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[jackpod]

I had been using MC12 and previous versions since they came out. While updating hardware and software after being a happy camper for some 7 years I discovered MC was no longer supported or would integrate with the other software involved. It didn't take long to find out that the "new" didn't fit my needs, so I am looking to change things so I can come back to the best media player ever. Here is my dilemna. I have a multi source whole house audio system, so I am not looking to stream, but I am looking to be able to display the MC GUI on multiple systems throughout the house, it would be nice to have complete control from each GUI instance. To further complicate matters, some of the remote displays are SunRay thin clients that log into a Solaris VM that use the windows connector and RDP into a server 2008R2 terminal server. Unfortunately Server 2008R2 does not support sound cards. I looked thru the forums and did not see anything about MC 18 having a web interface. Is there a remote GUI App that I could place on the other clients and terminal server?

Currently I have a win 7 box with 2 M-Audio 1010LT (4 stereo feeds each) and the music database which is quite large is on a share on a SAN (1361 cd's / 17164 tracks)

[JimH]

WebGizmo might do what you need.

[MrHaugen]

Unfortunately Server 2008R2 does not support sound cards. I looked thru the forums and did not see anything about MC 18 having a web interface.

Sure about that? You have to enable the "Desktop Experience" feature to be able to dabble with sound cards, but it should be doable. Even though I have not tried to actually playing anything with my 2008 R2 servers, I would probably have heard someone scream if it did not work.

As for client playback, you have a few options. If the server is fast enough, you MIGHT be able to use the theater view from the client? That probably requires a good GPU if it should be able to support multiple clients though. And I've not tired it from virtual machines my self. So, it might fail miserably. There's also the WebGizmo as Jim suggests. The server could run this, and you should be able to play pretty much everything from everywhere to everywhere as long as you use a web browser. The third option might be to search for other DLNA client software that can access the library server? Or to run MC as a client in standard view. I do not know how you normally control your clients. In the case you use touch or remotes, this is not the best option of course.

[ADDiCT]

Sure about that? You have to enable the "Desktop Experience" feature to be able to dabble with sound cards, but it should be doable.

It isn't, the server won't play any sounds via the local soundcard when connecting via RDP. I've seen a few forum threads describing the problem (one of them on the MS site, with a MS technical guy responding), no solution. I was trying to use a 2008R2 server as "Media Center" myself, had to use Windows 7 instead.

In general: please make MC fully multi-user capable, either by exposing the db for shared use, or by giving us full client functionality via the library server (=MC connected to a remote server should have the same functionality as with a local library).

[jackpod]

MrHaugen, you are correct, I did not elaborate enough when I said 2008R2 doesn't support sound cards, my sound cards are not supported and the instance of 2008R2 that is configured as my terminal server is running as a VM on ESXi. My previous setup was MC12 and Cinemar's Mediacenter and MLServer3 along with the MLServer plugin. This allowed me to control J River from any client running Mainlobby whether from a physical box or one of my thin clients from the terminal server. I upgraded to MLServer 4 and "MusicLobby" is self contained. It works but the functionality has changed and well .... I still plan on using MainLobby as my graphical frontend to my Homeseer system (actually part of the automation is homeseer and part of it is mainlobby) I just need to find a way to be able to control MC either from "WebLobby" or minimize mainlobby and bring up MediaCenter so I can have transport control start, stop, pause, skip tracks, and either see coverart and metadata or pull metadata into Homeseer and I can display it from within MainLobby. I work from my home office and typically shuffle the entire playlist all day long everyday of the week.

I appreciate the tips and will look into the suggestions mentioned. Thanks for the tips

[MrHaugen]

Right! I remember having trouble with sound trough RDP with my servers as well, a while back. It's a pretty lame limitation by MS. So, RDP is probably out of the question then. VNC might be an option. I had to drop it after a few tests. The latency if way to high. That was a couple of years ago though.

You MIGHT have better luck if you set up some zones on the server it self, and connect the clients through each zone? There will be some wiring, and I do not really know how zones work. But something like this should be possible.

Probably not what you want to hear, but the option I find working best is to purchase cheaper small HTPC's as each client, and control the devices with remotes or touch screens. Each client connecting to the main library server. And/Or using android/OSx/win7&8 devices to connect to the library server though through the many options for DLNA playback and what not. It would probably cost more, but might give you less headaches.

Sorry. Wrote all this before I read about the Weblobby and transport controls. I'll leave it just in case you find it the slightest useful.
MC can be controlled trough remote commands and a web interface API. So, if Weblobby are customizable, you might be able to add MC control to this one. Or adding weblobby control to a customized webgizmo page perhaps? I've never used those web things, so I can not recommend what to do here, or even how it really works.

Good luck!

[jackpod]

Thanks for the info, I have a couple things I am going to try over the weekend. My biggest dilemna is all I want is remote control. All zones terminate into my whole house distribution system which sits on top of the music server. I don't want to stream to the remote locations, only control from the remote locations (why the use of the thin clients)

RDP is actually an option except, I have to use a Desktop OS because of the sound card issue and well I haven't found an RDP hack for Win 7 like there was for XP. Infact because XP is close to being unsupported is why I went to Win 7 and that is where everything broke