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Author Topic: Controlling MC from another PC  (Read 3330 times)

JONCAT

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Controlling MC from another PC
« on: February 04, 2006, 07:53:58 pm »

Can you guys explain how to do this? I am curious about contolling my PC's MC via the wife's laptop. I know I can stream to her's with Library server but I'd be interested in controlling what's playing on the big system from the other room with the methoed you alluded to.

thanks!
Dr. C
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alanl

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Re: Is MC11 detecting another MC11 on a network?
« Reply #1 on: February 05, 2006, 03:02:15 am »

Can you guys explain how to do this? I am curious about contolling my PC's MC via the wife's laptop. I know I can stream to her's with Library server but I'd be interested in controlling what's playing on the big system from the other room with the methoed you alluded to.

If you just want to control the other PC without synching you might be better using VNC, which is what I do.  You then have control of ALL of the other PC's programs.  I use TightVNC (free is good).  See http://www.tightvnc.com/

If you're not sure what I'm talking about post again and I'll go into more detail.
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JimH

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Re: Controlling MC from another PC
« Reply #2 on: February 05, 2006, 07:19:54 am »

Doc,
You can use Netremote (promixis.com) or Musiclobby (cinemaronline.com) to control MC from anther PC.  A simpler, less elegant solution is to run the RemoteServer in MC (under startup options) and connect to it from a browser.
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hit_ny

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Re: Is MC11 detecting another MC11 on a network?
« Reply #3 on: February 05, 2006, 08:26:24 am »

If you just want to control the other PC without synching you might be better using VNC, which is what I do.  You then have control of ALL of the other PC's programs.  I use TightVNC (free is good).  See http://www.tightvnc.com/
This works if MC is running on a Win platform  < XP. Or the client is not windows.

If MC is running on XP, and the client is also windows, the best performance & easiest is XP's RDP than with TightVNC (tried it). You can even feed sound back to the client.
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JONCAT

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Re: Controlling MC from another PC
« Reply #4 on: February 05, 2006, 08:45:51 am »

I use Remotely Anywhere to transfer stuff around the house PC's...I should setup the RDP or a home network but not sure if my X64 system will work with XP. I thought the other post (in split thread) was using MC to sync a laptop as a portable device.

I am also setting up a third PC which will house all of my lossless audio as OGG Vorbis and having a home network would be the easiest way to have MC convert and move files around.

Any tips on home network? I know I probably have services disabled that wil prevent this from working outright and the x64 issues could be a problem.

Dr. C
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hit_ny

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Re: Controlling MC from another PC
« Reply #5 on: February 05, 2006, 09:58:25 am »

I use Remotely Anywhere to transfer stuff around the house PC's...I should setup the RDP or a home network but not sure if my X64 system will work with XP.
If you can get a RDP client for the X64, don't see why it won't work out. Check M$'s site. I have one for W2k and it works great.
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alanl

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Re: Is MC11 detecting another MC11 on a network?
« Reply #6 on: February 05, 2006, 09:59:25 am »

This works if MC is running on a Win platform  < XP. Or the client is not windows.

If MC is running on XP, and the client is also windows, the best performance & easiest is XP's RDP than with TightVNC (tried it). You can even feed sound back to the client.

I assume by RDP you mean Remote Desktop?  If so, my understanding was that it only runs on XP Professional.  If not could you tell me how to get it to work under XP Home?  Tight VNC works fine, in my case,  with three machines running XP Home.
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alanl

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Re: Controlling MC from another PC
« Reply #7 on: February 05, 2006, 10:07:20 am »

I thought the other post (in split thread) was using MC to sync a laptop as a portable device.

Dr. C

Yes, the other thread was about synchronization rather than control.  By defining a folder on a laptop as a handheld it should be possible to synch to it, although I've not dared trying it yet  :-\
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hit_ny

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Re: Is MC11 detecting another MC11 on a network?
« Reply #8 on: February 05, 2006, 10:11:26 am »

I assume by RDP you mean Remote Desktop?  If so, my understanding was that it only runs on XP Professional.  If not could you tell me how to get it to work under XP Home?  Tight VNC works fine, in my case,  with three machines running XP Home.
ahh.. :)

make that XP Pro & above then.
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JONCAT

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Re: Controlling MC from another PC
« Reply #9 on: February 05, 2006, 01:11:23 pm »

Okay, by syncing what do ou mean.

I am setting up this new rig to store video and lossy files and would like to send lossy versions of the newly ripped lossless files over to it.

