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[rjm]

I want to give my wife access to our media library from her computer on our LAN and am weighing two approaches:
1) Server (MC's Library Server/Client)
2) Local (local library accessing network drives with periodic synchronization from master library)

I would appreciate it if someone would corrrect any errors in my observations and conclusions, or offer an alternate approach.

Key requirements include:
- wife will not import or tag media
- wife will not create or modify view schemes
- wife must be able to create personal playlists
- wife must be able to syncronize iPod to playlist
- minimize effort for me to keep wife's library up to date

Advantages of Server vs. Local:
- zero effort to keep client up to date
- no need to map drives

Advantages of Local vs. Server:
- faster startup since no need to get copy of library
- can play dvds
- can play video types that do not support url access
- faster load time for video types that require copy in server mode
- can create persistent playlists without export/import

My conclusion is to use Local. Anyone see any flaws in my logic?

I intend to periodically synchronize my master library and thumbnail cache to my wife's system, but do not want to overwrite her playlists. I am therefore proposing to exclude the file "playlistx.jmd" from the synchronization. Will this work?

I would also like my wife to be able to subscribe to a unique set of Podcasts but I don't think this will be possible given that I will be synchronizing the library. Anyone see a way to do this?

Thanks for your help.

[Alex B]

I intend to periodically synchronize my master library and thumbnail cache to my wife's system, but do not want to overwrite her playlists. I am therefore proposing to exclude the file "playlistx.jmd" from the synchronization. Will this work?

Maybe you could try it and report. I would like to know what happens if some of the playlist files are renamed or deleted from the master library.

I would also like my wife to be able to subscribe to a unique set of Podcasts but I don't think this will be possible given that I will be synchronizing the library. Anyone see a way to do this?

The podcasts seem to be a part of the library so I don't think that is possible.


You didn't mention the option #3 -- the shared library system.

For some time now it has been possible to share a library folder with several MC instances.

The first MC instance has read and write rights. The subsequent instances download a temporary copy of the library and cannot save changes to the master library. When a shared library is used files are accessed through the standard Windows file system. All formats can be played similarly like when a local library is used. In addition, it is possible to choose which MC instance can save changes.

[rjm]

You didn't mention the option #3 -- the shared library system.

For some time now it has been possible to share a library folder with several MC instances.

The first MC instance has read and write rights. The subsequent instances download a temporary copy of the library and cannot save changes to the master library. When a shared library is used files are accessed through the standard Windows file system. All formats can be played similarly like when a local library is used. In addition, it is possible to choose which MC instance can save changes.

Thanks for responding Alex and for reminding me about 3rd option.

I don't think 3rd option is good fit for my requirements since I want my wife to have persistent playlists. And I want to guarantee that only my system has write access to tags and view schemes, regardless of who starts up first. Also suspect startup will be slower for 2nd system due to need to make temp copy of library.

[JONCAT]

I'm curious what happens when you share a library, does the client with read-only rights have "write tags imeediately" disabled by default? 

As far as playlists' response to missing files , my observation has been that MC yanks the files out of the playlist; a design I have never liked because it means you better have a m3u laying around or similar. I have changed drive letters or moved files around and playlist, while smart enough to know the track is missing don't behave like the rest of MC i..e library is seperate from what's on disk.

Guess this has changed; playlists seem to be "smarter" now. I tested a file movedin Windows explorer, not a deleted one though.

DC

[rjm]

Maybe you could try it and report. I would like to know what happens if some of the playlist files are renamed or deleted from the master library.

I am pleased to report that it works remarkably well. My wife's playlists are preserved.

If I rename a file in the master library (that was in my wife's playlist) and then resync the library excluding playlistx.jmd my wife's playlist correctly sees the renamed file. This probably means that MC is using a unique id # rather than the filename to identify files.

In addition, if I delete a file in the master and resync, it is correctly removed from my wife's playlist.

Overall it could not work better.

fyi, I also decided to exclude curplaylist.jmd from the sync so that my wife's Playing Now is preserved.

[rjm]

I'm curious what happens when you share a library, does the client with read-only rights have "write tags imeediately" disabled by default? 

I have not tried this method so will let Alex or someone else answer.

[JONCAT]

Cool, glad it's working so well.

 I only asked because I'm sharing one library, and it occurred to me that quite often I'm simply keeping the library in sync with any tag changes that have been written to file, excluding the cases whEre tags aren't written to file or disk location changes.

 DC