Author Topic: [GUIDE] Automated Media Server & XBMC Setup  (Read 228283 times)

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  • Offline Leon

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Using my HTC magic at the moment with the XBMC remote - When I had my Desire HD it was better, the bigger screen made it more usable. A tablet would be great but phone works well enough :)
.::. www.leonslost.co.uk .::. Media Server Guide .::.

PC: i5 760 .::.  GA-P55-UD3 .::. 8GB Corsair 'Dominator' DDR3 .::. 1GB EVGA GTX 460 SC .::. Win7 Ultimate  .::. Dell 24" Ultra Sharp
Netbook: HP Mini 311c-1101sa .::. 3GB Ram .::. ION Hack .::. Win7 Ultimate
Server: HP MicroServer .::. 3GB Ram .::. 4x 2TB Storage .::. 512MB nVidia 210 .::. Win7 Ultimate, XBMC 11 (Aeon NOX), Sick Beard & Couch Potato
Phone: SE Xperia Mini Pro .::. MiniCMSandwich Lite (Android ICS Custom) .::. OC @ 1.6Ghz
Tablet: Asus Transformer TF101 w/ Dock .::. EOS JB Nightlies (Android JB Custom) .::. OC @ 1.6Ghz

Id personally get a cheap android slate as a giant remote :oD
I just went for something cheap as my budget is limited

I'm using the official XBMC remote app on my Advent Vega.
You can pick the Show/Movie/Album on the tablet and beam it to the xbmc.

Not bad either, at £199
i got that on my iphone - but I dont want to use my phone as a remote

It's the best I've come across so far.
I want something that shows me my collection, with covers and allows me to beam it to the xbmc.
Although nothing's got quite the look I'm after.

It's the best I've come across so far.
I want something that shows me my collection, with covers and allows me to beam it to the xbmc.
Although nothing's got quite the look I'm after.

aye - nor the speed! - I'll pick up a cheap slate droid eventually

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Been a bit slow on continuing this. I have added the beginning of the XBMC install (Draft).
.::. www.leonslost.co.uk .::. Media Server Guide .::.

PC: i5 760 .::.  GA-P55-UD3 .::. 8GB Corsair 'Dominator' DDR3 .::. 1GB EVGA GTX 460 SC .::. Win7 Ultimate  .::. Dell 24" Ultra Sharp
Netbook: HP Mini 311c-1101sa .::. 3GB Ram .::. ION Hack .::. Win7 Ultimate
Server: HP MicroServer .::. 3GB Ram .::. 4x 2TB Storage .::. 512MB nVidia 210 .::. Win7 Ultimate, XBMC 11 (Aeon NOX), Sick Beard & Couch Potato
Phone: SE Xperia Mini Pro .::. MiniCMSandwich Lite (Android ICS Custom) .::. OC @ 1.6Ghz
Tablet: Asus Transformer TF101 w/ Dock .::. EOS JB Nightlies (Android JB Custom) .::. OC @ 1.6Ghz

Re: Automated Media Server & XBMC Setup (Long & Image Heavy)
Reply #35 on: June 21, 2011, 08:46:55 AM
If you're using Sabnzbd and the like for your aquisitions.... This might be one of the most important text files you'll ever need.

http://www.jimbeeer.com/?page_id=432

http://www.jimbeeer.com/passwords.txt

Plain Text passwords, for when those cockstains put passwords on their files.


And I grabbed a MCE remote -
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320663187967

Probably a fakie, but Windows sees it as a genuine one so XBMC is all happy.
Last Edit: June 21, 2011, 08:57:32 AM by soopahfly #187;

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Re: Automated Media Server & XBMC Setup (Long & Image Heavy)
Reply #36 on: June 22, 2011, 10:21:41 AM
I've never had an issue with passworded files but I guess its worth adding in just in case :)

Headphones has just appeared which is a Music version of Sick-Beard in early development and only running in Pyhton (no windows bin - check out the advanced SB install for getting it working). I had a play last night and its got potential but still plenty of problems.

I'll do some more work updating, adding and reformatting guide when I get some spare time in the coming weeks.
.::. www.leonslost.co.uk .::. Media Server Guide .::.

