2015-01-07, 04:08
I've not really paid much attention to MediaBrowser. It is not available for Synology then, correct?
2015-01-10, 19:22
Well i don't know about media browser server thing, i stopped using media browser long time ago. But why use it instead of make xbmc kodi client of plex?
From my point of view it is exactly what is missing - there are tons of small player devices that run xbmc (probox2, omc and what not) with much faster UI then rPI, jet there is no way to to get content on them nicely. Sure you can make them scan your library manually. But then content is unplayable and it takes time to scan. Or you can browse without metadata, or you can connect usb hdd, or you can try plexbmc, which really is far from perfect. All these solution are half there. Or maybe i'm missing something.
I'm for any kind of kodi as client, whatever as server with media library solution.
I think that kodi is technically most advanced and perfect media player for living room, but i don't really found any usable server-client usecase for it.
Awesome when not using library only files or when it is on always on device that is fileserver at the same time.
EDIT: I looked a bit at mediabrowser and Xbmb3c seems like it could actually work.
From my point of view it is exactly what is missing - there are tons of small player devices that run xbmc (probox2, omc and what not) with much faster UI then rPI, jet there is no way to to get content on them nicely. Sure you can make them scan your library manually. But then content is unplayable and it takes time to scan. Or you can browse without metadata, or you can connect usb hdd, or you can try plexbmc, which really is far from perfect. All these solution are half there. Or maybe i'm missing something.
I'm for any kind of kodi as client, whatever as server with media library solution.
I think that kodi is technically most advanced and perfect media player for living room, but i don't really found any usable server-client usecase for it.
Awesome when not using library only files or when it is on always on device that is fileserver at the same time.
EDIT: I looked a bit at mediabrowser and Xbmb3c seems like it could actually work.
2015-01-11, 07:25
(2015-01-06, 17:41)famulor Wrote: Your 2 and 3 point really makes me interested steve1977 (even your 1st if i understand it correctly ^^)
The first point is basically "just" using Mediabrowser as a metadata manager (similar to Ember EMM or others). Given Mediabrowser metadata creation is fully compatible with Kodi (NFO, folder.jpg, etc.), Kodi can just read the metadata created by Mediabrowser into its library. Clear? This first option is probably more for the tinkerers among us and addresses those who want to replace Ember EMM.
Options 2 and 3 are more straight forward and particularly option 3 will become increasingly useful once Kodi integrates UPNP fully into the local library.
Let me know if any more insights helpful! I am using XBMC/Kodi for 10+ years and now for a year nicely in combination with Mediabrowser.
2015-01-11, 09:16
mediabrowser (or plex for that matter) only seem to have an advantage if you need to view offsite and/or transcoding. Otherwise kodi does scraping and provides for a network wide database via MySQL.
2015-01-11, 12:00
I think we are saying 100% the same thing. Kodi is still by far the best client and I also really like and actually use the mysql centralized database.
If you take my first post, I was describing how they can work complementary if you need to view off-site and/or transcode (for platforms that require this such as IOS clients without jailbreak or XBOne over UPNP with transcoding).
For those who don't care about off-site / transcoding, no need to use anything beyond Kodi only. For those of us who would like to have this functionality, I was describing Kodi/Mediabrowser as a match. They work through options (2) and (3) in perfect harmony. Of course, you can still use Kodi for metadata management, but if you are using both anyways Mediabrowser could also do the job (option 1). This can equally well be done by Kodi and I just brought it up as an option. Given the full compatibility, both are working well to scrape the metadata.
If you take my first post, I was describing how they can work complementary if you need to view off-site and/or transcode (for platforms that require this such as IOS clients without jailbreak or XBOne over UPNP with transcoding).
For those who don't care about off-site / transcoding, no need to use anything beyond Kodi only. For those of us who would like to have this functionality, I was describing Kodi/Mediabrowser as a match. They work through options (2) and (3) in perfect harmony. Of course, you can still use Kodi for metadata management, but if you are using both anyways Mediabrowser could also do the job (option 1). This can equally well be done by Kodi and I just brought it up as an option. Given the full compatibility, both are working well to scrape the metadata.
