INTERACT FORUM

More => Old Versions => Media Center 11 (Development Ended) => Topic started by: chemical on September 20, 2003, 07:34:39 pm

Title: Customer support?
Post by: chemical on September 20, 2003, 07:34:39 pm
Since the link for support brings me to these boards, how do I request a refund?

Title: Re: Customer support?
Post by: MachineHead on September 20, 2003, 07:59:17 pm
Will not get one. Search will yield a bounty of results.

What's the problem?
Title: Re: Customer support?
Post by: John Gateley on September 20, 2003, 08:14:48 pm
The 30 day trial allows you to try the product before purchasing.

Thanks,

j
JRiver, Inc.
Title: Re: Customer support?
Post by: chemical on September 21, 2003, 09:50:17 am
The probem is that the program runs for only about 10 minutes then locks up.  I've upgraded all drivers, SP's, updates, ec. (XP Pro).  It is just extremely unstable and for paying $40 I guess I just expected a working bit of software.

And John,  I know the 30 day trial allows me to test the app before purchasing.  Based on reviews, I had faith in the product so gave you the benefit of the doubt. Nice job on blowing off a customer.  That's not a very good attitude to take.
Title: Re: Customer support?
Post by: LisaRCT on September 21, 2003, 10:01:31 am
What version of MC are you running?
MC9.0.180 or MC9.1.xxx?

Can you post your system information and pertinent details?

I see you have not posted previously . . .  had you considered ASKING for help?  
Had you considered that the rest of us must not be having this problem, so PERHAPS it is something in YOUR system that is the problem?
Had you considered working with the good folks here to resolve the conflict rather than assuming you got burned for $40?

There is plenty of help available if you go about seeking it properly and courteously.  Whatever the problems you are having I am sure they can be resolved with a little patience.  Both the staff and the others here will gladly help out if you approach them in a civil manner.
Title: Re: Customer support?
Post by: KingSparta on September 21, 2003, 10:15:46 am
Quote
The probem is that the program runs for only about 10 minutes then locks up.  I've upgraded all drivers, SP's, updates, ec. (XP Pro).  It is just extremely unstable and for paying $40 I guess I just expected a working bit of software.

And John,  I know the 30 day trial allows me to test the app before purchasing.  Based on reviews, I had faith in the product so gave you the benefit of the doubt. Nice job on blowing off a customer.  That's not a very good attitude to take.


since it works just fine for most users there maybe

1. Something wrong with your computer (OS, Speed, Memory, Something Your Running Other Than MC9)
2. Something MediaCenter does not like about your computer.

the latest version is 9.1.256
Title: Re: Customer support?
Post by: jleerigby on September 21, 2003, 10:38:22 am
Well said Lisa.  

Chemical - If you read your posts back I think you'll see YOU are the one with the attitude not the JRiver staff.  I guarantee that the people here will help solve your problem if you give them a chance.

Let's have FULL details of your system (Help>System info from within MC, then paste here) and FULL details of the problem.  

What type of files are you trying to play or are you trying to burn or maybe using the TV tuner?  
Are the files on removeable media, internal hard drive, network drive or what?  
What sound card do you have?  
What DSP settings have you applied?  
What graphics card do you have?
What other programs do you have running in the background or in the system tray?
What do you mean by locks up?  
Can you access any other programs?  
Can you access the task list?  
Do you get any error messages?
Have you downloaded any plug Ins?  If so which ones?
Title: Re: Customer support?
Post by: chemical on September 21, 2003, 12:37:11 pm
Ok, I'll give it a shot.  Perhaps I'm a little too jaded and defensive up front.

Here is the sysinfo from MC:

Media Center Registered 9.1.249 -- C:\Program Files\J River\Media Center\

Microsoft Windows XP  Workstation 5.1 Service Pack 1 (Build 2600)
Intel Pentium 4 2997 MHz MMX / Memory: Total - 1047 MB, Free - 795 MB

Internet Explorer: 6.0.2800.1106 / ComCtl32.dll: 5.82 (xpsp1.020828-1920) / Shlwapi.dll: 6.00.2800.1226 / Shell32.dll: 6.00.2800.1233 (xpsp2.030604-1804) / wnaspi32.dll: N/A
Ripping /   Drive D:   Copy mode:ModeBurstBigBuffer   CD Type:Auto   Read speed:Max
 Drive E:   Copy mode:ModeBurstBigBuffer   CD Type:Auto   Read speed:Max
 Digital playback: Yes /  Use YADB: Yes /  Get cover art: No /  Calc replay gain: Yes /  Copy volume: 32767
 Eject after ripping: No /  Play sound after ripping: No  

Burning /  Drive E: HL-DT-ST CD-RW GCE-8520B    Addr: 0:1:0  Speed:52  MaxSpeed:52  BurnProof:Yes
 Test mode: No /  Eject after writing: Yes /  Direct decoding: Yes /  Write CD-Text: No
 Use playback settings: No /  Normalization: None

I've tried both MC9 and MC9.1xx and the same issue comes up.  By locking up, I mean to say that MC stops responding after about 10 minutes (in the window for MC, it has Not Responding after the app title).  I have to kill it off and restart to get it back, and then it only runs for about another 10 minutes.

