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[jmone]

I need some advise on the "best" way to configure my media playback throught the house.  I have the following setup
1) Main PC - Holds all the media and a copy of MC for admin/ripping etc.  This will be the only device I want updating, taging, adding, and changing the media collection
2) Client PCs - Each as a copy of MC including the HTPC (main playback) and the kids laptops connecting the Main PC using Network Shares (read only)
3) Windows Home Server that backs everthing up

What is options do I have for these "Client" PC's? 
1) Should I have each PC with it's own library (and the pain of updating) or
2) one "shared read only library" somewhere on the network or
3) use the media server or
4) other??

I'd ideally like to do this once and get it correct!

Thanks
Nathan

[raym]

There's a million posts on this one and everyone has a different way of doing it.

Personally, I adopt the first option - local copy. I control the updates from the master lib via scripts on an "as-needed" basis. I copy the pre-built thumbs as well so everything's always nice and fast. Since I also use auto-import to pick up new content, I don't find the need to update/refresh the client library very often.

If you're wanting the clients to play all video formats I wouldn't bother with library server.

Shared libs work well. Just bare in mind that an MC restart on the client is required to pick up any updates you've made on the server.

Cheers.

[rpalmer68]

Hi Nathan,

I do option (2) with my laptop having full access to the library sitting on my NAS but my two HTPCs opening the library read only.  Play counts don't get updated but I really don't care about them.

All my TV recordings are in folders monitored by Auto import so each HTPC imports the recordings into its read only library which obviously get cleared every time the library is reloaded (4am every night) and then re-imported again.

Works well for me, I just have to remember that every time I upgarde MC (and this is like almost daily) I have to close MC as soon as it opens otherwise my master library ends up with all the auto import stuff in it that I then have to manually clear out.

There has been a few requests for a READ ONLY option in the Library manager, which would be VERY helpful but as yet it hasn't been implemented... but I still hold out hope...

Richard