How can I 'push' a file from one WMC to another?

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hooraah

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How can I 'push' a file from one WMC to another?

#1

Post by hooraah » Mon Oct 08, 2012 8:06 pm

So I have 2 WMC PCs. One is downstairs on a hardwired connection. The other is upstairs on either a wireless A connection or a netgear homelink connection (ethernet over A/C electrical lines).

Because of the type of circuit breaker we have for the bedroom, the connection using the powerline ethernet adapter is stable(ish), but fairly slow (~3.0 MB/s). It gets worse, though. Wireless N, which has plenty of bandwidth, is rendered useless when our baby monitor is on - completely kills the connection. I purchased a wireless ABGN adapter to use wireless A. I've had so-so success with it, but the powerline connection is more stable.

Anyway, using the available bandwidth from the powerline connection, I can ALMOST stream HD content from the downstairs HTPC. It stutters just enough to piss me off. So, here's what I'd like to do: I'd like to find a solution to 'push' a recording from the HTPC downstairs to the upstairs unit, giving it plenty of time to copy by the time I'm ready to watch the show upstairs.

Any suggestions? In the case that what I am asking is impossible, I would settle for a 'pull' method where I can create a local copy from downstairs onto the upstairs PC. So far, everything I've read is about streaming files, not creating local copies.

BTW, I will be setting up a windows home server 2011 if that helps as an intermediary at all. I know you can off-load recordings onto the WMC, but I'm not sure if I can tell the WHS to copy a recording to a different WMC than the one I am currently using.

richard1980

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#2

Post by richard1980 » Mon Oct 08, 2012 8:54 pm

While I think the best solution would be to upgrade to a more stable connection, you can accomplish what you want by creating a shared folder on the upstairs PC. Then all you have to do is use the downstairs PC to copy files into that folder. When you want to play the content upstairs, it will already be stored locally and you won't have to worry about bandwidth.

hooraah

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#3

Post by hooraah » Mon Oct 08, 2012 9:00 pm

Thanks. Yes, the folders for recorded TV on both the downstairs WMC and the upstairs WMC are shared, and I can transfer files back and forth manually using the KB and mouse without trouble. I was just hoping for an easier solution that getting out the KB and mouse to move files upstairs, such as something from within media center's interface that I could do with a remote.

If no such magic device exists, I may try to create a schedule where I copy everything from 0-48 hours old from the downstairs PC to the upstairs one, and delete anything older than 48 hours. Its not elegant, but it should do the job temporarily. I could do it with a spare 120GB drive so as not to alter any recordings made on the upstairs WMC (which is unfortunately limited to SD when on powerline)

Ack

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#4

Post by Ack » Mon Oct 08, 2012 9:14 pm

I know it's not what you're asking since you'd have to do this from your upstairs PC, but I wanted to be sure you knew that one WMC can make a local copy of a recording from the other, shared WMC. From within the WMC interface using the remote there's an option to copy from one WMC to another. Sorry, I'm not at home and can't think of the exact menu choice or steps but it's pretty easy to figure out when browsing a shared folder within WMC.

hooraah

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#5

Post by hooraah » Tue Oct 09, 2012 1:54 pm

Actually, I didn't know that. Thank you. Pulling a file and making a local copy will be good enough, I suppose.

I'm unfamiliar with how to do it though. I've always added the shared directory to my 'recorded TV' library, so the shows will show up in the 'recorded tv' view. I suppose I would have to let media center know it was a remote location rather than part of my library, correct?

Ack

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#6

Post by Ack » Tue Oct 09, 2012 2:14 pm

hooraah wrote:Actually, I didn't know that. Thank you. Pulling a file and making a local copy will be good enough, I suppose.

I'm unfamiliar with how to do it though. I've always added the shared directory to my 'recorded TV' library, so the shows will show up in the 'recorded tv' view. I suppose I would have to let media center know it was a remote location rather than part of my library, correct?
First - apologies. I intended to check this last night for the exact steps in case you asked. Now that you've asked, I didn't have time to go over it last evening. I'll definitely check this tonight and post back if no one else answers.