I just setup the File Sharing home network thing and it works, but is there any danger of exposure even when behind a router?

Dr. C
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alanl

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Re: Controlling MC from another PC
« Reply #10 on: February 05, 2006, 01:38:37 pm »

Probably.  I don't know enough about networks to give an expert answer.  I'm behind a NAT router but also have Windows Firewall enabled on each PC on my home network, set with MC as an exception (Control Panel/Security Centre/Windows Firewall/Media Centre/Edit/Change Scope/My Network (subnet) only).

I know Windows Firewall isn't the best but at least it's some protection.  Perhaps someone with more experience in this area could advise?
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Jaguu

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Re: Controlling MC from another PC
« Reply #11 on: February 05, 2006, 03:48:28 pm »

Windows Firewall does not prevent applications on your hard disk to call home. So if you get spyware on your disk, they still might be able to call their home server and send them valuable information to them.

Firewalls like Zone Alarm, Sygate, Kerio etc. prevent this by alerting you each time one of your applications tries to act as a server. I have Zone Alarm Pro, although I like it less and less.

If you have a properly configured router and NAT you have a pretty safe network, although spyware and malware attacks is still possible, but at least your files are invisible to the outside world.
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Jaguu

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Re: Controlling MC from another PC
« Reply #12 on: February 05, 2006, 04:01:18 pm »

Quote
Okay, by syncing what do ou mean.

By synching I mean that I want my audio/image/video files copied to a notebook, so that I can take them with me without having to connect anywhere, but

1) I want to manage my library only on my main pc.
2) If I make changes to my main library, I want those changes propagated to my notebook
3) As disk space on my notebook is smaller than my home pc, I only want to define a subset of my entire library to be synched to my notebook.

Of course this can all be done by hand by simply copying the files I want to have on my notebook and importing them into MC there.

But the process is not so different than synching to an Ipod or any other handheld that it could not be done in a more elegant way. As MC11 detects handhelds automatically it could also detect another MC11 on the network and sync each other according to predefined rules.

I did some testing today and it seems to work only if you define a drive letter for the network connection. If you use network names such as \\mynotebook\\medialib\ MC11.1 hangs. And I only tested with a small amount of files. I still need to import the files on the notebook. Also, the original directory structure of the media library is not kept on the notebook.
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JONCAT

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Re: Controlling MC from another PC
« Reply #13 on: February 05, 2006, 04:49:56 pm »

I guess syncing would be what I am after as well. How could I define a location (network folder) as a handheld. I don't have a lot of experience with handhelds as I have been waiting for the Neuros III DAP forever :)

Outpost Firewall is really great, unfort. there is no x64 driver yet.

Dr. C
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Robert Taylor

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Re: Controlling MC from another PC
« Reply #14 on: February 05, 2006, 09:05:35 pm »

I can remote control my install of Media Center running on WindowsXP in the lounge from anywhere in the house wirelessly from my pocketPC using Netremote...it works brilliantly...
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Cheers
Rob

JONCAT

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Re: Controlling MC from another PC
« Reply #15 on: February 14, 2006, 07:36:02 am »

Any recs. on particular brands/models of PocketPC's ...places to buy?

thanks
Dr. C
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JONCAT

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Re: Controlling MC from another PC
« Reply #16 on: February 14, 2006, 07:39:02 am »

"I did some testing today and it seems to work only if you define a drive letter for the network connection. If you use network names such as \\mynotebook\\medialib\ MC11.1 hangs. And I only tested with a small amount of files. I still need to import the files on the notebook. Also, the original directory structure of the media library is not kept on the notebook.'

How is this done? I am new at the networking game. Do I do this when nameing my network or through MC?


Okay I got....but you were saying the file structure won't be reproduced into folders even though you can choose those settings?

thanks
Dr. C
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JONCAT

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Re: Controlling MC from another PC
« Reply #17 on: February 14, 2006, 08:42:17 am »

I am sending a transfer of an ape, converting to ogg to my networked drive that is shared and recognized by MC as a portable device.

It shows me what is on the device but when I transfer the ape>ogg, after it finishes, I can't find the file anywhere.

Not sure how to exactly share a network folder as a drive. I just set the name on the network to be O  ...it wouldn't allow a for a : aftwerwards.

Do I need to share the root drive? You still end up with the \\Storage\o

Do I need to change the name of the PC from storage to a drive letter?

I can't find the files anywhere on the client machine.

Dr. C
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