Theydon's Perpetual HTPC Build

[New Start Neil]

This may sound rather stupid, but I havent yet used MediaPortal (Although I intend to). What are the chances of someone recording the screens so I can actually see it in action with this skin etc... and get me more tempted to download and install it! hehehe

There's not much to see TBH.

All you get is a screen with small rectangular banners showing an image of each TV series that you have (Lost/CSI etc etc) and when you click on that image it takes you to the image you see in the last few posts with the full screen picture and episode listing.

 

[Theydon Bois]

This may sound rather stupid, but I havent yet used MediaPortal (Although I intend to). What are the chances of someone recording the screens so I can actually see it in action with this skin etc... and get me more tempted to download and install it! hehehe

The media Portal website has some videos, but these relate to the default skin, rather than the Monochrome skin that I have managed to persuade everyone to use.

If you flick back through my posts on this thread, I think I have posted quite a few shots* of the different menus. As Azzin has said they are all static, so nothing is gained by seeing a video, but it is as slick as VMC.

Not sure if VMC or any of its plug-ins can do a coverflow (itunes) type thing with its media, but I am hoping thats something on Media Portals list...

* - Oh, and you spot the subliminal messages that contain my paypal details to make donations, dont tell Azzin, he has already sunconsiously given me hundreds of pounds already....

 

[Theydon Bois]

My PowerDVD skin config:

It originally comes from the HDStarter plugin for Media Portal, but I didnt think it was needed (when you can just use Autoplay. However, he has got some different PowerDVD skins, one for HD, one ofr Blu-ray, and the one I use, the mixed version. The first two are in his first post (linked above) while the mixed version that I use, is found here on page 11.

 

[Jim_b0b]

It looks very nice, but I was considering using the xface skin as that looks nice also.

 

[Rustoni]

Sorry to jump in but i have just spent the last two days building my first HTPC and after reading the threads here i decided to go with Media portal but i have a problem as i have installed the TVseries plugin and the monochrome skins and now i can't see my dvd's on the video page or any TV series on the TV series page. In the config part it is picking up the 4 dvd's i have as ISO's so why should it not be showing them on the my video page?

Do i need to put the tvseries iso's in a different folder for it to pick them up?

Would it be easy to re-install media portal and start from begining as i have been back through the instructions for the skin twice?

Will add some info about the build later.

Thanks in Advance, Ian

 

[Rustoni]

Found out what it was, i had replaced the windowplugin.dll with one from Boelsh*t as per the instructions on the monochrome skin in order to get the imdb data to show.....what have i done wrong and how to get this data up on the shares view?

Replacing the this .dll with the original one solved the problem but i can see the imdb data?

 

[Janusian]

press F3 when a movie is selected and that should query the IMDB db

 

[Rustoni]

Sorry should of been clearer, i have the data from imdb but i cannot see the 4-5 lines you should be able to see on the shares view with the monochrome skin.

 

[Theydon Bois]

Change the view to TITLE and you will see the IMDB info. It does not appear in SHARE view.

Edit: And Monochrome 1.8 is out - will have a play later methinks...

 

[Rustoni]

Cheers that worked a treat, although i do have an issue with the left hand text:
Watched, runtime, year, genre etc. colliding with the answers to these i.e. yes, 127 mins, 1989, Action/Adventure etc...is this just a general issue?

 

[oddsocks]

Can I jump in on this thread please.

Have been looking at building an HTPC for some time now and have today ordered all the bits and bobs from ebuyer. One of the purchases is an Antec Fusion case. Have now seen this on the internet. Someone might be interested in it if they are thinking of the Fusion. Go here http://www.xtremecomputing.co.uk/review.php?id=361

Thanx to everone who has assisted in me in my deliberations.

 

[stonking]

The bits to my HTPC are slowly coming together and I have been watching this thread for a while (as a lot of others have), and I have a question about the really cool Media Portal graphics that you are producing. With Media portal, when I store my DVD onto my PC and I catalog it in Media Portal, where does the picture in the index come from? Does Media Portal get it off the DVD somewhere automatically or do I have to search the web for it? I am very tempted to have a go at this.

 

[Theydon Bois]

Media Portal gets DVD data from IMDB sources, meaning you need to be connected to the interwebbything at all times. You can set it for 'offline' artwork, but I have not done this yet.

I have a few pages put together as a more easier guide to follow, rather than trying to piece together loads of info from post after post, but I appear to have royally used up all my bandwidth for the month with the pictures and the amount of people that keep viewing my thread here (chuffed, thanks! ) so it should be ready for people within the next few days or so.

 

[Theydon Bois]

Can I jump in on this thread please.

Have been looking at building an HTPC for some time now and have today ordered all the bits and bobs from ebuyer. One of the purchases is an Antec Fusion case. Have now seen this on the internet. Someone might be interested in it if they are thinking of the Fusion. Go here http://www.xtremecomputing.co.uk/review.php?id=361

Thanx to everone who has assisted in me in my deliberations.

Oddsocks, jump in all you want, but you are really better off starting a new thread (make sure you read Mickwalls sticky at the top of the thread first) as people can then jump in and help with advice. Adding your questions to this thread only attract people checking my build, and well, me, where you could be getting a larger base of views in a thread of your own.

