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[kevind]

OK.

Did not see any of these in the features.

I would love to see native WMP playlist (wpl) file support so that Media Center will automatically pick up anyone making playlists from any windows media player throughout the house


A true Server/Client architecture/UI. A "remote" client skin. In the world of distributed audio systems, the media server (with J River installed) is usually located in a rack. Playback and management of the house music library is always done from PC's throughout the house or touch screens. I have asked for years for this type of feature: Specifically, the remote client looks and behave exactly like the native MC BUT when you select music to play from a "Client MC" it's NOT being done at the local PC but rather the "Master" MC.  As if you were sitting in front of the rack and monitor. This would also mean that any "Client" shows the same "now playing" for a particular sound card zone.

Just my wish list

[Matt]

How would the clients pick what zone they were talking to?  Would they be able to see all the zones?

Is there anything other than play, pause, next, and previous that would get fired back to the master?

[kevind]

How would the clients pick what zone they were talking to? 

Would they be able to see all the zones?

Is there anything other than play, pause, next, and previous that would get fired back to the master?

Zones are setup at the Master MC because that is where the sound cards are. Client "Zones" are limited only by Master MC. If the Master has 2 zones (2 sound cards) then the clients will see 2 zones. Yes, see all the zones.


Client Features:
OK thanks for the "soap box". Perhaps the best way to think what a client requires is breaking it down to shared data/configurations (from Master and reflecting on all clients) and client independent functions/options. Perhaps it's simpler to take the existing MC and make some changes in key areas to the back end. I'll do my best to describe what I mean.

Let's say the existing MC Platform is the "MASTER" to hopefully minimize changes required.
A CLIENT is exactly the same as a Master except in a few areas.

Sound Cards/Zones
The Master MC dictates the sound cards. When you setup a zone from a client (or add/ modify) you see sound card options as you do now BUT the sound cards listed are the ones on the Master PC. The primary purpose of a client is to playback from the master and not locally.

\\SERVER\M-Audio Channel 1-2
\\SERVER\M-Audio Channel 3-4

no what I mean? If you add a new zone from a client, all the other clients automatically pick it up because it's the master MC that is really having zones modified.

Playlists and Smartlists
Playlists should be in a central location that the master reads and be fully manageable by any client: Edit, Add, New, Delete etc. All clients see the same playlists. If you make a playlist called "Bob's Tunes" from a client, Bob's Tunes immediately shows up on all clients because Bob's Tunes is really either in a shared folder on the network or on the MASTER MC

Library: I doubt there is really any need to change anything here as you can edit, change and manage the library from any MC as it is now when the music is all stored on a shared NAS drive(s).

Folder Monitoring and Auto Import:
This should be reflected on all clients as the same. If you add a new folder to auto-import or monitor from a client all the other clients should see this as well immediately.

Tools->Options Settings

Burning - No Change - Client Independent

CD-DVD - I don't think any changes are required here. You are going to rip a CD locally at a client.

Encoding-  No change. Client independent as you are going to rip CDs from clients. This is up in the air. It's easy enough to set all clients to the same rip settings.

File Associations - Master MC Setting. Settings here reflect on all clients. It's the Master MC playing the files so it's irrelevant for the client.

File Location - Master MC Setting. Settings here reflect on all clients

General - There is a tonne of stuff here. From the looks of it most of this would be Master MC settings.

HandHeld - Client independent. Should be able to hook an iPod up locally at a client PC

Library & Folders - Master MC Settings. Settings here reflect on all clients

Playback - Master MC Settings. Settings here reflect on all clients

Podcast - Master MC Settings. Settings here reflect on all clients

Remote - Client Independent?? Not Needed??? I don't know about this one as I don't use this feature ever.

Startup - Client independent

Theater View - Client independent for look and feel BUT Master control functions. IE Play from Theater View is starting music on the Master System. Good for touch screens.

Tree View - Client independent

Playing Now:
Shows the same across all clients for any given zone. Start playing from one client and all clients show it when you select "Now Playing".

Pod Casts: I don't use this feature but others I am sure do. This of course should be a Master MC relection.

Skins and View Schemes: Should also be client independent. My view scheme is definately different than my wife's or kid's for example as it is right now. Data is the same on all clients but the look and feel can be personalized for a specific client.

Rip Cd's of course

Sync iPods and handhelds. Most people with iPods or what have you are going to want to walk up to any client pc, plug in and go.

Visualizations: This should not be on a client but merely to trigger the current visualization settings on the master. This would be very cool to then hook the master PC to a plasma and it's "Show Time"!

Playback Settings ->DSP. MASTER MC Setting.

Shufle/Repeat - MASTER Settings. Any setting having to do with playback should be MASTER MC and shared on all clients.

I am sure some others can chime in.

[kevind]

There are a few "lite" versions already but they lack total managment features...xpTunes is great but it is what it is and nothing more. Interfaces like xpTunes definately have their use and place.

[kevind]

Hmm...perhaps a simpler way to describe this.

Imagine a standard setup for audio in a house has a music server with J River installed in a rack in a closet somewhere in the house. As such, playback viewing and control is NOT done at the local PC/Server. The user is not going to walk over to the rack evertyime he/she wants to listen to some tunes. This rack or closet server has multiple sound cards. What you want is full control over the remote server from any PC in the house including options from those PCs for the standard views included and TheatreView for touch screens.

What we want to be able to do is:
Have full playback control of the remote J River from any PC in the house or touch screen for that matter
Have all the view options available now
Full default shared playlist control so if a playlist is created from any PC in the house, all the other PC's set it and the Master automatically picks it up. If a playlists is deleted or edited those changes are refelected immediately. I've always thought a simple route for this is that playlists are external files just like WMP saved in a folder of choosing and the master system simply monitors that folder.
All player PCs see the same thing.
When selecting SoundCards for "Zones" on player PCs the sound cards listed as options are those on the master server...the one in the rack.

THere is  a big UI difference need for just playback and the ability to manage the library. It would be nice ot have both options. I know I am not alone in this as there are many many people out there stuffing music servers away in closets for their in-home distributed audio systems.  XP Tunes is OK but it has no zone options. Cinemar's Music Lobby is OK but has a lot of extra overhead.

When on a player PC J River looks  and feels just as it is now with all the options BUT the soundcards, playlists are on the master server/PC not the local PC. The goal here is NOT to playback locally but remotely.