WMC7 to MP (1 Viewer)

[scales82]

Hey guys,
I am currently running a standalone HTPC running WMC7, it is a fairly mid-spec machine with all storage on-board (so to speak). I have it connected to my network also and intend on setting up a "unraid" (Home) box for future storage in the future. but for now everything is stored on the htpc's 2x1.5tb hdds.

It is running a tiny-twin tuner and sits in my lounge room in a nice antec htpc case.

My question is, can I setup the entire Media Portal program on this machine without needing a client/server relationship?? all the info i am getting about this program points to a 2xPC setup. I want to set it up standalone to begin with, and when my storage starts to run low, have it use my not-yet-built NAS box.

can anyone help me please?
Cheers

 

[ap90033]

Well I have MP installed on my one pc and it works fine so that part should be fine...

 

[infinite.loop]

ofc. you can install MP with the singleseat option (MP Fontend + Tv-Server on one PC).

once you have an server pc in your household which is running 24/7 anyway, I recommend moving your Tv-Cards to that pc and install the TvServer there.
Then this server pc will take care about all your TV, so your client does not have to be powerd on when scheduled recordings are due.

 

[scales82]

i cannot have the cards on the server. no antenna where it is going. i take it theres no drama having the main unit do all the recording? thats how wmc7 is doing it now....

 

[ap90033]

Thats what I like about my tv tuners, they hook up via ethernet so they are not plugged into a PC at all and are on my network... (HD Homerun)

 

[2BitSculptor]

No problem with having your single seat (Client/TV Server) on one machine and your storage on another. just make sure you have the bandwidth for simultaneous back and forth streaming. Set up your timeshift and TV-Recordings on the single seat machine for faster response. Your Videos/Movies, TV Series, Pictures and Music can all sit on a network share, as long as they are accessible when the Single Seat is running because (especially) MovingPictures and TVSeries databases are dynamically allocated. I wouldn't trust a wireless arrangement for HD video, go gigabit ethernet.

I've got 2 HDHomeRuns (4 tuners) on my network as well (no internal TV cards) and many remote files on my second computer. My tuners are not in the same room as my single seat for the same reason, I don't have a TV antenna cable in that room. I rip, edit, remove commercials and convert my mpeg2 recordings to h.264 for storage, all on my second machine.

- Chuck

 

[scales82]

yep, well at the moment, i have no secondary storage machine.
i plan on having the "single seat" store all the recordings (has a 1tb and 1.5tb internal, should be plenty for my use) and all the movies, tv downloads, music etc on the network share when i get around to building (for now it will stay on single seat).
i usually run MST to manage the sleep S3 states etc with WMC7, is it managed very similar in mediaportal?

EDIT
im very close to giving MP a test run on my media center, going to do an image with acronis just in case i need to go back to original.
Will mediaportal do anything to my metadata set up on my media drives that is irreversible?
also, i heard u can uninstall MP easily but it leaves certain services in a state that renders WMC7 un-usable. is there any more info on uninstalling MP completley? Im thinking ill do a trial run then if i like it, revert back to WMC7 until i can get the time to do a full format/MP install. (so the wife wont bug me in the interim)

 

[infinite.loop]

i usually run MST to manage the sleep S3 states etc with WMC7, is it managed very similar in mediaportal?

For an dedicated HTPC:

1. turn off all automatic standby/sleep options in Windows7
2. enable powerscheduler plugins in MediaPortal and TvServer
3. and now MP will take care about going to sleep when IDLE and waking up when a recording has to be done

Will mediaportal do anything to my metadata set up on my media drives that is irreversible?

No. MP stores that data inside its internal database(s).

also, i heard u can uninstall MP easily but it leaves certain services in a state that renders WMC7 un-usable.

Which is nonesense. MP has exactly one windows-service and that is the TvServer. And that is removed during uninstall.

But before you uninstall MP, you do want to:

1. MediaPortal Configuration
2. additional 3rd party checks
3. and re-enable the MCE services (you should disable them when you use MP to avoid that WMC locks your tv-cards and that it starts when you press "the green buton" on your remote)

 

[scales82]

Legend, Thanks mate. ill be giving it a test run as soon as i got the spare time.

Edit, just noticed MST has a MP option, do you recommend using it? or ditching MST all together?

 

[alanbo]

also, i heard u can uninstall MP easily but it leaves certain services in a state that renders WMC7 un-usable.

Which is nonesense. MP has exactly one windows-service and that is the TvServer. And that is removed during uninstall.

I uninstalled MP when it had MCE services disabled and they were still disabled after uninstallation. I had to reinstall, enable MCE services and then uninstall again.

Alan