Topic: MC12, remote server and extracted DVDs playback (Read 4778 times)

Osho · « **on:** December 09, 2006, 09:03:08 pm »

Hi,

I have extracted my DVDs as a folder per each movie (My Movies\Movie Name\VIDEO_TS\...) on my Main-Server PC. I have imported all these DVDs in the MC. I can play back these DVDs just fine in MC12 on the Main-Server PC. When I click Play on the VIDEO_TS folder in the MC12 on the Main-Server PC, it launches DVD play and the DVD plays fine. Excellent!

Now, I have another PC - HTPC that is connected to my television in the theater room in the house. MC12 is running as a client (connecting to the Library Server running on the Main-Server PC). I can play Audio etc. fine on the HTPC. However, whenever I try to play the extracted DVDs on the HTPC, I get this error:

"Media Center encountered errors while trying to play the last several files. Please make sure that the path in your media library points to the right location."

I can play regular DVDs fine on the HTPC. I can also play these extracted DVDs fine on the Main-Server PC. I just can't play the extracted DVDs on the HTPC (running MC12 as client). If I look at the Library Server log, I do not see the usual messages "Received request for ...." for the IFO or VOB files. If I tried to play some .MPG files from the HTPC client then I have no problem. It is just the extracted DVDs that is not working.

Here is something more interesting. The My Movies folder on the Main-Server is shared on the local network as SMB share. The SMB share is mounted on HTPC as a network drive. On HTPC MC12 client, if I do File -> Open Media File and then point to the same .IFO file then the DVD plays fine! It just seems to not work through the Library Server.

Any idea what's going on? Please let me know if you need further information.

thanks,
Osho

4BYE · « **Reply #1 on:** December 10, 2006, 03:43:45 am »

Hello,

I have asked several times about this issue and the only thing I know is that it doesn't work.
I have hundreds of movies this you and can only play them by going to the explorer and let it play with PowerDVD.
(on another computer that is).

I find this annoying too and would like to use it the same way as my music. I set up everything in my house to use it with MC12 and for pictures and music it works. But indeed not with extracted DVD movies.

The only reply I got is that it doesn't work. I don't know if it ever gonna work or why it doesn't.
The sad thing is that I now have a program that takes care of all my media, but with library server doesn't work for extracted DVD's.

You can also try the option of loading the same library on the external computer, this way I was able to play some movies, but other things went wrong. I don't know if things changed since the last builds but it was said it was an experiment and could be closed.

It would mean a lot to me when I could use my extracted DVD files on the library server too! (Or know at least more why it doesn't or will be worked on later.)

Regards,

Theo

richard.e.morton · « **Reply #2 on:** December 11, 2006, 05:04:14 pm »

me too please... I would like this resolved. I was wondering why this wasn't working... I guessed it was because I was running over wifi... which is asking a bit much.

Thanks

Richard

NickM · « **Reply #3 on:** December 11, 2006, 05:16:58 pm »

Whilst waiting for the Library server things to get sorted, you could always set the HTPC to auto-import the DVD's from your NAS location. This works fine for me.

Osho · « **Reply #4 on:** December 11, 2006, 05:56:49 pm »

Quote from: richard.e.morton on December 11, 2006, 05:04:14 pm

me too please... I would like this resolved. I was wondering why this wasn't working... I guessed it was because I was running over wifi... which is asking a bit much.

I stream uncompressed DVD over wifi (802.11g), it works fine for me without any issues. The bandwidth is more than sufficient with signal quality Good or above.

Osho

4BYE · « **Reply #5 on:** December 12, 2006, 12:46:14 am »

Quote from: NickM on December 11, 2006, 05:16:58 pm

Whilst waiting for the Library server things to get sorted, you could always set the HTPC to auto-import the DVD's from your NAS location. This works fine for me.

You mean having another library for (extracted) DVD's on the computer you're using elswhere?
But how about tags? I spend hours and hours to add actors and directors etc.

If they would only tell if they are working on it and what their plans are for the library server + extracted DVD's.

Regards,

Theo

NickM · « **Reply #6 on:** December 12, 2006, 01:00:31 am »

The main PC is where I do my ripping and indexing. The files are stored on a NAS, as is the library.
The HTPC reads the same library from the NAS and hence picks up the tags and the same locations of the underlying files.

There have been some issues regarding access to a library that's on a NAS. I use plain 100GB and this works fine.

If you're on a slow LAN, then simply run a batch file when you start MC on your HTPC, to copy the NAS library to your HTPC local HDD.
You can ALSO edit the registries to keep the thumbnails in the same directory as your library, that way, you won't need time consuming thumbnail re-builds.

For the batch file, I use SyncBack from 2BrightSparks http://www.2brightsparks.com/assets/software/SyncBack_Setup.zip

4BYE · « **Reply #7 on:** December 12, 2006, 01:52:42 am »

OK,

I'm not familiar with NAS. I have 19 HD on 2 systems. Where I have 3 HD with music, 1 for images, the rest is for my movies. I have 1 computer to acces my files in the living room attached to my HiFi set. Another computer for the children. (in the future they will have their own PC I guess in their rooms as well)

I want everbody to be able to use my library through the house through the network. (They will not be allowed to make changes.)

With music this works great, but with movies it's not what I want. For now I use internet explorer and search for the folder I want to play and then use PowerDVD to play the files. But what a difference would it be to pick a movie and just click in MC on a thumb.

