JRiver digital playback for beginners. Question and Answer Forum, 2021.

[himey]

Really? I thought, minimserver is a bit overrated, but Asset is just perfect in its flexibility. But I'll have a look at PLEX!
Maybe I'm a bit too much in a "I'll have to buy something new" mood at the moment

The free version of Plex does everything you need, so it really isn't about buying something new, it's more about taking the time to try something new. If your music files are tagged properly, it should be very simple. If you haven't ever added an add-on into Kodi, you would have to follow a few steps, but really it isn't difficult. As someone who also uses Kodi for Movies and TV, Plex integration is a no-brainer.

 

[jarrod2750]

I have JRiver and downloaded Plex. I’m just looking for a server for my video files on my NAS not so much for streaming platforms. Plex’s interface is much nicer, but JRiver has better options when using a HTPC. I wish JRiver had the GUI of Plex. For audio I am using Roon and really enjoy it.

 

[citysoundman]

I'm thinking of buying JRiver and an Intel NUC 7.

I have a NUC7 with Windows 10, external 12TB drive. I'd been using Kodi but recently bought JRiver after reading great things about it and I'm LOVING JRiver. So many great features and very easy to use. Tagging is so easy with JRiver.
But... I am having some issues playing back hi res multi channel audio, and haven't really figured out the problem. It may have to do with my old-ish Denon receiver - so not sure if the NUC7 is a problem here.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

I have a NUC7 with Windows 10, external 12TB drive. I'd been using Kodi but recently bought JRiver after reading great things about it and I'm LOVING JRiver. So many great features and very easy to use. Tagging is so easy with JRiver.
But... I am having some issues playing back hi res multi channel audio, and haven't really figured out the problem. It may have to do with my old-ish Denon receiver - so not sure if the NUC7 is a problem here.

What's the problem?

 

[madship]

Is anyone using JRiver on a Mac?

I want a better experience than Apple's Music app provides and installed JRiver after finding this thread.. While moving around JRiver it started asking for permissions for various parts of the system. Accessibility and screen recording were the first two. I'm not sure why it needs these and am generally leery of providing too much system access to new software. Not sure what triggered the requests. I was not changing settings or even playing anything at the time.

All it should need access to is the folder where the files are stored.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Is anyone using JRiver on a Mac?

I want a better experience than Apple's Music app provides and installed JRiver after finding this thread.. While moving around JRiver it started asking for permissions for various parts of the system. Accessibility and screen recording were the first two. I'm not sure why it needs these and am generally leery of providing too much system access to new software. Not sure what triggered the requests. I was not changing settings or even playing anything at the time.

All it should need access to is the folder where the files are stored.

I've rarely used it on a Mac but in my long history with it on various PCs, a MBP and a MacMini (the latter running Win), I have never been asked for permissions.

 

[citysoundman]

Is anyone using JRiver on a Mac?

I want a better experience than Apple's Music app provides and installed JRiver after finding this thread.. While moving around JRiver it started asking for permissions for various parts of the system. Accessibility and screen recording were the first two. I'm not sure why it needs these and am generally leery of providing too much system access to new software. Not sure what triggered the requests. I was not changing settings or even playing anything at the time.

All it should need access to is the folder where the files are stored.

I'm using JRiver on my M1 Mac Mini and it's working just perfectly. This a stereo 2.0 setup, I'm using a Topping DAC and it handles all hi res FLAC and DSF without any issues. There are some standard permissions needed when doing the initial MC install due to recent Mac OS security feeatures (wasn't needed on old OS versions) - accessibility is needed but that's not unusual.

 

[citysoundman]

What's the problem?

Hi Kal,
I started a thread if you'd like to have a look, that would be much appreciated! But the issues are with 5.1 96k 24-bit FLAC files, MC can't play 24-bit and I'm getting a 16-bit output message: not using enough bits to output the input directly. Sometimes I get a 'playback cannot be started' error, this seems to happen with 5.0 files.

I have no problems when playing through my Oppo 103 into my Denon AVR. And I don't think I had any issues when using Kodi on my NUC. So it may be a Windows thing, but I did update all my NUC drivers.

 

[wrat]

Hi Kal,
I started a thread if you'd like to have a look, that would be much appreciated! But the issues are with 5.1 96k 24-bit FLAC files, MC can't play 24-bit and I'm getting a 16-bit output message: not using enough bits to output the input directly. Sometimes I get a 'playback cannot be started' error, this seems to happen with 5.0 files.

I have no problems when playing through my Oppo 103 into my Denon AVR. And I don't think I had any issues when using Kodi on my NUC. So it may be a Windows thing, but I did update all my NUC drivers.

I am on windows but an interesting somewhat similar problem here Calling JRiver Experts please | QuadraphonicQuad Home Audio Forum

 

[citysoundman]

Does anyone have a clue as to what this message means:
'not using enough bits to output the input directly'
It's happening when I try and play 5.1 96K 24-bit FLAC, and MC can't seem play 24-bit directly so it changes playback to 16-bit. Only happens with multichannel - stereo hi res play without the error.
(I'm on Windows 10 using WASAPI, and it doesn't matter whether or not I select the bitstreaming option.)

