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[richard-ec2]

I'm really having a lot of problems getting an MC20 client-server setup working properly. Here's the latest one.

The setup is very simple. I have a server PC (Windows 8.1, MC20) in one room and a client PC (Windows 8.1 PC, MC20) in another room, attached to the hi-fi for audio playback.

The MC library is kept on the server PC.

When I use the client PC to play back a music file from the server PC, gapless playback doesn't work properly. There's a very brief  - but very irritating - gap between tracks lasting a fraction of a second.

However, if I put the exact same music file on the client PC's hard drive and play it back through MC, I don't get this problem.

Gapless playback is of course checked in the client PC and I haven't meddled with any of the other default settings.

Can anyone help?

[JimH]

Turn off memory playback if you're using it.

Check the conversion settings on the server.  You probably don't need to convert anything.

[richard-ec2]

Turn off memory playback if you're using it.

Check the conversion settings on the server.  You probably don't need to convert anything.

Many thanks for responding.

Memory playback isn't checked on server or client.

I'm not sure about conversion settings on the server - this is all new to me - but do you mean Tools - Options - Media Network - Add or configure DLNA servers - Audio? If so, it says "Mode: Specified format only when necessary" and the specified format is MP3 high bandwidth. Then, under Advanced, it says "Sample rate: same as source." So I can't see anything obviously wrong there.

[Spike1000]

I have a similar set up to you and was having some 'funnies' with formats. Turned out DNLA is not the best way to play to another instance of JRiver. Not sure if you fell into the same trap as me, but here's good advice on how best to set up playing to another instance of JRiver. . .

http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=98537.msg681344#msg681344

It may help your gapless playback problem.

Spike

[richard-ec2]

Spike, many thanks - I think you've very likely identified the problem. I thought it was supposed to be simple to load a library from anywhere in your network but it turns out to be quite difficult and complicated if you want it to work properly. I think having read that other thread that I understand most aspects of it but one thing I really don't understand is this drive mapping thing. Is there any chance you could give me a beginner's guide?

[JimH]

You don't need to map a drive to use MC as client and server.

[Spike1000]

You don't need to map a drive to use MC as client and server.

Indeed that is the case and sharing/mapping a drive can be a bit daunting if you're not familiar with the process.

Spike

[richard-ec2]

OK, that's good news, but in that case how do I get MC20 working in a client/server setup without DLNA? I must be missing something here.

Just to be clear, I have MC20 working on two PCs in different rooms. I've told the client PC to load the library from the server PC, using the server PC's access code. That's all. I haven't changed any settings. It works, but not properly, because it won't deliver gapless playback correctly and it won't play high res audio files - it downsamples everything to 44.1 kHz. So what am I doing wrong?

In the JRiver instructions it says this about mapping the drive:

"In order to be able to play all file types on the Client, it is important that the media file path is the same for the client as described in the file paths of the Library and used on the Library Server system. This may require mapping the drives used on the Library Server MC on the Client. You will need to do this in Windows Explorer on the Client."

http://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Media_Server#Access_from_another_PC_on_your_LAN

I don't understand what this means so if it's not necessary, it's just as well!

[dtc]

On the client, look at  - Tools -Options - Media Network - Client Options - Audio Conversion - Conversion set to Don't Convert Audio. That should fix the 96/44 problem.  I also tried a gapless album with that setting and it works OK over client/server.

Don't worry about mapping drives. Your setup should work without doing that. Just try the Conversion setting.

[richard-ec2]

On the client, look at  - Tools -Options - Media Network - Client Options - Audio Conversion - Conversion set to Don't Convert Audio. That should fix the 96/44 problem.  I also tried a gapless album with that setting and it works OK over client/server.

Don't worry about mapping drives. Your setup should work without doing that. Just try the Conversion setting.

That fixed it! Many thanks indeed, dtc.

It's strange, really, because MC's default setting is "Convert audio if necessary" (and it wasn't necessary) and the Encoder default setting is MP3 High Bandwidth so if it was going to convert at all, it should have been converting to that, not 44.1 kHz. Very weird.

It's a pity the instructions don't mention this - it would save a lot of time!

Many thanks again, dtc, and Spike and JimH too.

[dtc]

Glad it worked. I think the default these days should be to not convert. I would rather have the sound fail than, by default, get it changed to another format.

The mysterious "Convert if Necessary" is a hold over from the days of very slow networks. There is no description of the criteria for "if necessary".  Plus most new users do not know the option is even there.

Jim - any chance the default can be changed to not convert?

[mwillems]

Glad it worked. I think the default these days should be to not convert. I would rather have the sound fail than, by default, get it changed to another format.

The mysterious "Convert if Necessary" is a hold over from the days of very slow networks. There is no description of the criteria for "if necessary".  Plus most new users do not know the option is even there.

Jim - any chance the default can be changed to not convert?

"Convert if necessary" shows up several different places in the program and isn't really about network bandwidth.  It means "convert the file if it isn't already the type I specified."

So if you have conversion set to "MP3 low bandwidth" and convert if necessary, JRiver will convert all files that aren't low bitrate MP3s, but won't re-convert low bitrate mp3s.  If you have "always convert" enabled, it will convert all files including files that "match."  It works the same way in the handheld sync options, and in the DLNA server options.  It just means convert if it's not already the type I specified.

[dtc]

"Convert if necessary" shows up several different places in the program and isn't really about network bandwidth.  It means "convert the file if it isn't already the type I specified."

So if you have conversion set to "MP3 low bandwidth" and convert if necessary, JRiver will convert all files that aren't low bitrate MP3s, but won't re-convert low bitrate mp3s.  If you have "always convert" enabled, it will convert all files including files that "match."  It works the same way in the handheld sync options, and in the DLNA server options.  It just means convert if it's not already the type I specified.

OK.  I was originally told when I started using MC that it was a bandwidth issue, but I guess that is incorrect.

In the case of client/server, I still think the default should be to not convert.  Seems like in client/server the standard practice should be to just transfer the file unchanged. Client/server between 2 MC PCs is not normally thought of as a file conversion routine, especially to MP3. Seems to me the default should be to not convert so as to preserve the original format and then let users modified if desired.

EDIT : I just checked the Media Server Wiki Entry and it suggest that you would use this conversion option to conserve bandwidth. So, I do think that bandwidth may be the original root of this option in Media Server.