Media Centre Alternative.

PistolPete · 30 May 2012 at 14:50

LizardKing said:
Mediaportal can do that

feriso said:
Yup, one as tv server and media store and then just mp clients on the rest.

Yes, you can have the single SQLlite database on a network share but that's not quite the same thing, neither is running a TV server.

Using 2 clients at once with that and see what happens - constant crashes and DB corruptions as SQLLite is a file based databased designed for single client local access. I got fed up with it (actually I got fed up of the wife nagging me that it's crashed again!). Never saw the point of running a TV server as well when other software did what I wanted.

If Mediaportal moves to proper database support (like MySQL) I may consider coming back. We'll see what v2 brings.

feriso · 30 May 2012 at 15:49

You have a db option during install

oliseo · 30 May 2012 at 20:19

I think Microsoft dropped the ball a bit dropping WMC from Windows 8. They are claiming the DVD costs are too much and that not many people used it.

Well why didn't they just ship it anyway, and make the DVD playback option the upgrade, or allow people to install their own codecs.

I'm not too sure how many people used WMC to play DVD's anyway, I would imagine most of us simply rip our discs or recode them.

I can't remember the last time I actually played a DVD in WMC from disc.

Never mind, I imagine that MediaPortal will become a lot more refined when Windows 8 comes out.

Even though only 10-15% of Windows 7 users ever used WMC, when you consider the actual numbers, it's a LOT of people who will require that functionality.

And I'll be damned if I'm paying the amount Microsoft is asking for the next level up given I could buy a DVD player from Tesco for peanuts.

EDIT: Personally I think WMC would have been an EXCELLENT selling point for touch screen windows devices such as tablets, it's ideally placed for it really if you consider it!

PistolPete · 31 May 2012 at 12:38

feriso said:
You have a db option during install

Odd, just downloaded the lastest Mediaportal client from the site and ran the install. No database options during the install, no database client downloads and nothing in the advanced setup on how to configure database connectivity.

One thing that is completely odd is that I was forced to install Windows Media Player 11 for XP x86t on a Windows 7 x64 machine or the install stopped :confused:

LizardKing · 31 May 2012 at 13:59

PistolPete said:
Odd, just downloaded the lastest Mediaportal client from the site and ran the install. No database options during the install, no database client downloads and nothing in the advanced setup on how to configure database connectivity.

One thing that is completely odd is that I was forced to install Windows Media Player 11 for XP x86t on a Windows 7 x64 machine or the install stopped

You need to select single seat or dedicated tv-server

More info here

http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/TV-Server/install-SQL-Server-2008

Edit is uses Mysql as default

PistolPete · 31 May 2012 at 15:21

This is for the TV server, not the client.

Cheetah Designs · 31 May 2012 at 15:35

PistolPete said:
This is for the TV server, not the client.

What's wrong with SQLLite if its just one client user?

PistolPete · 31 May 2012 at 16:08

Cheetah Designs said:
What's wrong with SQLLite if its just one client user?

Nothing at all if the db is stored locally. You can get problems when it's on a file share.

Cheetah Designs · 31 May 2012 at 18:02

PistolPete said:
Nothing at all if the db is stored locally. You can get problems when it's on a file share.

Why not just let each client have its own database?

PistolPete · 31 May 2012 at 18:48

Well I have ~250 DVD's stored and around ~700 more titles to add to the NAS, add to this ~250 Blurays + a large number of TV series I've recorded. Then there is approx 500 CD's of music.
Cataloging and maintaining 3 (soon to be 4) individual databases is a pain in the butt and a waste of my time.

XBMC connects directly to MySQL so I only have to do it once and I can do it from any of the client machines. It was for this reason alone I dropped Mediaportal. As I said, if v2 introduces this then I'll happily come back.