Screencast: Using LinuxMCE's Media System, part 1 of 2

[tschak909]

In response to a number of confused complaints on the media system, I have decided to make a set of screencasts explaining the media system, why it is the way it is, and an example of how it works on a properly set up system with lots of media.

http://www.localeconcept.com/pub/Using_Media_in_LinuxMCE_part_1.ogg

The second part of this screencast, coming soon, will show you how to tag things effectively, so that you can use your system in the way it's meant to be used.

-Thom

[colinjones]

Just a thought, Thom - this file is huge! Perhaps you could create a torrent instead?

EDIT: Actually its finished downloading so I have done the torrent for you...

http://torrents.thepiratebay.org/4455802/LMCE_Using_Media_Part_1.4455802.TPB.torrent

Once you have downloaded, please keep seeding as long as possible (at the very least until the torrent ratio is over 1.0)

[Marie.O]

Is the video to big for youtube et al?

rgds
Oliver

[niz23]

tschak909.

In response to a number of confused complaints on the media system, I have decided to make a set of screencasts explaining the media system, why it is the way it is, and an example of how it works on a properly set up system with lots of media.

http://www.localeconcept.com/pub/Using_Media_in_LinuxMCE_part_1.ogg

The second part of this screencast, coming soon, will show you how to tag things effectively, so that you can use your system in the way it's meant to be used.

-Thom

Great work.
I think a lot more people will understand how it is supposed to work after watching your screencast.

/niz23

[maybeoneday]

Hi tschak,

great video- very enlightening, hoping  #2  is as informative,

MANY thanks,
 
Ian

[skeptic]

Yo Thom, thanks for taking the time to make the video.  I haven't watched it yet, but I'm going to.  Lots of stuff I still don't "get" regarding the best way to do things.  Perhaps we should have an "ask Thom" sticky where we make suggestions or describe our setup and you explain various topics in future web casts?  You'll be famous!

[skeptic]

I just watched the video, good job.  I learned a few things, including the play all can be saved as a playlist, and mplayer in windows sucks (at work with only my windoze laptop available).  Anyway, wifey will be glad when I get home and show her the play all, save as playlist stuff so she can more easily get caught up with her Chelsey Lately. 

Not sure if you have already done the second video or are taking suggestions, but if there is an easy way to delete a video after you watch it I'd love to hear it.  Wifey and I watch recorded TV shows once, then delete them.  Both of the ways I know to do it (through LMCE or MythTV) are tedious. 

[johanr]

Thank you!
*thumbs up*

Will watch it as soon as it's downloaded.



-johan

[los93sol]

Okay, I see that it is powerful now, in fact it looks to be as powerful as having all media in a DB and searchable that way.  My question is somewhat unrelated to this thread, but not really.  What is the purpose of the file list on the right side?  I'm thinking about my project working on the GUI, I'd like to rip out the file list and stretch the movie/album covers across the screen and navigate that way.  It seems quite redundant and a waste of screen real estate to have this information duplicated as it is now, but I may be missing something.

[Marie.O]

los93sol,

some people have problems identifying stuff from pictures and are better at reading instead of looking at pictures.

rgds
Oliver

[colinjones]

Guys - at least 7-8 people have downloaded from the torrent, but I seem to have pushed at least 6 of those copies myself - PLEASE keep seeding!! I can see we are now down to 3 seeders besides myself! Come one guys... its not like there's going to be a huge demand for this file from the general public that will clog up your upload, this is for the benefit of the LMCE community... start seeding again...

[skeptic]

los93sol,

some people have problems identifying stuff from pictures and are better at reading instead of looking at pictures.

rgds
Oliver

And as far as I know you can't select from anything other than the list using a regular remote in the current setup.  Having the title/filename under the picture might be nice though.

[patmankn]

Thom!

i really liked your video. I showed me, that the UI of LMCE is not as bad as i though it is ;O)
Now i wonder whats the most efficient way to  tag all the media data i have in store.
I started to play around... but somehow its a pain.
So... coming from you, i think there will be an easier way to tag...

In my case i would like to tag a couple auf tv shows , season and episode wise.
For now it makes most sense to go for sort by filename, as the data are stored in folders...

hope to get enlighted soon... ;O))

Patrick

[colinjones]

Patrick - for mp3 audio you can use any id3 tag editor. The tags are embedded in the mp3 files, and LMCE will read them in (and write them out as needed). Industry standard.

Because there is no single industry standard for video (or other stuff) LMCE implements its own standard of a second file (<same name as media file>.id3) that encodes the same info. Unfortunately, this is a standard for LMCE and currently there is no simple way of editing these outside of the web admin console.

You can do a hell of a lot to clean up your tags in the admin console, however bulk changes are painful, as are artwork (also stored in id3 tags). You should to a search on the forums for batchassign.php which one of the guys wrote. You just add it to a folder on your core and it gives you a new web page that lets you assign attributes in bulk from one file to many others...

[slampt]

Unreal Job Thom!

If you don't mind I am sticking these up on my LinuxMCE mirror.
http://mirror.waia.asn.au/pub/linuxmce/screencasts

When/if you do more I will happily add these to my mirror too.  There isn't much benefit for people outside of AUS to download from this mirror, but all AUS users should be able to get it fast!