PC: i5 760 .::.  GA-P55-UD3 .::. 8GB Corsair 'Dominator' DDR3 .::. 1GB EVGA GTX 460 SC .::. Win7 Ultimate  .::. Dell 24" Ultra Sharp
Netbook: HP Mini 311c-1101sa .::. 3GB Ram .::. ION Hack .::. Win7 Ultimate
Server: HP MicroServer .::. 3GB Ram .::. 4x 2TB Storage .::. 512MB nVidia 210 .::. Win7 Ultimate, XBMC 11 (Aeon NOX), Sick Beard & Couch Potato
Phone: SE Xperia Mini Pro .::. MiniCMSandwich Lite (Android ICS Custom) .::. OC @ 1.6Ghz
Tablet: Asus Transformer TF101 w/ Dock .::. EOS JB Nightlies (Android JB Custom) .::. OC @ 1.6Ghz

Re: Automated Media Server & XBMC Setup (Long & Image Heavy)
Reply #37 on: July 06, 2011, 21:30:27 PM

Not trying to be a putz, but ....

This looks like an interesting setup, but I just want to pose 2 questions. First, I know USENET and its use are not illegal but...:

(1) Isn't downloading TV shows you do not own, via Sickbeard, illegal (at least in Canada and possibly the U.S.)?
(2) Isn't downloading movies you do not own, via Couch Potato, illegal (at least in Canada & U.S.)? 

I'm really interested in what people have to say.   Thanks.

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Re: Automated Media Server & XBMC Setup (Long & Image Heavy)
Reply #38 on: July 06, 2011, 21:38:05 PM
Depends but generally yes these tools can be used to download illegal copies of media, the same could be said with an installation guide for uTorrent. It is the users responibility, not the softwares :P
.::. www.leonslost.co.uk .::. Media Server Guide .::.

PC: i5 760 .::.  GA-P55-UD3 .::. 8GB Corsair 'Dominator' DDR3 .::. 1GB EVGA GTX 460 SC .::. Win7 Ultimate  .::. Dell 24" Ultra Sharp
Netbook: HP Mini 311c-1101sa .::. 3GB Ram .::. ION Hack .::. Win7 Ultimate
Server: HP MicroServer .::. 3GB Ram .::. 4x 2TB Storage .::. 512MB nVidia 210 .::. Win7 Ultimate, XBMC 11 (Aeon NOX), Sick Beard & Couch Potato
Phone: SE Xperia Mini Pro .::. MiniCMSandwich Lite (Android ICS Custom) .::. OC @ 1.6Ghz
Tablet: Asus Transformer TF101 w/ Dock .::. EOS JB Nightlies (Android JB Custom) .::. OC @ 1.6Ghz

Re: Automated Media Server & XBMC Setup (Long & Image Heavy)
Reply #39 on: July 07, 2011, 20:23:14 PM
I think really it depends on what you are downloading as well... I can't see an issue in downloading a TV episode that has aired, especially if you could have watched it on TV but missed it for example... I can't see a logical argument for this, if I wanted to record an episode of misfits on the TV on to DVD or TIVO, this is perfectly legal, but if I downloaded exactly the same episode this is possibly illegal...

On the plus side TV on demand is much better now and a lot more of these things you can get via the web.

It's very subjective news groups and torrents, neither of them are illegal, but some of the content you download potentially can be.

From the film side, this is a sign of Cinema's trying to make more money and not listening to the needs of the consumer, there's no reason why they couldn't release the DVD at the same time as in the cinema, but a lot don't (although recently they have been catching on to this and I've seen a few released sooner or at the same time).. People have better home setups now, and don't want to pay extortionate cinema prices, I'd much sooner watch films at home if I could, and for some people, downloading a film is the only option, if given the option to rent or buy a film at point of release I bet you'd end up seeing the film makers make a lot of money..

For Avatar they have been using shocking tactics to make money, so they made a silly amount of money in the cinema, the then released the 2D DVD/bluray, followed by another 2 versions of the 2D Bluray (We are not talking about ground breaking differences here). Not to mention you can't buy the 3D version at the moment unless you buy a panasonic bluray player! Next year they will release the 3D version and make yet more money and expect there will be multiple versions of that as well!

Also what about those films you go to the cinema to see (maybe you take the family) you watch the film and it's crap, you're £40 out of pocket for a film that wasn't worth even a £3 rental, if I watch a film in the cinema and I like it, then I'll buy the DVD, it would be the same for a download, downloads aren't just ruining the film industry they are promoting it, they are creating cause to release better films, and resulting in more people getting in to films and purchasing them!

