[jayzirl]

Hi all, i have been messing around with XBMC on my pc for a while now and it runs all my media (movies/tv/kids shows etc) off of a 1TB attached usb drive and displays on my tv in sitting room.

I just noticed that all my media folders... we will take for instance movies... used to just list the avi movie files in order in one big folder...

21.avi
27 dresses.avi
28 weeks later.avi
etc.

But now each avi movie file also has a jpeg file, a TBN file and a system information file as well...

21.avi
21 system information file
21 TBN file
21 Jpeg
27 dresses.avi
Etc.

Now i know these files have been pulled down by XBMC to display the dvd cover/synopsis/and fan art, but surely these should be in a media folder in xbmc instead of being in the movies folder on the 1TB?

Am i doing something wrong here... should i have xbmc pointing media info for avi files to a different particular folder, or is this the same for all who use xbmc on here? I know these info files etc need to be there to display the covers/info on xbmc, but it seriously clutters up my media folders with extra files (which are used over wireless to play on other laptops and my sons xbox) and causes very hard to navigate cluttered-filled media folders

Any help with this would be appreciated.

[jhsrennie]

Hmm, those files are created when you export the database and choose the multiple file option. Or I suppose they might be created if you use a third party media tool like Ember.

JR

[jayzirl]

hi jhsrennie, thanks for posting back... i have not used any media tool, but i have exported the database using the multiple file option.

I was under the impression that exporting the database is like backing up the library just in case the pc or OS crashes... to save xbmc from having to spend ages redownloading the info for all my media files. i normally do the "single file export" and then save that file on my network drive for safe keeping.

I must have selected multiple file export... does this mean it places all the media info file etc with the movies/tv on my 1TB drive? :o

Was i wrong to export the database in multiple file option? - should i have selected single file export and save that file somewhere on my network drive for safe keeping?

Am i okay to go ahead and delete all those info files from my movies folder etc on my 1TB drive?

Sorry for all the questions... i really appreciate the help on this one!

[jhsrennie]

The single and multiple file exports work in very different ways. The single file export in effect converts your database to XML and stores the XML and all the images etc in a folder. You can import from this folder and XBMC will read the XML back into the database and read all the images etc back into your profile folder.

The multiple file creates a .nfo file (see http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=Imp...g_XML_data) for every file and it stores the .nfo file and any related images in the same folder as the film. You can't import the database from a multiple file export, but if you scan the films XBMC reads the film info from the .nfo file and uses this to populate the database. If an nfo file exists XBMC doesn't attempt to read the film info from the Internet.

Both single and multiple file exports have their place. The multiple file export clutters your directories with extra files, but it ensures the info about the films is stored with them, so if you move the films to a different directory or a different disk or even a completely new PC, XBMC can quickly reread all the info.

It should be safe to delete the .nfo and image files as they are just copies of the info in your profile.

JR

[jayzirl]

Thank you very much... problem solved.