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More => Old Versions => JRiver Media Center 18 for Windows => Topic started by: CountryBumkin on November 23, 2012, 04:10:01 pm

Title: Since installing MC18 my Client machines can not FF, jump forward, 30sec advance
Post by: CountryBumkin on November 23, 2012, 04:10:01 pm
I found that since I have installed MC18 (running latest version) I can not FF or jump ahead (commercial skip) on any of my previously recorded DVDs, BD, or TV shows. When I try to jump ahead 30 secs nothing happens, and I look at the "time/position bar" it says "Live".
However on the Server machine I can FF and jump ahead on all my movies/shows, so it is only the Client machines that thinks the video playing is Live.
I have four Client machines and they all have this issue.

I just switched to MC 18 around version 18.0.72. I did not have this this problem with MC17 - possibly it has something to do with the (new feature allwoing) Clients being able to watch Live TV from a Server installed Tuner. Just a guess though. Other than that issue, everything seems to be playing fine.

Has anyone else seen this issue?
Title: Re: Since installing MC18 my Client machines can not FF, jump forward, 30sec advance
Post by: CountryBumkin on November 25, 2012, 06:18:53 am
Any files/movies stored on my Client machines will not FF/30-sec advance, but those stored on the Server all act like they are Live and will not jump forward when played back on a Client (they jump forward fine when played on the Server machine).

If, I am the only one with this problem, it is propaly an installation glitch - and I will try and uninstall/reinstall MC18. I'll wait a couple of more days and hopefully soemone will be able to provide a simple solution.
Title: Re: Since installing MC18 my Client machines can not FF, jump forward, 30sec advance
Post by: CountryBumkin on November 26, 2012, 03:50:18 pm
Bump.
No responses - maybe due to people being away for hoildays.
This is my last chance to get some attention on this issue. If no one responds before this topic gets buried again - I will assume my issue is a very unique situation and I'll just try a complete reinstall.

I ran a recorded TV show (filed located on Server) on my Client machine for a couple of seconds, tried to fast forward, then saved log. I don't know if it caputured anything relavent.
Title: Re: Since installing MC18 my Client machines can not FF, jump forward, 30sec advance
Post by: eapool on November 26, 2012, 04:10:51 pm
I experienced this issue on two recordings Sunday night.  My server crashed (due to driver error) while recording two shows.  After the reboot, MC continued recording the new entries.  The entries that were recording during the crash exhibit the behavior described in the original post when trying to play from the server or a client.  I am guessing that something did not get closed out properly due to the crash.  I am planning to investigate further when I get a chance.

Alex
Title: Re: Since installing MC18 my Client machines can not FF, jump forward, 30sec advance
Post by: CountryBumkin on November 26, 2012, 04:30:15 pm
All of my movies/Shows (stored on Server) are experiencing this behavoir and 99.5% were recorded before I switched to MC18.
Title: Re: Since installing MC18 my Client machines can not FF, jump forward, 30sec advance
Post by: glynor on November 26, 2012, 06:04:36 pm
All of my movies/Shows (stored on Server) are experiencing this behavoir and 99.5% were recorded before I switched to MC18.

There have been some similar reports, but it is not universally true.  It would probably help if we could get a handle on what is similar about systems that are experiencing this issue.  File types, codecs, network setup... Anything specific to your system that could contribute to the trouble.

Are the files stored on the server directly accessible to the clients (via a mapped network drive or are they in the Library as UNC paths that resolve properly on the clients)?

I have a number of client/server setups, but for video use, I've always had the best experience making sure the answer to the above is YES.  With that, and the relevant option enabled in MC (as it is by default), I'm seeing no similar issues.

I do not have any experience using MC in Client mode where it streams video to the clients.  It can do this, I suppose, but the only times when I'd use this is if I'm away from home using my Laptop, and generally I'd just connect my VPN (and I'd really blame any problems on my relatively limited upstream bandwidth at home).  I use MC in this way regularly for music, and that works fine, but I just don't use it for video that way.

My guess would be that, if it is related to the streaming functionality, it has more to do with MC18's reworked Gizmo video conversion engine than anything else.
Title: Re: Since installing MC18 my Client machines can not FF, jump forward, 30sec advance
Post by: CountryBumkin on November 27, 2012, 06:38:45 pm
I have not found anything obviously wrong or changed (regarding networ/access permissions) since I switched from MC17 to 18.

