What Media Server do you use?

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Spack2012

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#106130 18-Jul-2012 12:09

Hi All,

Just out of curiosity I would like to know what media server applications you use?

I use PS3 Media Server and Twonky.

I'm aware there is a heap more out there?

Whats your preference and why?

Sorry if this question has been asked before. Im curious to know what others use and gives me an excuse to get to know everyone here as im new.

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#657553 18-Jul-2012 12:10

I use an old Windows XP box with my storage in it, and shared using normal built in file sharing, to an XBMC front end.

Easy peasy.

wellygary

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#657561 18-Jul-2012 12:16

A couple of 2TB USB drives sitting on a Airport Extreme and a JB ATV 2 running XBMC in the Lounge.

I also use an iPad to browse the raw shared files directly for viewing in Bed.

SumnerBoy

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#657562 18-Jul-2012 12:19

I have a Ubuntu headless server running the Plex media server. I stream content to my TV via a Logitech Revue (Google TV) and to my iPad and iPhone via the iOS apps.

chiefie

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#657586 18-Jul-2012 12:43

Playback for Mac

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ajobbins

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#657590 18-Jul-2012 12:51

I have a Dell Zino HD running Windows 7 and a 2TB internal drive and Plex runs as the media frontend directly over HDMI to my panel.

The box also runs:
Plex Media Server
SickBeard for automatic TV show management
CouchPotato for finding and managing movies
SABnzbd for NBZ/Usenet downloading - integrated with SB and CP above.

I can also stream any of the content in Plex to my iPad, or any machine on the network that can run the Plex frontend. Only issue with this is that if the end device can't natively decode the specific media, Plex will attempt to transcode it and the Zino just isn't grunty enough. Don't have many issues with this tho.

I also use a Motorola NYXboard for the remote (but can also use the mobile plex apps to control as well)

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reven

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#657602 18-Jul-2012 13:10

i have a readynas sharing movies over nfs/smb.

frontends running xbmc via xbmcbuntu and raspbmc.

i have a win 7 machine running a tv server using 4therecord. xbmc clients use xbmclive branch for tv (except the raspberrypi machines as this is not yet supported).

meesham

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#657658 18-Jul-2012 14:34

MediaPortal 1.2 with 4TheRecord doing the recording and scheduling. I use the TVSeries and Moving Pictures plugins mostly.

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#657667 18-Jul-2012 14:41

Plex on Windows Home Server 2011 for tv and movies, serving, laptop, IOS/ATV and NextPVR PVR.
Fed by SickBeard/Sabnzbd
NextPVR based PVR for recording/playback
Plex on PVR for serving Recorded files to Laptop or IOS devices.

ATV (a 2 and a 3) also gets content direct from Netflix.

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jpollock

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#658211 19-Jul-2012 09:58

I'm a firm believer in serving bare files, and that I'd rather have multiple copies than convert on the fly.

I share files from an underclocked linux server over SMB/CIFS to XBMC and various PCs. I share over HTTP to the iDevices.

Because it's SMB and HTTP, if the files are already transcoded, everything "just works". :)

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reven

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#658220 19-Jul-2012 10:04

jpollock: I'm a firm believer in serving bare files, and that I'd rather have multiple copies than convert on the fly.

I share files from an underclocked linux server over SMB/CIFS to XBMC and various PCs. I share over HTTP to the iDevices.

Because it's SMB and HTTP, if the files are already transcoded, everything "just works". :)

thats what i'm wanting to do, but how do you deal with multiple copies of the same movie in xbmc?

i want an SD copy, maybe a 720p copy and a 1080p copy.

but i dont want the same movie to appear 3 times in XBMC.

i also want nice folder structure so would want something like this

\\[server]\movies\Batman Begins (2005)\Batman Begins [1080p].mkv
\\[server]\movies\Batman Begins (2005)\Batman Begins [720p].mp4
\\[server]\movies\Batman Begins (2005)\Batman Begins [SD].avi

etc

wellygary

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#658230 19-Jul-2012 10:24

reven: thats what i'm wanting to do, but how do you deal with multiple copies of the same movie in xbmc?

i want an SD copy, maybe a 720p copy and a 1080p copy.

