Pausing while browsing movies and other issues (1 Viewer)

[Exempt]

TV-Server Version:
MediaPortal Version:
MediaPortal Skin: X-Factor
Windows Version: vista ultimate x64
CPU Type: Q9650
HDD: 6 SATA 1.5tb Seagate/WD
Memory: 8gb Corsair dominator
Motherboard: Gigabyte
Video Card: ATI HD all in wonder 512mb
Video Card Driver: catalyst 9.5 (9.6 has HD playback issues)
Sound Card: Onboard
Sound Card AC3: Onboard
Sound Card Driver: Current
1. TV Card: ATI HD all in wonder
4. TV Card Driver:
MPEG2 Video Codec: K-Lite Codec Pack Ultra + x64 hotfix
Satelite/CableTV Provider: Charter 20mb package
HTPC Case: Ncase
Cooling: Coolermaster heatpipe
Power Supply: 700 watt corsair
Remote: Logitech Dinovo mini (also have a Logitech Harmony 1100 but it is horrible)
TV: Samsung LED7000
TV - HTPC Connection: DVI to DVI

I searched the forums for a similar thread, but I only found one that was sort of like mine. I used Windows Media Center a while back with the MyMovies module, its ok, but the database management and the slow GUI turned me away, I started using Meedio, but the database management was difficult and i ended up having triplicates of movies in my collection, as well as the inability to configure remote controls for fast forwarding and rewinding, and I could never pull up movies details. Anyways...

I really like the very simple and easy to use configuration of MediaPortal, but I am having several problems.

In BOTH skins default and XFactor (i am using xfactor with all correct and installed plugins) when browsing or doing anything at all in any part of mediaportal, the app seems to pause or lockup for about 5-10 seconds then everything goes back to normal, however once I start a movie, the movies play just fine with no pauses. Keep in mind I have over 5,800 DvDs, not including blurays, and Tv Seasons, however I have never had a browsing problem in WMC or Meedio. ****In configuration I HAVE set the thumbnail to the lowest setting****


Another issue I have is that I have lots of TV shows, and TV seasons, and when I am browsing I see like 20 "Sopranoes" or 13 "Lost" covers one after another.

My Weather is configured and pulls up my city, but in the GUI, it displays a thermometer, but no other info on the top right of my screen

My logitech Dinovo mini is not able to move forward or back through menus, just arrows left and right, and enter work.

How do I add more than IMDB as a databse to search for movies through? I have a lot of foreign films that need to search foreign databases, MyMovies for WMC allows you to search by country, is this possible with MediaPortal?

I would really just prefer an expert to just remote in and dial me in, but input is always appreciated, and you can be as technical as you'd like thanks in advance

 

[MrLobster]

I too have "had" massive skin lock ups.

The only explanation I could come up with was that, I have 215 movies on my PC, and if you quit the config of Moving Pictures before its completed its pull down on movie info, than the whole program will start to get very choppy and will lock up every 10 or so seconds for 5 seconds a time (can happen anywhere in the menus).

Guessing this is the Moving Pictures plugin actually updating the movie infos (and downloading fanart etc) while MediaPortal is running.

However if you let the config do its thing, the pauses dont happen.

EDIT:
The way I got it working was to push all the movies back to the import tab, then let it complete its updates.

 

[Exempt]

I too have "had" massive skin lock ups.

The only explanation I could come up with was that, I have 215 movies on my PC, and if you quit the config of Moving Pictures before its completed its pull down on movie info, than the whole program will start to get very choppy and will lock up every 10 or so seconds for 5 seconds a time (can happen anywhere in the menus).

Guessing this is the Moving Pictures plugin actually updating the movie infos (and downloading fanart etc) while MediaPortal is running.

However if you let the config do its thing, the pauses dont happen.

EDIT:
The way I got it working was to push all the movies back to the import tab, then let it complete its updates.

Hey Mr.Lobster,

Thanks for responding . I am guessing you mean in Mediaportal Config menu correct? I noticed something strange, so I installed Mediaportal onto my SOHO (my other movie & music server) and duplicated settings. When I *just* open up mediaportal config, the freezing starts within 30 seconds, I look at system resources, and CPU usage on any given core is only 20%, even during the freezing. It stays frozen for about 5-10 seconds like you said, then I get about 30 seconds of functionality. I removed all drives to monitor, and flushed out the movies, and tried redoing it, it takes a extremely long time with the amount of movies I have. I did the same on my other system which is running a quad core as well, with 4gb of ram, and the freezing happens there as well. Could it be the large size of the movie database? I know its not a hardware or OS issue , since it stops the second I close MediaPortal. I really want Mediaportal to work, as its the easiest media center to configure and setup, and it looks super sexy!

 

[Exempt]

Ive found that when I open up the PLUGINS option in the MediaPortal Configuration, thats also when the configuration seems to do the same locking up annoyance every few seconds. I am beginning to think its the Xfactor plugin.

 

[SiLenTYL]

im getting this periodic lockup in MP and the config app also

i just installed win 7 and a fresh MP 1.0.2.0 stable release

it didnt happen at all before on vista

games dont lock up on my system ..so yeh..any clue how to fix this? i dont use the video database or myTV currently

 

[Exempt]

im getting this periodic lockup in MP and the config app also

i just installed win 7 and a fresh MP 1.0.2.0 stable release

it didnt happen at all before on vista

games dont lock up on my system ..so yeh..any clue how to fix this? i dont use the video database or myTV currently

What I ended up doing was uninstalling (but keeping all my preferences and settings) mediaportal, and upgrading it to version 1.0.2 , as well as deleting the Xfactor skin (shame since it is the best looking) and using Xface instead, I don't have the lock ups like before, I do get main menu lockups for some reason, but as soon as I go into My Movies, I can browse just perfectly, only getting random lockups on the main menu.