My Own Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

My Own Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)



Sometimes, newcomers are not yet familiar with this forum's powerful search features and we will see some questions repeated. Although we do prefer that users search before they post, we are still here to give a friendly helping hand to the community whenever possible. The purpose of this thread:

• Mainly to help myself, copy and paste, when answering questions.
• Secondly to directly help Newcomers who explore the forums themselves.
• When pointing someone here, they might see something else that can help them.

Information here is gathered from experience as well as from feedback from dedicated team members and the great community.
So if you recognise something here THANK YOU
When I shamelessly copy your text here, I will recognise it bu hitting the THANKS button on the respective post and by entering your name here in blue.

The List
B1: Where is the manual/Where can I get more information?
B2: Where do I find my skin/log/application/data files?
B3: How do I maximize the small video window?
B4: Can I start MP In Specific Screen/Plugin?
B5: I do not see all options/plugins in Configuration?
B6: Where can I get some of those nice movie fanart backdrops?
B7: How do I skip/cut commercials from TV recordings?
B8: How do I make and attach screenshots?
B9: How do I show my System Specs to assist team members who wants to help me?
B10: How do I collect proper log files to assist team members who wants to help me?
B11: How do I THANK someone?
B12: How do I adjust the text scroll speed?
B13: How do I configure the video skip/jump steps?
B14: What TV Cards are supported?
B15: What is SVN?
B16: How do I select more than one folder when setting up Shares in Configureation?

S1: Can I change my Home menu?
S2: Can I share database files between PC's on my LAN?
S3: Is there a way to get MP to follow shortcuts?
S4: I do not want to recreate all my SHARES on a new installation. How do I transfer it?
S5: Can I play Blueray with MP?
S6: How can I know what filters/codecs are in use in MP?
S7: How do I disable MCE?
S8: MediaPortal stopped making sound anywhere?
S9: How do I build a HD HTPC?
S10: Skin Repository Updates and Download count Questions

How do I play Apple .mov files?
Ffdshow audio + ac3 filter settings for 5.1 spdif
How can I reorganize my movies into separate folders?
How do I make the most of my music experience?
How do I select more than one folder when setting up Shares in Configuration?
What is the syntax for advanced forum searches?

Always remember:

 

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Where is the manual/Where can I get more information?

The MediaPortal Docs team do a great job maintaining the wiki manual. They are constantly busy to update/add information. Some people disagree, but I REALLY do answer a lot of questions out of the manual.
A few highlights:
Complete MP Manual
Complete TVServer manual
MP FAQ
Tips and Tricks
many many more...

 

Where do I find my skin/log/application/data files?

Well, like I said above, the manual is great. All the details here.

• Start Menu
• Programs
• Team MediaPortal
• MediaPortal
• User Files

 

How do I maximize the small video window?

When you back out from a movie and the video continues playing in a box, you have a few options to maximize it again.
If your remote has the 4 color buttons, the red button will restore full screen video.
If your remote does not have a red button, see in the mapping (or map new yourself) if you have another button for action Show GUI.
Keyboard x will restore fullscreen.
Some skins do allow the box to be selected with arrows and then OK will also take to fullscreen.

 

Can I start MP In Specific Screen/Plugin?

Try one of the following options:
1. Autostart plugin - may be outdated and only some modules can be selected as startup.
2. Setting under General in Configuration to resume last active module. Example, you are in Moving Pictures and exit MediaPortal from there (by ALT-F4 or remote exit). On startup, MediaPortal will again be in MovingPictures.

NEW:
3. MPStartIt

 

I do not see all options/plugins in Configuration?

Make sure you are in EXPERT MODE of Configuration. MP config, top right hand corner switch to expert mode.

 

Where can I get some of those nice movie fanart backdrops?

The internet is full of really nice pictures, but please be on the lookout not to infringe on copy protected material. See this thread for a few examples.

Home Theatre Backdrops

 

How do I skip/cut commercials from TV recordings?

A program like Comskip can create a text file with pointers to the commercial positions in the recording.
You can have MediaPortal automatically launch Comskip for each recording. See this page in the manual for TVServer.
You should also activate auto commercial skip in MP General settings.

You can use the VideoEditor plugin or an external tool like MCEBuddy to cut it out permanently, but for normal operation (record, view, skip, delete) it is not required.

 

How do I make and attach screenshots?

Inside MediaPortal: F11 can be used to capture a screen. It will be saved in My Pictures under MediaPortal directory. Some skins will play a sound file (like camera shot) but on other skins it might appear as if nothing hapenned. Just check for the mentioned directory and it will be there.
Any other application: like MP Configuration, you can use ALT-PrintScreen to copy the active window to the clipboard. Then use something like Paint to paste the screen and save as jpg. If there are lots of unused whitespace in Paint, first resize the image attributes (Image menu; Attributes) to something very small (like 1 X 1 pixels) and then when you paste the screenprint, Paint will auto size to the correct size.

To attach it in a forum post, you must be in Advanced mode and then select the + button to attach.

 

How do I show my System Specs to assist team members who wants to help me?

Follow these guidelines.