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[HamDog]

One computer is in my home office, and the other is in the living room (HTPC).  Both run Windows 10 and are on the same network (wired).  All audio files are on a file server in the closet.  Both computers have drive letter "Z" mapped to Music folder on the file server.  Both computers also running MC24. 

I have more than 10TB of audio/video files (on the file server) and have been making the transition to JRiver.  What's the best practice for my situation?  Is it possible to have one shared JRiver database or do I need to create one on each computer?  What about my custom playlists?  How do you keep them synched?  Or can they be shared between multiple computers?  I would also like my views to be the same if possible.  The only thing that has to be different are the audio interfaces (using a multichannel DAC in the living room PC). 

I'd appreciate any help on "best practices" or articles to study for this type of set-up.  Thanks. 

[mwillems]

If you can leave one of the two computers on all the time (or at least leave it sleeping with wake on LAN enabled), or (alternatively) run JRiver on your file server itself, then media network is the 100% solution to what you want.  One PC will be the JRiver server, and the others can be clients.  They'll share the same database, playlists, views, etc., but all output options/devices will be locally configured.  It also only requires a few clicks to get started, and is by far the easiest and most complete way to do what you want.

[HamDog]

Interesting!  Both my work (home office) computer and HTPC are on 24x7.  I also have a QNAP file server which runs 24x7 (it has a much slower processor than my PC's).  If JRiver is installed on the file server, will the processor speed/memory matter?  Meaning if I play an HD video file on my HTPC, which device does the video processing (file server or device it's played on?) 

And what's the first step in setting up a system like that?

PS - I also have Plex running on my HTPC.  I mainly use it to watch movies when I'm at my girlfriend's home using my phone and chromecast to her TV.  I may be digging way in advance, but maybe JRiver can replace that in the future?

[mwillems]

Interesting!  Both my work (home office) computer and HTPC are on 24x7.  I also have a QNAP file server which runs 24x7 (it has a much slower processor than my PC's).  If JRiver is installed on the file server, will the processor speed/memory matter?  Meaning if I play an HD video file on my HTPC, which device does the video processing (file server or device it's played on?) 

Some parts of video processing are always local (decoding and rendering), but, depending on your settings, other parts of video processing are done on the server.  If transcoding is necessary, it has to be done on the server.  It's better to run the server on a full-spec computer rather than a QNAP (if that's an option) for that reason alone, and it sounds like it's an option for you.

And what's the first step in setting up a system like that?

Open the Tools-->Options menu on the machine you want to use as the server.  Go to media network and enable it.  You should get an access key.  Go to the proposed client, and under File-->Library select "Connect to a Remote Library."  Enter the access key, and (if there are no firewall issues, etc.) the client should now have the same library, views etc.  There are some tips and tricks after that, but that's three-click solution for getting started.  Plenty more on the wiki and in the configuration options.

PS - I also have Plex running on my HTPC.  I mainly use it to watch movies when I'm at my girlfriend's home using my phone and chromecast to her TV.  I may be digging way in advance, but maybe JRiver can replace that in the future?

For the most part, yes, you just need to forward a port into the server on your router and you can then access the jriver server from anywhere just like plex using the access key.  There are also jriver android apps that work as both remote players of media from the server -and- as remote controls for local JRiver instances.  The only thing to note is that the android apps always require transcoding for video played to the android device (which is CPU intensive for the server), whereas full-fledged desktop jriver instances can take the video files "as is" with correct client-side configuration (which uses no CPU to speak of), so you'll need a lot of CPU power on the server if you have more than one or two people using the android apps for video at one time (about the same as plex for the same reasons).

The only hitch in your described use case is likely to be the chromecast.  JRiver's apps definitely can cast audio to a chromecast, but I'm not sure if video is castable; my recollection is that there are workarounds via other unofficial android apps?  You could also just plug in a laptop with JRiver on it in a pinch.  I don't use chromecasts at all so can't offer any personal advice, but if you get to that point and hit a wall, start a thread and folks will chime in if they have any experience.  I personally have a little intel compute stick that I use as a portable jriver instance, which, while not as cheap as a chromecast is much handier as it's also a general purpose computer 

[HamDog]

Thank your for the detailed reply.  Tonight, I made my work computer in my home office the JRiver server.  Followed your instructions and made the JRiver in my HTPC a client.  Very simple and it works!  They now share one library and all playlists.  Still have a lot of playing around and tinkering to do.  Then in the following days/weeks I'll attempt remote viewing outside my home by opening ports and eventually a way to watch it on some one else's TV!  I'll be posting back again for that journey.

Thanks again!  Much appreciated.

[Manfred]

I have 3 PC's with MC

- A MC server (Win 10 Pro, MC) inside a cabinet in a separate room in my flat- works as the central library server, I use Windows Storage Spaces for mirroring the disks (HA), no graphics card but a server grade mainboard with iKVM for remote management
- 2 x JRiver clients (win 10) connected to the server as described by mwillems:

Open the Tools-->Options menu on the machine you want to use as the server.  Go to media network and enable it.  You should get an access key.  Go to the proposed client, and under File-->Library select "Connect to a Remote Library."  Enter the access key, and (if there are no firewall issues, etc.) the client should now have the same library, views etc.  There are some tips and tricks after that, but that's three-click solution for getting started.  Plenty more on the wiki and in the configuration options.

Simply works. My server is always on, no shutdown since half a year, one time per month a reboot (Win 10 monthly upgrade). I had a NAS before, but this is a much better architecture from my experience because you don't have a simple file server instead you have a central MC server acting as central media server through your home and also no additional OS to manage.