Picture browsing sluggish?

[Rybber]

First of all, let me say that this is in no way a complaint, I love MP. This is rather a startoff point to future improvement.

It seems to me that browsing pictures in MP is rather slow compaired to the blazing speeds of programs such as Meedio and ACDsee using the same images.

I think this is a part of MP that could be improved on. Is it a question about optimizing code or are there some other limitation that makes MP load images significantly slower than what is possible?

[Paranoid Delusion]

Rybber

This is a database tradeoff with the mediaportal startup time. if MP pulled all the info in, the startup\memory use would increase by to much, that a lot of people would consider the delay unacceptable.

8)

[Rybber]

Well, what about images needs to be stored in the database?

Can't MP simply read directly from the directory structure?

[YYota]

I second that. Why should anything related to pictures stored in a database? All a user wants is speed! Make it an option maybe.

That's the only area where I feel meedio is way way better than MP.

Thanks a lot for considering :-)

[mzemina]

Well to answer your question - "why do anything relating to pictures need to be in a database"

I see that the picture database really needs to be updated to allow for enhanced tagging (and allow for multiple keywords - not like flickr and only one keyword search). Sure if you only have a couple of hundred pictures - then there is no need and maybe if there should be a manner to allow for the option. But tagging allows for rapid searching in a database compared to just looking through folders.

Anyway - there are needs for a database with photographs, just that it maybe in the current configuration it is not setup in as desirable manner as it could be.

Just my thoughts on this.

Mike

[James]

Hi guys,

Try the latest build and see if things have improved.

/James

[YYota]

Thanks a lot for the answer, yes I understand the need for thousands of pictures with tagging. But considering how slow it is for less than 100 pictures right now, I believe the advantages are completly offset by the sluggish speed.

This reminds me when acdsee switched to a database... old good version 2 is still the fastest viewer out of all acdsee versions. And a media pc is primarely a media viewer no? Therefore speed should come over features. Because you can have the greatest features, if it's dead slow, noone will use it.

So an option would be good, hoping it's not too much work if ever it gets considered :-)

Thanks again for your replies and the great job!

[Rybber]

I agree with YYota, most people use MP with standalone HTPC's (with no keyboard that is), and they only need to show their pictures to relatives etc.
Optimizing for searching through tags is overkill IMHO.

If people want structure and easy finding their pictures they should start off by creating a useful directory structure. I would know this, I have >50.000 images and I just store them like this:

D:\PICTURES\2006\2006-12-24 Christmas Evening

I never have any problems finding my pictures this way.

I really think you should consider this again - advanced features is not always a good thing

[Phoenix2000]

I will ditto an earlier comment...I love MediaPortal, this is in no way intended to put down MediaPortal or it's developers, who in my opinion have done a fantastic job.

I have an Intel 2.5GHz system w 512Megs Ram. When I play movies from my hard drive using MediaPortal using either Windows Media Player or PowerDVD, the video is choppy/stutters (mostly on pan shots). When I leave MediaPortal and play the same video using PowerDVD, there is no choppyness at all. When I check my performance playing videos in MediaPortal the CPU bounces between 90 and 100%. Memory is at 25%. Oh yea I have onboard video. Videos are on seperate HD from OS. I would hate to have to upgrade my hardware for a little, hardly noticable, but still choppy video. I only use MediaPortal for Video, Music and Pictures. I have turned off all plugins I don't use, sound and visual effects, to no avail. Is there anything else I can turn off that would take load off the processor.

[jabnet]

Originally Posted by Rybber

If people want structure and easy finding their pictures they should start off by creating a useful directory structure. I would know this, I have >50.000 images and I just store them like this:

D:\PICTURES\2006\2006-12-24 Christmas Evening

I use the same structure... it's the best way, no doubt.

Slow pictures navigation is the only reason why I'm thinking to change to GB-PVR... It would be so easy (I think) improve this on mediaportal, wouldn't it?

Please... consider that