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[mgabriel]

If I pause Media Center, this feed will automatically play.

live://ipc?pipe=00005224&streaming=1

It is silent.   How do I get it to stop?

[CountryBumkin]

Related - but may not be helpful.... http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=93488.0
Also, there is a lot more discussion on this that can be found if you put "IPC" into the Search box at the top of the forum.

[rlebrette]

IPC is for "Inter Process Call".
It's a way to notify you that JRiver is currently used as the output of the system sound device via the JRiver WDM driver.
Since the driver and the media center are two different program, they communicate via the IPC.
If you're notified, it means that you have selected the JRiver driver as the default sound card in your Windows system.

Hope it helps.

[alglove]

Yes, to elaborate on what rlebrette said, IPC is a way that computers reroute data from one process to another. In this case, it probably means that you have "JRiver Media Center 20" set as your Windows default audio device. That means that all the sound that would ordinarily be sent by Windows to your sound card is getting rerouted to Media Center, instead.

As a test, try going to Windows Control Panel --> Sounds and change the default device to something else, like your computer's sound card. The live://ipc?pipe=00005224&streaming=1 will probably go away.

And remember that "JRiver Media Center 20" is set as your computer's default audio device *only* if you want to reroute *all* your computer's audio through Media Center. If you want to use audio the "regular" way (Media Center uses its own audio options, and Windows handles everything outside of Media Center), go ahead and use your normal sound card as the Windows default sound device.

(This is a source of confusion for some users. Not sure if it applies to you. Just thought I'd give the public service message.)

[BernhardS]

Yes, to elaborate on what rlebrette said, IPC is a way that computers reroute data from one process to another. In this case, it probably means that you have "JRiver Media Center 20" set as your Windows default audio device. That means that all the sound that would ordinarily be sent by Windows to your sound card is getting rerouted to Media Center, instead.

As a test, try going to Windows Control Panel --> Sounds and change the default device to something else, like your computer's sound card. The live://ipc?pipe=00005224&streaming=1 will probably go away.

.... unfortunately not. MC never was my Windows default and this IPC appears often, I think the first time in February (don't know precisely when).  The frustration is that Playing Now is empty. I reinstalled MC and If that really should helped then only for a while. Today I've disabled WDM and hope this will solve the problem.

[6233638]

Searching for and disabling "WDM Driver" in the options window is the easiest solution for this.
On the subject of "What is IPC"? http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=93567

[JimH]

Or ignoring it.  It's harmless.

[6233638]

It's harmless.

If I pause Media Center, this feed will automatically play.
live://ipc?pipe=00005224&streaming=1
It is silent.   How do I get it to stop?

[fitbrit]

Or ignoring it.  It's harmless.

That really depends on your definition of what is harmless and what MC is designed to do. I don't think MC is designed to clear what you were playing and go silent when you merely pause a video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lswFZtrmtzw

I had to give up on the WDM because this was immensely frustrating, and I just did not have the time to figure out how to configure zone switch to make this work reliably -  I tried. The WDM is a fantastic feature to have, but it could definitely be easier to implement for the beginner. I got the video/audio sync just right, but the IPC nonsense every time I paused a video, or playback giving way to a white screen with a message like: "The display for this zone belongs to another window." just drove me to insanity.

Also:
There will also be future threads like this, because "IPC" means nothing to anyone not in the know. I 'll save 6233638 the heat by saying it myself: I think what is displayed in Playing Now (IPC) should be renamed to something a little more informative.

[BartMan01]

Or ignoring it.  It's harmless.

While 'harmless', it can be extremely confusing and frustrating.  On my downstairs computer with WDM installed (pretty sure it was not set to default either), every time I switched from/to the system running MC as my video source (or shut down TV/Reciever, start back up) it would come back with the IPC message instead of where I last left off in MC.

Scenario - kid is watching his favorite shows in MC (currently Winnie the Pooh stuff).  Time to do something else, so playback is stopped and everything is shut down.  Later, kid wants to watch some more Pooh so we fire up MC and get... IPC message.  We now have to back all the way out to the main menu and dig back in to where the show we want is.

With the driver disabled and removed, same scenario:  When we turn everything back on, MC is still sitting there where we left it ready to go.

Wife was about to throw the whole thing out over this.

[mwillems]

I agree that there are some user-unfriendly aspects to the way the WDM is setup by default.

The "so-close-yet-so-far" bummer is that almost all of the inconvenient outcomes outlined above can be completely avoided by creating an IPC zone and enabling zoneswitch, but that's just complicated enough that most people won't do it or realize they need to do it.  

