what front end to use in HTPC

[[XC] leviathan18]

Hi guys I have a HTPC the asrock vision 3D

which I use with bluray remuxed and 3D blueray iso and some times I use the bluray drive (specially with 3D stuff)

what are you using to manage your video collection plus playing iso or discs all in the same enviroment?

what are you using to remote control the HTPC?

thanks

[TerroH8er]

I and most others use XBMC. I tried out Boxee for a while and it had some cool features, but XBMC is better. It can be hard to learn at first though.

If you have a smartphone, there are apps you can get to control XBMC. I think this is ideal.

[[XC] Synthetickiller]

I have a thread in here on remotes for XBMC. I know that supports DVDs. I have no clue about blurays.

If you end up going in that direction and have an android phone, there's an official app for it. I also have a WOL app installed so I don't have to get up to turn the PC on.

[Gamekiller]

I think that XBMC supports blu-ray if they're already ripped from the disk. I do not believe that XBMC supports directly reading the disks.

[Serra]

I'm really trying to make a go of using XBMC, but I'm kind of failing at it. No, scratch that, XBMC is failing me at it.

XBMC will play ripped blu-rays, but it doesn't have menu support and will only play the main video. For me that's unacceptable. So instead I use XBMC for DVD's and PowerDVD for Blu-Ray, which is a bit stupid IMO but I can't seem to find a better solution. Overall this means I end up failing at using XBMC because 95% of the time I watch a movie it's a blu ray. I have found I tend not to use my HTPC as an audio platform either, and it's more convenient to browse things like YouTube while NOT using XBMC.

Plus XBMC always required 100% CPU, which is fantastically ridiculous. On my Ion-based HTPC that means I can't play run PowerDVD smoothly while XBMC is running in the background. I have more than enough power to play all the media I want... but I think I need at least twice as much to play the damned front-end!

/rant

For a remote I decided to get a Logitech Harmony One remote. To use it I picked up an el-cheapo Windows Media Center remote that came with a dual-IR sensor, chucked the remote and kept the sensor. It was a good remote, but I wanted a single control for all my inputs.


Edit: I think for the right purpose, XBMC is great. If you're OK with just watching the main video of a blu-ray AND are using a faster PC, then it really is the software to use because it will end up being the most convenient solution for you. But I'm going for a very low-power/size/noise solution that needs to be able to actually play all the features on a disk, so I'm just left out in the cold.

[Gamekiller]

The issue isn't XBMC as far as your bru-ray issues go Serra. I could be wrong but Blu-ray menus don't work not because of XBMC but because of the blu-ray standard being so locked up or something along those lines.

Edit: Also, a lot people are running XBMC on older machines without issue. From what I gathered XBMC likes to offload work to the GPU. I'm using an AGP 6600GT with a single core very old amd chip and I can play 1080p decently.
About the ION-based solutions.. I see them recommended quite a bit around the XBMC forums when I'm searching around so I'd assume they work fine.

[aicjofs]

I'm an XBMC user, and have been since Xbox1. It has tons of postives and it does have some drawbacks. It has a plugin for about everything(i.e you tube, netflix, etc) but I still find it a bit clunky on how you browse those. While it is install and go, to get the most functionality out of each particular users enviroment there needs to be some tweaking, file editing, and other.

As far as blurays go, yeah it can't do the menus, can't play it back if stream is still encrypted. Pretty easy to launch and external player, (WinDVD, PowerDVD, TMT), and then return to XBMC. Using Event Ghost for example, and macros on a remote. Win7 Media Center, pretty much does the same thing, launches the external player, although a bit smoother. I like the ability to keep a centralized database of fanart, thumbs, and watched titles and location, and while I suppose you could do this using iSCSI in 7MC I like the flexibilty in XBMC. Really the best reason for me personally is crossplatform support. I have an AppleTV 1 with Linux on it, an AppleTV2 and iPhone with IOS4, 2 HTPC's and XBMC works very well on all of them. Watch a video on your phone, stop it, walk in the bedroom turn on TV and resume where you were watching, etc

Speaking of Win7 Media Center. It's honestly becoming a good option these days. The netflix, and internet channels support is pretty good. Buy a Media Center remote, plug in IR dongle, follow on screen directions and HTPC install done. If you end up using CableCard tuner then it's really a must to use 7MC.

I use Harmony One, mapped as media center remote. Make some Macros for it, and it's easy. Pretty expensive though still, when you could really pick up a media center remote for less then 1/8 the price and it would be pretty functional.(Your unit already comes with a clone of media center remote doesn't it?). However I find myself more often using a wireless keyboard with built in mouse or iPhone XBMC remote app. As more and more internet conetent is also played back on HTPC, the more I find using a keyboard to type in a search quicker, which the phone and keyboard have.

Plus XBMC always required 100% CPU, which is fantastically ridiculous. On my Ion-based HTPC that means I can't play run PowerDVD smoothly while XBMC is running in the background. I have more than enough power to play all the media I want... but I think I need at least twice as much to play the damned front-end!

