Topic: Home LAN question (Read 3677 times)

FlyingCowOfDoom · « **on:** April 28, 2004, 02:43:56 pm »

I have a LAN with 5-6 computers. I want to have a centralized library of music and video, and I'd like to be able to edit the library from any PC on my LAN. I understand that I can use the media server to share the library over the network, but that doesn't allow editing or adding to the library (AFAIK). Is there any way to accomplish this with MC10?

Thanks,

--FCOD

FlyingCowOfDoom · « **Reply #1 on:** April 28, 2004, 04:24:46 pm »

paulr · « **Reply #2 on:** April 28, 2004, 04:28:31 pm »

I don't think there is a way inside MC, but something like TightVNC will allow you to remote control the server application.

xen-uno · « **Reply #3 on:** April 28, 2004, 04:31:31 pm »

Doom,

Your "I understand that I can use the media server to share the library over the network, but that doesn't allow editing or adding to the library (AFAIK)" is correct at this point with MC10. All library functions must be performed at the server. Remote control is a possibility (PCAnywhere).

10^-27

Chris Shaw · « **Reply #4 on:** April 28, 2004, 05:28:43 pm »

Or you can just put your library on a shared drive and have all machines using it. So long as you only run 1 copy of MC at a time, it will be fine. All machines need to see the media in the same way, either via UNC paths, or via the same mapped drive.

Alex B · « **Reply #5 on:** April 28, 2004, 05:36:24 pm »

I think the following is currently possible:

All media files are in one "storage" computer. All computers, including the "storage" computer itself, see those media files through an identically named network share.

MC is installed to all computers. MC database and cover art locations are pointed to folders on that network share. Those paths are identical in all computers.

The media files are imported to one of the MC instances (or the old local folder paths are replaced with the network paths). Others can use a library backup. After that you can run one MC instance at a time with the main library active. The other MC instances must connect by Media Server.

This makes possible to edit the library with any PC when needed, but the other concurrent MCs must be in the client mode.

sobolewskimi · « **Reply #6 on:** April 28, 2004, 07:54:28 pm »

I too would love to see this "remote control" functionality built into Media Center. Here is my sitch... I have a huge library, over 100GB and 20,000 songs. I have setup Media Center to serve this content off my home cable modem connection so that I can access it while at work.

While listening at work I'll come accross a bad MP3 tag or an artist that is listed in the wrong genre. It would be wonderful if I could just edit the tag in the client and call it good. Unfortunately I have to open a vpn connection to my home network, then a remote control session and finally open a tag editing program or Media Center, find the offending file and edit the tag.

It would be nice if Media Center could be setup with 2 user IDs, Admin and User. That way your family could use the User ID when connecting and you (the Media Center Geek) could connect and make changes as needed with the Admin ID. Let me know if this functionality exists already. Also, it would be awesome if the clients could make their own playlists. For example while listening to an album it would be nice to mark a song as favorite and rate it and all that jazz remotely.

Regards,
Mike

cascius · « **Reply #7 on:** April 28, 2004, 08:04:36 pm »

Sobo, i really like your Admin/User solution, this would be great

xen-uno · « **Reply #8 on:** April 28, 2004, 08:43:06 pm »

sobo > ... Let me know if this functionality exists already

It doesn't, but better client/server relations have been raised by many here to which JRiver has acknowledged. So when?..possible implementation no sooner than v11, I would think.

10^-27

ozmael · « **Reply #9 on:** April 28, 2004, 08:48:01 pm »

I have the same issue with Media Center.

Besides the reasons already list by others, the reasons I don't like using the standard file share to host my media library is:

1) If I update a tag from one client station, it doesn't appear to propogate the change to the media libraries of the client stations unless I do a Library Tools, Update Library (from tags) or a rescan.

2) I have a very large library of music and photos and the performance is much slower by using the file system rather than the Media Server.

3) I stream from home to work and require the Media Server for this.

Regards,

Ozmael

IanG · « **Reply #10 on:** April 29, 2004, 08:22:03 am »

Quote from: ozmael on April 28, 2004, 08:48:01 pm

3) I stream from home to work and require the Media Server for this.

Could you describe how you do that, please? How do you specify the addresses in MC?