But the functionality already exists within the program to make it work in a non-disruptive way, so it seems like it might be a low hanging fruit proposition to just make the WDM driver work the way it does with a dedicated zone and zoneswitch by default (either by preconfiguring a zone and zoneswitch, or doing something equivalent behind the scenes).  

I've got a separate zone setup and the IPC never interrupts a pause or affects navigation, it just functions automatically and invisibly when nothing else is playing, which is how it ought to work.  In the meanwhile, if anyone needs technical assistance on the zone/zoneswitch solution, let me know, I went into a bit here in a different context (but the same steps should work to solve the problems folks are describing): http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=93043

[6233638]

Yes, having it play to a separate zone definitely solves a lot of the "headaches" of IPC.
 
I'm not sure about automatically configuring a Zone and ZoneSwitch though. That sounds like an "easy" solution but there are so many potential issues that could cause.
For one thing, perhaps some people are happy with the way that it currently behaves, and don't want to figure out how Zones/ZoneSwitch works.
What would the new Zone play to as the default device? You can't use the "Default Audio Device" because that would be the WDM driver.
I can't see a way of pre-configuring a zone for this in a way which does not require additional manual configuration.
 
 
But perhaps a neater solution would be to add a new checkbox to the "Add Zone" window.
This would be something along the lines of: "Use this Zone to receive audio from the JRiver Virtual Audio Device"
 
That way a user manually decides whether they want to add a new Zone for this purpose, and it gives them access to the existing "Copy Zone ___" options, so that this new Zone is pre-configured for the correct output device.
Then this function just needs to add a [Filename]=[live:////ipc" rule to the top of ZoneSwitch that points to the new Zone, adding a stop command for the new "IPC Zone" to any pre-existing rules. (IPC should never interrupt other Zones, but other Zones should take priority over IPC)

[mwillems]

Yes, having it play to a separate zone definitely solves a lot of the "headaches" of IPC.
 
I'm not sure about automatically configuring a Zone and ZoneSwitch though. That sounds like an "easy" solution but there are so many potential issues that could cause.
For one thing, perhaps some people are happy with the way that it currently behaves, and don't want to figure out how Zones/ZoneSwitch works.
What would the new Zone play to as the default device? You can't use the "Default Audio Device" because that would be the WDM driver.
I can't see a way of pre-configuring a zone for this in a way which does not require additional manual configuration.

It could automatically mirror the settings of the main player zone (and update along with it).  Basically I'm imaging a preconfigured shadow zone/subzone for the main zone that would be designed solely to receive IPC input by default.

But perhaps a neater solution would be to add a new checkbox to the "Add Zone" window.
This would be something along the lines of: "Use this Zone to receive audio from the JRiver Virtual Audio Device"
 
That way a user manually decides whether they want to add a new Zone for this purpose, and it gives them access to the existing "Copy Zone ___" options, so that this new Zone is pre-configured for the correct output device.
Then this function just needs to add a [Filename]=[live:////ipc" rule to the top of ZoneSwitch that points to the new Zone, adding a stop command for the new "IPC Zone" to any pre-existing rules. (IPC should never interrupt other Zones, but other Zones should take priority over IPC)

I think that's a good idea, but there does need to be a default configuration or folks will not know they need to check the box.  I think it makes sense (in the framework of my shadow zone concept above) to have an option like you describe for when people create additional zones. MC could ask them if they want the new zone to be able to receive WDM input and automatically create a new shadow zone for the new zone (or there could be a zone-specific checkbox for all zones).  

In a perfect world, the shadow zones would be entirely hidden and transparent, turned on and off by a check box in each zone, but pre-checked for the main zone at installation.
 

[6233638]

It could automatically mirror the settings of the main player zone (and update along with it).  Basically I'm imaging a preconfigured shadow zone/subzone for the main zone that would be designed solely to receive IPC input by default.

What is the "main player zone"? I have seven zones on this machine, not including networked devices.

I think that's a good idea, but there does need to be a default configuration or folks will not know they need to check the box.  I think it makes sense (in the framework of my shadow zone concept above) to have an option like you describe for when people create additional zones. MC could ask them if they want the new zone to be able to receive WDM input and automatically create a new shadow zone for the new zone (or there could be a zone-specific checkbox for all zones).  
In a perfect world, the shadow zones would be entirely hidden and transparent, turned on and off by a check box in each zone, but pre-checked for the main zone at installation.

