quick instructions on how to go on (1 Viewer)

[MaKin]

Hello guys,

after a lot of research and help I've received here, I would like to ask for help again. I have never used a HTPC or its software before and I am not quite sure what I will have to do as soon as I get the HTPC hardware (probably tomorrow).

What I want to use the HTPC for is:

• watching movies from internal/external hdd
• watching original blu-ray movie discs (2d/3d)
• listening to music

What I have prepared so far:

• windows 8 pro (edu)
• media portal
• anydvd hd
• power dvd ultra

My hardware:

• AMD A8-5500 4x 3.20GHz
• ASRock FM2A75 Pro4-M A75
• Kingston HyperX XMP Kit 4GB PC3-14900U
• Samsung SSD 840 Series 120GB
• LiteOn iHOS104 BluRay

I'd be very thankful if someone could point me into the right direction or help me with the steps I have to make to build "my perfect htpc".

I don't expect to be guided throughout the whole thing so please don't get me wrong!

 

[kiwijunglist]

Watch this:

^ Nothing much has changed regarding setup between 1.3A + 1.4. I've never watched this video, but apparently it's good.

1. Use windows backup to make an image of c-drive, we will re-use the image if the htpc goes wonky or in the future, we want to reinstall MP with a nice clean installation

2. Tidy up your files (optional buy recommended)

Install TheRenamer

Use theRenamer to tidy up your tvseries files

Use the following filenaming structure
\tvseries\%series%\Season #\%series% - S#E# 0 %title%.ext
eg. \tvseries\Breaking Bad\Season 1\Breaking Bad - S01E01 - Pilot

Tidy up your movies, either using TheRenamer or manually (I do this manually). One movie per subfolder. A program called "FileBot" is also good at organizing your movies. I do this manually since I've always maintained a clean collection of movies.

Use either
\movies\%title% (%year)\filename.ext
or
\movies\%title% (%year%) (IMDB#)\filename.ext

also works with dvd / bluray rips
eg. \movies\Aliens (1979)\VIDEO_TS\

3. Install MP 1.4 (not 1.3) click no I will not watch TV. You don't want tv-server or tv-server client plugin bc you don't have a tv tuner card. Say Yes to LAV + Titan + Titan Extended

4. After installation run Mediaportal Extension Installer (MPEI)

5. Use MPEI to install the following
Moving Pictures
My TV Series
Fanart handler
Latestmedia
Extensions
Trakt
WorldweatherLite
mvCentral (only if you have a local collection/folder of music videos)
OnlineVideos

6. Make an extra windows backup image

7. Run MPConfig

Skip setting up music
Videos - Don't use this for movies or tvseries, just point it to any folders that have videos that don't belong under movies/tv series

Go down to plugins at the bottom
Setup Moving Pictures + TV Series
In moving pictures make sure to select "prefer folder name for matching or something like that"
In TV Series select download information for all the episodes in the series under options.
Watch video below, I've never watched it, but I assume it's roughly accurate.

8. Run MePo, try out the tvseries + moving pictures plugins

9 Music
https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/threads/guide-to-the-music-section-of-mediaportal.77404/

10. Try out music

11. Run MP Config

Setup Fanart handler, Latestmedia, Trakt, WorldweatherLite, mvCentral

12. Make windows backup image

13. To get perfect playback run MP Config, Advanced mode (Optional step as some people can't tell the difference between good + perfect)

Enable dynamic refresh rate plugin
23.976/24fps = 24 hz, 29.X/30/59.X/60fps = 60hz, 25/50fps = 50hz

Under Videos, Everything = LAV
Audio render = MP Audio renderer
http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/1_...3_Plugins/LAV_Filters/LAV_Video_Configuration
http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/1_...odecs_and_Renderer/3_MP_Audio_Renderer_(MPAR)
http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/1_...erer/3_MP_Audio_Renderer_(MPAR)/Configuration

Setup bluray as per wiki

14. Check you have 1:1 pixel mapping on TV
Google "tiger dave test pattern 1920x1080" download
Right click the .gif click preview, zoom to 100%
Check you have 1:1 mapping + 0% overscan
If you don't then you need to adjust options on the tv display to fix this. Don't need to change anything on the PC. You only need to change things on your PC if your tv is bad and can't do 1:1 with 0% overscan.


