DLNA, playing to networked devices, and so on is such fun, isn't it!
The method Mwillems has outlined will work, but you have said you don't want the extra maintenance of running a DLNA Server on the Client. Well, you don't have to.
A couple of points... okay, three:
a) The three components of DLNA that can be turned on in MC are the DLNA Server, DLNA Renderer, and DLNA Controller. You called the last one a DLNA Client in Reply #2 bunglemebaby. That can be confusing. I think you know this from later comments.
b) Turning on Media Network turns on a "MC Library Server", not a "DLNA Server". The "Media Network" functionality does use the SSDP protocol to discover UPnP/DLNA devices, but you don't need any of the DLNA components turned on in MC for that to work. MC's Client/Server arrangement, where a MC Client loads a MC Library from a MC Library Server, works the same way. You don't need to turn on any DLNA components for that to work, just Media Network.
c) JRemote doesn't connect to a MC Library Server using DLNA, but uses MCWS commands instead
So, for clarity, I am going to call your two PCs PC1 and PC2. My definitions are deliberately very simple.
PC1 runs a MC installation with a local Library that you wish to share with other installations of MC.
PC2 runs MC and is where you want to play media.
Before I forget, I am using JRemote2 running on my Android phone.
It isn't clear to me if you are running the original JRemote for Android, JRemote2 for Android, or JRemote for iOS. That may make some difference.
Now try this interesting little test. Use the following settings:
PC1 running its local Library:
DLNA Server: NO
DLNA Renderer: NO
DLNA Controller: YES
PC2 also running its local Library (
not connected to PC1 as a MC Client):
DLNA Server: NO
DLNA Renderer: YES
DLNA Controller: NO
Then connect JRemote to the MC Library Server (note,
not a DLNA Server).
Select PC2 as the Zone to play to in JRemote. Note that PC2 will appear as a Zone of PC1, and the actual Zone used on PC2 will be the default Zone, which is Player.
Select a FLAC album in JRemote, and play it. Audio will be heard on PC2.
So what is happening in this scenario?
1. JRemote is using the JRiver Access Key and connecting to the PC1 Library Server via MCWS commands.
2. JRemote is acting as a Controller of PC1. I haven't checked if it uses MCWS commands exclusively, but I think it does. Of course, it may use some DLNA commands... something to check if interested.
3. PC1 is acting as a DLNA Controller of PC2.
4. PC2 is acting as a DLNA Renderer only.
5. JRemote tells PC1 what to play.
6. Playing Now on PC1 shows all media files added by JRemote, for the PC2 Zone. Playing Now on PC1 matches Playing Now on JRemote, if the "Server follow app zones" setting is turned on.
7. PC1 as a DLNA Controller is telling PC2 as a DLNA Renderer what to play, file by file. In actual fact, PC1 tells PC2 what to play, and then PC2 requests the file from PC1. DLNA works that way.
8. Playing Now on PC2 will show only files that have already been played, and the currently playing file. Some MC settings will change that behaviour.
9. So what controls any transcoding done in this arrangement? Well, nothing apparently. As playback is a DLNA function, I would have expected the settings in "Options > Media Network > Add or configure DLNA servers... > {select a DLNA Server} > Audio > Mode" to control any transcoding. My MC Library Server only has one DLNA Server defined, and the Library Server thinks that my target PC is associated with that DLNA Server. But of course, the DLNA Server is turned off, so... Well, those settings have no effect. I played FLAC files, with the DLNA Server set to transcode to MP3. My target PC played the original FLAC format. The other area where transcoding can be defined is on the target PC in "Options > Media Network > Client Options > Audio Conversion > Conversion", but the target PC isn't a MC Client of the MC Library Server, so those settings have no effect either.
I think the MC Library Server just does the default action and sends the original file. I haven't dug into the detailed network traffic to see what is actually happen, and won't be doing that.
So this configuration works fine. Sure, you can't do transcoding, but as you are playing to a MC installation, transcoding probably won't be required.
I'm going to look at a MC Client/Server configuration next to see how that works for transcoding. In that case the MC Client Options should control transcoding. I suspect MC Client/Server makes more sense for your environment bunglemebaby.
PS: If you set this configuration up to test, or any variations, it isn't a bad idea to restart MC on both PCs to make sure changes are active. I don't think it is necessary, but I did restarts just to be sure. Particularly as I run Media Server on my MC Library Server PC.