taking plunge..with install (1 Viewer)

[moviebug]

Hi Guys

I am normally one who just gets in and installs and gives it a go!

But for some reason installing media portal is makin me real nervous!!

I have had two attempts previously ...months ago.

This time I am just doing a media player ...and leave the TV playing/recording part alone!!
Hopefully I can get into less trouble this time.

I have a HTPC with 3 drives...
one for OS
one for Movies
one for TVseries and maybe a bit of music

I have Vista with Sp 1 installed ...with an ATI 4650 with catalyst 9.11 installed
I have updated Direct x with the august 09 release

I use HDMI out to a 46 inch plasma for video
and ...an spdif coaxial connection to denon receiver for audio ...and 5.1 speaker setup

I have got myself a Hauppage remote and IR blaster receiver...to use with Media portal.


I was going to install...MediaPortalSetup_1.1.0_BETA-1_rev23491

along with MediaStream by pilehave v.0.11.zip....as the skin

and for Movies....moving-pictures-0.7.5

and for TV series ....MP-TVSeries-2.3.3589

So for the codecs I was going to install the following
just Media Player HC standalone filter...to play 720 and 1080 x264 and MKVs
FFdshow..latest version for Divx/Xvids and any music

I have installed Arcsoft TMT3 .160 for playing Blu-ray and upscaling DVDs.
Is there a way of linking those types of media to Media portal...and have Arcsoft TMT3 launch to play ??

I was going to use FFdshow for all the audio
from the 720 and 1080MKVs ...Xvids..MP3s ...ie DTS, AC3, FLAC and MP3(divx)
This should allow getting even 5.1 dolby pro logic for the two track MP3 sound on TV shows
Does that sound okay??

and of course you need latest haali media splitter.

and to play subtitles via Media Player HC filter..
Do I have to install something there??

So to have Media Portal change to correct screen frame rate ...ie 23.97
is there a plug-in or setting that does that??
This is especially important for 1080p and Blu-ray

I read some where it is better to Mix? the Mediastream skin with StreamedMP skin??

I dont do any streaming of media ..its all from my hard drives or from Disc!

 

[etheesdad]

For codecs, I recommend SAF which will allow you to use FFDshow for audio. Its easy to set up and will play most file formats.

I understand your concerns if you had a hard time in the past. My suggesiton would be to use a good disk imaging software and back up as you go. This way if you get yourself into trouble its easy to go back a step and start again from where you last left off.

Good luck with it

 

[moviebug]

Thanks...for the tip on backing up first...
I have acronis...so definitely that will ease the pain if I make a serious mistake

Just on SAF...does that use MPHC standalone filter for x264/mkv?

What about potential conflicts with using Arcsoft TMT3 for the DVDs and Blu-ray??

I think you'll find DVD quality in MP with SAF is comparable to TMT3.

 

[etheesdad]

Thanks...for the tip on backing up first...
I have acronis...so definitely that will ease the pain if I make a serious mistake

Just on SAF...does that use MPHC standalone filter for x264/mkv?

What about potential conflicts with using Arcsoft TMT3 for the DVDs and Blu-ray??

Ive never run both but You would be setting MP to use Cyberlink for h.264 and TMT3 would be using its own codec. Up to you whether this is something you want to try, perhaps check the SAF thread or ask Hoborg what his take on the play-nice capacity of the two is. You may find its a non-issue.

 

[moviebug]

Okay ...we'll suck it and see..how it goes!

Thanks for the feedback

 

[moviebug]

Okay ..so I have installed Mediaportal 1.1.0_BETA-1_rev23491

and installed Holborgs SAF codecs...and done some basic config of the various parts

in Media portal like the folders for Videos and TV series etc

plus the codecs

Now I am trying to work out which improved skin to use..

I am considering either Mediastream or StreamedMP

are these both okay for this version of Mediaportal??

it seems StreamedMP is optimised for Mediaportal 1.1.0 beta?

Do these both include ??
Moving picture plugins...
and TV series plugins
and RSS ticker?
and Weather?

My TV is 1920 x1080 res

So does it matter if most of the backgrounds for these skins are 1280 x 720?

Will both these work with Moving Pictures and MP TVseries plugins??

 

[moviebug]

I went with StreamedMP ..as it had the TVseries and Moving Pictures...included..in a nice exe file

Now comes the set-up part...getting all it looking nice and recognising the content
plus getting my remote to work nicely...a long weekend coming up..I think