104 replies to this topic

[kieran45]

Yeah I've had a look and can change front and back covers but haven't been able to workout how I get the backdrop picture so that when I scroll over that movie it shows the backdrop which relates to that movie. Scroll to the next movie and it changes to that movie.

If none of the meta scrapers will get them for you, the best way is to go to themoviedb and download them manually. Just save the file as backdrop.jpg

[01-0077]

Yeah I've had a look and can change front and back covers but haven't been able to workout how I get the backdrop picture so that when I scroll over that movie it shows the backdrop which relates to that movie. Scroll to the next movie and it changes to that movie.

Morphjk,

Have you tried this? It works perfrectly for me, are you allowing it some time to download the backdrops automatically. This can take some time and from my experience it only starts to download the images once you open the movie folder in mediabrowser. Ie, on the main screen in mediabrowser I have several options (movies, home movies, kids movies, doco's etc) so when I select one of these it starts downloading, you shouldn't have to go into the movie details screen.

To change the backdrop, simply place the jpg or png backdrop file into the movie folder. The file has to be named backdrop.jpg or backdrop.png.

I rip my dvd's to vobs so my folder structure is d:\movies\movie title\video_ts\vob's, I put the backdrop file in d:\movies\movie title folder.

[morphjk]

Well I have it all running sweet except for one little problem with one backdrop. On one of my movies it has added a Terminator 2 backdrop but that isn't the movie. I have deleted this back drop and have added the correct one but it keeps showing up the Terminator 2 backdrop.

I was going to clear the cache but it says it wipes it all data so was a bit wary of doing this.

[01-0077]

Well I have it all running sweet except for one little problem with one backdrop. On one of my movies it has added a Terminator 2 backdrop but that isn't the movie. I have deleted this back drop and have added the correct one but it keeps showing up the Terminator 2 backdrop.

I was going to clear the cache but it says it wipes it all data so was a bit wary of doing this.

Morphjk,

First up I would use metabrowser to manually search for the movie and make sure you have named the movie folder the same as it appears in themoviedb.org. A misspelt name can confuse mediabrowser when it searches the database. This may help, although I have seen times when it still gets it wrong.

The next thing to try before deleting the cache is try selecting the offending movie and on the movie details screen press the refresh button (from memory the left/right arrows under the play button). You may have to exit and re-enter mediabrowser as well for this to update. I have had mixed success with this but sometimes it will refresh the backdrop.

If these don't work clear the cache, the next time you enter mediabrowser it will re-download all posters, backdrops and metadata except for the movies you have added your own data for. For these it will use the folder, backdrop or mymovies.xml file which you have manually added.

John.

[morphjk]

Morphjk,

First up I would use metabrowser to manually search for the movie and make sure you have named the movie folder the same as it appears in themoviedb.org. A misspelt name can confuse mediabrowser when it searches the database. This may help, although I have seen times when it still gets it wrong.

Yeah did that and fixed it up with metabrowser.

The next thing to try before deleting the cache is try selecting the offending movie and on the movie details screen press the refresh button (from memory the left/right arrows under the play button). You may have to exit and re-enter mediabrowser as well for this to update. I have had mixed success with this but sometimes it will refresh the backdrop.

Just tried it and it made no difference.

If these don't work clear the cache, the next time you enter mediabrowser it will re-download all posters, backdrops and metadata except for the movies you have added your own data for. For these it will use the folder, backdrop or mymovies.xml file which you have manually added.

John.

So anything I have used Meta Browser to fix up will stay the same?

[01-0077]

Yeah did that and fixed it up with metabrowser.

Just to make sure we are on the same wavelength what I am saying is make sure your movie folder is named correctly, that way when media browser searches tmdb.org it will find the correct data automatically.

So in your case check the movie name on tmdb.org with metabrowser manually, if it is different to the folder name on your hdd then change the folder name to match the name on tmdb.org. Then rename your backdrop.jpg file so media browser doesn't use it and then let media browser try to download the data again.

The other problem could be that tmdb.org has the wrong backdrop to start with in which case you would have to rely on the manual process.

Just tried it and it made no difference.

Yeh sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't, worth a try though.

So anything I have used Meta Browser to fix up will stay the same?

Yes that is correct. Media browser looks to the movie folder in the first instance for folder.jpg, backdrop.jpg and mymovies.xml.

If they exist it uses them.

If they don't exist it downloads them from tmdb.org.

When it does its download is stores the data in its own cache (from memory in a folder under the c:\programdata - this is a hidden system folder). So when you delete the cache it only deletes the downloaded data and not the files you have manually added with metabrowser.

John

[Mark1]

Yep, love this plugin!!

Previously I just used Vista's built in Video browser. I had all my movies together along with a small 200x150 jpg in a folder called movies (eg Transformers.avi, Transformers.jpg, Terminator.avi, Terminator.jpg etc).
It all worked well and looked ok, but as my collection grew it started getting a bit clunky and hard to find what I wanted to watch.
I needed a way to sort by many different attributes, filter by genre, or find other movies by a particular actor. Media Browser does all that and MUCH more + looks amazing.

The only problem. Each of my avi's weren't in their own folder & I'm funny when it comes to leaving stuff like building metadata to automation.
So I started 3 days ago manually setting this up and can see light at the end of the tunnel.

