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[BlueGlow]

This little how-to and reference should help others get started using an iPod with JRiver Media Center instead of Apple's iTunes. It's not complete, but I hope it's mostly correct. Experienced users, please reply with corrections and suggestions to help new users enjoy Media Center as much as we do.

The power and flexibility of Media Center comes from the work of the entire JRiver team, but we have only SteveG to thank for making the iPod integration such a smooth experience. Thanks, Steve!

  BlueGlow


How to use an Apple iPod with JRiver Media Center

- Install Media Center 11+
The iPod plugin is included with Media Center 11. If you tried to install the iPod plugin listed online you should re-install Media Center 11 before starting.

- Start Media Center

Connect and Detect Ipod
- Attach/dock the iPod.
- The iPod should be detected automatically and show up as a node in the left hand panel tree view under "Drives & Devices".  It can take up to a minute to connect and detect. Once fully connected, the iPod should display the message "Do not disconnect" and show up as a removable drive in Windows Explorer/My Computer.

Initialize iPod (one time)
- If this is the first time connecting the iPod, Media Center should display a dialog giving you the option to initialize the iPod. Take that option and initialize the iPod.
- If the dialog does not display, right click the iPod icon under "Drives & Devices" in the tree view and select "Initialize iPod". This option is only available from the right-click iPod menu in the tree view. It's not available with the Handheld Device icon in the action window.
- Initialize iPod deletes any existing music files in the hidden Ipod_Control directory on the iPod and resets the iPod database files to zero so your iPod will be ready to use with MC. This normally just needs to be done once. It can also be done to reset the iPod to correct problems.

Transfer Files to the iPod
- After the initialize step completes, click the Handheld Device menu item in the Action Window (the small pane on the lower left corner of MC) and click Synchronize to see the options for sending MC playlists to the iPod. If your library of music on your computer is smaller than the size of your iPod, just select Synchronize all files and click Transfer. If not, set up some playlists with the music you want to transfer before synchronizing.

-  I recommend setting up playlists and using Synchronize/Autosync for transferring playlists and music to the iPod. The "Drop Files Here" option is for a one time music file transfer to the iPod. I don't use it since it doesn't transfer playlists or keep files organized like autosync does.

Disconnect/Eject the iPod
Before you disconnect the iPod from the sync cable or dock, you should notify Windows so that it can finish writing files to the iPod hard drive. In Media Center, right-click on the iPod icon under Drives & Devices and select Eject iPod. When the iPod displays a check mark and 'OK to disconnect' then you can safely remove it.

Managing Playlists
If your iPod can hold your entire library of music you just need to sync all playlists, for the rest of us playlist management can be a daily chore/hobby. Many people enjoy using Larry Little's innovative method described here. I make a separate playlist group called "iPod Playlists" and keep all my playlists and smartlists to be transferred to the iPod in that group. My methods for managing that group of lists is not as clean as Larry's so I won't go into it here, but it works for me since all of my iPod playlists are in one place and it's easy to keep track of.

[BlueGlow]

Reference Section
Transfer Methods
Media Center has two methods for transferring files to your portable media device, 'Drag and Drop File Transfer' and 'Auto-Sync'.

Drag and Drop File Transfer
Drag and Drop File Transfer allows you to drag and drop media files into a single use playlist, called a queue, and then transfer the files listed in the queue to your portable media device. The queue is erased after the files are transferred.
This method is similar to doing a traditional file copy and is simple to use and understand. This method simply adds media files to the portable media player. It does not transfer playlists or help manage storage space by automatically deleting files which are not on the list.

Auto-Sync
Auto-Sync provides a managed approach to maintaining files on your portable media player. This method automatically transfers and deletes files on the portable media player to make its contents match a list of user-selected Media Center playlists. If the player supports it, auto-sync will transfer playlists as well as media files so that your Media Center library organization is also available on the player.
Optionally, auto-sync will automatically delete files from the player which are not on the synched Media Center playlists.

Handheld options
- Delete unselected files during synchronization
  (duplicate option, see option in Configure Transfer Options)
Sync data to MC - Copy media file play count and last played date/time from the portable to Media Center. This feature is not available with all portables.

