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[sub-24]

I live in Scotland where its not famous for being hot

So my media center server is located in my garage outside of the house.
All of the music files reside on this PC and i share it across the network with my kids, office, lounge etc.

But the problem is if i want to RIP, Burn, Sync Ipod etc i have to go outside to the garage to load CDs plug in Ipods etc. -Why ?

I can use RDP and then copy files and then import to my local MC and then burn etc but its a pain.

Copying files across my network is possible so why cant MC allow me to do it.

It looks like MC11 is coming to an end and its not going to happen soon but it also seems that MC12 will come and go with the same sort of minor changes.

Im getting old and cold  - please help an old man?

[marketability]

My loft is cold too!

I agree with sub-24 - having multiple clients keep tags in sync is good
but to only have this functionality from one server?

I understand the potential legal issues of allowing burning/ipod etc via a technology that allows public streaming - surely there is a way to limit burning/download to portable/ripping to IP addresses local to the server?

...begging on bended knees, I'm tired of running to the loft to add my latest purchase to my ipod!

[Shady Bimmer]

But the problem is if i want to RIP, Burn, Sync Ipod etc i have to go outside to the garage to load CDs plug in Ipods etc. -Why ?

I can use RDP and then copy files and then import to my local MC and then burn etc but its a pain.

Copying files across my network is possible so why cant MC allow me to do it.

I'm not sure I understand the problem.

If you have a PC inside the house with a CD/DVD drive you can use it to RIP cds.

If you have a PC inside the house with a CD/DVD writer you can use it to burn cds.

If your reader/writer are in the garage then you need to walk out to the garage to insert CDs.

I have no issues ripping to network drives, nor do I have any issues burning from network drives.  My fileserver is located in my basement and I never physically need to touch it.

What am I missing?

[marketability]

I have no issues ripping to network drives, nor do I have any issues burning from network drives.  My fileserver is located in my basement and I never physically need to touch it.

Are you using the new Library server?

[sub-24]

I can do anything i want if i want to map Network Drives etc. Thats the whole point.

Example.
All of my music files are on my Music Server in the garage as per the original post.

1. I buy a new CD today from the music store.
2. I want to RIp it so i can share it with the kids.
3. I rip it to my local MC and catalogue accordingly.
4. I then have to copy it to my Music Server drive And import to MC
5. Now its available form my library.
6. I now want to have it on my IPod for the car
7. I have to RDP to the music server to find the cd and copy it to a share
8. Back to my desk PC and i map a drive to the share
9. Then i import it to my local copy of MC
10. Now i can conect my IPOD to my desk PC and copy to my IPod.

Now thats simple really

Why can't i just ipod, rip, BURN from my desk PC

I have all the files anyway but why make it difficult.

What does anybody else use as a work around to above.

[Alex B]

I have done this:

Currently I use my HTPC as a file server. It has these local media folders:
- Music archive: "D:\Music" - substituted with the drive letter "X:" (I have a bat file in the startup folder for that)
- Video & images archive: "E:\Video" - substituted with "Y:"
- Rip, DL, unfinished tagging, temp stuff: "E:\Rip" - substituted with "Z:"

The whole media library is imported from the virtual X, Y and Z drives and my default cover art folder is "X:\_Images".

"D:\Music" is shared on the file server PC and mapped to "X:" on other PCs.
"E:\Video" is shared on the file server PC and mapped to "Y:" on other PCs.
"E:\Rip" is shared on the file server PC and mapped to "Z:" on other PCs.

Whenever I have made changes to my library I make a library backup to "Z:\_MCBU" (the underscore makes it to show up first in alphabetical folder lists, thus faster to access).

Normally I use the Library Server & clients, but when I need to change anything in my library, rip, convert, copy or burn I can do it with any of my PCs. I change from the client mode to a local library and pick up the latest backup before starting. All PCs use identical local libraries. Any of the PCs can run the Library Server.

Afterwards I just have to restore the newest library backup on the PC that runs the Library Server if I have made changes elsewhere. That doesn't have to be instant if the changes are minor.

[Bill Kearney]

I have a similar situation.  I keep all my tracks on a fileserver.  It's accessed from *everywhere* as a UNC share, not as a drive mount.  I run MC11 on a different box. 

I'd really like an MC11 client that better integrated itself with a master server.  Right now the handling of playlists and tag editing is not really designed to do this. 

I'd really like it to be able to smoothly handle editing of an MC11 "server" resident playlist or track and not have to duplicate everything locally.  I can understand why having a full MC11 setup locally is handy; work access, laptop, etc.  But for home audio it really BEGS for a robust client-server setup all interacting with a single centralized databse.

Sooo close but not quite. 

[marketability]

AlexB... that how I get around it too but I'm with Sub

it seems so logical to allow the client PC to atleast burn a cd - as this is a read-only activity and I can't see how its any different to playing an album and shouldn't impact the server's database

Maybe it a legal issue to avoid people ripping music from a 3rd parties streamed library

even ripping is a create activity and if the client library held the new records until the user pressed a "publish" button to avoid record-locking issues, etc

[Shady Bimmer]

AlexB... that how I get around it too but I'm with Sub

It is the same method used by many folks, including me.

I still don't see the need to go out to a cold garage - it would seem that using a network share would be far simpler (and warmer!).

even ripping is a create activity and if the client library held the new records until the user pressed a "publish" button to avoid record-locking issues, etc

Rip on client PC to network share using local library.  RDP to server and Import.   As long as a format with tagging support is used  then all your data goes right along.  This would do the same thing as your suggestion.

[sub-24]

Everything is now sorted and perfect.

Ive put a heater in the garage and i leave my Harley tickinover all the time.

[marketability]

I hate it when technology gets you half-way to somewhere and then leaves you drooling for what you thought you had already!

[graham131]

Surely a library server should be just that.  the ability for any local client connected to it to not only play music from it, but to burn music from it, rip music to it, and synch music with it.

1 of my client pc's is my wifes - she is a technophobe but wants to be able to rip her own cd compilations to play in the car.  Currently this means she has to wait for me to do it from the server (again in a very cold garage).

If she could rip from a local client this would make life so so so so so so good!

Please Jim / Matt - You know you want to!!!!!!