2015-01-11, 15:23
I don't think that mysql way is the same thing as media server ... you would still need headless server version of kodi to update library etc.
2015-01-11, 18:26
If you're a developer then you should checkout the work being done on headlesss Kodi
http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=212061
http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=212061
2015-01-11, 19:56
(2015-01-11, 15:23)evlo Wrote: I don't think that mysql way is the same thing as media server ... you would still need headless server version of kodi to update library etc.Why? Any client can do the updating.
2015-01-11, 20:03
Because i want to watch movies and episodes and not wait to update, but maybe it is just me. I just don't get the use case of all these small android boxes for xbmc that pop up. So it is probably me missing something ...
2015-01-11, 20:06
(2015-01-11, 20:03)evlo Wrote: Because i want to watch movies and episodes and not wait to update, but maybe it is just me. I just don't get the use case of all these small android boxes for xbmc that pop up. So it is probably me missing something ...I don't understand the pathetic little android boxes either.
Set a scraper update at 4am, or get it done automatically when you download.
2015-01-12, 01:45
(2015-01-11, 20:03)evlo Wrote: Because i want to watch movies and episodes and not wait to update, but maybe it is just me. I just don't get the use case of all these small android boxes for xbmc that pop up. So it is probably me missing something ...
It's basically cost and the ability to easily switch between remote-friendly apps that compliment an HTPC. For tinkerers there's also a challenge aspect of pushing a low-power device to its limits and seeing what can be done, but that's likely the minority of Android Kodi users.
For "pure" Kodi, x86 is often the best option. Plus, Intel is trying to catch up with ARM and pushing down the prices of their chips. We'll be seeing a lot of x86 HTPCs in the same sub $100 price range and size as typical Android boxes, giving them a run for their money.
2015-01-12, 03:10
nickr:
I would get it done when i download, but i download on server not on client, hence i'm using plex. But i would like to move to kodi, because pht sometimes crashes and also i would like some cheap box and not full featured pc just to play my movies and episodes. And rasPlex is not really usable sollution.
But if the android/x86 boxes under 200usd aren't really usable then it is not for me, but still having server for media and player as client was only thing why i moved from xbmc to plex back.
I would get it done when i download, but i download on server not on client, hence i'm using plex. But i would like to move to kodi, because pht sometimes crashes and also i would like some cheap box and not full featured pc just to play my movies and episodes. And rasPlex is not really usable sollution.
But if the android/x86 boxes under 200usd aren't really usable then it is not for me, but still having server for media and player as client was only thing why i moved from xbmc to plex back.
2015-01-12, 03:16
so, get the server to trigger a client to update when the download is finished. sickbeard and couchpotato both do this, and most torrent clients can perform a script when finished.
It's as simple as sending a json request to any client like this:
lounge:8080 is the name and port of one of my clients. dB is on mysql so this updates all clients.
The only downside is the client has to be on, but that is how I roll anyway.
It's as simple as sending a json request to any client like this:
Code:
curl --data-binary '{ "jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "VideoLibrary.Scan", "id": "mybash"}' -H 'content-type: application/json;' http://lounge:8080/jsonrpclounge:8080 is the name and port of one of my clients. dB is on mysql so this updates all clients.
The only downside is the client has to be on, but that is how I roll anyway.