I'm not sure that I follow, what you suggest would be similar to the current WDM behavior (routing audio to whatever zone is currently active) which would be very frustrating.
I have WDM audio routed to its own zone specifically so that it does not end up playing to the currently active audio device or interrupting playback.
 
What I'm suggesting is a way to simplify the creation of a WDM/IPC designated Zone.
What you suggest seems to be a way of hiding the IPC process without actually changing its behavior? (letting it play anywhere)

[mwillems]

What is the "main player zone"? I have seven zones on this machine, not including networked devices.

I'm talking about on new installations.  There is single zone named "Player" on new installations.

I'm not sure that I follow, what you suggest would be similar to the current WDM behavior (routing audio to whatever zone is currently active) which would be very frustrating.
I have WDM audio routed to its own zone specifically so that it does not end up playing to the currently active audio device or interrupting playback.

I currently have WDM routed to a zone that plays to the same device as my audio and video playback zones.  It does not interrupt playback at all for me in that configuration (even with reciprocal stop playback rules): if something is playing or paused, the IPC never breaks through, and (because it's a different zone) it never affects the playing now or navigation.  You have to change the "jump on start" zone-specific setting for the IPC zone to "nothing," but otherwise it's a magic bullet for me.  In this configuration IPC only plays when playback is entirely stopped and affects nothing else.  

It sounds like maybe it doesn't work the same for you?

What I'm suggesting is a way to simplify the creation of a WDM/IPC designated Zone.
What you suggest seems to be a way of hiding the IPC process without actually changing its behavior? (letting it play anywhere)

I'm suggesting both: simplifying creation and baking it into existing zones because the separate zone solves the above issues for me (even when it's pointing at the same audio device).  It sounds like the good behavior I'm seeing may not be universal with all devices though?

[6233638]

I'm talking about on new installations.  There is single zone named "Player" on new installations.

Having it mirror changes made to that zone automatically seems like it complicates things though, and what happens once you start adding new zones?
Does it stop automatically configuring things?
Is it permanently linked to the "Player" Zone?
 
It's one of those things where having it behave that way does make sense for a default, but then it complicates matters when you want to move beyond that.
Adding a "special zone" like this seems to be more trouble than it's worth, even though it does in theory solve the "unconfigured" state for IPC.

I currently have WDM routed to a zone that plays to the same device as my audio and video playback zones.  It does not interrupt playback at all for me in that configuration (even with reciprocal stop playback rules): if something is playing or paused, the IPC never breaks through, and (because it's a different zone) it never affects the playing now or navigation.  You have to change the "jump on start" zone-specific setting for the IPC zone to "nothing," but otherwise it's a magic bullet for me.  In this configuration IPC only plays when playback is entirely stopped and affects nothing else.  
It sounds like maybe it doesn't work the same for you?

Sorry if that was confusing. It does work as you suggest, because I have not assigned a "stop" command to the IPC ZoneSwitch rule.
What I meant is that this is the reason to have IPC configured to play in a zone, because that prevents it from interrupting playback.
 
What I will say though, is that if you are playing music or a video and IPC tries to start, but can't, once you stop that music/video playback IPC remains stuck on "Opening…" indefinitely.
I have to stop the IPC zone before audio plays in it. It would be nice if this were more seamless.

I'm suggesting both: simplifying creation and baking it into existing zones because the separate zone solves the above issues for me (even when it's pointing at the same audio device).

It's the "baking it into existing zones" which is confusing me.
Are you suggesting that there should be an "IPC Zone" associated with each individual zone?
 
Because I am of the opinion that IPC should either play to whatever the active zone is (current behavior) or play to a specific zone that routes it to a specific output.
What might be a better solution for the former, is to have the IPC item have special treatment so that it only ever gets added to the existing playlist (slotted in above the current item) and then removed when it stops, rather than replacing it entirely.
And the latter is actually the better behavior in my opinion, but I can't see an easier solution for routing IPC to a separate zone than adding a checkbox to the "new zone" dialog.

[mwillems]

Having it mirror changes made to that zone automatically seems like it complicates things though, and what happens once you start adding new zones?
Does it stop automatically configuring things?
Is it permanently linked to the "Player" Zone?

I'm imagining that each zone with the checkbox enabled has a linked shadow zone that's permanently linked to it until you uncheck the box.  There would need to be some logic to arbitrate multiple zones, but we already have that effectively.

It's the "baking it into existing zones" which is confusing me.
Are you suggesting that there should be an "IPC Zone" associated with each individual zone?

