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[stricko]

Ok, so I have a library server, and 3 PCs running as clients. I also have JRemote, and a media player. All of these seem to run fine in "standalone mode". eg. the Client PCs can see the Library server and will play files locally, JRemote can see the server and will play files locally (ie. from the Ipad). the Media Player, can see the DLNA service from the Library Server, and will play files.

But I thought that I could do more. For example, use JRemote to play files on the PC's or on the Media Player. On when I'm on the Library Server, play files anywhere else on the network. From what I've read, and from questions I've asked before, I'm expecting the devices to appear in the Playing Now table. So for example, I'm sitting here, with the Libray Server running, this PC running as a client, and JRemote on an ipad next to me. On JRemote, in the Zones box, all I have is "This Device" and "Player". Player seems to be the Library Server, but where is the other PC (the one I'm typing on....)

On this PC, if I switch to "There", I can control what is playing on the Library server, but not the other way around.

So putting it another way, i can remotely control (from a client PC, from JRemote etc) what is playing on the Library Server, which is the only device on the network which doesnt have speakers........

So, am I expecting too much, or am I doing something stupid

[mwillems]

Ok, so I have a library server, and 3 PCs running as clients. I also have JRemote, and a media player. All of these seem to run fine in "standalone mode". eg. the Client PCs can see the Library server and will play files locally, JRemote can see the server and will play files locally (ie. from the Ipad). the Media Player, can see the DLNA service from the Library Server, and will play files.

But I thought that I could do more. For example, use JRemote to play files on the PC's or on the Media Player. On when I'm on the Library Server, play files anywhere else on the network. From what I've read, and from questions I've asked before, I'm expecting the devices to appear in the Playing Now table. So for example, I'm sitting here, with the Libray Server running, this PC running as a client, and JRemote on an ipad next to me. On JRemote, in the Zones box, all I have is "This Device" and "Player". Player seems to be the Library Server, but where is the other PC (the one I'm typing on....)

On this PC, if I switch to "There", I can control what is playing on the Library server, but not the other way around.

So putting it another way, i can remotely control (from a client PC, from JRemote etc) what is playing on the Library Server, which is the only device on the network which doesnt have speakers........

So, am I expecting too much, or am I doing something stupid

What you want to do can be done (mostly), you just need to do the following steps:

1) Turn on Media Network and Enable DLNA by checking the box under options--> media network on all client PCs that you want to be able to control
2) Ensure that under advanced options under media network on the client PCs that the "DLNA renderer" box is checked, and
3) Ensure that under advanced options under media network on the server pc that the "DLNA controller" box is checked.

Once you do that you should be able to see all client PC's as zones to play to on the server both in MC or in JRemote.  

You should also be able to log directly into the client PCs using JRemote for direct control (useful if you have multiple zones on one PC), and as long as the client is logged into the server's library, you will still be able to browse the server's library even when logged into the client.  

I don't know what a "media player" is (I'm assuming some kind of DLNA renderer?).  If you can be more specific about what that box is, it may be possible to configure it too, or it may not.

[stricko]

Er, Ok I followed the instructions and things worked really well for a few seconds. This Client Pc appeared on JRemote, and I was able  to play a track. But after maybe 30 seconds, track stopped, client disappeared from JRemote, and I can't get it to reappear...... Hang on, wait 5 minutes and it's come back......

Media player is a Kitsound Pulse internet radio. But I also have a couple of av receivers and a TV that will pick up the DLNA service from JRiver..... And following on from a previous thread, I've a Raspberry that I'd like to set up as headless DNLA Renderer.....

[mwillems]

Er, Ok I followed the instructions and things worked really well for a few seconds. This Client Pc appeared on JRemote, and I was able  to play a track. But after maybe 30 seconds, track stopped, client disappeared from JRemote, and I can't get it to reappear...... Hang on, wait 5 minutes and it's come back......

That kind of thing is usually a result of connectivity issues.  Make sure all the clients have a stable internet connection, and that firewalls aren't filtering MC's network traffic.

Media player is a Kitsound Pulse internet radio. But I also have a couple of av receivers and a TV that will pick up the DLNA service from JRiver.....

I'm not familiar with that hardware, but maybe AndrewFG will stop by the thread; he developed a DLNA analyzer that probes the capabilities of DLNA devices.  Not all devices can act as renderers that you can "Push" to, some will only allow for "pulling" media from a DLNA library.

And following on from a previous thread, I've a Raspberry that I'd like to set up as headless DNLA Renderer.....

There is currently a test build of JRiver for ARM available that will run on a Raspberry Pi.  Because it is a development release it will time out in June and JRiver hasn't indicated whether they will be pursuing it in the future. 

Depending on the model of Pi it may or may not work well, but it's free to try at the moment.  If you want to experiment, I wrote a long instruction thread on installing JRiver for ARM on a Pi here: https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=95578.0

I also did some performance testing here: https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=97100.0

As you can see from that thread, a Pi 1 B+ is probably the minimum needed to get acceptable results as it was narrowly keeping up during playback of standard resolution files.  The Pi 2, however, is plenty capable for most kinds of audio playback in JRiver (probably not DSD, but that's not well-supported in Pi-friendly linux distros anyway).