Here is config 1:  Main rig running Media Server, streaming MP3's to an HTPC machine running the same version of MC (9.1xx).  MC9 on the HTPC machine has a plugin from Cinemar installed which allows MC9 to share it's information with Cinemar's MusicLobby software.  MusicLobby is just a basic transport interface for MC9.

To answer the questions asked:

I'm not burning or using a TV tuner, just listening to streaming MP3's.

The files reside on an internal drive on my main rig.

I'm using a SoundBlaster Live 5.1 sound card in the PC playing the music (HTPC machine).

No DSP settings have been applied.

The graphics card is an ATI Radeon 9800 Pro 256MB.

Other apps running: Homeseer, MainLobby Suite, SlinkE server.

I can access other apps and also the task list (the only way to kill the zombie MC9 process).

There are no error messages, it just stops responding.

The MusicLobby plugin is the only one I have downloaded.

Further info:  I have taken everything out of the equation and just tried to stream MP3s from MC's own media server to an MC client on the HTPC machine with exactly the same issue.  I have tried multiple versions of the beta as well as the FCS releases.  The only thing I've noticed different between the MC9.0 and the MC9.1 releases is that Media Server is more stable in 9.1.



Title: Re: Customer support?
Post by: LisaRCT on September 21, 2003, 12:51:33 pm
OK, the problem is your processor . . too danged fast,
do a frontal labotomy and cut it down the the approx. IQ of the average  :-X  . . . .  oh nevermind   :P

Seriously though, thanks for the info, I am sure someone here will help get this solved.  It is often a group effort, sort of a quest if you will, but sometimes short & sweet.  There are some pretty slick ones here amoung us.

Have you tried making it simple and merely playing files in MC from a local drive, with no plugins or media server loaded, no network drives, etc?
Plain & simple music player operation . . . .  or is that even a problem?  
For me I need to break it down to the smallest common denominator, and then start to isolate the cause as other factors are introduced one at a time until the problem surfaces.
You can try that, or wait for someone a bit more savvy at this comes along with another suggestion . . .  I am sure that will not be long.   ;)

BTW, what is your sound card info?
Direct Sound, WaveOut, or ASIO?

Give people here a chance and you may get drawn in and become one of us drones   ;D

You will be assimilated . . . .

Listening to Tori Amos ~ Only Women Bleed,
on MC9.1.256
Title: Re: Customer support?
Post by: KingSparta on September 21, 2003, 01:12:09 pm
so if you have media server not running does it lock up?

if Media Server Is Running And you Do not have MusicLobby running does it lock up?

Note: there have been some users who have reported MusicLobby locked up there system and crashes MC9.1

also a newer version of MC9.1 is aval for download in this forum. the first thread has a link.
Title: Re: Customer support?
Post by: modelmaker on September 21, 2003, 02:56:23 pm
I want to add my support to Lisa's statement : Have a little patience. When I first started with MC, I was pretty annoyed with the lack of a "direct" customer contact link. I am not a computer nerd (I mean that in only the most loving and best of ways guys), and was not a "chatter". Once I learned how to use 'interact' here I found the people and the administrators  amoungst the most helpful and friendly people I have encountered in my 2 years on the internet. These are truely well-intentioned and motivated people. Stick with it they'll help you solve whatever problem you can throw at them. Jay.
Title: Re: Customer support?
Post by: Couch on September 21, 2003, 10:23:29 pm
Quote
I want to add my support to Lisa's statement : Have a little patience. When I first started with MC, I was pretty annoyed with the lack of a "direct" customer contact link. I am not a computer nerd (I mean that in only the most loving and best of ways guys), and was not a "chatter". Once I learned how to use 'interact' here I found the people and the administrators  amoungst the most helpful and friendly people I have encountered in my 2 years on the internet. These are truely well-intentioned and motivated people. Stick with it they'll help you solve whatever problem you can throw at them. Jay.

Y'all should put this testimonial in a readme.1st ....


I'm frustrated. I'm looking for a little co-hesivenes, a manual, an index - I tried search, I've been reading for 2 hours. Nothing is really that much more clear, some of those posts I have no idea what is being discussed, but my serch keywords are in the middle of it.
'All I want' is a comprehensive guide to smartlists, and View Schemes. My end-goal?:

I would like to view my files in a truly classic jukebox format. A Kiosk, if you will, listing say
Title: Re: Customer support?
Post by: LisaRCT on September 22, 2003, 10:24:17 am
<BUMP>  sorta

I hope we have helped find a solution to Chemical's crashing problem.
Chemical,
Did you try backing out all the 'accessories' and plugins to isolate the problem?  How did that work out?  
Please let us know where this stands if we haven't gotten to the root yet.  

Shorebreak, perhaps start a thread asking for a
View Scheme / Smartlist assist so those whp are good with that will find ya and help.   ;)
Title: Re: Customer support?
Post by: John Gateley on September 22, 2003, 10:35:42 am
chemical,

what kind of network do you have? There's a known problem with the Windows networking stack causing Media Server and/or Media Center to hang. Since this is in the underlying stack, there's not a lot I can do about it. Have you done an Update Windows to make sure you have the latest Windows stuff? If you are using wireless, try repositioning to get better reception and see if that helps.

j