 

[SACD_ripper]

Does anyone have a clue as to what this message means:
'not using enough bits to output the input directly'
It's happening when I try and play 5.1 96K 24-bit FLAC, and MC can't seem play 24-bit directly so it changes playback to 16-bit. Only happens with multichannel - stereo hi res play without the error.
(I'm on Windows 10 using WASAPI, and it doesn't matter whether or not I select the bitstreaming option.)

It likely means you have one or more software digital volume controls turned down to the extent there aren't enough bits at the input.
Also, JRMC definitely does play 24-bit directly, I'm not sure what you're describing there but don't convince yourself of things that aren't true. You need to investigate all relevant settings first. Admittedly, that's not always easy with the lack of clear documentation for any/all setups or instances of JRiver, but for certain 24-bit is not and has not been a problem for JRiver for many many years now.

 

[citysoundman]

It likely means you have one or more software digital volume controls turned down to the extent there aren't enough bits at the input.
Also, JRMC definitely does play 24-bit directly, I'm not sure what you're describing there but don't convince yourself of things that aren't true. You need to investigate all relevant settings first. Admittedly, that's not always easy with the lack of clear documentation for any/all setups or instances of JRiver, but for certain 24-bit is not and has not been a problem for JRiver for many many years now.

I've done a pretty thorough search through all of MC's settings, but I'll look again. Interesting idea about digital volume. But the volume in Windows 10 is at 100%. And this is only an issue with 5.1 files. Stereo files play correctly.
I'm not sure what you think I've convinced myself of (kind of an odd remark), I'm just posting what I'm seeing from MC's Audio Path: input is 24 bit and it can't output 24 bit so it's outputting 16 bit.

 

[SACD_ripper]

I'm not sure what you think I've convinced myself of (kind of an odd remark),

No worries man, I simply meant that there is no inherent limitation in JRMC that prohibits 24-bit output, thats all, sorry if it didn't come off right.
What is the playback device you are connected to and what connection method, i.e. USB, coax, Toslink output from a sound card in the Windows 10 machine into a Denon AVR?
What I meant about software volume control is that of JRMC itself, if you click on the little speaker icon in the upper left-hand side of the UI and select volume control disabled, does that change anything for you?

 

[citysoundman]

No worries man, I simply meant that there is no inherent limitation in JRMC that prohibits 24-bit output, thats all, sorry if it didn't come off right.
What is the playback device you are connected to and what connection method, i.e. USB, coax, Toslink output from a sound card in the Windows 10 machine into a Denon AVR?
What I meant about software volume control is that of JRMC itself, if you click on the little speaker icon in the upper left-hand side of the UI and select volume control disabled, does that change anything for you?

Cool, I appreciate the clarification, and also your help!
MC volume is definitely at 100%.
I'm connected to a Denon AVR-1911 (which is a bit old and has HDMI 1.4a). I'm going HDMI from the Windows 10 NUC to the Denon. I've tried different HDMI cables. The Denon doesn't decode FLAC, but I also tried with WAV files and I have the same issue.

edit - I just realized you mentioned disabling the MC volume - unfortunately that didn't change anything, but I didn't know about that feature so thanks for pointing it out.

 

[citysoundman]

So I tried connecting my Apple MacBook Pro (2014) to my Denon with HDMI. (should have tested this before!) MC is running perfectly without ANY of the playback issues I'm getting on the NUC. So that means it's probably a NUC compatibility problem, cause I don't see anything in Windows 10 that seems off.

 

[SACD_ripper]

So I tried connecting my Apple MacBook Pro (2014) to my Denon with HDMI. (should have tested this before!) MC is running perfectly without ANY of the playback issues I'm getting on the NUC. So that means it's probably a NUC compatibility problem, cause I don't see anything in Windows 10 that seems off.

Or maybe just a driver control panel type of thing? That or the actual Windows sound settings that some of your screenshots showed, they were perhaps interfering or conflicting with the WASAPI driver, or with JRiver's settings themselves?

 

[citysoundman]

Been doing some digging, and from a Roon thread I discovered that these NUC7's have a problem of truncating 24-bit to 16-bit for 192K hi-res audio - geez that is messed up! I guess it's also happening on my 5.1 96K files. From what I read, instead of fixing the issue, Intel downgraded the printed spec - they removed 192K/24-bit and now it shows 176.4/24-bit compatible. But the spec does say 8 channels 96K/24-bit is supported....but I'm not seeing that.

 

[SACD_ripper]

Been doing some digging, and from a Roon thread I discovered that these NUC7's have a problem of truncating 24-bit to 16-bit for 192K hi-res audio - geez that is messed up! I guess it's also happening on my 5.1 96K files. From what I read, instead of fixing the issue, Intel downgraded the printed spec - they removed 192K/24-bit and now it shows 176.4/24-bit compatible. But the spec does say 8 channels 96K/24-bit is supported....but I'm not seeing that.

Very odd, so it's a CPU issue of some sort?

 

[citysoundman]

Very odd, so it's a CPU issue of some sort?

not sure exactly, but it appears my NUC has a design flaw: not enough bandwidth on HDMI to pass through 192K/24-bit stereo or 96K/24-bit 5.1

 

[MartinGr]

not sure exactly, but it appears my NUC has a design flaw: not enough bandwidth on HDMI to pass through 192K/24-bit stereo or 96K/24-bit 5.1

Maybe you could install KODI, to verify that it's not a configuration problem?