MediaPortal "Client" Machine - Questions. (1 Viewer)

[luci5r]

For over 6 years now I've been using MediaPortal on our main HTPC in the home theater.

Towards the end of this month, I'm building a new Skylake/Pascal based HTPC which will replace the old Sandy Bridge HTPC. This new HTPC will be the main MediaPortal HTPC. All media will be stored on this machine.

What I'd like to do is take the old Sandy Bridge HTPC and put it in our bedroom. I would still like to have MediaPortal on this machine but I'd like to stream all media from the main MediaPortal HTPC in the Home Theater. Streaming is not an issue because I can obviously define network paths for the media. I currently do that since I have Dune Smart D1 network player in the bedroom which streams media stored on the MediaPortal HTPC in the home theater.

My main question is: I use MovingPictures for movies & MP-TVSeries for tv shows. All of this media will be stored on the main MediaPortal HTPC in the home theater. So if I add new movies or tv shows to the MediaPortal HTPC in the home theater - will they automatically appear in the bedroom, or will I need to run imports separately in the MediaPortal HTPC in the bedroom?

What I'm looking for is sort of a "Server - Client" situation where any media updates on the Server become available on the Client. I don't know if this is possible with MediaPortal or not. I've only ever run it on a single machine.

Thanks for suggestions & advice.

 

[mm1352000]

Hi

What I'm looking for is sort of a "Server - Client" situation where any media updates on the Server become available on the Client. I don't know if this is possible with MediaPortal or not. I've only ever run it on a single machine.

Technically MediaPortal 1 isn't really designed for this. However it is possible. In essence you need to share the databases that MediaPortal uses. There are a couple of possible ways to do that.

You can share and/or redirect MP's database folder as described in our wiki:
http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/1_MEDIAPORTAL_1/20_Reference/Databases/Central_Database

Please take the warnings on that page seriously. In particular, if you have both clients using MP simultaneously then you may run into database corruption. As such, it would be wise to institute some kind of backup system.

The other way is to use the MPSync plugin:
https://www.team-mediaportal.com/extensions/utilities/cdb-sync

My understanding is that MPSync is a streamlined version of the first approach.


MediaPortal 2 is designed from the ground up with a client-server architecture in mind, so you can definitely do what you described. However MP2 is completely different to MP1, so you'd have migration plus a learning curve to deal with.

 

[luci5r]

Hi

What I'm looking for is sort of a "Server - Client" situation where any media updates on the Server become available on the Client. I don't know if this is possible with MediaPortal or not. I've only ever run it on a single machine.

Technically MediaPortal 1 isn't really designed for this. However it is possible. In essence you need to share the databases that MediaPortal uses. There are a couple of possible ways to do that.

You can share and/or redirect MP's database folder as described in our wiki:
http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/1_MEDIAPORTAL_1/20_Reference/Databases/Central_Database

Please take the warnings on that page seriously. In particular, if you have both clients using MP simultaneously then you may run into database corruption. As such, it would be wise to institute some kind of backup system.

The other way is to use the MPSync plugin:
https://www.team-mediaportal.com/extensions/utilities/cdb-sync

My understanding is that MPSync is a streamlined version of the first approach.


MediaPortal 2 is designed from the ground up with a client-server architecture in mind, so you can definitely do what you described. However MP2 is completely different to MP1, so you'd have migration plus a learning curve to deal with.

mm - Thank you for your very detailed & expansive response.

Unfortunately MP2 as it stands today is not a solution for me. I did actually implement an installation for testing it a couple months back, and there's some very required features missing, most importantly support for external subtitles.

Fortunately, what you're stating above is very workable for me. In fact, I'm very comfortable with the above scenario - sharing the .db databases. I'll maintain the the databases on the main HTPC in the home theater and redirect the MediaPortal in the bedroom to use those db's, since it'll be streaming all the media from the home theater HTPC as well. This will work! I definitely will implement some backup system.

I wasn't aware of MPSync, will look into that as well. Either way, sharing the db's should give me what I need.

Thanks again for your support.

 

[Lehmden]

Hi.
FYI...

Unfortunately MediaPortal as it stands today is not a solution for me. I did actually implement an installation for testing it a couple months back, and there's some very required features missing, most importantly support for external subtitles.

I think you are talking about MP2 here. Your statement may be true some month ago, but the recent development status has support for external subtitles and a lot of other previously missed features. Nearly every Week new features are implemented into MP2...

 

[luci5r]

Hi.
FYI...

Unfortunately MediaPortal as it stands today is not a solution for me. I did actually implement an installation for testing it a couple months back, and there's some very required features missing, most importantly support for external subtitles.

I think you are talking about MP2 here. Your statement may be true some month ago, but the recent development status has support for external subtitles and a lot of other previously missed features. Nearly every Week new features are implemented into MP2...

You're correct, I meant to say MP2 in that first sentence.

I wasn't aware External Subtitle support had been added. I think the 3 major issues I faced were External Subtitle support, Blu-ray 3D support (I don't remember exactly what was the issue with external blu-ray player support) and Hauppauge Remote Control.

I'll head over to MP2 releases to see the new changelog.

Thanks!

 

[Lehmden]

Blu-ray 3D support

This is not jet implemented but there is some work going on behind the curtains to implement this. But I Can't give a time frame now.

Hauppauge Remote Control

Should be possible by using IRSS. To be honest, the remotes that are delivered with a tuner card normally only good enough for the trash can. But I don't know this special one, so maybe I'm wrong here. Nevertheless you can buy a good working and easy to configure remote for a few bucks so nothing to worry about.

 

[luci5r]

Blu-ray 3D support

This is not jet implemented but there is some work going on behind the curtains to implement this. But I Can't give a time frame now.

Hauppauge Remote Control

Should be possible by using IRSS. To be honest, the remotes that are delivered with a tuner card normally only good enough for the trash can. But I don't know this special one, so maybe I'm wrong here. Nevertheless you can buy a good working and easy to configure remote for a few bucks so nothing to worry about.

I'll probably need to wait till 3D Blu-ray playback support is added (internal or via external player) but it's good news it's in the works. I can use the MPSync method suggested by mm above in the meantime and continue using MP1.

You're right about the remote control. The one with hauppauge isn't necessarily trash, I've been using it for over 5 years now and was able to to do scripts to control other applications like external players etc. ... however, in the grand scheme of things, MCE remotes are cheap, shouldn't be a problem.

Thanks for your update!