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Author Topic: [GUIDE] Automated Media Server & XBMC Setup  (Read 231143 times)

Re: Automated Media Server & XBMC Setup (Long & Image Heavy)
Reply #75 on: September 10, 2011, 22:27:32 PM
Hi All,

I bought one of the HP microservers a few weeks back with the plan of putting in my rack at the datacentre for R1Soft CDP - the beast arrived and I realised what a little gem it is, i decided i would make use of it at home rather than give it to my clients to use ;-)  I've followed this guide and it's great (if a bit messy right now) and do have some questions to ask but first off i thought i'd put some details of my upgrades to it here so others don't make the same mistake as me....

RAM: do not buy this (it doesn't work!) http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003OSTDPI/ref=oss_product - Corsair 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1333MHz XMS3 Memory Kit CL9 1.5V unbuffered from ebuyer work perfectly though!

I chose this graphics card too - not tested on the TV as still setting the remote up but I am led to believe we will get sound out of the HDMI port :-)  The low profile bracket is the wrong way round for the microserver so you will need some tin snips so you can cut off the VGA part.

So my setup is now:

HP Microserver with 8gb RAM, 512MB 5450 Graphics card, 1 x 250gb HDD (original drive), 3 x Samsung F3's (1tb each) and 1 x Samsung F4 (2tb).  Probably overkill but will last me a while i hope :-)

I'm using the XMBC Commander app on the iPad for a remote until i can find the ir reciever for my Windows remote - so far not actually too impressed with XBMC Commander.

On to my question.... When windows starts, i want SickBeard, CouchPotato and SABnzbd to run before XBMC - i've put shortcuts to all in the startup folder but when i boot, XBMC fires up and then we get the browser open over the top of it.  I have set the properties for them all to startup minimised with the exception of XMBC that should be fullscreen.  Anyone know a way to fix this as the wife/kids will get somewhat confused....
Last Edit: September 10, 2011, 22:29:45 PM by Starteck2002 #187;
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Re: Automated Media Server & XBMC Setup (Long & Image Heavy)
Reply #76 on: September 10, 2011, 22:31:53 PM
I notice thetvdb.com is down - can SickBeard use an alternative and if so, anyone know one?
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Re: Automated Media Server & XBMC Setup (Long & Image Heavy)
Reply #77 on: September 10, 2011, 22:46:59 PM
Quote from: Starteck2002 on September 10, 2011, 22:27:32 PM

On to my question.... When windows starts, i want SickBeard, CouchPotato and SABnzbd to run before XBMC - i've put shortcuts to all in the startup folder but when i boot, XBMC fires up and then we get the browser open over the top of it.  I have set the properties for them all to startup minimised with the exception of XMBC that should be fullscreen.  Anyone know a way to fix this as the wife/kids will get somewhat confused....

Hey Starteck, welcome to the forums.

This is something I noticed as missing as well. I manually added them to the start-up folder as you have.

There are setting in each of the apps to disable them opening browser windows on startup.

Sickbeard -> Config -> General -> Uncheck 'Launch Browser'

CouchPotato -> Config (Cog Icon) -> General -> Uncheck 'Launch Browser'

I dont think SABnzbd opens automatically.


Quote from: Starteck2002 on September 10, 2011, 22:31:53 PM
I notice thetvdb.com is down - can SickBeard use an alternative and if so, anyone know one?

I noticed this as well today, as far as I know I dont think it can be changed so its just a waiting game for TVDB to be fixed.
Last Edit: September 10, 2011, 22:49:42 PM by sexytw #187;
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Formerly sexytw
Re: Automated Media Server & XBMC Setup (Long & Image Heavy)
Reply #78 on: September 10, 2011, 23:32:46 PM
Thanks for the welcome :-)

Have made those changes so hopefully that will make my life easier.
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Re: Automated Media Server & XBMC Setup (Long & Image Heavy)
Reply #79 on: September 11, 2011, 10:18:21 AM
Well I'm getting there.  Had a stupid issue with XBMC losing focus on boot which has now been resolved by stopping ASUS SmartDoctor (uninstall) and removing Catalyst Control Panel.  I've connected it to the TV and it's great.  I think i need to do the FW hack to enable the HP to run the internal sata at full speed though as bootup  seems quite slow.

Now need to get to grips with XBMC as it's not going to a nice coverflow or something like that when selecting movies/tvshows/music etc.  Will update on tasks here to help others as and when i fix them.  So far, have to say that the HP microserver makes a far better mediacentre than any of the other sulutions i've tried such as Boxee running on an ASUS R3600 :-)

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Re: Automated Media Server & XBMC Setup (Long & Image Heavy)
Reply #80 on: September 11, 2011, 10:23:53 AM
thetvdb.com is down : here's the reason...

http://forums.thetvdb.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=7487

(Someone else reply in here, it's starting to feel like i'm the only one posting :-) )
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  • Offline Mardoni

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Re: Automated Media Server & XBMC Setup (Long & Image Heavy)
Reply #81 on: September 11, 2011, 15:08:07 PM
Coooooooey  :lol:

There's not much to say about the problem. It's a pain in the arse but there we go :)  :hug:
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Re: Automated Media Server & XBMC Setup (Long & Image Heavy)
Reply #82 on: September 17, 2011, 10:29:56 AM
I've been trying to resolve my high CPU usage for a little while now. Turning on debugging:

System -> System -> Debugging -> Enable debug logging

shows that my menus were running at 100fps and my CPU cores somewhere around 60-100% when idle.