but i dont want the same movie to appear 3 times in XBMC.

i also want nice folder structure so would want something like this

\\[server]\movies\Batman Begins (2005)\Batman Begins [1080p].mkv
\\[server]\movies\Batman Begins (2005)\Batman Begins [720p].mp4
\\[server]\movies\Batman Begins (2005)\Batman Begins [SD].avi

etc

rearrange your file structure so each type is in a separate sub directory

\\Server\Movies\1080p\Batman Begins (2005)\Batman Begins [1080p].mkv
\\Server\Movies\720p\Batman Begins (2005)\Batman Begins [720].mp4
\\Server\Movies\SD\Batman Begins (2005)\Batman Begins [SD].avi

Make the attach point for XBMC as \\Server\Movies\1080p\ or what ever resolution you want to use on that device, thus it will not see the other versions.....

wellygary

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#658231 19-Jul-2012 10:24

reven: thats what i'm wanting to do, but how do you deal with multiple copies of the same movie in xbmc?

i want an SD copy, maybe a 720p copy and a 1080p copy.

but i dont want the same movie to appear 3 times in XBMC.

i also want nice folder structure so would want something like this

\\[server]\movies\Batman Begins (2005)\Batman Begins [1080p].mkv
\\[server]\movies\Batman Begins (2005)\Batman Begins [720p].mp4
\\[server]\movies\Batman Begins (2005)\Batman Begins [SD].avi

etc

wellygary

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#658232 19-Jul-2012 10:24

reven: thats what i'm wanting to do, but how do you deal with multiple copies of the same movie in xbmc?

i want an SD copy, maybe a 720p copy and a 1080p copy.

but i dont want the same movie to appear 3 times in XBMC.

i also want nice folder structure so would want something like this

\\[server]\movies\Batman Begins (2005)\Batman Begins [1080p].mkv
\\[server]\movies\Batman Begins (2005)\Batman Begins [720p].mp4
\\[server]\movies\Batman Begins (2005)\Batman Begins [SD].avi

etc

reven

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#658262 19-Jul-2012 10:50

thanks thats one way of doing it. has a few downsides though,

1. cant use shared database on every device
2. finding a movie will be a little harder via file system

but best way ive seen so far.

another option might be to use smart playlists... if only confluence skin allowed changing the "Movies" shortcut to a playlist.

then the same movie would appear 3 times, but you could filter them to only show "720p"

but both these methods will prevent you from showing movies from multiple locations.

eg if i had say
Batman Begins 1080p
but only a 720p of
The Dark Knight
and a SD version of
Batman 1989

i couldnt make all those movies show up on the 1080p capable device.

this is a limitation with xbmc, that wont be addressed anytime soon.

jpollock

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#658284 19-Jul-2012 11:13

reven:
jpollock: I'm a firm believer in serving bare files, and that I'd rather have multiple copies than convert on the fly.

I share files from an underclocked linux server over SMB/CIFS to XBMC and various PCs. I share over HTTP to the iDevices.

Because it's SMB and HTTP, if the files are already transcoded, everything "just works". :)

thats what i'm wanting to do, but how do you deal with multiple copies of the same movie in xbmc?

i want an SD copy, maybe a 720p copy and a 1080p copy.

but i dont want the same movie to appear 3 times in XBMC.

i also want nice folder structure so would want something like this

\\[server]\movies\Batman Begins (2005)\Batman Begins [1080p].mkv
\\[server]\movies\Batman Begins (2005)\Batman Begins [720p].mp4
\\[server]\movies\Batman Begins (2005)\Batman Begins [SD].avi

etc

Well, right now, I end up with multiple copies in the same directory, with XBMC saying "Batman Begins SD" and "Batman Begins HD". My H.264 iPad tree is kept separate from the main files.

However, if you're using Linux/OSX, soft-links are cheap! Instead of using RAID, or anything else to combine the storage of my disks, I've got them all mounted as /disk1, ...,/disk8, and I use a script to set up the directory that is exported with directories + soft-links to the actual files. It wouldn't be that hard to set up a /export/Movies/HighDefPref which had the highest resolution for each movie, or /export/Movies/iPadOnly, etc.

I think Windows has soft-links too, but they might have removed them in Windows 8?

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