Another update to the Pearl theme has gone live, here is a brief list of whats changed:

ATTENTION SKIN DEVELOPERS – Pearl 0.1.4.0 brings in skins model v3 please update your skins accordingly

• New Media Info Icons supported (requires Media Info Provider v1.0.9.0+)
• Initial GameTime plugin view added (not complete)
• Several performance fixes
• Hidden config option to disable next/previous buttons
• Fixed context menu bug
• Vertical menus only wrap when there are more items than can be displayed at once
• Pearl_Night theme backdrop filter tweaks

A gentle reminder for those who haven’t yet become a Media Browser support, a minor donation of 10USD or more will get you a supporter key and allow you unlimited usage of Pearl (along with the MB Trailers, and CoverArt plugins). For those who are already MB supporters thank you for your support.

Enjoy the new update, and as always Pearl is available via the MB Configuration tool.

Source Article:
Pearl Theme v0.1.4.0 Released

Introduction
So for that past couple of months i have been working on the bringing music to MediaBrowser (MB). With this blog i just want to give you guys an idea of how it works and what it supports. I know there are several people (wink wink) that like to tinker with MB and hopefully this will give you an idea of the limits. I will also hint at future developments that i am currently thinking about. Also maybe give you some insight into why i did what i did. I don’t want to make this to long because i know people don’t like to read but rather see results .

So currently (not released yet) music can come from two sources (this can be simultaneously setup) one is from a normal folder setup another from iTunes’ XML library. As for the former you specify the base folder and it displays as is. As for the latter you specify the XML file and it builds a MB compatible library (or cache).

Normal Library
I decided to go with a view by folder paradigm because that makes the most sense to me. If i play music i can find it the faster by the folder structure that i setup. Apart from that if i did it another way i would have had to force a specific folder structure and as all of you know reorganizing a lot of music is a cumbersome task.

iTunes Library
As for the iTunes setup, the cache is built up just like it is in iTunes with various options to switch off genre and artist, this however is only allowed in a hierarchy fashion. One point on this setup i have to make is i use the xml file because reading it directly from iTunes via their supplied COM interface is really slow. The disadvantage to using the xml file is that the cache has to be rebuilt if any changes occur to the iTunes library. Lastly on this setup, it requires the internet to get the xml definition file. You will get an error if it is not available.

General
In general in order for the music plugin not to “break” existing functionality if there is a avi or any video file in the music folder it is seem as a “movie”. Also the plugin will deal with backdrop and folder images as MB does currently. This is both in the normal and iTunes setup. Having said this it wont use the folder image to display as the album cover while playing. For this it uses the image on the ID3 tag. I suggest you use a 3rd party program to save the folder.jpg into the ID3 tag. When it comes to ID3 tags, i did not make use of them because it is also very slow. Maybe in the future i will revisit this.

Ok, so there were various posts asking which media support is required. Currently the plugin will only consider the following as “music”: m4a,mp3,m3u,wma,acc,flac and wpl. Beware of the playlists, they might cause unexpected results especially when it comes to queuing a folder. As part of the options you can enable a playlist folder in the base folder. This is a special folder that media player (MP) saves the playlists that it (you) create. This you will see if you view the queue, there is an option to save the playlist. If you save it and go look in the enabled playlist folder it should be there.

With regards to playlist, i have added the ability to queue folders/songs and as per existing functionality you can play the whole folder. Just push play on the folder/song and a menu will appear. This is however only possible with some remotes. Once again this is something within MB that i cannot change, now.

Things to come
You will notice that the feeling (without tweaking) within the plugin is very bare in terms of information and different views. This is because MB’s current plugin architecture does not allow custom MCML (or views). So the plugin cannot “inject” its own new view. This will most likely change in future. Having said this there might be a new theme soon that will have support for music (lets see Craigt). With this I will consider using a “series.xml” type metadata storage or alternatively look at the ID3 tag. Using the former would probably require another 3rd party application which is a disadvantage, and a whole lot of work from your point of view, so it will most likely end up looking at the ID3 tag.

Configurator and plugin options
You might remember the eye ball twisting xml file used to configure the plugin. Well it is no more. I have added the ability for plugins to have options that you can setup via the Configurator (CFR). With this it builds up a UI using the settings of the plugin. In terms of the music plugin i think the options are quite clear and you can find them in the CFR by selecting the music plugin and clicking on the Configure button.

