More > JRiver Media Center 32 for Windows
NEW: Copy Library and Files from Server
greynolds:
--- Quote from: markf2748 on January 25, 2024, 06:29:59 pm ---Have you considered syncing handhelds?
https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Sync_Handheld
--- End quote ---
That doesn’t accomplish what I want as it doesn’t bring the sidecar files. I have JRiver installed on my Microsoft Surface Pro, running Windows 10. I have a 4TB USB drive for the media files. When I have good Internet service, I can just connect to my library at home. But when I don’t have good Internet service, such as on a cruise, I want to have a subset of my library with me. When possible I connect to the hotel TV with an HDMI cable and I bring along a small remote I use for Theater View control.
The method of “manually” copying the media files isn’t ideal though. The main process of copying the files isn’t the problem as someone had posted some tips for grabbing the list of filenames from a playlist and then doing some manipulation in Excel to generate a script for copying the files. That part works just fine once the playlist has been created. However, I have found that JRiver doesn’t automatically make use of the metadata in the sidecar files from newly imported media files (which is what they’re treated as on the Surface). That results in some lost tagging or extra steps. If the sidecar file issue were taken care of, the process I’m using would probably be fine for my needs.
eltigre15:
Question on this step:
Set the desired location for your Library database. It can be anywhere, but not in any media file directory and preferably on a fast local drive. It should not be on a NAS.
I have 2 JRiver clients on 2 separate workstations connected to a NAS and have always wanted when shows are watched on either for it to register as watched so there is one centralized area to keep track and it does not fragment where each client keeps track of its own views. For this step can the library database be placed on a separate always on computer and then have those 2 JRiver clients connect to that to accomplish this?
markf2748:
--- Quote from: eltigre15 on January 26, 2024, 08:11:16 am ---I have 2 JRiver clients on 2 separate workstations connected to a NAS and have always wanted when shows are watched on either for it to register as watched so there is one centralized area to keep track and it does not fragment where each client keeps track of its own views. For this step can the library database be placed on a separate always on computer and then have those 2 JRiver clients connect to that to accomplish this?
--- End quote ---
It appears you are inquiring about multiple clients sharing the same database files in real time, without a server-client relationship. That is an interesting question. I suspect it is not possible, or at least not advisable (per Jim's warning). There might be access time or collision / file-lock issues, for example. However two clients "Playing from" the same networked MC server and effectively sharing the server's database works nicely, as I describe in the remainder of this reply.
Optional: Do a MC backup of the Main Library on all three computers. Then take one of the those backups and restore it as the Main Library on the two other computers, so all three are really "on the same page". Do the restores with the box "[ ] Restore Settings" unchecked. Clean up the Playing Now > Playing from entries as appropriate.
I don's see a compelling need to use this new tool here. If necessary, under Playing Now > Playing from, add the current Server library to each of the two clients. Then Load that server library onto each client.
My tests were for Audio only. I used a view with Sort By > Custom > Last Played (album) (z-a). A view based on "Last Played" should also work. The server was connected to a local USB SSD drive with the music files, both clients had their own local local mirrored music drives, but your NAS should be OK if it is well-behaved. All my computers connected by Wi-Fi.
For real time updates, most of the time I had to refresh whatever display I was in front of (<F5> key or the "circle arrow" refresh button just to the left of the tabs). Sometimes there is a delay in the update (order of a minute or two) on the "non-requesting" computers, not sure why. Hopefully that's tolerable in your use case. No need to refresh the server first, just refresh whatever computer you are viewing.
In one test the two clients were playing different albums simultaneously, so the last played album kept swapping to keep up and was observed to be the same on all three computers!
Reference: Wiki page Media Server, section Access from another PC on your LAN.
1/30/2024: Updated with clarifications.
1/31/2024: Expanded my response under the quote.
zeltak:
just discovered this. seems its very cool!
silly question, does it do the delta each time (ie sync) or do I have to copy the entire library each time the main/server library is changed and albums are added to it?
best
Z
JimH:
Its purpose is to do a one time transfer of files and library. If you want to keep two libraries in sync, you can use Library Server (with authentication set on the server).
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