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Where do instances of MC pull the files from?

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Sky King:
Do the instances where MC is connected remotely to the MC server and the media files are on a NAS, does the server have to pull files from the NAS and act as a go between before the other instance of MC get the files for use or does the server hand off a "link" to MC to pull the files from the NAS directly without having the server getting in the way?

JimH:
It depends.

The server can be anywhere.  The NAS can be anywhere.

If a client connects to the server, the server finds the files and serves them.

mattkhan:
There is also the option "Play local files if one that matches Library Server is found" - Settings under Media Network which means the client will read the file directly without needing the server is serve it

mwillems:

--- Quote from: mattkhan on August 03, 2024, 03:01:00 pm ---There is also the option "Play local files if one that matches Library Server is found" - Settings under Media Network which means the client will read the file directly without needing the server is serve it

--- End quote ---

To add a little more info if you're trying to do this: to make this work, the client and server must have identical local file paths to the file, which can be setup if both can "see" the files on the NAS.  For example, if the server has the file path to a file as "E:\Path\to\audio\files.flac," the client must also have the NAS mounted to the same drive letter so the client can find the same file at the same exact path.  Obviously this only works if the client and server are on the same OS.  If you meet that criterion, it's very much worth setting up local file access for clients, as the client experience for video or larger audio files in particular is much nicer with direct file access.  For example, seeking is significantly more responsive, playback starts quicker, etc.

Sky King:
Thanks everybody for the thoughts.

Yes, I've taken steps to ensure that the OS and paths to the files on both the server and the clients are mapped to the NAS exactly the same.  I will try the "Play local files if...." option from here on out.

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