INTERACT FORUM

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  
Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Using client computer to output audio from library server computer  (Read 5844 times)

Ziba

  • Recent member
  • *
  • Posts: 39

I assume this issue has been addressed previously, but I could not find an answer while searching the forums, my apologies.

Basically, my setup uses computer1 as the library server and computer2 as the client computer. Using the client computer, I can access the library server computer, but I can only playback music from computer2. Is there a way to also use the client computer to playback music on the library server computer?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Logged

JimH

  • Administrator
  • Citizen of the Universe
  • *****
  • Posts: 72476
  • Where did I put my teeth?
Logged

Ziba

  • Recent member
  • *
  • Posts: 39
Re: Using client computer to output audio from library server computer
« Reply #2 on: February 20, 2017, 07:35:02 pm »

Thanks for your reply, but I still can't figure out how to do this. The server library shows up fine on the client computer, but I can't get the music to play back on the server computer (which is connected to my hifi system). It only plays from the client computer.

I suspect there's something I'm not understanding correctly from that last line of the wiki page multiple times: "Under the client's Playing Now, the remote machine (the server) should show up. You can drag content to it or just click on it. Everything should then play on the server". How can I drag content to the "playing now"?

Or perhaps I did not configure the media network on the server computer properly?
Logged

aoqw76

  • Galactic Citizen
  • ****
  • Posts: 257
Re: Using client computer to output audio from library server computer
« Reply #3 on: February 21, 2017, 05:10:34 am »

When you right click on a track, what do you see in the "send to" list, can you see the option to send to your server pc?
Logged
xubuntu lts 14.04 32 bit, running mc22.0.36 as anything later doesn't work properly over vnc. using linux mc22 as media server to windows mc22 last version / jremote on ipad.
I am the owner / sole admin for www.cyrusunofficial.co.uk ("fan" site for Cyrus Audio hifi)

Ziba

  • Recent member
  • *
  • Posts: 39
Re: Using client computer to output audio from library server computer
« Reply #4 on: February 21, 2017, 05:51:47 am »

No, I don't see any option to send to my server pc in the Send To list.
Logged

JimH

  • Administrator
  • Citizen of the Universe
  • *****
  • Posts: 72476
  • Where did I put my teeth?
Re: Using client computer to output audio from library server computer
« Reply #5 on: February 21, 2017, 06:26:14 am »

Did you turn on Media Network?
Logged

Daverich4

  • Junior Woodchuck
  • **
  • Posts: 93
Re: Using client computer to output audio from library server computer
« Reply #6 on: February 21, 2017, 10:32:27 am »

When you click on Playing Now on the left side of the page does your server show up in the list of devices you can use? If it does, you can just select it and the music you choose on your client will play on the server. If it doesn't show up there, JimH is right, you need to go to Tools/Options/Media Network/Use Media Network on your server and enable it.
Logged

aoqw76

  • Galactic Citizen
  • ****
  • Posts: 257
Re: Using client computer to output audio from library server computer
« Reply #7 on: February 21, 2017, 07:02:56 pm »

He must have media network enabled as he has a client pc using a served library.

In options/media network, under client options, do you have "show playback zones ...." enabled? (On the server pc)
Logged
xubuntu lts 14.04 32 bit, running mc22.0.36 as anything later doesn't work properly over vnc. using linux mc22 as media server to windows mc22 last version / jremote on ipad.
I am the owner / sole admin for www.cyrusunofficial.co.uk ("fan" site for Cyrus Audio hifi)

Ziba

  • Recent member
  • *
  • Posts: 39
Re: Using client computer to output audio from library server computer
« Reply #8 on: February 21, 2017, 09:52:38 pm »

I still can't get it to work, but first off, thanks for everyone's help so far.

Here's what I did. First, I set up the Media Network on the server pc, which contains the library that I would like to make available to my client pc. This generated an access key on the server pc.

Next, on my client pc, I went to Playing Now, selected "Playing from Main Library", selected "Add library" in the Library Manager, typed "Library Server" in the Name field and typed in the server pc Access Key.

Now, under Playing Now, it's now showing Playing from Library Server. Under this, I can see both the Main Library and the Library Server. My understanding is that, on my client pc, I'm now remotely connected to the Library Server (on the server pc). I can now access content from the Library Server on my client pc by going in the Playlist or Audio sections on the left hand side of the software, below Playing Now.

However, the music can only be played on the client pc, I can't figure out how to get it to playback on the server pc.

Did you turn on Media Network?

When you click on Playing Now on the left side of the page does your server show up in the list of devices you can use? If it does, you can just select it and the music you choose on your client will play on the server. If it doesn't show up there, JimH is right, you need to go to Tools/Options/Media Network/Use Media Network on your server and enable it.

I'm pretty sure that the Media Network is on, unless I'm missing something.

In options/media network, under client options, do you have "show playback zones ...." enabled? (On the server pc)

Yes, that option is checked. Actually, all boxes are checked Under Tools, Options, Media Network.
Logged

Daverich4

  • Junior Woodchuck
  • **
  • Posts: 93
Re: Using client computer to output audio from library server computer
« Reply #9 on: February 22, 2017, 05:49:30 am »

I still can't get it to work, but first off, thanks for everyone's help so far.

Next, on my client pc, I went to Playing Now, selected "Playing from Main Library", selected "Add library" in the Library Manager, typed "Library Server" in the Name field and typed in the server pc Access Key.

