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[jimmy neutron]

I have MC18 set as my default media player, but I've always struggled with 1 particular playback issue that is really becoming annoying. Reaching out for some suggesstions. I have music in my library that is in 2 channel stereo, as well as 5.1 rips from DVD-A's. I also have my movies that are obviously in 5.1. My problem is playing back these files on MC - it's a headache. I must be doing something wrong. Here is my setup:

2 channel music plays over USB out to my external DAC, then analog out of DAC to analog in on my preamp.

5.1 music plays SPDIF out of motherboard into preamp digital in.

5.1 movies play SPDIF out of motherboard into preamp digital in.

I do it this way because I prefer listening to my music files with my external DAC over my preamp's built in DAC. My movies (or any 5.1 file) use the preamps DAC. The problem is every time I want to play a 2 channel file over USB I have to go into MC's playback properties and select my USB as the output, and also go into the Windows properties and select USB as the output. Going back to play a 5.1 music or movie file requires me to go back into MC's playback properties box and select SPDIF out, then go into Windows properties and select SPDIF as the output. I also frequently get the "This files formats could not be played back. Please choose a different playback format....".

Is there any simple way to have MC know a file is 2 channel and will use USB, and also know a 5.1 file and use SPDIF automatically? I heard "zones" thrown around in here. Is this something I need to set up that could solve my issue? As it is right now I am the only one in my family that can use our gameroom HTPC because no one in my family is PC savvy as far as MC is concerned. Is there a 1 stop solution? Maybe in MC tell it what playback properties are required per file type? I like to just select a file and have it play back correctly. I do understand that the Windows properties will still need to be changed by me, but that's one step over many. And can MC possible be able to attach to the Windows properties and make the change automatically set by the rules that are given to each file?

Jimmy

[kstuart]

Are you the same Jimmy Neutron from another music player ?

Anyway:

" 2 channel music plays over USB out to my external DAC, then analog out of DAC to analog in on my preamp.

5.1 music plays SPDIF out of motherboard into preamp digital in.

5.1 movies play SPDIF out of motherboard into preamp digital in."

That is exactly what I do, and it is all handled automatically by Zones.  Search the wiki for Zones, or search Thread Titles for Zones.  (The Cliff Notes is setup 3 Zones, each has a different output setup, and "rules" determine which file is played back in which Zone.)

[eddyshere]

yes zones are the best way to handle this.
add a zone first under player>zones>add zones. Make one zone for your dac (ie name the zone for ex. "2 channel dac" for ex.). then select this zone on the left. then open (in that zone) tools>option>audio and select your dac in output mode and output mode setting.
(NB if you select player on the left you will notice that you can choose other audio settings: here it would be your spdif)
then enable zone switch under player>zones>zone switch. click add.
then click edit search with wizard and create a rule for example : channels / is / 2 --> play in the "2 channel dac" and to be sure enter in the last line of the rule under stop playback in these zones select "player"
click ok and add a second rule which will state : channels / greater than / 2 ---> play in "player" and also here to be sure enter in the last line under stop playback in "2channel dac".
That's it seems complicated but really isn't.
that's one way to do it. once you fell confortable you could even increase granularity of your zone switch rules and even go into details regarding for ex audio/video over spdif where video would bitstream and audio play upsampled pcm over spdif....

[jimmy neutron]

Are you the same Jimmy Neutron from another music player?

Another player? Been using MC since version 16.

Jimmy

[kstuart]

( There is another music player software package, and one of the main skin developers called himself Jimmy Neutron on their Forum.... clearly both of you had the same inspiration, that's all.)

[jimmy neutron]

Meedio/MeediOS? I developed some skins and plugins over there.

[kstuart]

Actually, there is a Neutron skin and a Jimmy Neutron, and they may not be connected:

http://www.un4seen.com/forum/?topic=13456.msg93878#msg93878

[fitbrit]

Did you pay for MC? I heard that Neutrons were not charged.

[JimH]

Did you pay for MC? I heard that Neutrons were not charged.

Negative.

[mojave]

Did you pay for MC? I heard that Neutrons were not charged.

Negative.

It is jokes like these that can lead to a mass exit. Maybe it doesn't matter, but I would hate to see jimmy neutron scatter.

[MrC]

He'll just jump to a higher level.

[jimmy neutron]

   Funny....waaay too funny.   

Yes, I am a paid user of this fine piece of software. I love it to death and always spread the word about MC.

MrC and Mojave: Stop it!! LOL!  I almost spit my Monster drink all over my keyboard!!

So back to topic, is adding separate zones the ONLY way to get MC18 to know what playback properties go to each file? I thought that in the Tagging section you tag each file with MUSIC, or MOVIE, or whatever. I assumed that this was it. But when I play back a DVD-A rip, first it's listed in the MOVIES section, not the AUDIO section, then because it's a 5.1 file I have to go into the properties to tell MC how to play it back. Same for playing a movie.

If I create these different ZONES, then how will this translate to the Theater View? Will my DVD-A rips appear in the AUDIO section? Do I have to select the zone first before going into Theater View?

Jimmy

[mojave]

Once you setup the three zones, then you go to Player > Zones > ZoneSwitch and enter the conditions for each zone. You also choose which zones to stop playback in when starting playback in another zone. Now you just pick your music or movies and it will play in the correct zone without you or others having to make any decisions.

Here is more info on ZoneSwitch:  http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=76605.0

[eddyshere]

If I create these different ZONES, then how will this translate to the Theater View? Will my DVD-A rips appear in the AUDIO section? Do I have to select the zone first before going into Theater View?

Jimmy

It's separate, zone switch only "activates" when you hit play. For theaterview you need to categorize your files and make new categories. I had posted an picture example in another tread as I have done exactly that : http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=78552.msg534212#msg534212. To handle the case of the DVD-A (as you rightly point it out it will usually imported as video) I have created various folders on my server. One folder is DVD-Audio, and in MC I have differentiated import rules (ie one import per folder) and I use then an auto-tag to define DVD-A, SACD, Bluray or Vinyl...
Maybe it helps