At least with music you can try before you buy, as you can hear it on the radio..

Anyway my thoughts on this, there are some legal scenarios, some questionable, and some illegal,  but for the illegal ones what are the drivers for this, is it extortion from the film companies or is it just people wanting stuff for free, I expect it's a mix of both, but either way I don't think the film companies are being hit that hard by it, apart from those maybe the release rubbish films..

Re: Automated Media Server & XBMC Setup (Long & Image Heavy)
Reply #40 on: July 07, 2011, 20:30:48 PM
I haven't got room for a vast DVD collection living in a tiny flat.  I prefer digital copies as they are easily accessible from a central source, and I don't have to sit through all the anti piracy bits that ironically the people who bought the DVD have to sit through.

I can't watch a BR on my tablet when lying in bed, and it's easier when friends come round to watch a movie to show them XBMC with covers, IMDB ratings and Synopsis than it is to point them to a shelf with some DVD's on and the inevitable question of "What's it about"

I don't see an issue with TV shows if they are aired in your country.  I pay my licence fee and will do what I choose with the TV shows.  Bit shady when it's not aired in your country though.

You think Avatar was bad for milking it, Care to glance through how many different versions of LOTR there is?

What we need is a spotify for music :D

Since getting Spotify, I don't download music.  If we can get a good distributed system for TV and Movies then I'm sure a lot of people would convert.
Last Edit: July 07, 2011, 20:34:25 PM by soopahfly #187;

Re: Automated Media Server & XBMC Setup (Long & Image Heavy)
Reply #41 on: July 07, 2011, 20:38:28 PM
On another note, what's the betting that poincare_ is FBI ;)

Re: Automated Media Server & XBMC Setup (Long & Image Heavy)
Reply #42 on: August 12, 2011, 12:51:44 PM
How are you dealing with standby / power on of the MicroServer? Is it on constantly on the XBMC screen or does it sleep / power off when not in use?

This is the only issue I can forsee with using it as a media player as well as server.

I'm so close to ordering one, I've ordered a HIS HD 6450 (passive and low profile) in preperation, just need to wait until payday for the box itself!
Formerly sexytw

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Re: Automated Media Server & XBMC Setup (Long & Image Heavy)
Reply #43 on: August 12, 2011, 12:56:30 PM
Mine is on 24/7 and on the XBMC screen most of the time unless I'm remote desktoped to it from work so haven't played with standby/hibernation.

Headphones app is becoming very good and is acually usable now (Sick Beard for Music) so when I have some spare time I will update everything and add this :)
.::. www.leonslost.co.uk .::. Media Server Guide .::.

PC: i5 760 .::.  GA-P55-UD3 .::. 8GB Corsair 'Dominator' DDR3 .::. 1GB EVGA GTX 460 SC .::. Win7 Ultimate  .::. Dell 24" Ultra Sharp
Netbook: HP Mini 311c-1101sa .::. 3GB Ram .::. ION Hack .::. Win7 Ultimate
Server: HP MicroServer .::. 3GB Ram .::. 4x 2TB Storage .::. 512MB nVidia 210 .::. Win7 Ultimate, XBMC 11 (Aeon NOX), Sick Beard & Couch Potato
Phone: SE Xperia Mini Pro .::. MiniCMSandwich Lite (Android ICS Custom) .::. OC @ 1.6Ghz
Tablet: Asus Transformer TF101 w/ Dock .::. EOS JB Nightlies (Android JB Custom) .::. OC @ 1.6Ghz

Re: Automated Media Server & XBMC Setup (Long & Image Heavy)
Reply #44 on: August 18, 2011, 16:34:49 PM
I'm one step closer, just bought a full HD tv so now I can justify a full HD media solution!

Two features that I'd love to integrate into this are Skype so we can video conference on the TV and an IP cam feed so I can check who's at the door from my TV. Ideally both from within the XMBC interface with the remote.

Anyone found neat solutions to either of these? The internet is awash with unanswered and half scripted solutions for XBMC, I have read that Boxee has proper Skype integration which is making me consider going down that route.
Last Edit: August 21, 2011, 10:42:19 AM by sexytw #187;
Formerly sexytw

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