Besides making use of the current supported views offered by MB you can specify a song icon to use for your sounds, i however don’t find this particularly appealing.

Thanks
Well i hope i covered everything, if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to PM me or post something. If you don’t get a response to your post, please PM me a link. I hope you enjoy the added music ability to our favourite (SA spelling) media center plugin.

I would also just like to say thanks to everyone for the input and the testing. Some chaps that stand out in this regard is jcalton88, craigt, Sam, a couple of buddies back home and well the whole community.

ENJOY …

Post Phoenix Update
Thanks to my brother Craigt, i have a site and managed to setup another place to host the plugin. On that site i am hosting Version 0.5.0.8.

To get it you must go to the configurator –> plugins –> Add –> File –> Sources –> Add and enter this url –> http://www.craigthomas.co.za/plugins/plugin_info.xml

Please delete the old music plugin and config file (/plugins/musicplugin.xml) before you update.

Source Article:
Music and iTunes plugin

It has been just over 3 months since the last Media Browser release; which feels like forever in Media Browser years.

In the mean time we managed to sort out some critical performance issues and add quite a few new features. Our metadata story is much more complete, you can now specify local metadata for mediainfo and our configuration tool is looking more and more polished.

A knowledge base article describing the changes is available here: Changelog: Media Browser 2.2.8 (codename Orion)

I am also very proud to announce that we have quite a few new contributors

A big thank you goes to the new developers, Birkoff, Sinjen, Jon, Chip and Neil18

Another big thank you goes to all the testers, we would not have been able to release such a stable product without you.

But wait, there’s more …

The Media Browser team felt it was time that we properly recognize those of you who support the project through donations. So, starting with this version, Media Browser supporters will now have access to 3 very awesome plugins:

• MB Trailers – a replacement for the old Apple Trailers that provides HD trailer viewing inside MB. If you are not a supporter, you can still use this plug-in but it will only show you a few trailers.
• CoverArt – this very popular plug-in will now be fully registered for Media Browser supporters as well as those who have made donations specifically for CoverArt. You can still register through ebrSoft for just $4 but a donation to Media Browser in general will also give you full access to automatic cover art processing.
• Pearl Theme – the incredibly awesome, infinitely configurable new theme from Soultaker. Like CoverArt, this theme will operate for a limited trial period so you can decide if you want to keep using it (who wouldn’t???). After this period, it will require a supporter key to continue operating.
  

So, how will this supporter key thing work…?

Whenever you donate to the Media Browser project through the Donate page you should get an email that contains a “Supporter Key”. (Please save this email somewhere in case you need it again in the future.) Simply copy and paste this key into the Supporter Key field in the configurator (found in the Help and About section) and plug-ins for which you are authorized should work outside of their trial limitations.

The proper versions of these plug-ins should be available very soon but please be patient as we coordinate this roll-out.

Does this mean Media Browser is going to a pay model?

No. Media Browser core, as previously stated and as it exists now, is staying 100% free. We simply thought we should reward those of you who help to make this program possible with some additional goodies.

What if I’ve already supported the Media Browser project?

If you are a past supporter, first and foremost, Thank You, and you should receive an email in the next few days with your supporter key.

I know you told me to save it, but what if my machine crashes and I lose my key?

We will have a link on the donation page that will allow you to retrieve your key if you are a supporter. But, please do save the email .

What do I do if I have problems?

The CT, as always, will probably be the best place to find help if you have a problem with this new system.

So, there it is, the next iteration of Media Browser. We think it is our most feature-rich and stable version yet. We hope you enjoy using it – and thank you for your support!

Is there a minimum donation amount to get these plugins?

Yes, if you donate 10usd or more you will get all 3. If you donate less you will get less. CoverArt already had a minimum 5 dollar donation. It seems unfair to push it lower for 3 plugins bundled.

How do I make a donation?

Head over to http://www.mediabrowser.tv/donate

Source Article:
Media Browser 2.2.8 just released!