PS. Mediaportal is designed to be operated by a keyboard/remote. If you don't have a remote yet then buy one ASAP, the keys are

p = play , b = stop, F9 = options, enter = ok, F5->F8 FFWD etc.
If you have a media keyboard buttons should work, if they don't enable either MCE or HID under remotes in mp config.

If you have a MCE remote just click MCE remote under MP Config, DONT DO ANYTHING ELSE!

 

[MaKin]

Thanks again kiwijunglist,

that is even more than what I was looking for! Great!

The last missing components are the mainboard and cpu... then the project can finally start.

EDIT: Do I have to set anything up to gain better/best performance and quality with HD-Audio (DTS-HD, Dolby True-HD) ?

 

[kiwijunglist]

np - rename your media + tag your music while you wait. then setup is a breeze.

 

[MaKin]

As soon as I get home from university, trust me. It's the first thing I'll do!

 

[kiwijunglist]

EDIT:

Do I have to set anything up to gain better/best performance and quality with HD-Audio (DTS-HD, Dolby True-HD) ?

I don't use HD Audio. To use HD-Audio you need a receiver that supports HD-Audio, the connection to the receiver must be HDMI (Not Digital co-ax/optical) and you have to turn on HD-Audio bitstreaming in LAV audio settings. Only very new receivers use HD-Audio.

Also if you use HD-Audio you can't use MP_AudioRenderer to speed up 23.976fps to 24fps

so basically you will need to use a seperate audio codec for Blu-ray and Videos, because you will use hd-audio bitsreaming with hd-audio content, and non hd-audio content needs to have bitstreaming disabled so you can use mp-audiorender.

 

[MaKin]

My AVR is capable of playing HD-Audio and due to the fact that many blu-rays have hd-audio I wouldn't like to miss this feature. The HTPC will be connected via HDMI to my AVR. If my TV is capable of 24p playback will I have to suffer from stuttering when playing blu rays? It might be to early to ask but how can I set up different codecs for non-hd-audio content and hd-audio content?

Is there a way to prevent all kinds of 24p/23,xx stuttering no matter whether I have hd-audio or non-hd-audio?

Let's say I will use PowerDVD13 for bluray playback, the codec tweaking should not matter anymore right?

Please excuse my noobish questions...

 

[kiwijunglist]

If my understanding of all this stuff is correct...

If your display + onboard video can do exactly 23.976hz (Doubtful) then you wont have any stutter
If your display is 24hz and play a 23.976fps video then you get 1 repeated frame every 40 frames (24 per 1000).
If your display is 24hz and playback a 23.976fps at 24fps by speeding up the audio + video using mpaudiorenderer (MPAR) you get no stutter. (Usually your display ends up at 24.006hz or something like that so MPAR plays the video at 24.006fps)


If you use PDVD as external player for bluray then changes to LAV/MPAR will not effect PDVD playback.

Mediaportal has separate codec setup choices for videos and bluray

Also I just learnt that you can use MPAR with DTS-HD as LPCM can carry HD-Audio.

 

[jameson_uk]

If your display + onboard video can do exactly 23.976hz (Doubtful) then you wont have any stutter
If your display is 24hz and play a 23.976fps video then you get 1 repeated frame every 40 frames (24 per 1000).
If your display is 24hz and playback a 23.976fps at 24fps by speeding up the audio + video using mpaudiorenderer (MPAR) you get no stutter. (Usually your display ends up at 24.006hz or something like that so MPAR plays the video at 24.006fps)

Not quite right. For various historic reasons video is generally recorded at 24/1001 = 23.976 (and is confusingly normally referred to as 24p)

You can get pretty close but as this shows no card manufacturer is particularly any better than any other ( http://www.avsforum.com/t/1333324/lets-set-this-straight-no-one-can-do-24p-consistently-well)

Now the issue is that if your video material does not match your output rate then you need to do something to keep the video in time. This is generally done by displaying frames for twice as long as they should be which leads to panning shots looking like they are stuttering very slightly (microstutter). Some people are very sensitive to this and others don't even notice.

Standalone players (certainly better ones) can output at 24/1001 so this is much more of a problem on pcs where output rates are setup for monitors rather than video displays.

 

[kiwijunglist]

I just learnt (thanks tourettes) that there is no problem using MPAR with DTS-HD, because LPCM can carry HD Audio, I always thought it was limited in how much information it could carry, so you can get hd-audio quality and hz:fps matching with MPAR, that is good [DOUBLEPOST=1371022552][/DOUBLEPOST]@jameson_uk - I think you replied while I was editing my post