[cowboyzx6]

I ended up using Jester's build (Rev 18004):

http://ocs.nl/xbmc/

It is silly that the main xbmc download that a new user would find does not function properly...

dude, this is exactly what I needed. I have been struggling for the past 2 days doing lots of reading to no avail. This version fixed my playlist issue and for whatever reason, is a lot more responsive! I also notice the size of the .exe distribution is a lot smaller. Thanks for the quick reply. I am going to have to do more reading on this version. If you happen to have a quick link to the differences/features/whatever? thanks again. I might actually go to bed on time tonight and not struggle at work tomorrow

[Legion79]

What build are you using? I had this problem and it was because I was using the build on the main xbmc website (later builds fixed this problem)

I downloaded the latest T3CH release 2 days ago - the "bleeding edge" one. Would it be worth me switching to the 2008 "stable" release?

[Legion79]

dude, this is exactly what I needed. I have been struggling for the past 2 days doing lots of reading to no avail. This version fixed my playlist issue and for whatever reason, is a lot more responsive! I also notice the size of the .exe distribution is a lot smaller. Thanks for the quick reply. I am going to have to do more reading on this version. If you happen to have a quick link to the differences/features/whatever? thanks again. I might actually go to bed on time tonight and not struggle at work tomorrow

Ah, I'll try some different versions also. Very strange..

My folders are organised like...


shares\videos\movies\the wrestler\
shares\videos\movies\the mist\
shares\videos\TV\Lost\

If I try and do a "set content" or "scan for new content" on my movies folder it just hangs and finds nothing. However, if I do a scan on an individual movie folder (like \the mist\" then it'll add the data to the library. Obviously I don't fancy doing this 300+ times.

When you're doing a scan, you seem to be forced to specify a source (like TVDB/IMDB etc), what stops that scan from overwritting the nfo and jpgs that have been grabbed by your scraping tool?

[dbone1026]

Ah, I'll try some different versions also. Very strange..

My folders are organised like...


shares\videos\movies\the wrestler\
shares\videos\movies\the mist\
shares\videos\TV\Lost\

If I try and do a "set content" or "scan for new content" on my movies folder it just hangs and finds nothing. However, if I do a scan on an individual movie folder (like \the mist\" then it'll add the data to the library. Obviously I don't fancy doing this 300+ times.

When you're doing a scan, you seem to be forced to specify a source (like TVDB/IMDB etc), what stops that scan from overwritting the nfo and jpgs that have been grabbed by your scraping tool?

If I am correct XBMC is supposed to use the nfos/jpgs if they are already available in the folder (this doesn't always work for me but oh well). If not, then XBMC will create its own, but I think put them in the App/Roaming Data folder (for Vista at least) and not overwrite your data. Using Jester's build I was able to scan at the root level, and not have to do for each folder. Once again though, it is a shame that any new person has to waste hours/days trying to figure out that the downloand on the main xbmc page is basically useless.

[Legion79]

Is Jesters build compatible with the Xbox 1?

[dbone1026]

Is Jesters build compatible with the Xbox 1?

Honestly not sure, I only work on Vista

[cowboyzx6]

If I am correct XBMC is supposed to use the nfos/jpgs if they are already available in the folder (this doesn't always work for me but oh well). If not, then XBMC will create its own, but I think put them in the App/Roaming Data folder (for Vista at least) and not overwrite your data. Using Jester's build I was able to scan at the root level, and not have to do for each folder. Once again though, it is a shame that any new person has to waste hours/days trying to figure out that the downloand on the main xbmc page is basically useless.

I too found similar results (although it was getting late and I haven't had time to do a whole lot of testing). But from what I saw, XBMC did pick up most of the NFO/JPG (that were generated via MIP) in the directories of the movies and used those. However, some of those files files were ignored and the end result was just a generic icon.

My hard drive movie structure is one of the following 3:
V:\The Wrestler\*.VOB
V:\The Dark Knight\VIDEO_TS\*.VOB
V:\Revolutionary Road\Revolutionary Road.ISO

XBMC has successfully cataloged all 3 types of directory/movie structures for me. It just has not been consistent. I will need to do some more testing to see why it fails for some movies and works for others??

[dbone1026]

I too found similar results (although it was getting late and I haven't had time to do a whole lot of testing). But from what I saw, XBMC did pick up most of the NFO/JPG (that were generated via MIP) in the directories of the movies and used those. However, some of those files files were ignored and the end result was just a generic icon.

My hard drive movie structure is one of the following 3:
V:\Movies\The Wrestler\*.VOB
V:\Movies\The Dark Knight\VIDEO_TS\*.VOB
V:\Movies\Revolutionary Road\Revolutionary Road.ISO

XBMC has successfully cataloged all 3 types of directory/movie structures for me. It just has not been consistent. I will need to do some more testing to see why it fails for some movies and works for others??

Same here, for some movies even though MIP generates all the info XBMC still uses its own scraper, so I have to manually go into those movies in XBMC and change the location of the thumbs, etc...

[digitalhigh]

Is Jesters build compatible with the Xbox 1?

LOL, no. Jester's builds are for windows. Due to legal reasons, builds for the Xbox have no affiliation with XBMC. However, doing a search for T3ch on google will find you the Xbox equivalent of a Jester build...

