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[rcwoll]

I have a 150 GB library on an external hardrive and two computers (both running windows xp and MC 9 - one 9.1.256 and the other 9.1.180).  All are attatched on a home network and playing nicely together.

If:

a) I make a new smartlist or playlist (or change an existing list) on one machine
or
B) I make any tag changes on one machine,


then what's the best way to get the changes to appear on the other machine's MC 9?
Update library doesn't seem to do it.

Thanks alot for your help.

[John Gateley]

Two ways:

1) Make one machine the master, make all changes on this machine. Then have the second machine, via windows networking, use the same library in party mode (to prevent database corruption).

2) Check out Media Server.

j

[rcwoll]

I am no computer maven, so could you please elaborate on these suggestions.

1) How do I "have the second machine, via windows networking, use the same library in party mode"?

2) What's Media Server?

Thanks again!

[JimH]

MC has a help section.  Could you try it first and then ask questions if you need to?

[rcwoll]

Thanks, I read it but since it's all about MC 6 I didn't know if it applied -- didn't mean to offend  

Four quick questions:
1) The help file on Media server talks about MJ 6, has anything changed?

2) It's listed as a plus feature but is it included in MC 9.1.XXX?

3) If something is "playing now" on the host will it also be playing now on the remote?

4) Can I use it with the different builds of MC listed above?

Thanks again.

[Robert Taylor]

The basic setup is this:

The ability to use Media Server is a PLUS feature, which means that you need to be registered after the 30 day evaluation period.

You create your library on a machine (henceforth known as the server).

On this machine you run a Media Server.

Any other machines on your LAN can connect to this Media Server (using File / Library / Search for Local Media Servers within MC)

The client machines don't update or manage the database of the server. Maybe one day this will happen - it would be nice even to have play stats passed back from the client into the database...

BUT, if you make tag changes etc on the SERVER, the next time the client connects to the server, they are visible to all the clients.

What I believe John G was referring to was sharing your library using Windows Network Neighbourhood. You could open this library from your client machine(s), but you have to be careful to be in Party Mode, so no attempts are made to update the library database from the second machine. This is because the library database is not designed for multi-access, and you could cause corruption trying to update the library from two machines at once.

Hopefully, this clarifies things a little.

If not you may have to ask a star-bellied sneech...

[rcwoll]

WowLunchmeat, you have given me a lot to chew over, thanks so much!

[rcwoll]

Well, I tired but it didn't work.  Wondering if anybody has any idears?

I have a cable modem and router that operates as a DHCP server.
I set up computer 1 to act as server (selected "Share" in Media Server).
I then went to the client and did File | Library | Search for Media Servers.  
Then the client basically froze up.  
After rebooting (and turning off the Media Server setup on both PC's),  my library on the client was gone and I was unable to reaccess any of my media files on the client, couldn't rebuild the data base.  
Uninstalled MC 9 and re-downloaded it, rebuilt the data base and that's where the whole enchilada rests.
Looking forward to your brilliance, thanks.

[John Gateley]

At a guess, the client found the server, tried to load the server library, and failed for some reason.

When you later tried to manipulate the library, you were trying to manipulate the corrupted one.

Try again, and this time after failure (if it happens), click on file->library and make sure it says default. If not, just switch back to the default and everything should be fine.

Then we'll tackle the next problem.

Re-installing also restores you to default.

j

[rcwoll]

Thanks I'll re-try, but before I do I had a thought (very rare event BTW).  Could my problem be that the client and server are running different builds?
I think the client has 9.1.180 and the server 9.1.256.

[JimH]

Both sides must be the same version.  Help will be current if you update.

[John Gateley]

Yes, the version difference may be the problem. The DB format has changed a lot and Media Server has changed a lot recently, either could cause the hang.

j

[Robert Taylor]

Rwcoll, as soon as a new version comes out, I always upgrade BOTH my client(s) and server. If there's quirks in the build that cause things to not work for me, I go back to the previous build and wait for the next...

I have not had any real dramas using Media Server for some time, although occassionally, a build will come out where things like the client not receiving album cover art or something weird happens.

As I tend to install new versions over the top of exisiting ones, in these sorts of cases I will bite the bullet, and do an uninstall first, then a fresh install, and completely rebuild my database. Sometimes this seems neccessary.

It seems a lot of people get upset when they are forced to do stuff like this, but reall, how much of a big deal is it? If all your tags are good, rebuilding the database is a minor hassle.