I used to do this all the time before I upgraded my network at home but it's been awhile. From the Recorded TV area in WMC (on your upstairs computer in your case) you change the top menu choice to Shared where you'll be able to see the other WMC machine's shared recordings folder(s). This is the menu where you can choose to view the recordings list by date recorded, alphabetical, etc.

Once you're viewing the Shared recordings from your other computer, you just hit the menu button on your remote for one of the recordings and there should be an option to copy to the local computer.

I'm really sorry if I hosed that description. I can't quite pull up in my mind how I used to do it and it's been so long since I've copied a recording from one to the other PC. I'll definitely get the exact steps tonight and post back.

Ack

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#7

Post by Ack » Wed Oct 10, 2012 12:42 am

hooraah wrote:Actually, I didn't know that. Thank you. Pulling a file and making a local copy will be good enough, I suppose.

I'm unfamiliar with how to do it though. I've always added the shared directory to my 'recorded TV' library, so the shows will show up in the 'recorded tv' view. I suppose I would have to let media center know it was a remote location rather than part of my library, correct?
Once I got home I went through this to write out some quick steps.

To copy a shared recording from one computers WMC to another computers WMC using WMC to do the copying.

From the computer you want to copy TO in WMC, go into Recorded TV.

At the top in the menu, select "shared" in the horizontal menu. You should see your other HTPC(s).

Select the computer that has the shared recordings you want to copy to this computer.

Now you should see the shared recordings from the HTPC you selected.

Go to the recording you want to copy.

Press the button on your remote that brings up the play menu. On my remote it's the OK button. Or you can right-click if using a mouse.

On that menu (where the synopsis and the play selection are) you should see an option "make a copy".

This copies from the share to this computer.

Hope that helps.

gpatlanta

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#8

Post by gpatlanta » Wed Oct 10, 2012 10:55 am

I am not 100% sure, but I believe you would also be able to setup DVRMS Toolbox to watch your recorded tv directry and push files once they are complete. You'd set the file watcher to wait until 10 minutes after the recording is done and I'm assuming you could call a built in script to do this or write a batch file that gets called.
Greg

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#9

Post by sccrgoalie1 » Wed Oct 10, 2012 4:55 pm

You can "easily" do this with DVRMSToolbox as gpatlanta said. I used to do this but it put to much strain on the computer/network when watching tv. I now use DVRMStoolbox to move to temp folder which moves to the ultimate location in the middle of the night.

gpatlanta

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#10

Post by gpatlanta » Thu Oct 11, 2012 12:02 pm

Well, easily is relative.. Getting started with DVRMSToolbox may not be fun as learning how it works can be a challenge. Once you are past the ramp up though, it is easy enough to work with, however there are still about 3,452 options and tweaks in the tool I have not explored and have no idea what they are for. :)
Greg

.Nico

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#11

Post by .Nico » Thu Oct 11, 2012 2:40 pm

Why don't you get a USB hard drive, set it up as your recording TV destination and start recording the TV shows. When you want to look at it upstairs, unplug the hard drive, plug it in your media center upstairs and watch the show from the hard drive attached.

.Nico

aeblank

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#12

Post by aeblank » Mon Oct 15, 2012 3:28 am

I'd use a file sync utility to just quietly sync everything.

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newfiend

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#13

Post by newfiend » Thu Oct 18, 2012 1:00 pm

I have used this quite a bit for TV Shows and Movies.. It will rename the show and move the file automatically..Not sure how it would work on WMC Recorded TV files though.. http://www.therenamer.com/

newfiend~

blueiedgod

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#14

Post by blueiedgod » Fri Jan 18, 2013 5:38 pm

Looks like you have been helped in terms of how to "push" from one to another. But, in terms of networking. Do you have an existing Coax (cableTV) network of wires in the house. If so, you can buy cheap ACtiontec aka Verizon FiOS routers on ebay for under $20, and turn them into MoCA bridges.

Depending which revisions you end up purchasing, you may have basic 130 Mbps speeds, or better 300 Mbps speeds, which will blow any wireless or powerline network out of the water.

Truemyth

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#15

Post by Truemyth » Tue Apr 23, 2013 6:07 pm

You can use Robocopy to transferred the files across the network. Setup a scheduled task on your HTPC to push files over to your second HTPC.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robocopy

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