INTERACT FORUM

More => Old Versions => Media Jukebox => Topic started by: skidoo on September 22, 2002, 06:12:07 pm

Title: MJ Multi-User Friendly??
Post by: skidoo on September 22, 2002, 06:12:07 pm

Media Server's nice, but I want the full-functionality of MJ from multiple locations, so I load a single central database on all the workstations on my network. Seems to work fine.

But am I asking for trouble?

There's no mention of multi-user access in the help, and really no posts on the forum directly addressing this question. Not that I could find, anyway.

Title: Re: MJ Multi-User Friendly??
Post by: skidoo on September 22, 2002, 06:30:29 pm

It appears I spoke to soon. Apparently the answer is no. I got a "MJ can't open the database file [I FORGET]" message while playing on one instance and updating on the other.

So I guess I'll have to resort to automatic library backups on a central machine, and automatic restores on the others?

But if I make playlists on one machine, I won't see them on the others without some finagling. Bummer.
Title: Re: MJ Multi-User Friendly??
Post by: PhatPhreddy on September 22, 2002, 10:17:31 pm
I too would strongly like a more robust multi machine database ability.... The answers I have been given to this problem are A) use Media Server or B) use One main updating machine and multi machines in 'party mode'...

The second option is actually quite beneficial as I dont want my girlfriend or users of the system to change anything merely consume the media...

Having a more robust multi user database and a checkbox for read only use would be the ideal solution for me...
Title: Re: MJ Multi-User Friendly??
Post by: skidoo on September 23, 2002, 04:32:45 am
Quote
[Party Mode] is actually quite beneficial as I dont want my girlfriend or users of the system to change anything merely consume the media...

Yeah, but my wife should be able to create playlists.
Title: Re: MJ Multi-User Friendly??
Post by: skidoo on September 23, 2002, 04:33:53 am
Quote

Yeah, but my wife should be able to create playlists.

Create them and not have them disappear without warning when she closes the program.
Title: Re: MJ Multi-User Friendly??
Post by: Doof on September 23, 2002, 08:26:08 am
I've never tried Media Server.

What can't you do with it that you normally can?
Title: Re: MJ Multi-User Friendly??
Post by: skidoo on September 23, 2002, 08:55:50 am
Quote
I've never tried Media Server.

What can't you do with it that you normally can?

MediaServer is strictly read-only. Well, you can create playlists and reorganize the data, but as soon as you disconnect from the server, all the changes (including new playlists and whatnot) are deep-sixed.

Title: Re: MJ Multi-User Friendly??
Post by: KingSparta on September 23, 2002, 10:04:50 am
i think i would hate for someone to get into my media server and make changes or even delete files.
Title: Re: MJ Multi-User Friendly??
Post by: skidoo on September 23, 2002, 10:16:48 am

Quote
i think i would hate for someone to get into my media server and make changes or even delete files.

I would too, but they oughta at least be able to save playlists.

Title: Re: MJ Multi-User Friendly??
Post by: Bob L. on September 23, 2002, 10:46:45 am
Skidoo brings up a good point about media server saving playlists.  I have my household music on the server in the living room.  I listen alot in my office.  Because I can't save playlists to the server, instead of using media server I've been keeping a separate library on my mj copy in the office as well as on my wife and son's computers.  This means having to update three systems one at a time after adding new material to the living room machine.  Is there any simpler solution other than JRiver allowing playlists to be saved by media server?
Title: Re: MJ Multi-User Friendly??
Post by: skidoo on September 23, 2002, 10:55:32 am
Quote
Skidoo brings up a good point about media server saving playlists.  I have my household music on the server in the living room.  I listen alot in my office.  Because I can't save playlists to the server, instead of using media server I've been keeping a separate library on my mj copy in the office as well as on my wife and son's computers.  This means having to update three systems one at a time after adding new material to the living room machine.  Is there any simpler solution other than JRiver allowing playlists to be saved by media server?
Right. What he said!
Title: Re: MJ Multi-User Friendly??
Post by: Bob L. on September 26, 2002, 10:02:40 pm
Bump to JRiver
Title: Re: MJ Multi-User Friendly??
Post by: Zentish on September 26, 2002, 11:23:34 pm
I've been using MJ via a central shared mp3 library and database for about 8 months. I have not had one failure or problem so far, but I suspect that it's because my wife and I don't try to update playlists or manage the database at the same time due to our work habits.

I have over 10,000 songs (50gb) on my Win2k server and 3 clients on the home network that usually use MJ. I do all the imports on the server itself, and the only annoyance I've had so far is that the 'playing now' gets left with whoever last used MJ.

I found that the media server didn't meet my needs for the same reasons mentioned by others above.

I must also say Kudos to JRiver for such a great product. My brother works at Microsoft in the team that produces Windows Media Player and I never miss a chance to give him a hard time about all the features that WMP is missing and MJ has.

Sometimes free is still not cheap enough...