Turning 'Vertical blank sync' to 'Always Enabled' helped this, as it caps the menus to 60fps.

System -> System -> Video Playback -> Vertical blank sync

I also created an advancedsettings.xml in the /username/AppData/Roaming/XBMC/userdata folder with the following lines in it:

Code: [Select]
<advancedsettings>
  <useddsfanart>true</useddsfanart>
</advancedsettings>
This moves fanart and some image rendering over to the GPU from the CPU lowering the pressure on the relatively slow CPU we are using.

Now my menus run at 60fps and my CPU sits at 20-22% when in menus. Not ideal but a lot better.


Also, as I have mentioned previously I have setup two user accounts, one to run XBMC and all the related apps, and one that I can remote into without interrupting the XBMC session (guide to allowing multiple session logons in Windows 7 was in a previous post).

One thing I didnt include was how to get the XBMC account to atomatically log-on, this is done with the following steps:

Open the run dilog (Start->Run or Windows Key+R)
Type control userpasswords2 and press Enter
Highlight the account you want to automatically log in (the XBMC account) and Uncheck  “Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer”
Enter the password when prompted.
Done, when windows boots it will now boot directly into that account without a login prompt.
Last Edit: September 17, 2011, 13:59:47 PM by sexytw #187;
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Formerly sexytw
Re: Automated Media Server & XBMC Setup (Long & Image Heavy)
Reply #83 on: September 18, 2011, 01:27:07 AM
can you log in with more than 1 account, without logging out the one which is logged in ?

would be handy for me to log into the cctv at work.... without messing with the cctv program
(which has to be in a logged on account to work)

I know it's a long shot.... but thought I'd ask :-)
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Re: Automated Media Server & XBMC Setup (Long & Image Heavy)
Reply #84 on: September 18, 2011, 10:18:14 AM
Quote from: knighty on September 18, 2011, 01:27:07 AM
can you log in with more than 1 account, without logging out the one which is logged in?

would be handy for me to log into the cctv at work.... without messing with the cctv program
(which has to be in a logged on account to work)

I know it's a long shot.... but thought I'd ask :-)

You can. See my post below (a few pages back). Although I have recently been having troubles remoting but I think its unrelated as its on all accounts.


Quote from: sexytw on September 03, 2011, 15:24:55 PM
A few tweaks I have found are:

1. Enabling multiple concurrent user session in Windows 7.

This means I can remote onto the HTPC without affecting anyone who is watching something on the TV. I found a guide here but I had to manually modify the install.cmd to match my version of Windows. This just involved changing the top version name and build number variables to match your own (which can be found in the registry if you're not sure).

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Formerly sexytw
Re: Automated Media Server & XBMC Setup (Long & Image Heavy)
Reply #85 on: September 18, 2011, 12:02:53 PM
woohoo, thanks :-)
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  • Offline Mardoni

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Re: Automated Media Server & XBMC Setup (Long & Image Heavy)
Reply #86 on: September 19, 2011, 15:27:45 PM
Have any of you actually got your server hooked up to the TV and playing back 1080p from a Linux XBMC install ? If so what gfx card are you using as I cannot find any low profile, passive cooled, nVidia cards :/
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Re: Automated Media Server & XBMC Setup (Long & Image Heavy)
Reply #87 on: September 19, 2011, 18:23:08 PM
Not me, ATI and Windows I'm afraid.
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Formerly sexytw
Re: Automated Media Server & XBMC Setup (Long & Image Heavy)
Reply #88 on: September 20, 2011, 17:24:47 PM
Quote from: Nimrod on September 19, 2011, 15:27:45 PM
Have any of you actually got your server hooked up to the TV and playing back 1080p from a Linux XBMC install ? If so what gfx card are you using as I cannot find any low profile, passive cooled, nVidia cards :/

just for you nimrod I logged in...

yes, I use nvidia & got perfect playback. I got a zotac nvidia & it came with a low profile bracket.
Follow my dirty guide on the previous page should get you the latest drivers.
nVIDIA 210 Zotac sinergy low profile 512mb

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ZOTAC-GEFORCE-GT-210-512MB-DDR3-SILENT-GRAPHICS-CARD-/250874887033
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  • Offline Mardoni

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Re: Automated Media Server & XBMC Setup (Long & Image Heavy)
Reply #89 on: September 21, 2011, 00:39:18 AM
Cheers buddy :)

Think I'll be getting myself one of these once my Scan RMAs are completed, or I finish GoW3 :)


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