Any good media player relies on a community of plugin developers to fix the small gaps and specific features that have been left out of the original design. Windows 7 Media Center is no exception with plenty of plugins being developed and release each day to enhance the experience provided. While it’s not always easy to find the plugin you’re looking for we’ve got a short list of those available that you should definitely give a try. This short list of add-ins for Media Center is sure to enhance the basic experience with a handful of improved features and media browsers.

Movies

Media Browser is one of the most popular movie browsing plugins for Windows 7 Media Center, featuring an easy to establish library with customizable folders for browsing your media. Media Browser also provides an extremely sleek interface for browsing your movie collection with the latest versions adding a brand new style of start page to the plugin. Listing the latest additions to each of your folders as well as the weather, movie trailers and more. Be sure to give this plugin a try!

Open Media Library is an excellent option for replacing the native movie library. OML provides an extensive number of options for sorting and arranging your movie collection beyond the basic options available in the default movie library. The newest versions include the use of an SQL database and movie collection editor for managing your collection making this plugin quite a bit snappier to use than the built-in library as well. Completely free and open source, this is definitely a plugin to try and even keep an eye on in the future.

Music/Radio

Want to add thousands of free streaming radio stations to your Media Center music experience? mcShoutcast may just be the plugin for you. This handy little plugin adds the complete library of Shoutcast radio stations in an easy to browse graphical interface right inside Windows 7 Media Center. Browse through the stations, mark your favorites and listen to any of the free stations provided through the Shoutcast directory. A definite must have for music lovers and Media Center users.

RadioTime is another radio plugin boasting a collection of over 100,000 stations provided through the RadioTime service. The plugin provides a more traditional menu browsing directory listing and has thousands of stations listed in each category. The RadioTime plugin will even provide additional information about the station and currently playing selections. Also, more local and news stations seem to be included than what you get with mcShoutcast if you happen to be looking for those.

If you’re just looking for a way to browse that music collection by folder as opposed to the classic Media Center method of browsing your collection Music Browser has just what you’re looking for. Media Center plugins don’t get much simpler than this but the simple nature of browsing a well organized music collection by folders is exactly what many Media Center users are looking for. Music Browser even includes support for folder images allowing you to add custom artwork and album art to your collection.

Be sure to check back soon as we continue the list and even add a few programs to the list that are sure to enhance your Windows 7 Media Center experience.

Source Article:
Plugins You Need to Try with Windows 7 Media Center

Continuing on the last article covering an assortment of movie and audio plugins you need to try with Windows 7 Media Center, we’ve got even more plugins you need to give a try. These plugins cover features that should be included in any decent ten-foot media application in this day and age of widespread internet access, Weather and Social Media. Be sure to check back again soon for the third installment where we’ll cover several programs that lend themselves to an even better Media Center experience as well.

Weather

Misleading name aside, Vista4Cast is the perfect addition to Windows 7 Media Center. This handy plugin allows you to get a quick view of the weather forecast for the next few days right from the Start Menu as well as dig deeper into future weather patterns using the main plugin. The short forecast display is very configurable including fonts, colors and more. The main plugin supports multiple cities and includes very extensive details gleaned from The Weather Channel’s forecast. Be sure to give this fantastic plugin a try today!

Heatwave is a wonderful weather plugin that’s incredibly stylish to boot. Allowing you to access a number of city locations you can set from inside Media Center through a convenient and easy to use configuration panel. The newest version, which also updates the plugin to work with Windows 7 RTM, even includes a built in on-screen keyboard (though currently not functioning). Now that this plugin has been updated to work with the latest version of Windows 7 Media Center it’s sure to return to many a Media Center thanks to it beautiful interface styling allowing for a full five day forecast to be viewing at a glance with easy to understand icons.

Social Media

Want to read those forwarded joke mails and other assorted spam on your ten-foot interface? No problem! Media Center Mail can bring you all that and more. This plugin supports multiple users and an easy to use configuration plugin to manage your email account settings. Each user can have multiple accounts and accessing email from each account is fairly easy from inside Media Center as well. If you’re looking for an email solution for Media Center, look no further.

Twitter addicts fear not, you can tweet from your couch while watching movies and TV! TwitterMCE allows you to not only check tweets from friends while away from the PC but you can even make tweets right from Media Center. Use the full on screen keyboard, complete with character countdown, to tweet about whatever it is you just saw on TV or the movie your watching. You can even browse through a complete list of your friends and followers. This is a must have app for movie loving Twitter users.

