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Author Topic: Advice on sharing to network  (Read 1345 times)

Bengi010

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Advice on sharing to network
« on: January 31, 2013, 06:06:54 pm »

I recently read here on the forum that there are some advantages to sharing your media drive so that the client PCs can connect directly to the source rather than routing through the MC server.  I don't understand this very clearly and am looking for some advice.  Here is a break down of my system and usage and some concerns I have.

I have one desktop pc that I use as a server that's on 24/7.  It is connected to 8 hard drives, 4 of which are dedicated to media.

In addition I have a htpc and a laptop that are currently set up as clients to the desktop server

When playing movies on the clients there is usually only lag when fast forwarding or rewinding, would having a shared network help this?  It would still be a connection via wifi, they are not hardwired.

How would I go about sharing my media drives, via windows homegroup (all 3 are windows 7) or on the network.

What about security?  I currently share my wifi with our downstairs neighbors.  I wouldn't mind them having access to the media, so long as they couldn't alter or erase anything, but I wouldn't want them to have access to anything else.  Those 4 drives are solely media though so that isn't too much a concern. 

Would this set up allow me to sync the watched status between the 3 computers so that movies watched on the laptop register as watched on the htpc and vice versa?

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MrC

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Re: Advice on sharing to network
« Reply #1 on: January 31, 2013, 07:04:39 pm »

Here's the simple answer.  MC, when sharing files from server to client, needs to stream the files.  But many file formats are not readily streamable.  This means, the files have to be sent entirely to the client before the client can do anything - hence buffer and waiting.

If instead, your files are shared via Windows networking, the client MC can just read the files directly from the file system.  MC does not have to stream the file.

You enable the client option to Use local files when available.  You configure all your systems to access the media through the exact same path.  Either all use UNC paths or the same Windows drive paths.  E.g.:

   M:\Media\....
   \\NAS\Media\...

Since MC maintains Filename fields for each file, the client can just use that field directly, and start reading / playing the file.  No buffer, no wait.
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