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[csimon]

Are there any clear advantages/disadvantages of using DLNA controller/renderer in preference to TRemote (aka client/server) when you want to remotely control an instance of MC? I think advantages (and why I'm wanting to do it) are:

1. Allows you to see and control all zones on all networked instances (clients) of MC, as TRemote only allows you to connect to one server at a time.
2. Ability to rename the zones in Playing Now to make them more meaningful, as TRemote currently forces a "There: " prefix.

But I'd like to know if there are any disadvantages.

A few aspects I can think of in particular are:

a. Less control over zone synchronisation - would that be a correct assumption?

b. With TRemote, there is the option to "play local file if one exists", which saves the file being streamed to the controller/player before it can be played, as the controller/player could then access it directly.  What happens with DLNA - does the file always get streamed to the player even if it could access it directly?  For example, PC1 is the controller, browsing PC2' s library, as PC2 has been set up as the library server and PC1 is its client (the ption to see zones from the server is switched off on PC1 so that it uses DLNA for zones). PC1 sends a file to be played to PC2's DLNA renderer. Does the file get streamed from PC2 to PC1 then back to PC2, or does PC2 just play it directly from its own library?

c. I'm confused about whether the library server also needs to be a DLNA server.  You browse and play from the server's MC library, not its DLNA server, but does the DLNA controller/player require that the DLNA server is turned on?

d. There is no loss of functionality with regard to audio and video processing as this is done on the renderer side via the configuration of the renderer's zone you have selected?

[JimH]

When you use Tremote, you're controlling MC remotely, but it looks like you're running it locally.  It has more capabilities than just using a DLNA Controller.

DLNA is not required in that case, but Media Network is.

The best way to learn about it is to try it.

[csimon]

I have tried it but found it limiting in the two ways mentioned so I'm thinking of doing it all via DLNA instead, but want to know if this is a sensible thing to do and what possible disadvantages there might be. In particular, I'd like to have comments on the four things mentioned that have sprung to mind.

[mwillems]

c. I'm confused about whether the library server also needs to be a DLNA server.  You browse and play from the server's MC library, not its DLNA server, but does the DLNA controller/player require that the DLNA server is turned on?

No, DLNA server only needs to be on if you have a DLNA only device that needs access to a DLNA server.  All library server functions, and DLNA renderer and controller functions work without DLNA server enabled (I have it disabled across my systems to avoid clutter in the tree).

The only DLNA setting that I've found that controls anything other than the pure DLNA function described on the checkbox, is that (per extensive testing and confirmed by Yaobing), DLNA controller needs to be enabled to use certain networked TV tuners.

[csimon]

No, DLNA server only needs to be on if you have a DLNA only device that needs access to a DLNA server.  All library server functions, and DLNA renderer and controller functions work without DLNA server enabled

Yes, that makes sense, thank you.