More > JRiver Media Center 25 for Windows
NEW: Television tuners on clients are allowed to be used for recording
Yaobing:
--- Quote from: imeric on February 27, 2019, 08:46:36 pm ---Will a client PC wake the server up if asleep?
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I have not been successful in that. When I tried to start MC client, it attempted to wake up the server but failed. I am not sure how it should work.
imeric:
--- Quote from: Yaobing on February 27, 2019, 08:49:23 pm ---If you have not configured MC client to automatically sync with the server, you should run "Sync changes with Library Server" after the recording is done so ensure the server has the most updated info. I will add some automatic calls to sync during and after recording for the next build.
It will not work without the server. What you wish for is running against MC's basic design. MC can not have two different libraries loaded simultaneously.
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Ok… But based on your comment above it loads a server copy, and can perform TV recordings locally so…
What if it can still work even if the server PC shuts down for XYZ reason? Once it's able to connect to the server again a resync is performed then and nothing is lost… That Common K:\TV folder is still available locally anyway right?
Kind of similar to a USB drive being disconnected...MC just lets you know the file is not available… Does that make sense?
Hopefully this can give you some ideas…:)
The MC Kitchen client could also start automatically with a local temp copy of the server library until it can connect to it again and resync...
RoderickGI:
--- Quote from: Yaobing on February 27, 2019, 08:38:27 pm ---There is also a practical merit too: even if you choose to start Media Center on Windows startup, you may end up clicking Close on it and forget about having TV recordings in the evening.
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Ah yes. That makes sense. Of course, either the JRiver Media Server or the JRiver Media Center GUI, even if it is minimised, must be running for recordings to the initiated.
My concern was that having JRiver Media Server running on the Clients would make them all visible to other Clients, adding to the list of Dynamic Zones, which may be confusing. It adds another process running on what may be a low powered Client. I guess that in an environment with Server S and Clients A & B, if Client A tried to play to Client B, even if that was not intended, it should work, as long as Client B settings regarding conversions are correct. I guess Dynamic Zones could also be hidden on Clients as required, as long as that didn't impact the Server list of Dynamic Clients.
--- Quote from: imeric on February 27, 2019, 08:15:14 pm ---The kitchen PC needs to record its own TV shows so The Media server has to be enabled for this to work (and wake the PC up if it's in sleep mode) AND I want it to use its own local drive not the server drive.
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Other than the practical issue above of having at least one component of MC running, none of the above requires Media Server. Running the Media Center GUI minimised would work just as well, and not result in Client PCs appearing as Dynamic Zones on other Client PCs.
--- Quote from: Yaobing on February 27, 2019, 08:51:32 pm ---I have not been successful in that. When I tried to start MC client, it attempted to wake up the server but failed. I am not sure how it should work.
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I've had it working correctly for a while now, although I did have Media Server running on the Client because I use my Workstation as a Client, Server, and Standalone installation of MC. I share the Workstation Client contents to other DLNA Clients, mainly my phone, when I am running my Workstation. I've turned that off now and will see if the Client still properly wakes the Server. The process is a bit hit an miss, takes some time, and it can look like the Client has locked up, but it does complete and wake the Server when you do anything other than browse the local copy of the Server Library. I would have expected the start of a recording to trigger the WOL process, as tags are written early in the recording process, but maybe that needs some special attention.
Discussed here: https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,118288.msg821813.html#msg821813
If that process worked reliably and quickly then this;
--- Quote from: imeric on February 27, 2019, 09:00:53 pm ---What if it can still work even if the server PC shuts down for XYZ reason? Once it's able to connect to the server again a resync is performed then and nothing is lost… That Common K:\TV folder is still available locally anyway right?
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would work, as long as "shut down" meant "go to sleep". If the Server was rebooted it probably wouldn't work, because a new copy of the Server Library would probably be loaded into the Client, overwriting the previous copy. Although maybe the Client would just connect to the currently open Server Library and continue on as if the reboot didn't happen. Just opening with a previous temporary copy of the Server Library might be an option, if that didn't cause synchronisation errors. That would need some detailed investigation. Recovery from an unknown state could be complex, if the connection was lost at some stage though. It depends on how synchronisation is managed.
Thinking some more. If the Client woke up to start a recording and couldn't connect to or wake the Server, then the "Server didn't wake. Trying to reload the Server Library" process discussed in that thread may actually work in re-establishing the Client/Server connection and correctly starting the recording. Maybe some co-ordination with Bob required.
RoderickGI:
--- Quote from: Yaobing on February 27, 2019, 08:51:32 pm --- I have not been successful in that. When I tried to start MC client, it attempted to wake up the server but failed. I am not sure how it should work.
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I just tested this again with Media Server turned off in the Client.
Browsing around results in the "Busy" Windows icon, but eventually responds.
Selecting a track and trying to play it resulted in a message something like: "Communication with the Server failed. Do you want to switch Libraries?". When I answer no to that message track playback from the Server to the Client starts. So the WOL is working, but it is a bit slow, and MC has given up by the time it works. Or else the message is a result of any errors occurring, even when the connection is successfully re-established.
So if you see that message, try saying No to it.
imeric:
--- Quote from: imeric on February 27, 2019, 08:46:36 pm ---Will a client PC wake the server up if asleep?
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I gave this a try this morning and it woke the server up. However for this to work properly the connection timeout would have to be extended or have it try a few times to make sure it has time to wake the server PC up and connect without user intervention... I had to hit retry 2-3 times and it ended up connecting. Yaobing your WOL settings may need to be changed on your device or BIOS?
-Million dollar question is: Will both of those PCs wake-up for a local client recording to take place? (another reason why the dependency on the server PC should be eliminated or kept to a minimum...)
A few comments on the overall experience last night with the Kitchen PC connected as a client:
- Overall surfing experience and maneuvering in the theater view works great if I stick to the ATSC Tuners (as I assume it's using the local ones)
- It's when I start surfing on the STB channels of the server that problems start...
1. If an STB recording is going on and you access it from the guide it will start playing it "live" ie...It doesn't start from the beginning of the show as it should (this is an old issue that I circumvent by accessing the show under "Shows" in theater view. Then it will start from the beginning as it should.
2. Even if not recording, it doesn't always free up the HD PVR capture card so that I can change channels...I had to manually go on the previous channel, hit "stop" and then I could select other STB channels.
3. Changing channels through the OSD does not work when playing STB channels. It will change the channel right away before you have time to select one. It works fine with ATSC channels. (Again old issue and all of the above are reasons why I don't connect as a client if I don't have to...)
This is not specific to a client or server connection (ie will happen even using the HTPC or living room PC) and is an old issue that would need to be resolved:
When channel surfing on the STB and you "time-shifted" or rewinded a bit before changing STB channels it will keep time-shifting active. You either have to wait or hit forward for the channel change to take place...In other words it is not changing the channel right away or stopping time-shifting...Is this clear? I can try to clarify :)....
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