Looking for a more hands-free method of updating your Facebook and Twitter friends to what your currently listening to or watching inside Windows 7 Media Center? Media Center Status Application has got just what you need. This little plugin lets you establish a series of rules to automatically update your status on either social network whenever you begin playing media inside Windows Media Center. With advanced rules to determine exactly what types of media to update for and exclusion rules for specific files you can even avoid being overly annoying to your social media buddies (or letting them know about that embarrassing Justin Timberlake obsession).

Be sure to stick around for the next part in the series where we’ll cover a few more plugins that take care of some of the missing features in the background of Windows 7 Media Center as well as a hand full of must-have programs that make your Media Center interface even better.

Source Article:
Even More Plugins You Need to Try with Windows 7 Media Center

MediaBrowser has long been a favorite for anyone looking to replace the built-in movie library browser with something that has a few more features. MediaBrowser is a free plugin for Windows 7 Media Center that adds more advanced library management, multiple view options for browsing the library and plenty of sorting options. It doesn’t take long with this plugin to see why it’s so popular. The latest iteration, Firestorm, adds even more features to the mix including a vastly faster user experience as well as increased stability over previous versions. For new Media Center enthusiasts Firestorm offers the perfect timing to try Media Browser for the first time.

Long time users will immediately notice a speed improvement over previous versions, especially while browsing large collections and when first starting the plugin. The entire experience is much more responsive making finding and playing the particular movie you’re looking for much less time consuming than previous versions. As an added bonus Firestorm includes experimental support for an SQLite database which will further improve the experience. To enable this feature you’ll simply need to download and copy the correct version of the SQLite DLL to the ProgramDataMediaBrowser folder.

Another notable feature of MediaBrowser FireStorm is that themes can now be created and released as plugins separate from the core code. Now just like with the plugin interface you can download and switch between themes without the need for a completely new release of the MediaBrowser plugin. In fact the Vanilla theme which was previously included in the main package is now a plugin shipped separately. In order to download the Vanilla theme you’ll need to open the MediaBrowser Configuration and select Add from the Plugins tab. Next select the File –> Sources menu and Add the following source: http://www.throgsoft.com/plugins/plugin_info.xml.

For long time users there have also been some changes to the ImagesByName structure. Images have now been separated into appropriate categories with a new folder structure. In order to facilitate this transition there is a migration tool available for download. Of course, for those new to Media Browser (or who just need to update their images) there is always the extensive package offered by TheHTPC.net.

Another feature long desired has been added as well in multiple entry points. Now, for each section created in the configuration tool MediaBrowser also creates an entry point. Using Media Center Studio you can add these new entry points to any start menu strip. Simply enter the start menu tab and expand the Entry Points at the bottom then drag and drop a point onto the strip. This is a great feature for those who prefer to browse recorded TV shows inside Media Browser or those who simply want to select HD/SD folders from the start menu.

Firestorm is a definite step forward for MediaBrowser which should be a definite upgrade on every Media Center enthusiasts list. The performance and stability alone are quite an improvement over previous releases a certainly cements MediaBrowsers status at the top of the heap of movie library plugins. New users and old alike can download this latest release from the Google Code repository.

Source Article:
MediaBrowser Firestorm Brings Performance, Stability and Features

Looking for a way to launch commands or programs to run in the background from the Extras Library menu? When you may be in luck, CW-Kid and Andrew Cherry have come up with a .dll and a set of direction for doing just that. The process can be a little daunting for novices but if you’re looking for a way to run cmd files in the background you’re likely able to tackle the task. This can be especially useful for those looking to run mc2xml or that have setup batch files to process WTV to DVR-MS conversion. After following this guide you’ll have a handy little icon to launch the command from right inside Windows 7 Media Center.

To get started you’ll need to download the .dll file created by Andrew Cherry and extract it to the C:Windowsehome folder. This will handle the launching of the cmd file in the background. These cmd files are simple text files with the .cmd extension that can be written to do anything you can do from a standard command line interface, also known as a batch file.

