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[Zhillsguy]

Like most folks, I have many albums that are in multiple formats (FLAC, MP3, etc.).

Is there a way I can sort my library or create a smartlist so that if the same album is in more than one format, only one appears in the library or smartlist? For instance, I would prefer to see all artists/albums, but only the FLAC version of each album if available, not other formats unless FLAC is not.

Thanks.

[MrC]

There are a number of ways to do this.  What type of view are you using primarily (Standard: Categories or Panes, Theater)?

[Zhillsguy]

Standard Views (so far).....

edit: Usually Artists in panes(?).

[MrC]

Ok, great.

A quick start - add a new column, File Type, and you can use that as a selector.  Add it as a column as far right as you want, then you can select your artist and the narrowing will show you the file types available for a given artist/album.

Right-click to Customize the view to add a new category File Type.

[Scolex]

The easiest way to create a FLAC only view is:
right click audio>add library view>select type>name it>select location
open newly created view and hover over the tab select customize view>set rules for file display
in the new window click the left drop down under rules and select "file type"
middle drop down "is"
right drop down select the types you want shown

[MrC]

The easiest way to create a FLAC only view is:

I think Zhillsguy wants FLAC, but also other formats when FLAC does not exist.

[MrC]

edit: Usually Artists in panes(?).

That's actually a Category view.  Same idea applies, you'll just select the format deeper into the category drill-down.

[Zhillsguy]

Thanks, I will work on this....... it may take several steps to get what I am after.....

This is the first software I felt worthy of purchase in several years!

[Scolex]

If you have multiple qualities of the same song/album you can also use Stacks which is a way to only show one version.
http://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Stacks

[raduschka]

Hi everyone, I am new to JRiver. I use JRemote on an Ipod and I have several albums in both mp3 and flac formats and I can't tell them apart so when I click on them I end up with 2 identical tracks . I have no idea how to keep the 2 formats separate, please help!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you

[MrC]

How would you like to handle them:

  1. Always show only the FLAC version (and let MC do on-the-fly conversion)
  2. Drill down to a format choice when one is available (e.g. Album\FLAC, or Album\MP3)
  3. Other way?

Can we assume that all tracks for an album have both formats if any track is on more than one format?

[Frobozz]

One quick and dirty way of keeping multiple versions of an album separate is to name each version of the album something different.
Some examples:
Album [MP3]
Album [Amazon MP3]
Album [iTunes]
Album [Remastered 2010]
Album [Deluxe]
Album [Epic]

Just make each version identifiable for what it is.  Media Center will now keep each version of the album separate.

[csimon]

...or, if you've implemented a boxed-set/multiple-volume type construct, using an extra field to denote the name of an individual disc in a multi-disc set, you could set the Album Name the same for all versions of the album then set your volume/disc name to be MP3 [Original Release], FLAC, FLAC [Remastered Album], etc.  Then in your main album view, you see only one entry for the Album but you then drill down to see all its multiple variations.  Also remember to set the Disc # tag so that it's different for each of the different versions of the albums.

[BartMan01]

If you have multiple qualities of the same song/album you can also use Stacks which is a way to only show one version.
http://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Stacks

This is how I do it.  I put the 'default' version on top of the stack and then create special views for other versions.  One example would be the Rush Moving Pictures BluRay.  I have both the surround and stereo versions in my library, stacked with the stereo version on top.  Normal views return the stereo version.  I have a view called 'surround versions' set up with the following:
[Channels]=>2 ~d=a ~sort=[Name (Base)]-d,[Bitrate]-d ~seq ~sort=[Sequence] ~nodup=[Name /(Base/)] ~sort=[Artist],[Sequence],[Name],[Name (Base)]-d,[Bitrate]-d

That gives me all tracks with more than 2 channels (even if hidden in a stack), sorted and limited to only show the highest bit-rate version of the track.

[connersw]

Thanks for the advice on stacks--was looking for something like that.  Will need to try it when I get home