Configure remote and fixed drives for detection
 If the portable media player is not automatically detected by Media Center when it is connected to your computer, you may need to specify the drive path that Media Center should use when copying files and playlists to it.
Configure transfer options
  See below
Reset detected devices
When a portable media player is connected to your computer Media Center tries to automatically detect it and add it to a list. This option resets Media Center's internal list of previously detected portable media players and options associated with those players.
Enable file conversion during uploads
Convert audio files to an alternate compression format when they are transferred to the portable media player. This is often used to convert large, high-quality, lossless audio files to a compression format which takes less storage space, like MP3, so more files can be stored on the portable media player.
Handheld options/Configure Transfer Options
- Auto-delete tracks not in library from portable on Auto-sync
During auto-sync, automatically delete media files from the player which are not on the synched Media Center playlists.
1. Manually transfer tracks
Auto-sync is started manually by clicking Action Window/Handheld icon/Synchronize.
Display the playlist selection dialog before auto-sync.

2. Auto-sync only these playlists
The playlist selection dialog is displayed here in the Configure Transfer Options dialog.
Auto-sync is automatically started and the selected playlists are transferred when the portable is connected to the computer and detected by Media Center.
(are two selection sets maintained, one for manual and one for auto?)

3. Auto-sync player and My Library when device is plugged in
(is this correct?)
Auto-sync is automatically started and the all media files and playlists in the Media Center library are transferred when the portable is connected to the computer and detected by Media Center.

Terms:
Portable media player - This is probably the best generic term for a small electronic device which can store and play audio, image and/or video files. Several terms are currently used in the Media Center documentation and UI to describe portable media players.
Portable - see portable media player.
Handheld - see portable media player.
Player - see portable media player.
Device - see portable media player.
Track - A single audio, image or video file.
Library- Collection of media files used by Media Center
Playlist - An ordered list of media files. This term is used to refer to playlists stored in Media Center and to playlists on portable media players which this feature.
Synchronization - see auto-sync
Auto-sync or autosync - Automatically update files on the portable media player to make its contents match a list of user-selected Media Center playlists.
Upload - Transfer files to a portable media player. Sometimes used as a synonym for download.
Downloads - see upload. (This usage is in the Media Center help file.)
Transfer - The term transfer is used two ways to refer to portable media players. The first use means simply to 'transfer', copy or upload files to a portable media player. The second use refers to the Media Center Drag and Drop File Transfer method to add a set of files to a portable media player.

[JimH]

Thanks, Blue!

[LonWar]

Thanks very much.... When I get my Ipod back from Service, I'll be looking this up....

Request, - Can you put on how to transfer tracks with Volume Leveling, I read somewere that this was possible?

Thanks

[BlueGlow]

Request, - Can you put on how to transfer tracks with Volume Leveling, I read somewere that this was possible?

To turn on volume leveling during iPod playback, use Replay Gain.

- Connect/dock your iPod
- Right-click on the iPod icon under Drives & Devices
- Select "Set Upload Volume Adjustment"
- Check "Apply Replay Gain", click OK
- Make sure all tracks are "analyzed" (see Replay Gain in the help file for a good breakdown on this topic)
- Initialize the iPod (see steps above) and re-sync all files to your iPod. (one time)
- Be sure to analyze new files before transferring them to the iPod.

Media Center version 12 is expected to offer compatibility with an alternate volume leveling method called Sound Check that is built-in to the iPod. This is the method used by iTunes. Sound Check should not be turned on on the iPod when using Media Center version 11.

Another volume leveling alternative is MP3Gain, a free external utility. BullishDad has some good notes on MP3Gain here.

You can also set volume leveling during normal Media Center playback.
From the help file:
Set your Playback Mode to Read the Replay Gain Values
1.   Go to Player > Playback Options > DSP Studio on the Menu bar.
2.   Place a check mark in the box next to Replay Gain in the tree.

[BlueGlow]

Thanks, Blue!

You're welcome, Jim. Thanks for a great product.

[SteveG]

Thank your for taking the time to put this together. It will be a good resource for others and your time in preparing it is very much appreciated.

Thanks again,

Steve

[datdude]

"You're my boy Blue"

[BlueGlow]

Thank your for taking the time to put this together. It will be a good resource for others and your time in preparing it is very much appreciated.

Thanks again,

Steve

Glad it's appreciated. Thanks, Steve.

[BlueGlow]

"You're my boy Blue"

Honk, honk. haha.