If you have any questions about Media Portal though, or how to replicate what I have (if you want that) I will be happy to help!

 

[stonking]

Theydon Bois, Thanks for the info, I will look forward to seeing those pages. For goodnes sake do not go away as when I put this all together (in about 2 weeks time) It needs to be spectacular otherwise the wife will want to know where all the money has gone.

 

[Theydon Bois]

No worries mate. I just paid extra to update my bandwidth allocation on my website, so the pages are back up again.

The website of my config can be found here, which is still a work in progress - the build page especially. Most of my software configuration is all done though.

Hopefully that will explain my progress a lot better than trying to cobble bits and pieces of me going "....oooo I done this dont it look good!" and 3 posts later changing my mind and doing something better/different.

I will update my first post in this thread accordingly as well I think, for the same reasons that trawling through 100+ posts can be very trying.

 

[Theydon Bois]

Updated my pages to reflect the configuration steps for anyone else that wants to have a bash with the Fan art version of Media Portal and TVSeries, and thanks to Dunks517, who I have stolen some of his pics to reflect the confusing xml file step in the process.

 

[dansiop]

Just a quick one. cheers for the instructions to get MP looking that good. Ive got mine all set up like yours but i have no screen shots for each episode of all my series - how come? any ideas on how i can get the screen shots?
thanks

 

[Theydon Bois]

Just a quick one. cheers for the instructions to get MP looking that good. Ive got mine all set up like yours but i have no screen shots for each episode of all my series - how come? any ideas on how i can get the screen shots? thanks

Under Import Settings, select Online data Sync, and there is an option for Download Episode Thumbnails.

 

[stonking]

Sorry but can you tell me if you are running on Vista? I am guessing you did not download Multimedia but only installed Media Portal? I am going to start my build in a few days and am guessing when I load vista it will give me the option to load their mediamedia. Thanks Stephen

 

[Theydon Bois]

Sorry but can you tell me if you are running on Vista? I am guessing you did not download Multimedia but only installed Media Portal? I am going to start my build in a few days and am guessing when I load vista it will give me the option to load their mediamedia. Thanks Stephen

Yes mate, I am running Vista Home Premium, then installed KMPlayer as per Phils guide, with codecs, then PowerDVD, then Media Portal.

All Vista updates also applied, and relevant software like ImgBurn and AnyDVDHD.

...and not sure what you mean by:

I am guessing you did not download Multimedia but only installed Media Portal?

 

[stonking]

Well I thought that Vista automatically installs Microsoft media centre and I thought this might clash with Media Portal. Yes I know Newbie question and thoughts.

 

[Theydon Bois]

Well I thought that Vista automatically installs Microsoft media centre and I thought this might clash with Media Portal. Yes I know Newbie question and thoughts.

No worries - you dont know until you ask. VMC is installed as part of the OS, and can quite hapily co-exist with Media Portal as far as I know - if Media Portal is not your idea of how you want your setup to be, you have the excellent VMC to fail back on, a win-win situation.

And your question regarding tv episode pictures has no been added to the end of my guide so hopefully others can learn from it. As for newbs, we have all been there once....

I have some more tinkering I will be doing in the next day or so, I have a hack for PowerDVD8 and HD-DVDs I want to try, and Monochrome 1.9 has come out, and updating my ATi drivers to hopefully aliviate some of the more random green screen or flickers that happen every once in a while. Plus, I have yet to update to Media Portal version 1, as I am happily using 0.2.3.0.

But if I didnt want to tinker, I wouldnt be here.....

 

[Theydon Bois]

A few updates:

Updated ATi drivers to 8.4

Hopefully I will get less complaints about the driver has fatally crashed and been restarted etc etc.

Updated Media Portal to version 1.0.0.0

Not exactly sure what this will change, but was seemless except for the fact that it lost my TVSeries plugin, which I am in the process of sorting out now. Had to delete and recreate my database, but I appear to have lost all my banner art links, going to try a reboot and see if it changes anything.

Edit: The reason why all my banners got mucked up was because I copied the files for Version 2 of TVSeries, when they are update files only. I needed to install the 1.5xx mpi file, and then copy over the updated version 2 files. I have my banners back now and looking fine.

Oh, and although the config shows it as v1.0.0.0, launching MP itself reports 0.2.3.0 Possibly to do with the Monochrome skin writing something? Will update when I change the skin.

Soundgraph iMon software update

A big one this, and currently having a massive problem even downloading the file. The most important 'little' update, as I noticed this in the release notes:

Enable All system sound option of iMON Manager EQ tab on vista.

Which if it means what I think its little broken English implies is that I will have a functioning Equaliser in Media Portal....

Monochrome Skin version 1.9

Going to see how this changes things, if for the worse, I will stick with 1.7, as 1.8 made a few changes I thought where unwarranted.

 

[Theydon Bois]

Monochrome 1.9 is swish as always, and doesnt have the info on the right hand side like some of the pics I saw. It also added logos which I want to get working at some point. As always, a top bit of software...

iMon has given me my pointless equaliser at last yay me! It doesnt report the correct channel info, showing L & R rather than 5.1, but still, yay me!

PowerDVD 8 and HD-DVD testing next.......