[picaresqu3]

Complete noob to XMBC, please excuse my ignorance!

Situation: I am planning to move my Movies/Shows from my current PC to my new HTPC. I am planning on going 100% XMBC on the HTPC, however the current PC is WMC with Media Browser metadata. All of my movie folders have .xml and .nfo files scattered about, as well as banner.jpg and folder.jpg files for the thumbnails. I have XMBC setup on the current PC as well (for practice, I guess you could say), and have let XMBC grab it's own metadata as well.

Question 1 - When I move the folder structure and movie files to the new HTPC, will it be safe to remove all of the .jpg / .xml / .nfo files from the movie folders themselves? I am assuming yes because XMBC keeps all of it's data central in the AppData area of my Windows profile, but would rather take word from someone more experienced.

Question 2 - Is there a way to move the XMBC metadata / settings over to the new PC so I don't have to scan / fix my library a second time when it is on the new PC? The folder structure will not have the same drives - it will be going from D:\ to E:\.

Hope that makes sense!

[PatK]

Welcome the forums, we're all noobs at one point.

-kinda messy set-up, some users can keep both WMC and XBMC co-habituating, I never could. I did run WMC with Media Browser until I saw the errors of my ways.... Now definitely a reformed XBMC player with the skin Transparency!

1- You can remove all the extraneous data from the folder if you wish. The .nfo files in all likelyhood are not XBMC compatable and will screw things up (unless they were scraped by XBMC) The Jpeg files can be used as backdrops or cover art if named "folder.jpg" or "fanart.jpg", but they will be constrained to fit the aspect. (banners are not officially supported but some skins can use them) And while the .xml files should not be an issue, I did find issue in the past. Best suggestion, just copy over the files and see what comes, delete as needed.

2-Here's the rub, if you want to move a file from A to B location, you have to scan again locally to re-establish the paths... unless it is accompanied by the .nfo file and artwork, the scrape will use the interent.

You get to place the XBMC .nfo and jpeg files (as thumbnails) into each folder with the export to 'separate' files, then a rescan is very quick as it takes the metadata locally, if you're missing any of the material... then exiting to the internet is required to replace the missing data. So in your case the sensible thing to do would be to is export to separate files overwriting everything before the big move... a recrape/rescan should be painless and quick after that. Make sure you use system clean-up a lot.

[picaresqu3]

Messy indeed! It will be nice and clean (100% XMBC) at the end of the story though, if my plan works. Didn't quite get to the skinning part yet, as the mess is priority one XMBC does seem pretty freaking awesome though, and with the way WMC seems to be going it seems like the smartest/coolest solution.

So when I export the Video Library, you are saying to use the multiple file option which will populate each folder with metadata files and then the new library will use those to suck metadata into the new database on the new PC? Just trying to make sure I understand the process. If that is correct, then does the system clean-up get rid of those files once the database has been rebuilt or does it keep using them?

[wilson.joe]

also by bringing over the .nfo files you will be able to carry over your playcount etc.

[picaresqu3]

also by bringing over the .nfo files you will be able to carry over your playcount etc.

You are referring to when I export the library w multiple files?

[PatK]

Not sure what the word 'multiple file option' you're referencing... XBMC>settings>videos>export video library>to separate files, overwrite.

This places a thumbnail.tbn fanart.tbn and .nfo in each folder.

When you copy the files over enmass to the new system.... a simple scrape will bring them back into the library.

Clean-up, eliminates folders with no videos in them from your library. e.g. So you've copied A to B inside your library.... you now have two listings.. but really only one video... Clean-up gets rid of the one without links. It's a mistake a lot of people miss..

[picaresqu3]

Not sure what the word 'multiple file option' you're referencing... XBMC>settings>videos>export video library>to separate files, overwrite.

This places a thumbnail.tbn fanart.tbn and .nfo in each folder.

When you copy the files over enmass to the new system.... a simple scrape will bring them back into the library.

Clean-up, eliminates folders with no videos in them from your library. e.g. So you've copied A to B inside your library.... you now have two listings.. but really only one video... Clean-up gets rid of the one without links. It's a mistake a lot of people miss..

That's what I meant - the separate files option.

Is it OK to delete the .tbn/.nfo after the scrape has taken place on the new PC?

Thanks for helping guys

[PatK]

Yes, delete the stuff in the folders if you like (not the videos) after the scrape. But if you should need to re-scrape after that, the process will be slower.

[picaresqu3]

Yes, delete the stuff in the folders if you like (not the videos) after the scrape. But if you should need to re-scrape after that, the process will be slower.

Thank you both very much.