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[GreggP]

I tried searching but could not find a basic tutorial on setting up a link between 2 PCs running MC24 and synchronizing playback from one to the other.

Could someone please point me to any information about linking zones. I'm afraid the info in the wiki is useless and the links within aren't very helpful because they apply to a single PC with a multichannel soundcard.

[JimH]

On the wiki, there are topics on:
Media Network and especially Library Network
Zones
ZoneSync

[GreggP]

On the wiki, there are topics on:
Media Network and especially Library Network
Zones
ZoneSync

I've already read them. They're not helpful. They sort of explain what they are but provide no info about how to implement.

If I have PC1 and PC2 and the main library is managed on PC1, do I need to load the PC1 library on PC2? Or, do I need to just run the default main library on both PCs?

[GreggP]

I seem to have it working but it seems counterintuitive.

PC1 has 2 sound devices - a Focusrite USB device and the internal sound device that shows up as Realtek High Definition Audio (this is an MSI gaming laptop with an ESS Sabre DAC). The Focusrite USB is connected to a receiver in my living room, so it is assigned to a zone I've named LivingRm. The laptop's internal sound is assigned to a zone named Laptop. PC1 also has the media center library that I use for all the other devices on my network.

PC2 has a single sound device - an ASUS Xonar D1 5.1 soundcard. This PC (HTPC) is located in our family room and is connected to our HDTV.

My goal is to play the same music to PC1 in the living room and to PC2 in the family room simultaneously. I thought I could control everything from PC1 but couldn't seem to get that to work.

I played around with the settings on both PCs and eventually got it to work. Both PCs have 'Use Media Network to share this library and enable DLNA' enabled. On PC2, I loaded PC1's library. Under PC2's 'Playing Now' 2 more zones are displayed - There: Laptop and There: LivingRm. To get the link working, I dragged PC2's Player onto There: LivingRm. Then I clicked on Player and then selected a playlist. After picking Play, I now have the same music playing to both zones the LivingRm and PC2 located in our family room. I can only control what plays from PC2.

[swiv3d]

As far as I am aware, if you link the Living room zone on PC1 with the zone you want to play to on PC2. Doing the linking on PC1, then whatever you play to your living room zone will also be played on the zone you have selected on PC2. Using zone sync you can even get the two zones to synchronize the sound output.
If you right click on your living room zone you can select the zone to link to from the menu.

Edit: You might want to unlink the zone links you have created on PC2. I would also create a zone on PC2 specifically for the new zone link.

[GreggP]

When I started, I don't think any of PC2s zones showed up in the list of PC1. It's probably because I didn't set up any zones there. It does show PC2 as HTPC, so I dragged the LivingRm zone onto HTPC and started playing from PC1 and it worked.

Now I'm trying to figure out how to get zone syncing to work. Making the link from PC2 to PC1 and playing from PC2 seems to work pretty well. The music stays in sync for quite a while. OTOH, linking from PC1 to PC2 and playing from PC1 works, but doesn't stay in sync very long. By the 2nd song on the playlist, the sound gets pretty far out of sync, like 20 seconds or so.

[swiv3d]

If you right click on one of the linked zones there is a link timing option which you could try.
Edit : Make sure that Wasapi playback is selected in the PC2 zone.

[GreggP]

If you right click on one of the linked zones there is a link timing option which you could try.
Edit : Make sure that Wasapi playback is selected in the PC2 zone.

Yeah, I see that. It allows you to manual adjust the timing between the zones. I was hoping there was something that does the synchronizing automatically.

[swiv3d]

Make sure you are using WASAPI output in exclusive mode on PC1. Then zonesync2 should work.

[GreggP]

Make sure you are using WASAPI output in exclusive mode on PC1. Then zonesync2 should work.

I've figured out how to drive playback from both PC1 and PC2. Both PCs are using WASAPI output in exclusive mode.  I still don't get very good synchronization playing from either PC. Is there a specific setting to enable zonesync2?

Thanks for your help.