Is it that?

[NLS]

Now with Meedio's death, people will start flowing towards other solutions.
One of those that seems to fulfill some basic requirements (a free software with large user/developer base) is MP.

I remember MP years ago, but nothing kept me to hang on it back then.

Things (must have) changed since then. So can MP in fact replace Meedio for the basic tasks of maintaining some media database, start external applications made to look like they are part of the main s/w? Does MP follow a different path?

Let me tell you what I did up to now with Meedio.

- Play/record TV with GBPVR (that I somehow integrated)
- Play FM radio (plug-in)
- Play videos (multi format) and classify them in categories
- Same with music
- Play a DVD when inserted (through plug-in, so visual interface was like the main s/w)
- Play an audio CD
- Launch a few other external apps (like 1-2 games, a MAME front-end that was close to the main app's interface and some others)

all those would return you to the main Meedio screen and could be controlled with my (girder enabled) remote

CAN I COME CLOSE with MP, without my hair turning gray?
Give me some indication, some guidance, whatever.

[trosty]

Check ot the Features of Mediaportal, on the bottom of the page you can find a link with an overview with all the plug ins. Looks like all your wishes are supported .

[CHli]

Hi and Welcome To the MP community, and here are the answer :

- Play/record TV : Using MediaPortal core functionnality
- Play FM radio : Using MediaPortal core functionnality
- Play videos (multi format) and classify them in categories : Using MediaPortal core functionnality + MyTVSeries
- Same with music : Using MediaPortal core functionnality
- Play a DVD when inserted (through plug-in, so visual interface was like the main s/w) : Using MediaPortal core functionnality
- Play an audio CD : Using MediaPortal core functionnality
- Launch a few other external apps (like 1-2 games, a MAME front-end that was close to the main app's interface and some others) : Using MyPrograms

[NLS]

Ok let see if we can elaborate a bit on this...

My current media center configuration tree and of course menu:
(normally using Greek labels but I translate for you)

- Program Guide (uses GBPVR and EPG from a third part program)
- TV (again GBPVR directly to live TV)
- Radio (was using GBPVR but it was stupid to have a black screen so then I found a plugin where I could have preset frequencies... although I would also love normal frequency tuning)
- Video (submenu)
-- TV Recordings (though GBPVR)
-- Video Library (core Meedio database and module)
-- DVD Player (core Meedio module, I was using some simplistic alternative before, wouldn't want to go back to that)
- Music (submenu)
-- Jukebox (core Meedio database and module)
-- CD Player (core)
-- Now Playing (where also album art/visualisations/playlist management takes place... core)
- Photos (core)
- Games (submenu)
-- (some games I just call from here and return to Meedio when I quit them)
- Retro (submenu)
-- MAME (using core media module and database, system was tricked when file extension is .zip -I could use another for example .mame- to run MAME with the filename)
-- Commodore 64 (same trick but with .p00)
-- Atari 2600 (same with .bin2)
-- Nintendo Gameboy (again with .gb)
- Weather (submenu)
-- (various cities)
- Aquarium (just fired up the well known Windows Plus screensaver that looks impresive on TV)
- Horoscope (a 3rd party plugin)
- Goodbye (shutdown, after asking the user if he is sure)
- Timer (again shudown but more configurable, with timeout which you can leave ticking and do what you want, and then you can skip later if needed)
- Advanced (submenu you can only enter with PIN)
-- Under Test (submenu)
--- (various plugins I tested)
-- Tech (submenu)
--- Update EPG (call manualy the EPG update software)
--- Themes (core theme manager)
--- FreeSpace (core)
--- My Computer (core file browser)
--- (some other tech stuff)
-- Close Program (the only way to close the program without shutting down windows, since for WAF, OS should be close to invisible)

...and all those using my Marmitek PC Remote (USB RF/IR) and girder AND displaying various things on my VFD

Now, how close can I come to that? (again)

A bonus question: Can I use this software on an MCE2005 computer? (I suppose so, but I want to be sure)

Thank you in advance. I am sure many newcomers will wait for your expert answers.

[bombonator]

You should be able to achieve most, if not all, of the features you are after with core MP functionality and Plugins and third party addons.

You can customise your menu structure from within the MP Configuration App -> Plugins -> Right Click 'Home' Plugin -> Select 'Configuration' -> go to 'Menu Structure' tab.

Supports many remotes and vfd's etc and more are added continually.

Runs on MCE2005, no problem.