2015-02-08, 08:49
Sorry to bring this thread back up, but I didn't get to share my insight 
I was a Plex server user (just let it sit in the background for transcoding when away from home) and now an MB3 user (everything stays synced 
)
Things that I think MB3 as a server does better than Plex
----Auto artwork (more than just the poster and plot, but disc art and clear art/logo as well)
----MB3 add-on uses almost all of Kodi's library functions (actors, plot, disc art, clear art) with modified skins plus more skins to choose from vs Amber-only
----Multi-users is extremely simple to add to MB3, no plex pass needed. Sharing your plex server seemed nice but it looks really poor in the plex apps and web clients. Your "shared" servers never populate in your standard libraries, you had to navigate into servers first. Having multi-users is really nice to keep track of everyone's watched status and resume points separately (great for relatives and friends)
----Access through a VPN is easier with MB3. By this I mean if you have a private-tunnel vpn client running (openvpn or commercial) on your server then Plex won't publish. There is a good windows workaround for those using windows plex servers created by XFlak in the plexforums. However, if you want to make your own workaround with iptables and openvpn in linux then . . . good luck. In MB3, you just have to forward a single port through your VPN then NAT that back to 8096 on your MB3 server
There are some things Plex still does better as well
----NAS support. I don't think people really get that great of an experience this way without a very powerful nas or they are only streaming around the house, but none the less Plex has the most NAS distributions supported
----PlexNewTranscoder does a good job at throttling and copying when needed. I think the ffmpeg transcoding in mb3 is good, but it works differently than Plex. It's really apples to oranges, but essentially the Plex version works better with lower power servers (for the time being)
----PlexSync - available now and works, requires the pass though
Reasons why I prefer MB3 over Kodi for a server (as they exist today)
----Kodi auto-update can be scheduled, but sending json requests on a schedule in windows wasn't easy enough for me to do. Library watchdog worked a lot of the time, but eventually was removed (seems to lock things up every few months)
----AD has to be called after an update, even when the art already existed in the movie folder
----MySQL always gave me "trepidation" against updating. All clients to Frodo, all clients to Gotham, etc. With MB3 managing the metadata for me and my library populated by the add-on I don't have any issue running the old Gotham Retroplayer OE build in the same LAN with an ARM-Helix version -- watched status and resume points all stored in MB3, so no compatibility issues. I don't know if there was MyVideos compatibility issue for MySQL users this time around with Helix or not, because I didn't have to care
I was a Plex server user (just let it sit in the background for transcoding when away from home) and now an MB3 user (everything stays synced )Things that I think MB3 as a server does better than Plex
----Auto artwork (more than just the poster and plot, but disc art and clear art/logo as well)
----MB3 add-on uses almost all of Kodi's library functions (actors, plot, disc art, clear art) with modified skins plus more skins to choose from vs Amber-only
----Multi-users is extremely simple to add to MB3, no plex pass needed. Sharing your plex server seemed nice but it looks really poor in the plex apps and web clients. Your "shared" servers never populate in your standard libraries, you had to navigate into servers first. Having multi-users is really nice to keep track of everyone's watched status and resume points separately (great for relatives and friends)
----Access through a VPN is easier with MB3. By this I mean if you have a private-tunnel vpn client running (openvpn or commercial) on your server then Plex won't publish. There is a good windows workaround for those using windows plex servers created by XFlak in the plexforums. However, if you want to make your own workaround with iptables and openvpn in linux then . . . good luck. In MB3, you just have to forward a single port through your VPN then NAT that back to 8096 on your MB3 server
There are some things Plex still does better as well
----NAS support. I don't think people really get that great of an experience this way without a very powerful nas or they are only streaming around the house, but none the less Plex has the most NAS distributions supported
----PlexNewTranscoder does a good job at throttling and copying when needed. I think the ffmpeg transcoding in mb3 is good, but it works differently than Plex. It's really apples to oranges, but essentially the Plex version works better with lower power servers (for the time being)
----PlexSync - available now and works, requires the pass though
Reasons why I prefer MB3 over Kodi for a server (as they exist today)
----Kodi auto-update can be scheduled, but sending json requests on a schedule in windows wasn't easy enough for me to do. Library watchdog worked a lot of the time, but eventually was removed (seems to lock things up every few months)
----AD has to be called after an update, even when the art already existed in the movie folder
----MySQL always gave me "trepidation" against updating. All clients to Frodo, all clients to Gotham, etc. With MB3 managing the metadata for me and my library populated by the add-on I don't have any issue running the old Gotham Retroplayer OE build in the same LAN with an ARM-Helix version -- watched status and resume points all stored in MB3, so no compatibility issues. I don't know if there was MyVideos compatibility issue for MySQL users this time around with Helix or not, because I didn't have to care
