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[GreggP]

I'm running MC 10.0.99 and haven't been able to get the Handheld Player feature to work. I have an MP3/WMA player that supports compact flash (CF) cards, so to transfer files between my computer and the CF card, I use a Firewire card reader.  This setup has always worked for me when using Windows Media Player 9. So I know the hardware is functioning properly. With the CF card inserted into my card reader, Windows XP Pro (my OS) recognizes the card as another drive. I can copy any file onto the card without any problems.

My audio files are located on a PC/server in my basement. I have several machines connected to my router/switch in my home network. So the PC/server runs Media Center's 'Media Server' and another machine is used for transferring audio to my portable player. With WMP9 the transfers are over the network as well.

Originally I tried transferring audio with MC9 and was told that it was a known problem and was advised to upgrade to the beta of MC10. I've had MC10 (10.0.66 didn't work so I just installed 10.0.99) for awhile, but haven't been able to test it out because my CF card reader died. The new CF card reader arrived today, so now I'm trying to get it to work.

When I try to drag and drop a file to the Handheld Players area (where it says "Drop Files Here") I get the following message:

"Error trying to add the following files to device:

media server address/D:\My Music\Artist\Album\##-trackname.mp3

Note: Make sure you aren't trying to add internet streams."

In MC10's options, I don't have "Enable support for WMDM devices checked" under the Devices/Handheld Players section. I don't think it will make any difference since MC10 is not talking directly to my player.

Is there anything else I can try to get this working? I'd sure like to start using MC10's autoplaylists for creating my transfer list instead of WMP9.

Thanks

[ZRocker]

NOTE:  I too use a CF card reader, but USB 2.0.  MC/MJ has always worked with it...with the occasional MC 10 beta bugs where features that did work, stop working...but, uploading does work.  I don't drag to that "Drag Files Here" icon...I drag to folders on the CF card (drive) itself (NOT under My Computer, though...to the drive letter for the CF card reader listed above My Computer).

Just thought I'd pass that along...no help, I know.

[DWAnderson]

Gregg,

When this worked before were you trying to use MC as a client of Media Server? My guess is that clients hooked to Media Server may not be able to use handheld support as well as users of MC that are not getting the library from Media Server.

[SteveG]

Gregg,

Transfer of Media Server files to Portables is not currently supported. It will be revised in the future.

Steve

[GreggP]

ZRocker -

I don't drag and drop onto "Drag File Here" either. I have an autoplaylist that is set to specific criteria (rock, played=0, etc.), including a limit of 270 minutes of audio. Evert new CD I get is ripped to lossless WMA, so I want those transcoded to 128 Kbit WMA for the portable player. I've calculated that 270 minutes of 128 Kbit audio will fit on my 256 Mb CF card (which formats to around 245 Mb). I right click on the playlist name and select 'Send To' and pick the drive letter of my CF card. It still uses the Handheld Players feature, which is what I want.

So, I can't just drag the files onto the drive. MC has to transcode them so the playlist will fit.

DW -

I've never been able to get this to work. When I first tried with MC9 it didn't work and I was told to try MC10. With MC10.0.66 it started to work. It would accept the playlist, show some progress (decode, etc.) and then seem to freeze up after a few tracks. Nothing was actually trasferred to the CF card. I thought it might be choking on some VBR files, but didn't spend much time trying to repro it. Instead I went ahead and installed 10.0.99. Now it doesn't do anything. MC doesn't even accept a single file for transfer.  I believe I am using MC as a client of Media Server. I have Media Server running on one computer (which is in my basement) and MC running on the system that has the Firewire CF card reader. The machine running MC downloads the library from the Media Server. So does this make it a Media Server client?

Steve- Thanks for the response. Do you plan to support this in MC10 or will it be added in a later version?

[ZRocker]

Gregg,

You can drag-n-drop...the transfer actually does the conversion (transcode)...it's just a transfer/upload option (convert).  As long as you drag-n-drop to the "Drop File Here" icon or the handheld drive letter ABOVE My Computer node.

[SteveG]

Gregg,

At some point, yes.

[GreggP]

Just thought I would touch bases now that MC10 has officially been released.

Is transfer of Media Server files to Portables supported?

[JimH]

No.  It's too risky, legally.

[GreggP]

I'm not sure why there is a problem if the client is in the LAN. I could see some problems with other scenarios.

So I'm SOL... I have my media server in a closet in my basement. It doesn't even have a monitor, keyboard or firewire port. So, I use another machine on the network to play music, rip CDs, etc. When I have to edit the media library on the server, I use remote desktop. I could always get a firewire card for the server, but its still kind of a hassle to connect the CF reader in the basement and then go back upstairs to initiate the transfer (whine, whine, whine...).

Which reminds me...  When I rip a CD, I have the file location (destination) set to the server's shared folder. However, when I close MC10 (from the client) and restart, the tracks are no longer in my library. This is because the tracks were added to the client's library, not the servers. And when I restarted MC10, it is only reading the server library. I then have to run remote desktop and import the tracks into the server's library. Is there a way to streamline this in the future, so that rips from the client are automatically recorded on the server?

Thanks,
Gregg