I currently have two Pi2's and one B+ arrayed around my house as JRiver DLNA renderers, and they work great.  I sincerely hope that JRiver will ultimately decide to continue supporting the platform. 

If they don't ultimately pursue it, you may want to look into Volumio for the Pi, which has lower system requirements, and will also work as a DLNA renderer.

[csimon]

I've had the same issue I think. You can only see remote zones that are on a server, you can't see zones on clients. The only way to do it is to use DLNA rather than MC's client/server protocol.

[mwillems]

I've had the same issue I think. You can only see remote zones that are on a server, you can't see zones on clients. The only way to do it is to use DLNA rather than MC's client/server protocol.

Basically.  If you want to control clients directly from the server, you do have to use DLNA, but there is a quasi-alternative.  You can use Gizmo or JRemote to control clients directly without using DLNA. You have to enable media network on the clients, but can disable all DLNA functions and Gizmo and JRemote will still work.

[csimon]

Basically.  If you want to control clients directly from the server, you do have to use DLNA, but there is a quasi-alternative.  You can use Gizmo or JRemote to control clients directly without using DLNA. You have to enable media network on the clients, but can disable all DLNA functions and Gizmo and JRemote will still work.

Yeah, I think this amounts to the same thing as reversing the role of client and server when using MC?  To use Gizmo and JRemote (other remotes are available...), you have to set up the "client" you want to control as a server by enabling media network and then connecting to it and loading its library.  If you then want to send music to another "client" then you have to disconnect and connect to that one instead.

This is exactly the same as switching libraries within MC.  If you want to control a client then what you actually do is set it up as a server and then load its library.

[EDIT: No, on second thoughts, scrub that. It's not the same is it?  Because using Gizmo to connect to the client, the client is still connected to the server and therefore the library that is loaded onto Gizmo will be the server's, via the client.  When using MC, you can't have a loop of loading the client library which loops back to the local server's library, as the local server library has been switched out...]

[AndrewFG]

Media player is a Kitsound Pulse internet radio. But I also have a couple of av receivers and a TV that will pick up the DLNA service from JRiver.....

I'm not familiar with that hardware, but maybe AndrewFG will stop by the thread; he developed a DLNA analyzer that probes the capabilities of DLNA devices.  Not all devices can act as renderers that you can "Push" to, some will only allow for "pulling" media from a DLNA library.

If you want you can download the DMRA tester from the link in my signature, you can run the tool against each of your renderers, and post the respective test log files here.

[mwillems]

Yeah, I think this amounts to the same thing as reversing the role of client and server when using MC?  To use Gizmo and JRemote (other remotes are available...), you have to set up the "client" you want to control as a server by enabling media network and then connecting to it and loading its library.  If you then want to send music to another "client" then you have to disconnect and connect to that one instead.

This is exactly the same as switching libraries within MC.  If you want to control a client then what you actually do is set it up as a server and then load its library.

[EDIT: No, on second thoughts, scrub that. It's not the same is it?  Because using Gizmo to connect to the client, the client is still connected to the server and therefore the library that is loaded onto Gizmo will be the server's, via the client.  When using MC, you can't have a loop of loading the client library which loops back to the local server's library, as the local server library has been switched out...]

Yes your edit is correct.  It's not immediately intuitive, but if you log directly into a library client using gizmo, you see the server's library but the client's zones exactly as though you were looking at the standard view on the client.  It makes sense once you realize it works that way, and once you realize it works that way, you can just add all of your client's info to Gizmo or JRemote and then use them for direct control, skipping DLNA. It gives much finer grained playback control and zone control than DLNA does.

As I noted elsewhere, because the available devices to log into in Gizmo are right below the zones in the overview, it's about as convenient to change clients as it is to switch zones.  On JRemote or Eos it's a bit more of a faff because they make it easy to fiddle with zones but hard to fiddle with devices that you're logged into, but it's still doable.

To make it clear, my primary control mechanism at this point doesn't use DLNA at all.  I just log into the client I want to control with Gizmo at any given moment, and work from there.  The only time that doesn't work is if I want the same music playing in multiple rooms at once, and then I have to fall back to DLNA control and zone-linking.

[jakpak]

That kind of thing is usually a result of connectivity issues.  Make sure all the clients have a stable internet connection, and that firewalls aren't filtering MC's network traffic.

I'm having a strange complication to this problem.  I've followed the instructions in this Computer Audiophile article: http://www.computeraudiophile.com/content/625-geek-speak-how-build-upnp-dlna-openhome-renderer-less-100/.  I've got a working BeagleBoneBlack media renderer connected wirelessly with a wifi dongle.  When I have a connectivity issue, the BBB disappears from the zone list, as expected.  But even after restoring the connection, or switching to an ethernet connection, the BBB doesn't reappear int he zone list.  In fact, when I've had different renderers in the zone list, the BBB's failure causes the entire zone list to be depopulated.  This happens more often when the connection fails during audio playback.  I've had success restoring it to the list by reinstalling JRiver.  Has anyone else had issues with zones refusing to reappear after connection/playback issues?  Does anyone know why this happens, or what I can do to fix it without removing and reinstalling the MC?