Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[pepar]

Media on an unRAID NAS, MC Library Server on a networked Linux NUC and MC set up as client on a Windows box, playing on the 5.1 computer audio system attached to it. I *just* got this last item setup.

The client is accessing the MC Library Server, and I have "play local file" option checked.

How can I verify that the file playing on the client is being served directly from the NAS?

Jeff

[mattkhan]

Probably look at what sockets/files are opened by that process (e.g
 Using process explorer)

[zxsix]

See if a log provides a clue.
Help > Logging
Check the box under step 1.
Click on reset log at the bottom.
Click the DONE button.
Immediately play file.
Back to Help > Logging
Click  VIEW CURRENT LOG button.
See if it shows a UNC path or some other prefix in front of the file path.

[pepar]

Thanks! Will try answer #2 as it better suits my level of computer knowledge.

[pepar]

See if a log provides a clue.
Help > Logging
Check the box under step 1.
Click on reset log at the bottom.
Click the DONE button.
Immediately play file.
Back to Help > Logging
Click  VIEW CURRENT LOG button.
See if it shows a UNC path or some other prefix in front of the file path.

Good grief, the log fills up fast! I see the IP address of the Library Server box but not the IP of the unRAID NAS. That would seem to indicate that a local file is not being used.

I might have a clue here ... other than install MC on a Windows box that is connected to my media folder on the unRAID NAS, I never pointed MC to the folder. In Media Network, I checked "Use Media Network to share this library and enable DLNA", all DLNA boxes under Advanced and all boxes under Client Options.

Anything else I need to do to play the files directly from the NAS as opposed to via the MC running Library Server?

Jeff

[zxsix]

You need to see what the file path field is set to for a specific file.  Mine show a UNC path that I specified when I initially told MC where the media files are located.

So on main copy of MC, a song would show something like \\NASname\musicfolder\artist\album\song.mp3

This machine has the library server feature turned on.

On computer 2, the default local library is not used, it has been told to connect to a library server on computer 1.

Now if I play song.mp3 on computer 2, it checks to see if it can read \\NASname\musicfolder\artist\album\song.mp3
  If so, then it will play direct from the UNC file share.  Otherwise it will be streamed from the library server on computer 1.

[pepar]

You need to see what the file path field is set to for a specific file.  Mine show a UNC path that I specified when I initially told MC where the media files are located.

So on main copy of MC, a song would show something like \\NASname\musicfolder\artist\album\song.mp3

This machine has the library server feature turned on.

On computer 2, the default local library is not used, it has been told to connect to a library server on computer 1.

Now if I play song.mp3 on computer 2, it checks to see if it can read \\NASname\musicfolder\artist\album\song.mp3
  If so, then it will play direct from the UNC file share.  Otherwise it will be streamed from the library server on computer 1.

Where do point MC to the media files ... what setting? Under "File Location" ... Audio, Ripped BD Video, Other Video?

Will a Windows MC and a Linux MC Library Server "see" the same path? The SMB is automounted to a particular folder in Debian, while the SMB is merely accessible via Windows Explorer. Perhaps I should not automount on Linux? Can Media Center simply access the SMB without automounting?

Jeff

[mattkhan]

Sorry, I missed the fact it is mixed OS

It won't work so it will always play through the server. This is a long standing request.

[pepar]

Sorry, I missed the fact it is mixed OS

It won't work so it will always play through the server. This is a long standing request.

Fortunately, my two real AV systems will be using the same Linux NUC as the Library Server. My Windows box will only be used to tweak the library. Beyond that it’s my workstation where I rip, rename, etc., and load content onto the NAS.

Guess my next step in building my system is to set up a Linux client.

[zxsix]

All of my files reside on a linux box without MC installed on it.
The folder is shared so that Windows boxes can browse it via UNC path.
I stick with UNC rather than messing with consistent drive letter mappings, so files imported into MC have a file path of
\\NASname\music\artist\album\song.mp3
Every Windows box in the house can browse that UNC path directly,
so even when 1 Windows box has the MC library and one of the other Windows boxes connects to the main one via the library server feature, it senses that it can get to the file locally rather than streaming it from the main box.

[pepar]

Thanks. @mattkhan posted that a mixed Linux and Windows system is my problem.A  Linux box accessing a SMB won’t have the same path as a Windows box accessing the same share. My NAS and Library Server are Linux and one client is Win.

[Scobie]

Temporarily change the file extension of the local file so it will not play if called. If the file plays it is on the NAS.

[pepar]

Temporarily change the file extension of the local file so it will not play if called. If the file plays it is on the NAS.

No files are local. Content is on a Linux (unRAID) NAS.

[Scobie]

yep apologies misread the post.