Question about Network Usage (3 HTPC) (1 Viewer)

[pleibling]

Hi,

i'm searched about it, but i didn't find the information.

I have 3 HTPC in my Network and 1 Server, on the Server are the Movies. Now i found the great Moving Pictures Plugin - for this solution i searched a long time.

My question is now, if i want to use the Settings on 3 HTPCs - must i configure the Database / Mibrary on every HTPC or can i use it in the Network - so that i have only to configure the Database / Library once for every HTPC?

If this is not Network usable, have someone try to move the Database to an Networkshare an create a Symlink on every HTPC to the one Database? Works this with access more than one client at the same time?

Thanks a lot for your help.

 

[mguebert]

My understanding is that there is a way to do as you describe, however it frequently leads to database corruption.

The other options are to use the MePo plugin that enables synchronization of the databases or to use MB3 or Plex and the plugins that allow MePo to access those libraries. That is the method I am using and it works well.

 

[pleibling]

Ok, can you tell me more about your solution?

Thanks.

 

[LJG]

I have a similar set-up. My solution is to get everything configured on one PC and then copy the library over to the other PC's.
I use IMDB+ as the scraper, and if all your media is named correctly each PC should auto update as new media is added or old media updated.
I also use Trakt on all 3 machines to keep the watched / unwatched flags synchronised.

 

[mguebert]

Ok, can you tell me more about your solution?

Thanks.

I am using Media browser 3 to catalog and collect metadata for all of my movies. I installed the MB3 plugin in all of the client machines that access the MePo server and MB3 server (same machine) MePo accesses and plays all of my movies that way.

I am only maintaining one database that way for my movies.

 

[pleibling]

@lisag: Did i understand it right? Do you use Moving Pictures, you copy manually the Database from your "Server" to the other Clients?

@mguebert: Did i understand it right? Do you use not use Moving Pictures - do you use Media Browser 3 as a MePo Plugin?

Is it no way to sync it directly - what is follw.it integration of the Moving Pictures Plugin?

 

[breese]

If you are willing to limit the scanning of media to one machine, I have used the following without issue.
I set mine up so that the server does all the imports and the client/s are not used for updating.
http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/1_MEDIAPORTAL_1/20_Reference/Databases/Central_Database

 

[LJG]

@lisag: Did i understand it right? Do you use Moving Pictures, you copy manually the Database from your "Server" to the other Clients?

Is it no way to sync it directly - what is follw.it integration of the Moving Pictures Plugin?

I did say that, but I actually got it wrong!

So, I have MP-Tv Series and Moving Pictures installed on all 3 machines, each having their own database.

With Moving Pictures, I set all 3 up individually (lots of user input) and they maintain themselves individually (no user input). Trakt keeps all the watched flags synched.

With MP-TV Series I set it all up on one machine, then copied the database and the thumbs to the other two machines, and they auto update themselves now with no user input. Trakt also keeps the watched flags synced.

You could use follw.it instead of Trakt, I tried them both and much prefer Trakt because of the calendar and cutom lists features.

Also, I got curious and had a look at Media Browser 3 today with the MePo plug in. It seems to have some issues at present, I would say that it needs some more development to meet my needs, so for me Moving Pictures / MP-TV Series is the best solution available at present.

 

[RoChess]

The MPSync (MPEI) plugin might be much easier.

You setup a single 'server' that is setup to maintain your central database on all your plugins, MP-TVSeries, Moving-Pictures, etc. The MPSync plugin installed on the same system will act as 'server', and the MPSync plugin installed on all your HTPCs will act as 'client'. And it will perfectly keep all the systems in 'sync' with the server by copying the central database (so no fear of corruption from concurrent SQLite access).

Trakt.tv and Follw.it plugins can sync your watched flags across the multiple systems, so if HTPC1 watches a movie, the others show it as "watched" as well, but by not enabling that on certain systems you indirectly create a multi-user setup with each person in control of their HTPCs watched status.

Also look into WebMP plugin, as it would allow for a headless server with LAN and WAN stream options of your collection, even support for LiveTV.

 

[mguebert]

@lisag: Did i understand it right? Do you use Moving Pictures, you copy manually the Database from your "Server" to the other Clients?

@mguebert: Did i understand it right? Do you use not use Moving Pictures - do you use Media Browser 3 as a MePo Plugin?

Is it no way to sync it directly - what is follw.it integration of the Moving Pictures Plugin?

You have it right, I don't use Moving Pictures. I use the Mediabrowser 3 plug in to access my movie collection from the server. All clients have access to the same library only have to manage it in one place. So for me the plug in for MB3 replaces Moving Pictures, TV series, and Web MP. I use MB3 to stream my recorded content and movies outside my home through a VPN.