28 replies to this topic

[CablDeViL]

Hello all.

I currently have MB installed on my HTPC and it works ok most of the time and looks great. But I was thinking of going with Mymovies on the WHS and use the client on the HTPC and the (GULP) iPad app to play and remote control the HTPC. I liked what Dave said on the last podcast about the MyMovies integration.

Any thoughts? Since I am still waiting for my main LCD to get repaired (T Con board) I have some time to play with my current set up.

Thank You

CD

[ImTheTypeOfGuy]

I have never used MB so I can't compare the two. However, I know I will never install MM on my WHS again. Ever since I installed it on my server, things slowed down and I have had intermittent issues with it. I don't know if it is the MM app or the SQL server it installs. So if you play with MM I suggest you install it on your MC machine.

[diehard]

My Movies is a more difficult install, cross your fingers that everything works. MyMovies uses a SQL database and that makes the cover art and backgrounds all load faster than Meta Browser, but MM does not do TV Series, that's bigger for me. Also, yeah, the ipad interface is nice now that it's also a remote. It was not a remote before. Meta Browser allows for plugins, I have a XBMC skin. If you pay for MM you will get the ripping stuff, but you have to lay out a bunch of cash for AnyDVD.

They both have pro's and con's .

[awraynor]

And as of yesterday, Slysoft the publisher of AnyDVD, no longer has a lifetime license for AnyDVD.
As such, the subscription fee for AnyDVD is recurring, although the product does work well. Glad I
already have a lifetime license for all their products.

[usacomp2k3]

I'd say install both and see how it goes.

[deadspeak]

I'd say install both and see how it goes.

I used mymovies for a long time, but for the last year i've been using media browser exclusivly, handles all my movies and tv in one, and options for skinning and customizations are extensive, and with a new version only a few days away, would be a good time to jump in.

[CablDeViL]

I just upped my subscription with Slysoft from yearly to lifetime on Sunday, I use AnyDVD HD A lot... I am using MB now and love the look of it but for the cover art take some time to populate and its a little buggy (I have to kill the cover art and have it rebuild it from time to time).

I did donate also, so I get the goodies.

Again I was thinking of trying my movies for the trans-coding to the Ipad / 360 and the app.

@deadspeak - I didn't know there was a new version of MB coming out I will have to look at the info tonight. Thanks

[eagle63]

I'm new to WHS and am trying to make a decision on MM or MB too. If I'm understanding the details correctly, it looks like My Movies is a server-side solution right? In other words, it sits on your home server and downloads the meta-data for your movies. After that any windows media center client who connects to that movies folder now has loads of great images, data, etc, about the movies. Whereas MB is a client-side app, and therefore if you have multiple windows media center machines in your house you'd need to install MB on each one. Do I have that right?

If yes, I like idea of My Movies better - at least in terms of the architecture.

[usacomp2k3]

My movies actually does both sides. They have a client for the Media Center interface, and they also have a server half that does the metadata collecting. This latter part can be used by other services, like you have mentioned, so you are about 70% correct.

[eagle63]

My movies actually does both sides. They have a client for the Media Center interface, and they also have a server half that does the metadata collecting. This latter part can be used by other services, like you have mentioned, so you are about 70% correct.

Thanks for the quick reply. I guess I'm a little confused then, because even though I do see that My Movies has a client that you can install on your media center box, my interpretation of the website was that it was optional - and that even without it your built-in "Movies" group in media center would still take advantage of the metadata provided by My Movies on the home server. I could very well have read that wrong, however.

[usacomp2k3]

You are correct in that. In the My Movies configuration page on the server, you tell it what format you want it to save the metadata as. You can simultaneously have the metadata outputted in a format the the built-in Movie library in WMC will see and for the My Movies client, and also for other clients like Media Browser.

[eagle63]

Cool, so I installed My Movies last night and pointed it at my "Movies" folder on WHS which contains a bunch of DVD rips. (VIDEO_TS format) It *appears* as though it found a bunch of metadata for those movies, but I still don't see anything different when I browse through my movies library on my WMC machine. Do I need to purchase "points" in order to see any of the metadata? (I thought there might be some level of metadata provided for free but maybe not)

[usacomp2k3]

Did you play with the settings at all?

[eagle63]

Did you play with the settings at all?

I did, but there's not a whole lot to play with. (that looks applicable) If I click on the My Movies Monitor button on the top of the WHS console, it shows me a list of the movies I have in my Movies folder, and for most of them it has found metadata. (If I right-click the movie and choose properties, it shows me cover art, actors, details, etc) So this leads me to believe that it's working correctly. But over on my WMC machine none of that metadata appears in the Movies library. I'm sure I'm doing something wrong, just not sure what..

[CablDeViL]

@Eagle63: keep us up to date. I started this post but still haven't had time to play with MM yet. I would love to know what happens when and if you install the WMC client.

[no-control]

Good luck uninstalling MM from your WHS, should you decide you don't like it. It was easier to just restore the server than to remove all the BS from MM. I haven't used MM since 2.something so maybe they fixed it I know 3 was a major release. Also the pay model is stupid don't imply that I can earn my way into new features, when it's next to impossible to get enough points. Just ask for the damn money up front.

I'm a big MediaBrowser fan especially with the latest release. It's been rock solid. I wish my WMC was but that more of a user issue I think. I like being able to go in and customize my look by using different skins and layouts. If you have an SSD it should populate fairly quickly. Also some skins seem a bit more "buggy" than others.
MetaBrowser on the other hand is a bit wonky and craps out or reverts to old settings randomly.

I should create another WHS VM and install the new version of MM to see if my opinion has changed.

[usacomp2k3]

Rather opinionated today, are we?

[diehard]

MM used to be a difficult install but it has become much better. I like to use metabrowser on my server and RDC into it to change my metadata manually. I don't use the builtin metadata collector in MediaBrowser. An other option for collecting metadata is MediaScout.

[eagle63]

@Eagle63: keep us up to date. I started this post but still haven't had time to play with MM yet. I would love to know what happens when and if you install the WMC client.

Well apparently I missed a step: I later realized you need to install the "My Movies Metadata Connector" on the windows media center PC. I went ahead and attempted to install it, but immediately got the following error: "The Windows home Server you are currently connected to using the Home Server Connector was not found, or My Movies for Windows Home Server is not installed on it." Thing is, I DO have My Movies installed on WHS (obviously) and my media center PC is connected to it. I posted my problem in the My Movies support forums, but so far no one has any ideas.

[HSS-Dave]

I didn't look into your error but am thinking there is a rights issue that causes problems with Media Center requests to MM on WHS. Try enabling the guest account real quick to see if it fixes it.