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[JoeBlow42069]

I have several movies that came with 2 discs, 1 is the movie and the other is special features. Is there a way to combine these into 1 thumbnail w/ the option to select main movie or special features?

[MrHaugen]

You could modify your views to include for example the Series tag. Tag the series (the two disks) with the movie name, and differentiate the "Name" tag of each disk. The view setup could be something like: Show: Media Type Movies. Series, Name.

Or something similar. Try to search for things like "box set" here on the forum to get some more ideas. There's been some discussions in the past. I hope JRiver adds a built in way of handling box sets soon. This could also be used for multiple disks pr movie I think.

[CountryBumkin]

I have done this on a couple of movies by converting both movies to MKV then "appending" the second movie to the end of the first. This creates one big MKV file with both movies.

[preproman]

I have done this on a couple of movies by converting both movies to MKV then "appending" the second movie to the end of the first. This creates one big MKV file with both movies.

So there's no way to just stack both movie files?

[syndromeofadown]

To view my movies I use fields 'name' and 'installment'. Installment is a user field.

For the 'name' field of my movies i just enter the name of the movie.

For the 'installment' field of my movies I enter Disc 1, or Disc 2, or Disc 3, etc for DVD rips and
I enter Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 for other video types.

Part 1, Part 2, etc is for movies cut into multiple parts, not sequels. Sequels have different names.

For 95 percent of my movies the installment field is either Disc 1 or Part 1 because most movies don't have multiple parts.

I use this system with categories, album thumbnails, and theatre view.

[BartMan01]

So there's no way to just stack both movie files?

This isn't what the OP was really asking for.  The scenario was movie on one disk and special features on another that he wanted to show as 'one' choice with sub choices.  Not sure how to make that work - how about just naming them 'MovieName - Movie' and MovieName - Special Features'.  That way they would show up next to each other.

To the movie spread across multiple disks scenario, I find the joined MKV route the best way to go.  For some tricky ones (like the LOTR movies) there are instructions on how to make it work.

[JoeBlow42069]

I have renamed the special features folder so both discs show up side by side, but I really like how My Movies works with Windows Media Center (one choice with sub choices) and wanted to create the same thing w/ JRiver. Is this possible to do?

[MrHaugen]

Yes, it is. Follow my advice, and you'll have exactly what you want. You'll need to use an additional tag. For example Series tag, and then you have to change your views. I gave you a rough description on how to do this. Tell me if you need more help.

[JoeBlow42069]

I take a look at the tagging when I have some free time, ty:)

[BartMan01]

Yes, it is. Follow my advice, and you'll have exactly what you want. You'll need to use an additional tag. For example Series tag, and then you have to change your views. I gave you a rough description on how to do this. Tell me if you need more help.

This really won't do what My Movies does unless I am missing something.  With My Movies, I am pretty sure single disk items are one click to run and multi-disk are click main entry to get list of disks to choose from.  With the tag solution, even single disc movies will now take 2 clicks to open.  One click to choose the movie name and bring up the list of one disk a second click to open the actual movie.  A lot of extra work and clicks for most items just to avoid having 2 entries for the few that need it.

[csimon]

The same issue occurs, obviously, with CD boxed sets, or multi-volume sets.  I don't believe there is any media server that has yet got to grips with this.

Yes, you can create a separate tag to store the volume name in, but this then creates an extra-level menu item that is superfluous for single-discs.

You can name the albums individually, in which case the fact that they all belong together as a set is lost.

Or you can bundle all tracks into one album.

None of these solutions is satisfactory.

I have requested several times that in MC views, including DLNA views, you should be able to set a flag to say "skip single values", i.e. skip this level if it returns only a single value. That way you get single levels for single disc sets, and an extra level for multi-disc sets.  Perfect.  I believe MC can do this automatically in certain areas as part of client function aility, but we really need it done at the server level.

[JustinChase]

I have requested several times that in MC views, including DLNA views, you should be able to set a flag to say "skip single values", i.e. skip this level if it returns only a single value. That way you get single levels for single disc sets, and an extra level for multi-disc sets.  Perfect.  I believe MC can do this automatically in certain areas as part of client function aility, but we really need it done at the server level.

As have I.  Actually, I don't want to 'set a flag', I just want MC to automatically skip single value views.  If there is only one item in the view, MC can just skip past it to the next/only choice I can make from that screen, saving me the clicking.

I posted about it here, and several folks expressed interest in this also, but after I was repeatedly insulted by another user for wanting this.  I gave up asking.  I still hope to see it happen one day.