Ian G.

FlyingCowOfDoom · « **Reply #11 on:** April 29, 2004, 02:36:08 pm »

Thanks for all of your suggestions...

I already know and use TightVNC as my solution currently, but I was hoping for something built in. All of these ideas are good ones. I was thinking that they could simply put an option in the media server program for a full control password. You can already password protect the server, so I wouldn't imagine it would be too difficult to add support for a second password.

But for now I guess I'll just have to wait for it.

--FCOD

JustinChase · « **Reply #12 on:** April 29, 2004, 03:15:29 pm »

I'm also still waiting patiently for this functionality.

sobolewskimi · « **Reply #13 on:** April 29, 2004, 03:20:19 pm »

xen-uno,

It seems to be taking J River a year per major revision. Does this mean you are thinking client server functionality in v11 will be next Spring then? Waiting that long is gonna kill me. ? Is there no way we could get this into 10 somehow?

xen-uno · « **Reply #14 on:** April 29, 2004, 03:44:20 pm »

I am as in the dark as you are on this...v11 was a guess based other threads. I am not privy to MC code or JRiver scheduling...I am merely a volunteer here. I've offered to put bugs in the MC code to give the principle programmers something to do during slack times...they declined

.

10^-27

ozmael · « **Reply #15 on:** April 29, 2004, 07:13:57 pm »

Quote from: IanG on April 29, 2004, 08:22:03 am

Quote from: ozmael on April 28, 2004, 08:48:01 pm
3) I stream from home to work and require the Media Server for this.

Could you describe how you do that, please? How do you specify the addresses in MC?

Ian G.

On the Server, I've set my port to 8123 (could be anything though). In the Server app, go to Settings, Options, Network, Manual port selection. Also enable authentication, in the General section.

Then I've opened port 8123 on my firewall.

On the client, choose File, Library, Library Manager, Add. Give your library a name and specify the external IP address of your server followed by a colon and the port number as in 207.326.52.36:8123.

That's it. In the Library Manager window select your new library and click Load. The client will now use this as your default library each time you start the client.

Be warned that you need a fast connection at work and at home if you have high bitrate files.

Ozmael

IanG · « **Reply #16 on:** April 30, 2004, 02:44:15 am »

Quote from: ozmael on April 29, 2004, 07:13:57 pm

On the client, choose File, Library, Library Manager, Add. Give your library a name and specify the external IP address of your server followed by a colon and the port number as in 207.326.52.36:8123.

That was the bit I was missing - thanks! Unfortunately the location box is greyed out more often than not, but I'll post that as a bug.

Cheers

Ian G.

ozmael · « **Reply #17 on:** April 30, 2004, 05:23:29 pm »

It seems that once the Library has been created in Library Manager you can no longer edit the location field. Basically, the Edit button is only good for editing the name of the library.

Ozmael

Alex B · « **Reply #18 on:** April 30, 2004, 05:29:00 pm »

IanG, Ozmael,

Add a new library. You can clone data from an existing one. You can do that twice (delete the old one), if you like to get the original name back.

skidoo · « **Reply #19 on:** May 01, 2004, 10:50:40 am »

Quote from: sobolewskimi on April 29, 2004, 03:20:19 pm

It seems to be taking J River a year per major revision. Does this mean you are thinking client server functionality in v11 will be next Spring then?

Spring?! We've been begging for this capability for ages. It'll more liely appear when hell freezes over. Which I think woud be next winter at the earliest.

I would even settle for creating playlists remotely. Playlists that save to the database and don't disappear without warning, or require some counterintuitive saving to disc.

IanG · « **Reply #20 on:** May 01, 2004, 05:31:59 pm »

Quote from: Alex B on April 30, 2004, 05:29:00 pm

Add a new library. You can clone data from an existing one. You can do that twice (delete the old one), if you like to get the original name back.

Alex, thanks for the advice, but clone doesn't work on either of the pcs I've tried it on. It doesn't show all the libraries I've already defined, and it doesn't populate either of the fields if I select one of the available ones.

Ian G.

Alex B · « **Reply #21 on:** May 01, 2004, 06:49:48 pm »

I just tried it starting with my four libraries. I cloned new libraries until I had eight and it worked every time.

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