Now, under Playing Now, it's now showing Playing from Library Server. Under this, I can see both the Main Library and the Library Server. My understanding is that, on my client pc, I'm now remotely connected to the Library Server (on the server pc). I can now access content from the Library Server on my client pc by going in the Playlist or Audio sections on the left hand side of the software, below Playing Now.

However, the music can only be played on the client pc, I can't figure out how to get it to playback on the server pc.


You clearly are connecting to the music library on your server but I don't see any mention of you selecting your server as the output device. When you open Playing Now on your CLIENT computer there should be a list of devices to output to and then below that Playing From where you choose the library to use. Does your server show in the choices listed above the Playing From list? if so, you should be able to choose it as the output device. If it's not listed there some other problem is happening.
Logged

JimH

  • Administrator
  • Citizen of the Universe
  • *****
  • Posts: 72476
  • Where did I put my teeth?
Re: Using client computer to output audio from library server computer
« Reply #10 on: February 22, 2017, 06:30:52 am »

When you open Playing Now on your CLIENT computer there should be a list of devices to output to and then below that Playing From where you choose the library to use.
There is an illustration of this on the wiki here:
http://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Media_Network

It might be worth re-reading that carefully.

And the firewall must allow access.
Logged

Ziba

  • Recent member
  • *
  • Posts: 39
Re: Using client computer to output audio from library server computer
« Reply #11 on: February 22, 2017, 03:53:19 pm »

You clearly are connecting to the music library on your server but I don't see any mention of you selecting your server as the output device. When you open Playing Now on your CLIENT computer there should be a list of devices to output to and then below that Playing From where you choose the library to use. Does your server show in the choices listed above the Playing From list? if so, you should be able to choose it as the output device. If it's not listed there some other problem is happening.

I think you nailed it. There's no option for me to select the server pc as the output when I'm on the client pc. Looking at JimH's link, I now realize there should be something right above "Playing from Library Server", but there isn't. The tree goes: Playing Now > Playing from Library Server > Main Library / Library Server / Add Library. That's it.

I assume I should be seeing the server pc right above the "Playing from" when I'm on the client pc, and vice versa, I should see the client pc when I'm on the server pc. Is there a way for me to fix this?
Logged

aoqw76

  • Galactic Citizen
  • ****
  • Posts: 257
Re: Using client computer to output audio from library server computer
« Reply #12 on: February 24, 2017, 06:08:36 am »

So within "playing now" you dont have "player" and "there"?
In this context, "player" = the client PC, and "there" = server PC.
I cant see an option anywhere to switch this on or off. Every track has a "send to" option of "there", and if I use that and then view the server PC via remote desktop, it's playing. Likewise I can click on "there" under "playing now" and choose "clear playing now" and playback stops.

If you remote into your server pc, can you control MC and play music? I assume there is an output device defined etc.
Logged
xubuntu lts 14.04 32 bit, running mc22.0.36 as anything later doesn't work properly over vnc. using linux mc22 as media server to windows mc22 last version / jremote on ipad.
I am the owner / sole admin for www.cyrusunofficial.co.uk ("fan" site for Cyrus Audio hifi)

Ziba

  • Recent member
  • *
  • Posts: 39
Re: Using client computer to output audio from library server computer
« Reply #13 on: February 24, 2017, 10:03:28 am »

So within "playing now" you dont have "player" and "there"?
In this context, "player" = the client PC, and "there" = server PC.

Yes, I can now confirm that this was the issue. There was no "Player" and "There" options. I now realize you need those options to send playback to another pc (in my case, use the client to send playback to the server pc), but there was no way for me to know that such an option existed, since it wasn't there. You can't know what you don't know, I guess.

What I ended up doing is reinstall jriver on both computers. I noticed that, by default, "Player" is available under Playing Now on both pc's. I added an album on the server pc to create a library, then set up the Media Network. On the client pc, I connected to the server library and eureka, "There" suddenly appeared right below "Player" under Playing Now! I can now control the playback on the server pc using the client pc!

I then tried restoring my full library + settings on the server pc, setup a new Media network. This time, when I connected to the server library from the client pc, "There" did not appear...

Then, I reinstalled jriver on the server pc and restored the full library, but this time, I chose the library only, not the settings. I set up the media server on the server pc once more, connected to the server library from the client pc, and everything works fine, "There" shows up on the client pc. This basically tells me that the issue is related to a setting of some kind in jriver, not the library itself. Perhaps someone with a better understanding can confirm if this is the case?

Anyhow, even though it would've been simpler to figure out how that add "Player" and "There" using my initial library setup, the issue is now resolved. I'm quite happy to now be able to control playback remotely, it is so convenient.

Thanks to everyone for your input, it is greatly appreciated!
Logged

The Mastermind

  • World Citizen
  • ***
  • Posts: 220
Re: Using client computer to output audio from library server computer
« Reply #14 on: March 09, 2017, 10:13:42 pm »

I had this exact same problem for a while now. I eventually solved it by adding a new zone to the server, which showed up on the client the next time I opened it. This allowed me to send music to the server from my laptop client.

This leaves a minor issue of a redundant zone of my server, which is a tiny but messy but no big deal.

The reverse applies too, a new zone on the client will show up on the server.

The question is, how can the zones be reset to make the default zones reappear? The server client link seems to be working as it should but the default zones have vanished.
Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up