If it helps anyone else heres how I did it;
In lots of 50 I quickly noted down the name of each film. On my NON HTPC computer I installed Media Center Master and Metabrowser. I wanted MCM for its access to imdb instead of tmdb (imdb is better for rating, actors & description). I set them both to watch a temporary movies folder and also set up an ImagesByName folder and pointed them both to it. I downloaded a very small avi file (some quick vid of a flame flickering I think) and chucked it into a new folder in the movies folder (there needs to be a movie file in there to work). Then one by one of the list I renamed that folder to the name of the movie. When you run MCM it sees that folder and does its search. It will also include along with its imdb data, a cover and backdrop from tmdb. Then I closed that and ran Metabrowser. Now the only reason for doing this is to check if there are other covers or backdrops available that I like better - and there quite often was. So untick all the other fields so they are not updated (don't worry, it remembers what you have unticked for the next movie). ps. also tell Metabrowser to rename the folder for you too.
After that you will have a folder named eg Transformers (2007), and inside you will have your dummy avi, mymovies.xml, folder.jpg & backdrop.jpg. Copy the folder to a flash drive to later transfer to the HTPC (once copied you can delete the avi). Clear out the original working folder (leaving only the avi) and rename ready for the next movie. repeat... and repeat... and repeat...
Once you are through your first lot, on your HTPC rename your old movies folder to movies_OLD. And create a new movies folder. Move all the movie-titled folders you have created into the new movies folder and start dragging all your avi files into their corresponding movie-titled folder.
Now you have a perfectly set up movie folder, with a folder for each movie containing all the necessary files. The reason for doing this is those files are your backup that Media Browser will use to make its own database cache without going to the internet itself. So if you ever need to delete Media Browsers cache, it can quickly build it again from your files. I could imagine nothing worse than letting Media Browser do its own job on 200 odd avi files. What a mess you would end with.

Sounds like heaps of work if you want to do it this way, but if you are patient and good with computers you can knock em off bit by bit. The reward at the end is sweet.

[bill24]

http://forums.mediac...pic.php?f=3&t=3
Media Center Master is a meta data content fetcher for MediaBrowser, an extension to Windows Media Center for Windows Vista and Windows 7.

you can add dvd tv series to recorded tv in mediabrowser
http://www.dvdshrink.org/
use dvd shrink to re auther one show at a time

Attached Files

•  Clipboard01.jpg   22.57K   24 downloads
•  Clipboard02.jpg   25.28K   37 downloads

[patto]

I have just started using this app and found it really great. But I have run into one problem. I have the movies on a network drive split into five directories,

KIDS, PG, Mum and Dad, Sci Fantasy, Animated.

Three of the directories work OK but with KIDS and PG media browser thinks these are the names of movies and does not detect that they are collections. If I tag the kids directory to be part of Animated collection all the movies under it are picked up. I have tried clearing the CACHE (this gives me an error that it cannot be cleared) I have manually deleted the full ProgramData directory for media browser (clearing the cache and all config settings) then ran the config program and added the collections but it is still picking it up as a movie and not a collection.

Do I need to do a registry mod to get it to update?

Any ideas?

Thanks Patto

[mjbent]

Hi I was hoping someone can help me out here.

Have installed on VMC and loving it! The woman loves it too! Which I wasn't expecting.

I have 3 problems. Im not sure if they have been covered, I have been searching but its hard in amongst all XP, vista, W7 threads etc...

MANY thanks for any help you can give.

1) Once the video is playing if I play I press stop or backspace to go back and select another movie (Or episode) the file seems to freeze. And the only thing I can do is restart VMC. Any ideas?

2) Is there a way to have continuous play of episodes?

3) When I press the media centre logo on my remote VMC opens, but I need to click on it with the mouse first. Its as if I have opened it and clicked on the task bar. Like not maximised?

[danger55]

Try this...
1. Either uninstall SP2 or refer to last post on this page... http://www.xpmediace...on-pressed.html

2. Make sure all episodes have the same name followed by continuous numbering ie. episodename_01.avi, episodename_02.avi, episodename_03.avi or something similar.

3. Beats me...sorry

[tas05]

In regards to item 1 1) Once the video is playing if I play I press stop or backspace to go back and select another movie (Or episode) the file seems to freeze. And the only thing I can do is restart VMC. Any ideas?

I have the same issue , not the one where the Done, Resume, Restart menu doesn't appear when I stop or end a show. Mine is when I have stopped something or start pressing the back button a few times I get an empty blue screen, and no buttons work on the remote. So far the only way around is to move the mouse to the back button at the top left of the screen and press it then all works again.

[logifuse]

Mine is when I have stopped something or start pressing the back button a few times I get an empty blue screen, and no buttons work on the remote. So far the only way around is to move the mouse to the back button at the top left of the screen and press it then all works again.

I've seen that with the 2.0.11.0 version in Vista, but 2.1.1 in Windows 7 hasn't done it (yet?).

Justin

[danger55]

[quote name='tas05']In regards to item 1 1) Once the video is playing if I play I press stop or backspace to go back and select another movie (Or episode) the file seems to freeze. And the only thing I can do is restart VMC. Any ideas?QUOTE]

It is SP1 that has updated ehplayer.dll. Revert back to the older version as per the instructions in the link I posted up before your post.

[mjbent]

Thanks guys.

I will try it tonight, and let you know how I go.

I think I might make the jump across to 7, as almost ALL vista MC issues seem to be fixed.