I did this the other night, and my library of 13000 songs was imported into the library in about 5 minutes. I think the newer versions have had some tweaking done, as this is the fastest importing I have seen yet of my collection. (I'm sure it helps, too, that all my MP3s are sitting on a 175Gb RAID-5 Array!!).

Rwcoll, You said "My library on the client was gone". The library never really exists on the client; each time you fire up the client, it finds the server and "downloads' the library before opening up.

I also use DHCP assigned addreses, using a Linux (IPCop) firewall on my network, and it makes no difference.

I think if you accept the JRiver feller's advice, and make sure both ends are running the same version, you might find things run much smoothier!!

[rcwoll]

Thanks all, I will synch up my versions and try again.

LunchmeatVoom, when I tried to run the client by doing File | Library | Search for Media Servers it (the client) had its own Library (and, of course, so did the server) and that's what went missing after the freeze and re-boot.
Do I have to erase the Library from the client before I try to link the two?
Or name them differently (both Libraries were under no special name on each of the computers).

[Robert Taylor]

Gday again,

I guess it depends on whether you actually DO have a local library on the client (do you?)...

When you first install MC, it will prompt you to search for files to build a library. On my client, I cancel this operation, as I don't want a local library on the client. I COULD do this by mapping a network drive, and getting the client to build it's own library, but hey, why have two libraries to maintain etc. This is the beauty of Media Server. The library is built on the server, and the client merely downloads this library each time it connects to the server.

So, as I said, after installing MC on the client, when it starts up I cancel the request to import files, then do the search for a Media Server. Once your client has found the server, it will automagically connect and download from the server each time it starts up (providing of course your Media Server is actually running - good idea to set it so it starts with Windows)

If the MC client has it's own local library, I don't think you can use this while the client is connected to a server. The server's library becomes the client's library so to speak...

Hope this helps!

It may seem a little daunting at first, but you'll get the hang of it. Keep asking questions...

[rcwoll]

Thanks guys for the advice but I am still not making the connection.

I loaded 9.1.256 on to both machines, cleared the library on the client , set up the server to share, and on the client selected File | Library | Search for Media Servers.
There was a few seconds of searching, it "appeared" to connect but then aborted, and sent up an error message like:
"Failed to connect with 192.168.1.101.80/C/program files/..../media center 9/....default/media"

This is not an exact quote of the error but close to it.  Any more suggestions?  Your help is lways appreciated.

[John Gateley]

check the server log (settings->show status) if it is not visible.

j

[rcwoll]

Is a server log the black screen?  If so, was visible and remained empty.  There was a media server icon in my system tray (I think that's what the little indentation on the lower right hand part of the wondows screen is called).  I had to close it manually, even after closing the server log.

[Robert Taylor]

Rwcoll, when U say "set up the server to share", what do you mean?

All you should need to do is start Media Server from the Start Menu. On Media Server's Options / General window, the options under Startup are ticked by default I think. These are:

"Automatically start on Windows' startup"
"Automatically start sharing when program starts"

When Media Server is running, a small icon appears in your system tray. Double-click this and it pops up the MS window. If you CLOSE this window (ie. with the X close button), Media Server is no longer running. You need to minimise this window (goes back to systray icon), so it stays running...

To view the log, click Options / Show Status in the Media Server window (yes that's the black window). Don't forget to MINIMISE THIS WINDOW ONLY, if you close it, you no longer have Media Server running on your server machine.

Have another go!

[rcwoll]

Got the two machines to meet finally, thanks to the amazing Adam at iPod lounge!  His suggestion was to select the library to share from the Settings on Media Server.  Then when I selected File | Library | Search for Media Servers on the client it downloaded the servers library.

Questions:

So I can test the connection -- if I make a change on the server how quickly will it be reflected on the client?
Or do I need to "resynch"  the library after a change to see the change?

Is this a library share only or if I play something on the server will the client play it simultaneously?

Thanks,
rcwoll

[John Gateley]

If you make a change with Media Center on your server machine, you must restart sharing (the easiest way is to click settings->options, click OK, and answer "yes" to "do you want to reconnect"), and then reconnect the client.

It's only a library share, but you can do some neat stuff with zone. Check out the multi-zone playback portion of the welcome/faq thread here. It doesn't do synchronized playback yet though.

j