Most of my video files are VOB, M2TS, MKV, or TS.  My access between Clients and the Server is via hardwire CAT5 and Router.

I'm not sure if I use Mapped network drives or UNC - I'm confused on this terminolgy because my network properties for the Server (viewed from Client) shows my Server (name) as "HTPC" and its properties are "\\HTPC\My Movies", but in MC18 StandardView>Video>Files the path to the movies are "F:\My Movies\MovieName".
HTPC is the Server name and the movies are on drives E, F, and G. Also, E and F are multi-disk RAIDs.

But since everthing was fine before the upgrade, I'm thinking that something just got hosed up on the MC18 install and a complete removal and reinstall is the best option right now.
Title: Re: Since installing MC18 my Client machines can not FF, jump forward, 30sec advance
Post by: justsomeguy on November 28, 2012, 01:04:02 am
This is actually a known issue and is a problem for several people.

MC shows "F:\My Movies\MovieName" as the path because that is were the file is stored on your server PC and will be the path stored in the server library. MC as a client uses the library from the server so it shows the path as the server sees it. The way I have always used it and most likely you do as well, is that the MC client doesn't have direct access to "F:\My Movies\MovieName". In that case MC server streams the file to the MC client directly over http. Something got broken in the change from 17 to 18 and I have reproduced this problem on 3 different systems as well as have other on the forum.

I have tested it and if you do as glynor mentioned and setup all your client pc's to have actual access to the path "F:\My Movies\MovieName" then MC will access the file directly from the server without MC streaming it over http and it all seems to work properly. The easiest way I found to do this is to setup a mapped drive on each client, in your case map the drive letter "F" (assuming F isn't already used on your client pc) to "\\ServerPC\F" ServerPC being whatever the network name of the pc your MC server is on. Now your client pc will actually have a valid path to "F:\My Movies\MovieName" just as it is on the server and in the library and MC now access the file directly and all should be fine.

Also before mapping the drive you obviously have to make sure you share drive "F" on the server first and leave the share nameas "F".
Title: Re: Since installing MC18 my Client machines can not FF, jump forward, 30sec advance
Post by: Sauzee on November 28, 2012, 01:58:01 am
I would imagine the majority of users are not too familiar with mapping network drives. Is it planned to fix the bugs for those who don't/can't/do not know how to use mapped network drives?
Title: Re: Since installing MC18 my Client machines can not FF, jump forward, 30sec advance
Post by: justsomeguy on November 28, 2012, 03:08:46 am
I would imagine the majority of users are not too familiar with mapping network drives. Is it planned to fix the bugs for those who don't/can't/do not know how to use mapped network drives?

You are right most users may not know anything about sharing and mapped drives so this isn't really a solution but at best a workaround. I'm surprised how quiet it has been about this problem when there are more than just one or two people with it. It is very easy to replicate and has existed from the first public beta as far as I know.

jriver, is there anything we as users can test on our ends to provide feedback to help resolve this problem?
Title: Re: Since installing MC18 my Client machines can not FF, jump forward, 30sec advance
Post by: Yaobing on November 28, 2012, 09:44:26 am
The problem is now fixed.  It will appear in the next build (18.0.81 or higher).  Thanks for reporting it.
Title: Re: Since installing MC18 my Client machines can not FF, jump forward, 30sec advance
Post by: CountryBumkin on November 28, 2012, 11:55:01 am
Excellent!
I'm not home now, but this morning before leaving for work I read Justsomeguy's reply and mapped my Client machine to "F:\HTPC/My Movies" and "E:\HTPC/My TV". I then noticed I could FF on those TV recordings made in October and earlier, but still could not FF on any recordings made in Nov (which is when I switchwed to MC18). Maybe it was this way all along and I didn't notice. However, I still could not FF on any movies regardless of date added. This is on version 18.0.078.
I'll try ver 18.0.081 as soon as I can.
Thanks.
Title: Re: Since installing MC18 my Client machines can not FF, jump forward, 30sec advance
Post by: CountryBumkin on November 29, 2012, 04:05:37 am
18.0.081 fixed the problem.
Thanks