What version of XBMC are you running? You could try the <sleepbeforeflip> in advancedsetting.xml, not sure if that has an effect when in background. Also are you using dds fanart that helps offload the fanart rendering from CPU to GPU when you are actually in XBMC too.

[Serra]

The issue isn't XBMC as far as your bru-ray issues go Serra. I could be wrong but Blu-ray menus don't work not because of XBMC but because of the blu-ray standard being so locked up or something along those lines.

Edit: Also, a lot people are running XBMC on older machines without issue. From what I gathered XBMC likes to offload work to the GPU. I'm using an AGP 6600GT with a single core very old amd chip and I can play 1080p decently.
About the ION-based solutions.. I see them recommended quite a bit around the XBMC forums when I'm searching around so I'd assume they work fine.

It definitely is a blu-ray standard issue, not an XBMC issue - but the result is the same. What really surprises me though is that although XBMC is open-source and a wildly successful HTPC front-end nobody has created an illegal plugin to allow you to play unencrypted blu-rays properly. You'd just think you'd see such a piece of software out there by now.

ION-based solutions do work fine unless you want to do 100% smooth 1080p. If you're running the 1080p video in XBMC you'll be "fine" (to most peoples definition), but you will see occasional stuttering. If you open another program from XBMC and you then have XBMC + 1080p... well, I guess it technically works, but you wouldn't want to sit through a full movie that way. ION2 may be another story, I'm not sure. The issue is that XBMC apparently feels that it needs to CONSTANTLY redraw its menus, as back in the original XBOX days that's how menus were made responsive - redrawing every possible cycle. So the issue becomes trying to do the combined workload of drawing 1080p video + drawing the XBMC menus (which probably refresh more often than the video).

Even on my laptop - core2duo @ 2.5GHz, 9700GT M - with just the XBMC menu system up my fan is on full blast. That's just stupid given it's a menu... on a computer system, which doesn't need to constantly redraw to be responsive. I wouldn't really mind, but it does interfere with my ability to play it on a low-spec system.

What version of XBMC are you running? You could try the <sleepbeforeflip> in advancedsetting.xml, not sure if that has an effect when in background. Also are you using dds fanart that helps offload the fanart rendering from CPU to GPU when you are actually in XBMC too.

This took me a stupid amount of time to find (confluence skin seems to hide that?). 10.5.0.0 I believe. I think it is offloaded to the GPU, but the GPU on an ION still struggles with full 1080p refreshing @ 24fps (or whatever interval they actually refresh at... maybe 30fps?) + a menu refreshing at <EVERY POSSIBLE INTERVAL IT CAN> fps.

[aicjofs]

This took me a stupid amount of time to find (confluence skin seems to hide that?). 10.5.0.0 I believe

Haha. Yes I have no idea why they make it so hard to find. I usually find it quicker just to check the log file. Just asking because I thought they made some changes to the redrawing. Have you already tried <sleepbeforeflip>0.85</sleepbeforeflip> in advancedsettings.xml? It's function is to reduce the redraw frequency, of course change it too much the GUI gets sluggish, have to find the right value.

The DDS fanart (<useddsfanart>true</useddsfanart> in advancedsettings.xml) uses the GPU to render the thumbs and such in the GUI and really helps on ION's I have heard(I don't have one, but it helped on an older system with weak CPU I had)

[[XC] leviathan18]

well my htpc is no slouch in terms of power, but I want something that integrates everything I dont care if I have to pay for it but I want it to be user friendly and work with anything your toss at it

MKV 1080P
BR ISO
BR Discs

[Serra]

well my htpc is no slouch in terms of power, but I want something that integrates everything I dont care if I have to pay for it but I want it to be user friendly and work with anything your toss at it

MKV 1080P
BR ISO
BR Discs

Well that's where you might hit a snag. You can play all that + music using blu ray software (eg. PowerDVD 11 supports all of that), but the front-ends with those packages really need work. They're great for playing a single file, but as an HTPC they sill have a ways to go. At least in my opinion... mileage may vary.

The solution that would probably work for you would be using XBMC and having it launch blu-ray discs in PowerDVD (or a similar paid-for player). Then map a button on your remote to bring XBMC to the front of the screen when you're done.

