Topic: Controlling MC from Sofa (Read 3011 times)

kmmcd · « **on:** February 02, 2020, 09:58:39 am »

I use MC at two places in the house, streaming from a central NAS. In each instance, a hand-me-down laptop is connected via USB to an DAC/amplifier at each of the two locations, and I control the streaming at each site at the respective laptop
However, in our main system, I wish to incorporate MC, but control it remotely from the sofa. In this case, I would like a silent PC (hard-wired to the home network, could be windows, could be linux) of some kind, running MC and feeding the adjacent DAC via USB. I have a MS Surface which I typically use when lounging on the sofa, which ideally could be used as a controller.
I know that, in the high fidelity world, there are a number of network streaming devices that could do what I want, but I am familiar with MC, and I know that MC streams gaplessly, whereas the prefab platforms do not make this claim.
I would appreciate any advice on how to begin architecting this system.

RoderickGI · « **Reply #1 on:** February 02, 2020, 06:29:10 pm »

Install MC on the MS Surface. Use it to control all your MC installations. Done.

I leave the selection of your Main System to you, but in terms of which controller to use, the above is the answer. You should be able to test this by controlling MC on one or both Laptops you currently have from the Surface. In fact, you can test by controlling MC on one of your existing laptops from the other laptop. That would be exactly the same as controlling any MC installation from a MC installation on your MS Surface. Well, as long as the MS Surface is running full Windows 10, and not one of the crippled versions.

Read up on Media Network and related topics in the Wiki.

kmmcd · « **Reply #2 on:** February 21, 2020, 09:36:30 am »

If I locate a PC running MC (e.g. Intel NUC) near my main system as we have discussed, is a dedicated hardware display for that PC necessary, or can that PC's desktop be viewed remotely (and controlled) over the network?

thanks again

RoderickGI · « **Reply #3 on:** February 21, 2020, 03:29:02 pm »

Plenty of people run "Headless" MC Servers, with no attached monitor. They just use an app like Windows Remote Desktop, TeamViewer, VNC, etc. to remote view the server interface for maintenance, and then do something like what you asked about, using a remote to control the Server and Renderers.

I don't do that, but the principle is simple enough. Have a search around the forum or perhaps someone else will guide you.

Zhillsguy · « **Reply #4 on:** February 23, 2020, 01:58:07 pm »

You can use a Raspberry Pi running:
MC IdPi
Volumio
Raspbian
Other RPi third party light OS

All but Volumio would be running MC natively requiring a linux license. Volumio would just be a DLNA renderer to playback from the Surface (Volumio has other nice features, including 1000's of internet radio stations) or other MC instance.

IMO the RPi is arguably the best value network streaming device available.

kmmcd · « **Reply #5 on:** March 04, 2020, 07:19:12 pm »

RoderickGI:

I am in the process of implementing your suggestion of using the Windows Remote Desktop function to control the server (and Media Center). Thanks for pointing me in that direction.

RoderickGI · « **Reply #6 on:** March 04, 2020, 08:05:22 pm »

kmmcd · « **Reply #7 on:** March 06, 2020, 10:11:21 am »

Zhillsguy:

I appreciate the suggestions, but I prefer a consistent user interface (Media Center) on all streaming platforms throughout the house and am willing to pay a few more dollars to achieve that.

stevem87 · « **Reply #8 on:** April 21, 2020, 01:52:41 pm »

I have MC installed on my MS Surface and my PC. Can someone please tell me how to have one control the other? I thought it was a zone thing, but the other device doesn't show up on the zone list.

RoderickGI · « **Reply #9 on:** April 21, 2020, 06:44:02 pm »

Quote from: stevem87 on April 21, 2020, 01:52:41 pm

I have MC installed on my MS Surface and my PC. Can someone please tell me how to have one control the other? I thought it was a zone thing, but the other device doesn't show up on the zone list.

You need to turn on Media Network on the Surface and the PC. The Surface needs to be a DLNA Controller. Best if you have the Surface acting as a MC Client connected to the PC acting as a MC Server.

stevem87 · « **Reply #10 on:** April 22, 2020, 06:35:52 am »

You mean using Panel or something? I can do that, I was hoping to use theater view from the surface to control the remote PC. Is that not possible?