This is the thread, which includes my explanation of how I handle something very similar to what the original poster is requesting...

http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=68981.0

I hope it helps.

[MrHaugen]

I have requested several times that in MC views, including DLNA views, you should be able to set a flag to say "skip single values", i.e. skip this level if it returns only a single value. That way you get single levels for single disc sets, and an extra level for multi-disc sets.  Perfect.  I believe MC can do this automatically in certain areas as part of client function aility, but we really need it done at the server level.

Correct. I sort of forgot about the single value views For series MC does NOT show Seasons when there are just one season. It simply skips that step, and goes right to the next view which contains the episodes. This should be the default behavior for any view imo.

[csimon]

Yeah, I think this is where the distinction between client and server gets blurred and why it seems that the MC client and server are not yet completely independent.

The server's job is to catalogue and index your media library and present it to clients. It's the client's job to render the library and allow selection from it.

Once you've got your library indexed and catalogued the way you want it, you expect it to appear in the same way in all clients. You don't expect one client to display things in a different order from another client for example. (That's one of the gripes I had with Plugplayer - it re-sorts your items as it sees fit. It least it's now configurable to turn that behaviour off).

It therefore makes sense to have this "skip single choices" attribute a function of the server, whether it's MC's library server, the web service, or the DLNA server, and allow it to be a choice so that you don't have to use if if you don't want to.  This way, you're not relying on each individual client to implement that "skip single choices" functionality.  It shouldn't matter what client you're using, whether it's MC's Theater View, whether it's a DLNA controller, or whether it's DLNA player, the library should be presented to the user in the same way and in the configuration that you've specified.

I regard the ability to handle Boxed Sets easily and transparently, fluidly and logically, as the server's job.

[JustinChase]

Just a bit of 'Devil's Advocate' here, but I think the servers job is really just to let the client know what media is available. Not to manipulate or 'judge' it in any way.  If one client wants to see things a certain way, but another client wants to see it another way, that should be the norm.  They should not be forced to all see things the same way.  (every client currently sees Track 1 as a 5 star, for example)

The server should NOT manipulate views, or store ratings, or last played (globally), in my opinion.  It should be nothing more than a card catalog at the library, simply listing what is available, and how that media is displayed and rated and organized should be entirely up to the client.  The client should simply relay to the server that file X is needed on Y machine, and the server should serve that file to the client.

As for the 'skip single item views', I can't think of any scenario where you wouldn't want to do that, so I suggest it should be the default/only behavior.  However, if someone wants to see a list of one item for some reason, I suppose it could be an option.

In practice, when you select an item in a (Theater) view that only has one item as the result, the screen presented only gives you 2 choices, click the only choice to drill down further, or go back.  There is nothign else that can be done on this (useless) screen.  If you want to go back, you probalby didn't want to go there in first place, so this is unlikely to be chosen by anyone, except in a mistake.  In this case, if the single item view was just skipped over, the resultant screen would still offer a back selection, which would again skip the single item view going back, so there is nothing gained by showing the single item view in this scenario.

Otherwise, the only other choice is to go to the next screen, which would/should just automatically happen without the user needing to click any more.  Forcing a user make a choice that isn't a choice is unnecessary/unwelcome/useless.

Like Mr Haugen said, this happens automatically for series/season views.  I think it should be the default action for any 'single item views' that have another screen/choice that follows it.

[csimon]

Being devil's advocate back (!), the server should present the library as you've told it to, in a consistent way, to every client. It's you that manipulates the view, it's you that decides how you want your media library organised.  Neither client nor server should present the library in a different way from what you've told it. The client should not change it in any way, you're right, so it's not right that some clients skip single items and others don't.  It shouldn't be up to the client. You should be able to decide when it does it and when it doesn't, and that would be done by your own configuration of the views.

And that's why the skip option should be an option and not forced. Because not everyone wants to do it that way. Or, from my point of view inparticular, I wouldn't want every single-level menu to be skipped.

Example:

If I choose an artist, it's aesthetically more pleasing to see the albums by the artist on the next level, even if there's only one. I would be taken aback if it went straight from artist to a list of tracks when every other artist I choose results in an album screen.

But as discussed in this thread, I would expect to see an extra level for a boxed set only if there is more than 1 volume in the set.

Remember that this discussion shouldn't relate only to how Theater View behaves. We should want all clients serverd fromt eh same server to behave in the same way.

If the server's job is only to present what media is available and it's up to the client to organise it and arrange menus, what's the point in configuring views? What about media players such as a WD TV that are used as a DLNA client - should that also have its own front end and library where you can configure views and thus ignore what was sent from the server?