[Donnie27]

System specs:
Gigabyte UD3 P45
Intel E8400@ stock with OEM cooler, still doesn't run hot.
nVidia EVGA GT240 512MB
2 X 2GB DDR2 1066 Mushkin RAM
Antec 550 Watt PSU
Athantech Desktop Case (soon to be replaced)
61 in 1 Card read
Liteon DVD-DL Burner
Liteon BD 2X player
Auzentech X-Fi Prelude 90% Analog Out used.
LG 370 BD Set Top Player
DLink wireless /N Dongle
Internal 750GB internal and 1TB Ext HDD/s
Window Vista 32bit MCE, XMBC, WinAMP, Audacity, WMP, Creative's Apps, Power DVD 9 ultra, VLC and a couple others.
46" Toshiba 645 HD LCD TV, Pioneer 819H receiver, JVC (?) Old School Receiver for Brute force for my Old School DIYer speakers, Pioneer connected to Optimus Mach 1, DIYer Rears, Sony Center, DIYer 12" Sub and a Wicked One Sub. The Movie "Top Gun" shook a wooden plaque off the wall LOL! I also have a Cassette and Turn Table connected.


The Wicked one has two Pioneer 10" 1000W subs with a, real value is about 275 watts with 1000W being peak and is powered by a Dayton 240W plate AMP. For this enclosure this is over kill.

CPU usage runs from about 40 to 85% depending on the app. I've been streaming so much, I'm starting to move away from storing movies on the HDDs. The Key to streaming is a good wireless Dongle. Netgear 3700 provides bandwidth for everything in my home. My Actiontek wireless adapter was rated for 300mbs while the current DLink is rated at 150mbs. Not only is the DLink 100 times more consistent than my cheap but more expensive Actiontek at not dropping connections, the streaming flow/speed is so good that I didn't know Netflix could look that good. MCE has come along way and it has caused me to use XBMC less. XMBC seems to have a few less features but on my system use more resources. It's a bigger hog than the Creative apps that many folks complain about. But I rarely multitask so that's not a negative for me.

Lastly a complaint. Bluerays look better and have fewer syncing issues on my set top LG and no ATI or nVidia card can beat it (on my system), why?

[[XC] leviathan18]

For XMBC which is a good nice movie manager where I can see all my movies with descriptio and all that stuff

[Donnie27]

For XMBC which is a good nice movie manager where I can see all my movies with descriptio and all that stuff

I'm only using PowerDVD 9 ultra and it has a separate app that keeps a up with almost too much crap. Movie art and Posters, Info, offers for other movies, discounts at sites who sell the Discs or Downloads and yada yada! "MoovieLive Celluloid Community""

With me though, with a Set Top 3D BD players that are fully wireless going for $89, it is kind of hard to spend more on the PC Versions. Most of my movies are rented and I respect copy righted material. Anything less than 1:1 copies for anything other than p(R)on is unacceptable for the Action/Si-Fi/Adventure and etc.... for me personally, more power to those who think it is OK?

[[XC] leviathan18]

I don't rent because we dont have enough selection, but I buy movies and remux them so I don't have to change the bluray discs, remuxing I eliminate all needless stuff and only have the movie with english subs and spanish subs. I dont do the same for 3D because I don't know how to do it properly yet.

[Donnie27]

I don't rent because we dont have enough selection, but I buy movies and remux them so I don't have to change the bluray discs, remuxing I eliminate all needless stuff and only have the movie with english subs and spanish subs. I dont do the same for 3D because I don't know how to do it properly yet.

Sweet and I hear ya'. Used to use DVD shrink to removed the junk ads and previews from the Keeper movies I have as well. I rent only about once or twice a month. If something's good, I buy it. I don't care about the Pic quality for everything, in fact, there were only about 4 movies I liked enough to buy last year. If it weren't for my Daughter, I wouldn't bought two of those. Thank god she doesn't ask for Barbie on BD LOL!, She has the whole Barbie collection.

I haven't gotten into "remuxing" BD discs, I think I need to look at that a little more.

[[XC] leviathan18]

they still are 20gb or something but I dont loose quality I have my DTS HD my subs and my collections in my 3 HDD. I just love watching movies, this july I will try to setup XMBC properly

[Donnie27]

Yup it is a very good thing HDD space is so cheap.

[Hell Hound]

You can also try :

NPVR = Free/offline

Media Portal = Free/online connection needed

Npvr rivals 7mc

Media Portal rivals xbmc

[wiretap]

Rip all Blu-ray's & HD DVD's to disk --> encase in MKV container --> use Mediabrowser. Best setup I've used, and I tried just about every front end out there. 7MC integration is nice and super easy to setup. Hardware acceleration, easily changeable codecs, etc.

[Donnie27]

Rip all Blu-ray's & HD DVD's to disk --> encase in MKV container --> use Mediabrowser. Best setup I've used, and I tried just about every front end out there. 7MC integration is nice and super easy to setup. Hardware acceleration, easily changeable codecs, etc.

Thanks for the info guys!

[[XC] leviathan18]

Ok running xbmc and xbmc commander in the ipad doing great so far

I want to have a more cinema experience and i failed to setup the trailers add-on anyone is using it ?

[PanteraGSTK]

Been using sagetv for a few years. I love it, but the future is in question with the sale to google. I really like being able to use mymovies and play trailers before the movies for an awesome movie experience.

[theToX]

finally getting into some HTPC stuff.

anyone checked out mymovies.dk?