Thanks,

Theo

NickM · « **Reply #8 on:** December 12, 2006, 02:12:29 am »

NAS is just a networked storage device. In your case, it's just \\pc_name\share_name

Osho · « **Reply #9 on:** December 12, 2006, 11:25:39 am »

Quote from: 4BYE on December 12, 2006, 12:46:14 am

You mean having another library for (extracted) DVD's on the computer you're using elswhere?

I agree with you that having another library is not a viable option. Multiple problems:

I have 500GB worth of storage on a NAS (which is 1TB RAID 5 server). I plan to fill that to 1TB . The second library is not going to work with NAS mounted over wifi home network.
Tags, thumbnails are big pain to get right and keep consistent between libraries.
Having two libraries is not wife-friendly "10 feet away, on couch, remote controlled experience" . I have one library for all my music, pictures, personal videos and dvd collection. Everything works except the dvd collection.

Quote

If they would only tell if they are working on it and what their plans are for the library server + extracted DVD's.

Yes, some communication would be really great about this as it seems to be a popular request

.

thanks,
Osho

4BYE · « **Reply #10 on:** December 12, 2006, 11:58:48 am »

Quote from: Osho on December 12, 2006, 11:25:39 am

Yes, some communication would be really great about this as it seems to be a popular request.

I was asking about it several times (also MC 11), the only thing that was replied is that it didn't work.
I'm glad you started this topic too since I felt lonely with this problem.

Cheers,

Theo

4BYE · « **Reply #11 on:** December 17, 2006, 02:54:51 am »

Since I'm not the only one waiting for an answer could we please have an answer on this topic?

Agonostis · « **Reply #12 on:** December 18, 2006, 11:35:20 am »

I'm likewise interested in some info about this.

4BYE · « **Reply #13 on:** January 09, 2007, 04:08:51 am »

I'm sorry to say but still no reply on what will be the plan on this issue.
I have put everything on MC to have acces everywhere in the house but still with extracted DVD's no succes.
What bothers me the most is that we haven't any clue if this ever will work.

So please, please, please can we have a respond to this.

Regards,

Theo

John Gateley · « **Reply #14 on:** January 10, 2007, 01:09:34 pm »

Sorry, the title of this thread is misleading, so I missed it.

DVDs aren't playing on my computer at the moment, so until I can test this further: make sure you can play the DVDs
on the client *not* through library server (that is, make sure you have DVD decoder software properly installed).

I'll check back as soon as I can get the decoder installed on my system...

j

Osho · « **Reply #15 on:** January 10, 2007, 01:39:21 pm »

Quote from: John Gateley on January 10, 2007, 01:09:34 pm

DVDs aren't playing on my computer at the moment, so until I can test this further: make sure you can play the DVDs
on the client *not* through library server (that is, make sure you have DVD decoder software properly installed)

First of all, thank you very much for looking into this. There are many of us with extracted DVD libraries that would love this to work. (look in other threads about single file DVDs etc.).

I can play DVDs fine on the client (physical DVDs as well as extracted DVDs on NAS or local file system). I just can't play DVDs through server.

thanks,
Osho

4BYE · « **Reply #16 on:** January 10, 2007, 01:41:40 pm »

Thanks John,

As Osho writes, it's about the Library Server with extracted DVD's.

Regards,

Theo

gappie · « **Reply #17 on:** January 10, 2007, 03:54:07 pm »

do i have to signe in.

John Gateley · « **Reply #18 on:** January 10, 2007, 05:06:13 pm »

I'm doing final testing in the morning, but pretty sure this is the anser:

Unfortunately, DVDs don't play over library server. The reason is that we use 3rd party code to do the actual playback. We just pass in the file name. The LIbrary Server doesn't use a local file name, it uses a URL, and the 3rd party code doesn't like that. Since the problem is in the 3rd party code, there's not a lot we can do. I suspect this is just another facet of DVD copy protection.

http://wiki.jrmediacenter.com/index.php/Library_Server

Sorry,

j

[edit: Matt says there might be a way, more info tomorrow...]

Osho · « **Reply #19 on:** January 10, 2007, 05:31:30 pm »

Quote from: John Gateley on January 10, 2007, 05:06:13 pm

Unfortunately, DVDs don't play over library server. The reason is that we use 3rd party code to do the actual playback. We just pass in the file name.

How about .iso files on the remote servers? Does that have the same issue?

thanks,
Osho

4BYE · « **Reply #20 on:** January 11, 2007, 02:56:47 am »

Quote from: John Gateley on January 10, 2007, 05:06:13 pm

[edit: Matt says there might be a way, more info tomorrow...]

I'll cross my fingers...

John Gateley · « **Reply #21 on:** January 11, 2007, 10:02:44 am »

Quote from: Osho on January 10, 2007, 05:31:30 pm

How about .iso files on the remote servers? Does that have the same issue?

No. I say more in the wiki - remote servers still use a normal path name, but Library Server uses a URL.

j

John Gateley · « **Reply #22 on:** January 11, 2007, 01:13:12 pm »

Sorry, Matt thought the Direct Show filters might be able to use URLs, but they don't for DVDs. I've updated the Wiki page with the technical details (Thanks Yaobing).

j

Osho · « **Reply #23 on:** January 11, 2007, 01:39:37 pm »

Quote from: John Gateley on January 11, 2007, 01:13:12 pm

Sorry, Matt thought the Direct Show filters might be able to use URLs, but they don't for DVDs. I've updated the Wiki page with the technical details (Thanks Yaobing).

j

So, no hope of this issue being resolved?

Osho

John Gateley · « **Reply #24 on:** January 11, 2007, 02:03:16 pm »

Not in the short term.

j

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Author Topic: MC12, remote server and extracted DVDs playback (Read 4778 times)

gappie