Once you’ve got the .dll file extracted to the ehome directory and a batch file ready to run create a new xml file. Again this is a simple text file which can be created in any notepad application, simply save the file with the .xml extension and it’s an xml file. Copy the following into the new XML file:

<application title=”The title text that appears below the icon in Media Center”
id=”{25e1993f-a9d8-4251-871c-0bf84c6d6e29}”>
<entrypoint id=”{58267566-672b-4b1d-812a-fc46d728d073}”
addin=”MissingRemote.AppLauncher.AddIn,     MissingRemote.AppLauncher,Culture=Neutral,Version=1.0.0.0,PublicKeyToken=391ca93ec5a00478″
title=”The title text that appears below the icon in Media Center”
description=”Description text that appears below the icon in Media Center”
context=”%ProgramFiles%\foldername\name of your.cmd”
imageUrl=”C:\Program Files\foldername\Images\your icon image.png”>
<category category=”More Programs”/>
</entrypoint>
</application>

Of course, you’ll need to alter the red text to match the title, description and location of your batch file as well as editing the location of a PNG image to use in the Extras Library as an icon. These images should be a square probably not needing to be any larger than 128px X 128px as Media Center will scale them appropriately for the resolution being used. Once you’ve got the XML file ready open an elevated command prompt (run –> cmd –> ctrl-shift-enter).

Inside the command windows change to the C:\Windows\ehome directory and enter the following command: registermceapp /allusers XMLFILE. Change XMLFile to the location that you’ve saved the XML file to and press enter to run the command. You should get a success message. If you don’t receive a success message it’s likely that you’re not inside an elevated cmd prompt, also for multiple new entries you’ll need to change the GUID and ID in the XML file (id=”{25e1993f-a9d8-4251-871c-0bf84c6d6e29}”>
<entrypoint id=”{58267566-672b-4b1d-812a-fc46d728d073}”).

Once the XML data has been successfully entered into the registry launch Windows 7 Media Center and browse to the Extras Library.

That’s all there is to it! You should now see the icon for the program set in the XML file and pressing the icon should launch the cmd file in the background executing the set of commands inside. Thanks to CW-Kid for sharing this with the Media Center community! Be sure to stop by his blog and check out his many other guides and articles on Windows Media Center.

Tuesday is here at last, and for Windows Home Server owners that means one thing… Power Pack 3 Day!

Microsoft have released PP3 for download via Windows Update, and it’s free and waiting for you to download. Simply open your WHS Console, go to the Settings dialog, and click Update Now in the General section. You’ll need to restart your home server, and each hope computer connected to Windows Home Server, after which Power Pack 3 will be yours!

Let’s recap on what’s new, courtesy of the Windows Team Blog:

Windows 7 Libraries integration

When you install the Windows Home Server Connector and log on a computer running Windows 7, you can access the Windows Home Server shared folders from the Windows 7 libraries.

Windows 7 Action Center backup warning suppression

After you install the Windows Home Server Connector to enable the home server backup for your computer running Windows 7, you can suppress the Action Center warning reminding you that Windows Backup has not been set up.

Windows 7 power settings

You can configure your computer running Windows 7 to wake up at a scheduled backup time and then go back to sleep after the backup finishes.

Console support for Windows 7

Windows 7 is properly displayed as the operating system shown in the Computers & Backup tab.

Windows Search

Windows Search 4 is included to improve query search times, indexing times, and reliability. Extended Remote Discovery increases the efficiency of searching across all your libraries running Windows Search 4. Files encrypted with EFS are now supported.

TV archive

Windows Home Server can automatically archive recorded TV by moving your recordings from a Windows Media Center computer to your home server in the format of your choice. This enables playback in the correct format for your home computers and/or portable devices.

Console view

You can view information about your home server’s storage space, hard drives, backup status, and more from Windows Media Center.

Complete details are available in the Power Pack 3 Release Documentation.

If you’ve been running the Power Pack 3 beta, make sure you uninstall it before you install the final PP3 update. Here’s how (thanks to Janne Strom for the heads up!):

1. Access the Windows Home Server Administrator’s Desktop (How to connect to the Windows Home Server Administrator’s Desktop)

2. Navigate to the Windows Home Server Power Pack 3 Beta folder at Start > My Computer > D: > Shares > Software > Windows Home Server Power Pack 3 Beta.