[fekker]

V:\Movies\The Dark Knight\VIDEO_TS\*.VOB

Those require the .nfo file to be in the VIDEO_TS folder right now. A workaround is to not use VIDEO_TS folders as sub folders (crappy work around), or copy the .nfo into the VIDEO_TS folder.

Also for those to work, you need to have movie.tbn and movie.nfo being created, by default MIP will create those.

When starting out, i'd recommend leave all default options for thumbnail, fanart, and .nfo file generation enabled so that it will work with the most versions of xbmc.

The question was asked, why doesn't the last release build support all of the features. The answer is that xbmc is being updated and features added all the time. movie.nfo, movie.tbn, fanart.jpg, movie-trailer.<ext> are all post 8.10 release items.. meaning those where added after the last release version.

Multi-episode support for shows is also a post 8.10 item.

By default MIP will generate the most compatible type of files to work with the most versions of xbmc. Some are duplicates, and this is by design to work with the most versions.

The newer builds support the newer ways to handle the library and work much better with images, fanart, and information files.

[cowboyzx6]

V:\Movies\The Dark Knight\VIDEO_TS\*.VOB

Those require the .nfo file to be in the VIDEO_TS folder right now. A workaround is to not use VIDEO_TS folders as sub folders (crappy work around), or copy the .nfo into the VIDEO_TS folder.

Also for those to work, you need to have movie.tbn and movie.nfo being created, by default MIP will create those.

When starting out, i'd recommend leave all default options for thumbnail, fanart, and .nfo file generation enabled so that it will work with the most versions of xbmc.

The question was asked, why doesn't the last release build support all of the features. The answer is that xbmc is being updated and features added all the time. movie.nfo, movie.tbn, fanart.jpg, movie-trailer.<ext> are all post 8.10 release items.. meaning those where added after the last release version.

Multi-episode support for shows is also a post 8.10 item.

By default MIP will generate the most compatible type of files to work with the most versions of xbmc. Some are duplicates, and this is by design to work with the most versions.

The newer builds support the newer ways to handle the library and work much better with images, fanart, and information files.

Thanks fekker! From reading other posts, I did gather that it is probably best to simply remove the VIDEO_TS subdirectory. This will certainly help me reduce test time tonight!

[cowboyzx6]

fekker, another question...you have a filter on the main screen for "All Movies" and "Movies with problems".

If after I correct the issue identified for a movie with a problem, is there an option for an auto-refresh? What I do know is that I go back to "All Movies" and then back to "Movies with problems" to get an updated list.

Obviously not a huge problem, but I can see if I am going to use this tool to update my library right now of about 500 DVD's, saving a few keystrokes anywhere I can would be great!

Regardless, I am really glad I found this utility and thread! I was getting ready to dump XBMC!

[fekker]

fekker, another question...you have a filter on the main screen for "All Movies" and "Movies with problems".

If after I correct the issue identified for a movie with a problem, is there an option for an auto-refresh? What I do know is that I go back to "All Movies" and then back to "Movies with problems" to get an updated list.

Obviously not a huge problem, but I can see if I am going to use this tool to update my library right now of about 500 DVD's, saving a few keystrokes anywhere I can would be great!

Regardless, I am really glad I found this utility and thread! I was getting ready to dump XBMC!

while it doesn't really look like anything that's an active option in the gui, clicking on the movies with problems again will refresh it.
Please add a feature request for "hotkey to refresh current movie filtering for active view" .. that way I'm sure of what it is and don't forget about it..

[cowboyzx6]

while it doesn't really look like anything that's an active option in the gui, clicking on the movies with problems again will refresh it.
Please add a feature request for "hotkey to refresh current movie filtering for active view" .. that way I'm sure of what it is and don't forget about it..

hella sweet! will give this a try tonight after work.

If you point me to the feature request link, I will create one immediately.

[fekker]

TV Shows and folder organization

In order to support Media Images for TV Shows, the following folder format is required.

TV Shows
--> Heroes
---->Season 0
---->Season 1
---->Season 2
---->Season 3
etc

Season 0 is used for any specials, episodes under that folder need to be s00e01 format, where s00 is the season number, the episode should be based on tvdb's site episode number.

This is not required for scraping the tv shows, but i really do recommend, as I have before, that you use this format.

Why? As I add features to MIP, and expand on xbmc's options, something has to have a format that will work without looping through and back again to find tons of different ways things can be organized. This also makes it's possible to use these images in skins, as DigitalHigh has already pointed out with Music.

You don't have to use this format right now to scrape the shows, and all current methods of scraping will remain intact and still work with the next release, but spending a few minutes to organize your collection will save you time in the long run.

Media Images will of course be optional in MIP, like pretty much everything is today. It will be enabled by default, and if those folders do not exist, it will create them. Which means your folders could end up like this

TV Shows
--> Heroes
---->all
---->Season 0
------->extras
---->Season 1
------->extras
---->Season 2
------->extras
---->Season 3
------->extras
etc



TV Shows
--> Heroes
---->Series1
---->series2
---->mystuff
---->blarg
---->someothernameyouusedhere
---->Season 0
------->extras
---->Season 1
------->extras
---->Season 2
------->extras
---->Season 3
------->extras
etc

I am open to suggestions, as always. I do think this makes the most sense when looking forward with expansion in mind.