How to improve Fat Client sync performance?

[rembetis]

So I had a really nice eureka moment today when I finally sat down to work my way through how thin client and fat clients worked. Until now, I'd always run completely separate instances of Xlobby on the several computers and media systems about my home. Lately though, I've been wanting to tie together playback in my kitchen and my den. Lo and behold I discovered I could do just that by turning my den system into a fat client of the server (which runs the kitchen).

Well, unfortunately, the eureka turned into an arggghhh when shortly after achieving sync the music in the den started to sputter and finally cut out altogether. This is repeatable and happens a few minutes into any sync. If I sync from the den, it seems to work much better, but it too eventually crashed.

Is there anything I can do to fix this?

The systems in question are tied through a wired gigabit switch, though the nic in the den computer only runs 100mb. Both systems are running winamp 2.8 something. The server is a celeron 2.4 and the den is a mid-level AMD from a few years ago.

Does this kind of sync (fat client as zone of server) depend on system horsepower or what?

Thanks in advance to anybody offering help...

[Marbles_00]

It's mainly to do with how windows does its interrupts. Most likely some other things going on in the background beyond our control too. But mainly windows it's horrible at this sort of stuff...where I've heard Linux is capable of doing because they handle the hardware more efficiently.

What you could do, which should work is set a Shoutcast server on the server machine, then connect the client into that stream. It won't be in sync, but at least that should take care of the crashing issue.

Another solution...well, you most likely already know what *COUGH*KXD* *COUGH*PERVTALK* *COUGH*KX DRIVERS*....sorry, frog in the throat. Anyways, you already know what I'm going to say.

There could be other viable solutions, but with everything I have tried in the past concerning what your doing...I've never been successful at getting it running right.

Oh, there was a post between Steven and rhinoman about adding timing settings somewhere. Maybe that could help.

[rembetis]

Thanks for the reply Marbles.

I think I've decided to just run the den pc as a thin client of the server. The kitchen and den are close enough that we would never want to be listening to different sources at the same time, anyway, and I have volume control in both so either can be manually "shut off" if desired. I could also do zones, but right now its just not needed.

Anybody have any experience with long analog/rca runs, particularly over cat5?

I would run speaker wire out of the BSG amp, but I have a decent receiver in the den right now, and am also running a sub, so it's actually simpler to run RCA, assuming I won't have too much signal loss.

[Marbles_00]

I've run RCA up to about 25' without issue. If you want (and you seem to be pretty good at circuit building), you could make your own audio line driver. Even use that simple circuit I indicate on my google pages. Works great, and all across one CAT5 cable +/- right and left channels, +/-15V and ground, leaving one spare wire. It was also cheap to build.

Here's a direct link:
http://mayhem.prod.googlepages.com/themaybald

This way you can keep your RCA cables real short for the least possible noise interference.

[rembetis]

Thanks again Marbles! I had forgotten about the Maybald stuff in your setup.

I may try to simply run the RCA over Cat5 first and see if I hear/have any interference, but it's great to have such a handy reference.

[vaporhat]

I have stereo audio runs of 35ft across RCA, although I read from experience that you can go up to 50' with RCA. I actually have a 3.5mm audio run going 50' as well although I never use it. I suppose it would work too, I could test it out for ya? Just let me know, the run is already there. It goes to a touchscreen that has integrated speakers although I don't use them in that room.

I also have long audio runs over CAT5 greater then 100' with no issues, however I am not breaking those leads out into RCA ends.

[rembetis]

Thanks for the feedback, vaporhat.

Believe it or not I forgot that I was already running a component video distribution amp that has analog audio distribution as well. It's not currently cabled for the system in question, but it could be. So if I need the signal amplified, I can probably use that.