3. Run the Uninstall.cmd file to un-install Power Pack 3 Beta. After reboot, your Home Server will revert back to your previous version.

4. Re-install the updated Windows Home Server Connector software on your home computer. (Windows Home Server Connector installation)

Source Article:
Windows Home Server Power Pack 3, Waiting For You

Two Windows Media Center MVPs, Andrew Cherry and Ian Dixon, have collaborated on a new resource for Media Center owners. Made for Media Center is an “app store” for Microsoft’s “TV on your PC” platform, combining a website for plugin authors to submit their wares, and a Media Center plugin which allows users to browse and download those applications.

A growing list of free plugins are now available for beta testers – fingers crossed the Media Center developer community jump on board and help support a great resource for MCE owners. To find out more about the plans for Made for Media Center, check out Missing Remote’s interview with Andrew Cherry.

More Info: Made for Media Center

Source Article:
Made for Media Center Now Open

Despite Windows 7 Media Center’s inclusion of a native movie library no function to actually rip the DVDs to the library was included. Certainly an attempt to avoid this legal grey area of copying purchased media to a secondary source, this also leaves out an important feature from the Media Center platform. This of course leaves an area open for third party developers to come up with a solution, however, up until this point very few options were available such as My Movies’ Media Center plugin. Fortunately, eMpTy3000 of The Green Button forums has taken up the initiative to create another option for Media Center users though not quite as developed as the My Movies option.

To get started with Auto Rip n Compress we’ll need to download a few programs. First, we’ll need to get a copy of DVDFab which includes the command line interface such as the latest version. Once installed you’ll need to run the program once to select the Free edition of the program as well. Also required is a copy of the latest version of the Handbrake CLI available from the Handbrake site as a separate download. Finally, install the Auto Rip n Convert program  check the TGB thread for the latest version.

After installing the program we need to setup the options. The main options dialog will appear once setup completes allowing you to set the basic options and define the locations of the programs we’ve downloaded as well as the DVD drive.

Be certain that the locations are correct as well as setting the final location to an area available to the Windows 7 Media Center Movie Library. On this screen there is also an option available to rip just the main movie or the entire disk. The Compress Settings allows you to establish the Handbrake CLI settings to be used by Auto Rip n Convert. Be certain to set the correct location of the Handbrake CLI, the file type extension to be used as well as the preset and subtitles options on this window. If you’d prefer to not compress the disk and leave the Video_TS as it is simply change the Compress option to No.

Once all the settings have been established correctly most Media Center users will want to create a start menu strip entry for the program as well to enable launching the program from inside Media Center. Unfortunately the program doesn’t offer this option and we’ll need to use Media Center Studio to do that at the moment. Also, the program doesn’t include a Media Center interface for naming the titles and instead minimizes Media Center to require manual title entry which will certainly be a turn-off to many Media Center users.

For those unfamiliar with Media Center Studio check out our previous articles on using the program as well as creating custom start menu strips. In order to add Auto Rip n Convert to a strip we’ll need to take the extra step of creating an entry point for the program inside Media Center Studio. From the Start Menu options pages press the Application creation button on the top actions strip to create a new entry. Then enter the location of the Auto Rip n Compress program and give the entry point a title then save the changes.

Now we can return to the main Start Menu tab and drag the new entry point from the listing to any strip we’d like to have it listed in. Once again save the changes and you can now close the program and launch Windows 7 Media Center.

As mentioned earlier the current version of Auto Rip n Convert doesn’t include a method for setting the DVD title from inside Media Center and will minimize the program to request the title entry. This is a serious downside and hopefully something that will be addressed in the future as there are many people who would prefer a complete Media Center experience.

From there the program will send the relevant options to DVDFab and Handbrake to automate the ripping and conversion process. The launching of these various windows may also interfere with the display of Windows 7 Media Center but this isn’t necessarily something that the author will be able to rectify. Also, DVDFab presents a number of additional options that will need to be answered before processing the first disk. Be certain to select the Do Not Ask Again option on each of these windows so as to not be prompted each time. That’s all there is to it! Auto Rip n Convert is certainly a decent new project and we’re sure the future will bring some updates that will improve the user experience though as always we’d love to see the project go open source.

Source Article:
Auto Rip n Compress adds DVD Ripping to Media Center (Almost)