Yes, or at least with each zone that has the hypothetical checkbox checked (which would be checked by default).  That's why it would be ideal if it were hidden/transparent.

Because I am of the opinion that IPC should either play to whatever the active zone is (current behavior) or play to a specific zone that routes it to a specific output.

I'd be fine with that behavior if it didn't have all of the negative consequeences described above.  I'm describing low-intensity way the devs could configure it to do more or less that with existing tools.

And the latter is actually the better behavior in my opinion, but I can't see an easier solution for routing IPC to a separate zone than adding a checkbox to the "new zone" dialog.

I think the checkbox is a good idea, but I think there needs to be solid default behavior for new users.  I'm mostly just brainstorming.

[6233638]

Ah I think I understand what you meant now.
Ignoring the underlying technical details of how this might work via "Shadow Zones" (which seems like an overly complicated solution to me) or anything else; if we distill it down, and I am understanding this correctly, the user-facing option would be a checkbox for:

Tools → Options → Audio → Advanced → Allow IPC playback in this Zone
 
Only I'm not sure what the behavior state would be if the currently active Zone is one in which IPC is "disabled".

• Would the audio simply be routed to whichever is the next Zone in the list?
• Does it simply prevent IPC from starting when that is the active Zone? (assuming there are no ZoneSwitch rules to route it elsewhere)
• Does IPC start up immediately once you switch the active zone to one which does allow IPC playback? (assuming you're not routing it elsewhere via ZoneSwitch)
  

 
And if you are routing IPC to another Zone via ZoneSwitch, does that override the "allow IPC playback in this zone" preference?


But I feel like making IPC a special item which appears above the current item in the active zone (and plays) which then removes itself from the list once it stops, is the simplest change which would at least prevent the entire Playing Now list being replaced with IPC at random.
 
And if there was a way to create an IPC-specific Zone with relative ease (because I cannot see a way to make it 100% automated) then you have a moderately easy way of preventing it from ever interrupting playback. (since the option above would only prevent it from clearing the playlist)

[Matt]

While 'harmless', it can be extremely confusing and frustrating.  On my downstairs computer with WDM installed (pretty sure it was not set to default either), every time I switched from/to the system running MC as my video source (or shut down TV/Reciever, start back up) it would come back with the IPC message instead of where I last left off in MC.

Could you describe this in a little more detail?

I'm not clear what's happening technically.  Do you know?  Could you share?

Thank you.

[mwillems]

Could you describe this in a little more detail?

I'm not clear what's happening technically.  Do you know?  Could you share?

Thank you.

It's a side effect of having "jump on play" for audio set to playing now (which is the default, I think).  Whenever the WDM driver engages, theater view jumps to "playing now" showing the IPC as playing.  This has the side effect of erasing the old playing now list in that zone and jumping away from wherever theater view navigation was previously.  Some users have reported that the WDM driver sometimes engages when other content is paused, not only when other content is stopped.  

So people pause or stop a video, then a windows sound (or something else) plays, which engages the WDM driver, which both erases the playing now and jumps to a playing now view showing IPC.  To resume playback of the movie they were previously watching, they have to navigate back to video, and drill down to the movie they were just watching, etc.  

Setting the WDM driver as other than the windows default doesn't solve the issue as the WDM still sometimes changes sound card defaults on upgrades.  Disabling jump on play for audio would also solve part of the problem, but then you have to do without that functionality when you want to play audio.

Using separate zones and zoneswitch to route the IPC input to a separate zone does more or less solve the problem, but the default configuration is a bit confusing and hard to fix for people who aren't very familiar with the WDM driver, how zones work, etc.

[fitbrit]

Here it is in video form; I posted this in the early days of the WDM beta release.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lswFZtrmtzw

[BartMan01]

Could you describe this in a little more detail?

I'm not clear what's happening technically.  Do you know?  Could you share?

Thank you.

The machine is a laptop, so it has both it's built in screen and the TV connected.  When you turn off the TV or change TV inputs, the computer switches to the internal monitor and makes a 'beep' sound.  With the WDM driver installed and active, this 'beep' when switching to/from the internal monitor, or switching to another device and back to the PC triggers the 'IPC' screen/message.  Pretty sure the computer also 'beeps' when going to/waking from sleep and that triggers 'IPC' too.  Pretty much anything automated that makes a sound on the PC also triggers the 'IPC'. 

End result is that 9 times out of 10, if you stop watching MC for a while and come back the screen is sitting at the 'IPC' message instead of where you left it.