless you want to use dlna devices. I have had mc on one computer serving mc on another computer, and no dlna switched on. So must be its own protocol.
If you have one computer on all the time, then make that the master library, and your other computers simply slave to that library. This is exactly what I do. I also have dlna enabled so it works with my naim unitiqute.
The server version as I understand it is (in simple terms) mc without a gui. So that will still serve other instances of mc on other computers. Personally I just use mc "desktop" version.

[dmitch77]

Well I did some experimenting and learned some interesting stuff.

1. If all you want to do is have one MC share its library with another MC, you can turn off all three DLNA options.

2. The ability to use JRemote with MC is unaffected by the three DLNA options.

3. Here's the surprise. If you want to use one MC as a remote Zone for another MC - i.e. play music from MC on host 'A' using the MC at host 'B' as a Zone - then you have to enable some DLNA: host 'A' has to have "DLNA Controller" enabled, and host 'B' has to have "DLNA Renderer" enabled.

Based on observations from the first two items, I'd hoped that DLNA was not needed at all for my network. But sometimes I do in fact want to use one MC as a remote Zone for another MC. So I have to have some DLNA going on after all.

Still, I wonder: when MC uses another MC as a remote Zone, is it really using DLNA to do that? Or is that switch in the options just enabling more than it says it is?

[bob]

Well I did some experimenting and learned some interesting stuff.

1. If all you want to do is have one MC share its library with another MC, you can turn off all three DLNA options.

2. The ability to use JRemote with MC is unaffected by the three DLNA options.

3. Here's the surprise. If you want to use one MC as a remote Zone for another MC - i.e. play music from MC on host 'A' using the MC at host 'B' as a Zone - then you have to enable some DLNA: host 'A' has to have "DLNA Controller" enabled, and host 'B' has to have "DLNA Renderer" enabled.

Based on observations from the first two items, I'd hoped that DLNA was not needed at all for my network. But sometimes I do in fact want to use one MC as a remote Zone for another MC. So I have to have some DLNA going on after all.

Still, I wonder: when MC uses another MC as a remote Zone, is it really using DLNA to do that? Or is that switch in the options just enabling more than it says it is?

When MC plays to another MC as a zone it's using DLNA.

[dmitch77]

The wiki has topics on Media Network and Media Server.

Um, yes, I saw those. I read every word. You really didn't think I made a post like this with reading every word of those Wiki pages, did you?  Those pages didn't address any of the questions I asked. Hence, I turned to this helpful forum.

Thanks.