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[johngal]

Hi,

I have all my media, (music, films & TV shows), on a WHS.
I’ve got two PCs, a desktop and one connected to the main TV.
I want to use MC to manage my media via the desktop, because sitting on the floor with a crappy wireless keyboard is a pain in the arse.
So I installed it on the desktop and went to work correcting all the tags and getting it sorted.
Now I’ve installed MC on the TV PC and pointed at the same directories and though the audio is ok the video is a mess.
Should the media sub type tag field ‘come across’ to the installation on the TV PC? It seems not to have and this is why it’s a mess. (Worse than the start off on the desktop which is odd).

Thanks
John

[Matt]

Make sure you have sidecar tagging enabled for videos (it is by default).

You can use Update Tags (from library) to (re)write the sidecars.  Any other machines that import should read those sidecar files.

[CountryBumkin]

Hi,

I have all my media, (music, films & TV shows), on a WHS.
I’ve got two PCs, a desktop and one connected to the main TV.
I want to use MC to manage my media via the desktop, because sitting on the floor with a crappy wireless keyboard is a pain in the arse.
So I installed it on the desktop and went to work correcting all the tags and getting it sorted.
Now I’ve installed MC on the TV PC and pointed at the same directories and though the audio is ok the video is a mess.
Should the media sub type tag field ‘come across’ to the installation on the TV PC? It seems not to have and this is why it’s a mess. (Worse than the start off on the desktop which is odd).

Thanks
John

It sounds like you want to share the Library on you desktop PC (the server) to the PC next to the TV (the client). This way you do all your database maintenance on the desktop (and all you rmovies are stored on the desktop PC) and you never have to touch the "TV" PC. This is a typical setup. You just go to Tools>options>Media Network (on the Server PC) and check the box, get the access code, setup a password - then go to your TV PC and check the media network box and enter the code/password. After that you are sharing the Library. On the Client PC you don't have to "point" to anything it is sharing the database from the Server PC.
Sorry if what I posted is obvious to you.

[johngal]

Thanks for the replies.

The sidecar method works thanks, though will the MC on the PC TV find these changes automatically or do I have Update Library (from tags) every time I change something?
Not really MCs fault as I now know video files don’t have tags, but I’m open to ideas if anyone has a more elegant solution.
Could the WHS box run MC and I could remote desktop in?

Thanks
John

[glynor]

As Country Bumpkin suggested, it would be better to run MC as a server on the Desktop machine and then connect to it using the HTPC.  Is the Desktop PC always-on?

If so, enable these:

Options -> Startup -> Windows Startup -> Media Server
Options -> Media Network -> Use Media Network
Options -> Media Network -> Authentication and set a password.

Then, connect the HTPC's copy of MC to the server running on your desktop.  Then, wham, they both run the same Library in MC all the time.  Make sure this option is enabled on the HTPC side (it is by default, I believe):
Options -> Media Network -> Client Options -> Automatically Sync Changes

If the Desktop PC isn't always-on, I don't know enough about WHS to advise.  If you remote in via VNC or Windows Remote Desktop, can you get a regular Windows desktop and Start button and everything?  If so, then you could probably run MC as a server there, and connect both the HTPC and the Desktop to it.  But there are some types of Library changes you can only make using the "real, server" copy of MC, so you'd need more info in this case (you can tag items normally from client copies of MC, but you can't change the Library views themselves, or anything like that).

If not, then you could put the Library Files themselves on the network share, and connect both machines directly to them.  The way this works is that the first copy of MC that "gets there" gets read/write access to the Library files.  Any subsequent copies can connect and use MC, but they are read-only (the way it works is that it lets you make changes, but they are "lost" when you exit that copy of MC).  I did this for a long time with my HTPC and my desktops (before they made some needed improvements to the Media Server system a few major versions back).  It works.

It is a little annoying because whatever copy "gets there first" always wins, and you need to close that copy to get it to relinquish its read/write "lock" on the library.  So, if someone else in your household opens up MC and is watching a movie, and you want to go to the Desktop to do some tagging, you'll need to interrupt them and close MC for a second so that you can open the copy up on the Desktop (after which, they can then re-open MC, say OK to the "read-only" warning popup, and continue their movie).  So, using a Media Server is better if you can swing it.  But, if you want to be able to shut that Desktop PC down, and the WHS can't run the server, then this might be the next-best choice.

[johngal]

Thanks for the replies.
Leaving the desktop PC on isn’t an option I’m afraid. (Plus theres not enough room on there for everything anyway).
I’ll just have to live with doing the Update tags/Update library option when I’ve finished sorting out the files on the desktop.
Not ideal but...

Thanks again
John

[glynor]

If not, then you could put the Library Files themselves on the network share, and connect both machines directly to them.  The way this works is that the first copy of MC that "gets there" gets read/write access to the Library files.  Any subsequent copies can connect and use MC, but they are read-only (the way it works is that it lets you make changes, but they are "lost" when you exit that copy of MC).  I did this for a long time with my HTPC and my desktops (before they made some needed improvements to the Media Server system a few major versions back).  It works.

It is a little annoying because whatever copy "gets there first" always wins, and you need to close that copy to get it to relinquish its read/write "lock" on the library.  So, if someone else in your household opens up MC and is watching a movie, and you want to go to the Desktop to do some tagging, you'll need to interrupt them and close MC for a second so that you can open the copy up on the Desktop (after which, they can then re-open MC, say OK to the "read-only" warning popup, and continue their movie).  So, using a Media Server is better if you can swing it.  But, if you want to be able to shut that Desktop PC down, and the WHS can't run the server, then this might be the next-best choice.

This will work even if the Desktop PC is off sometimes.  Sorry if that wasn't clear.

Basically, you just put your Library files (MC's database) on the network share (on the WHS shared drive), and have both copies of MC open and use that Library.  The easiest way to do this would be to make a new Library in MC "cloning" your existing Library, and have it saved to the network.  Then, go to the other machine and add the new library on the network drive.

Ask if you want more details on how to do this step-by-step.

And, again, you might be able to run MC in Library Server mode directly on the WHS box.  I just don't know anything about WHS other than a few blog articles I read a long time ago.  You'd need someone who knows to answer this.