[JustinChase]

Being devil's advocate back (!), the server should present the library as you've told it to, in a consistent way, to every client.

I think we both disagree with this.  You seem to be saying the server should determine how a client sees the library.  The way I tell the server how I want to see the library is with a client, and each client may want to see it differently from one another.  The server should only present the library (collection of media) as it exists.  File X is here, it's of this type, it's this long, etc.  The client should take that very basic, factual data, and display it any way I choose.

The point of having clients is to let them see things the way they want to see them.  I don't think the server should mandate any view of anything, the client should always do that.  I think you say the same thing here...

It's you that manipulates the view, it's you that decides how you want your media library organised.  Neither client nor server should present the library in a different way from what you've told it.

And this 'manipulation' is/should only be done with a client.  Each should be able to have their own view/manipulation.  If you set any view on the server, then everyone is forced to use this selection.  If you leave it to the client, they all get their own way.

The client should not change it in any way, you're right, so it's not right that some clients skip single items and others don't.  It shouldn't be up to the client. You should be able to decide when it does it and when it doesn't, and that would be done by your own configuration of the views.

I'm not sure what you mean by 'I'm right', since I don't think this is what I said.  I think the client should change it in every way.  I think the server should not change it (or mandate it) in any way.  ONLY the client should.  If client A wants to skip single views, but client B doesn't, they each need to make this determination separately.  If this were handled/decided by the server, then one client won't get what they want, since there will only be one choice, to skip or not.

This is/should only be done/decided by the client.  I decide when it does and doesn't by my settings in the client.  If I set this in the server, then all clients have this forced upon them, which isn't what I (or you?) want.

As for making the choice to skip single views forced upon us, I already said it could/should be optional, per the example you've provided with albums.

I would opt to skip the single view, but your desire to see the single item here is certainly valid, so making this optional is the best choice.  It also highlights what I'm saying above.  Each client might want it handled differently, and if this was set on the server, one of us would be disappointed, if we were both using the same library/server.

I hope that makes more sense.

[csimon]

I'm not sure what you mean by 'I'm right'....

Yes, I know, I was going back to edit the post before you saw it.  Sorry!

If client A wants to skip single views, but client B doesn't, they each need to make this determination separately.  If this were handled/decided by the server, then one client won't get what they want, since there will only be one choice, to skip or not.

This is/should only be done/decided by the client.  I decide when it does and doesn't by my settings in the client.  If I set this in the server, then all clients have this forced upon them, which isn't what I (or you?) want.

Hmm, I wonder if you're talking users here, not clients.

The thing is, MC allows you to set up different virtual DLNA "servers" so each user could have their own view, even if they use the same clients.

[mojave]

The way I tell the server how I want to see the library is with a client, and each client may want to see it differently from one another.  The server should only present the library (collection of media) as it exists.  File X is here, it's of this type, it's this long, etc.  The client should take that very basic, factual data, and display it any way I choose. . . .

JRiver views a library not as the data (collection of media), but the information about that data. If you want each client to display the data differently and keep track of stats, etc., then just have a separate library on each client.

Method A:  You can have data on the server. Each client can stand alone with its own library that shows the data differently, but all still share the same data.

Method B:  You can have data on the server with one library and multiple clients that access the data similarly. Clients and server all sync with each other.

 

[csimon]

Method A:  You can have data on the server. Each client can stand alone with its own library that shows the data differently, but all still share the same data.

Yes, that's where things get a bit muddled with MC, because then each client is behaving as its own library server! The MC program is in fact both client and server.  You are only using it as a pure client when you connect to a remote library.

In general, clients don't modify the views that are returned from the server.

[MrHaugen]

Why discuss where those changes should be processed, as long as the behavior is changed? It's of topic, and quite frankly hurting the intention of this thread, which I find increasingly important my self.

It works pretty well for seasons today, does it not? Why make it more complicated than expanding this behavior?

[JustinChase]

JRiver views a library not as the data (collection of media), but the information about that data.

Right, but this is exactly what I'm suggesting should be changed, for all the reasons mentioned already, and MANY more.

I can't "just have a separate library on each client" and have them all in use simultaneously without risking corruption of the data.

There is no way, currently, for my wife to view the media with different metadata than my view/library, at the same time I'm viewing/using the data.  It's just not possible currently.

There are workarounds that sort of work, but none do as I'm suggesting should be done.

However, as was just mentioned by MrHaugen, this is getting rather off topic.

I will revert to my confirmation of agreement for the request to have the possibility to automatically skip single item views.  Perhaps per media type (good for video, maybe less good for albums).