JimH · « **Reply #11 on:** April 22, 2020, 06:59:04 am »

Tremote. https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Remotes

stevem87 · « **Reply #12 on:** April 22, 2020, 07:07:03 am »

Quote from: JimH on April 22, 2020, 06:59:04 am

Tremote. https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Remotes

This would require having a monitor. What I want to do is have a PC connected to my home theater and control it from the couch. I have an older TV, so I can't have a monitor attached. Is there a way to use theater view on my MS Surface to control the PC. I prefer that UI and would have access to all the library tags.

JimH · « **Reply #13 on:** April 22, 2020, 07:08:35 am »

That's what Tremote can do.

stevem87 · « **Reply #14 on:** April 22, 2020, 10:05:08 am »

It seems that way, but I can't get it to work. I have hooked up and loaded the library from the server to the MS Surface. I can play on the Surface from the server, but I can't get the server to play from the Surface. Sorry for not getting this. It seems very simple.

JimH · « **Reply #15 on:** April 22, 2020, 10:13:04 am »

Play to the Player under Playing Now. Re-read the instructions.

stevem87 · « **Reply #16 on:** April 22, 2020, 10:27:46 am »

It only shows up under "Playing From..." not under the "Playing Now" When I set it up, the PC didn't show up under Local Library, so I used Library server and entered in the access code. Could that be the problem?

stevem87 · « **Reply #17 on:** April 22, 2020, 10:43:43 am »

Never mind, I got it. The problem was that when I installed MC on the Surface I restored a back up from my PC. Doing this gave me all of the library info and all of the settings on the new Surface, but it confused it so it wasn't showing up in the Playing Now section properly. I did a complete uninstall and reinstall and just added the remote library and it worked perfectly. Now I guess I have to manually update all the settings.

stevem87 · « **Reply #18 on:** April 22, 2020, 11:37:11 am »

Is it possible to control the Id this way?

JimH · « **Reply #19 on:** April 22, 2020, 05:08:10 pm »

Probably.

RoderickGI · « **Reply #20 on:** April 22, 2020, 05:25:30 pm »

Quote from: stevem87 on April 22, 2020, 11:37:11 am

Is it possible to control the Id this way?

I was going to say "Yes" Jim. No reason it shouldn't. Of course, I don't have one to test...

Quote from: stevem87 on April 22, 2020, 10:43:43 am

Now I guess I have to manually update all the settings.

If you had left the PC Library installed as the Local Library on the Surface, and simply changed the Access Key that it used, then connected to the PC as a MC Client, there would have been no issues.

You could get all your settings back onto the Surface by doing a Restore of a Library Backup from the PC again, but this time only restore the Settings, and not the Library and Playlists. Most settings are common to all Libraries on a PC, so the even with the Server Library loaded onto the Surface as a MC Client, you should then have all those Settings back.

misterdog · « **Reply #21 on:** July 22, 2020, 11:20:48 am »

I'm wishing to set up a MC26 server/ client for my music system, I assume I need 'Remote Desktop Access' on both Win 10 machines?

As they are both Win 10 'Home' versions RDA is not included.

If I upgrade to Win 10 Pro with RDA will Wake on LAN work from the client (my sofa laptop) to my Server (Media PC).

Thanks in advance.

RoderickGI · « **Reply #22 on:** July 22, 2020, 03:57:35 pm »

You only need Remote Desktop Access or its equivalent if you need to control and maintain a "headless" MC Server. i.e. One that doesn't have a screen or keyboard attached. It isn't required to set up MC in Client/Server mode. You can just do maintenance on the MC Server PC, and play the content on the MC Client PC.

If you really do need to remotely access your MC Server, you can use VNC or other tools, rather than upgrade Windows. There are free versions of VNC available. Google those. Make sure you find a genuine copy, and not a malware infested copy.

There is a lot of information in the Wiki and forum. Search around.

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Author Topic: Controlling MC from Sofa (Read 3011 times)