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[Randy B]

I've read many threads but I'am still unsure how to address the following issue: I have Media Center 12 (v 12.0.329) in both my Family Room and in the Master bedroom. I am working with videos and have created a separate folder on my NAS that contains not only the videos, but the video art as well. I import the videos into MC12 in the Family Room and manually attach art to the video by right-clicking on the movie in MC12.  I add art by following the menu prompts to "add art from a file". I am unclear as to where the art is actually stored and wind up having to follow the same "add art" on the second MC12 version in the bedroom. I have a lot of videos and this is a major effort.  Is there a way that I can manage a single library that can be imported into any number of MC12 applications and include both my videos and video art that has already been manually attached?

Apologies if this is a redundant question

Thanks in advance.

Randy B

[Matt]

Is there a way that I can manage a single library that can be imported into any number of MC12 applications and include both my videos and video art that has already been manually attached?

There are two good options:

1) Use Library Server -- the main computer runs a server, others connect (over a LAN or WAN) as read-only

or

2) Share the same library everywhere on the LAN.  It'll help if you put everything on a mapped network drive (I use M:\) so all the machines can use the same filenames to access media and the library.

[benn600]

I am running into the same problem as you.  What I am sort of doing is storing the database on the server, where it is running as Library/UPnP server.  Then, I can open read-only on any HTPC.  Now I have auto import disabled but I like it that way because otherwise, new files get added without cover art.  My way, I have to manually add the new files (usually remove all video and add back) and then I can fill properties from filename and apply cover art.  Then, I just need to restart MC on any HTPCs.  If I was running into this a lot I would just setup a batch to close Media Center and start it up again at 4 AM or so every day.  That would essentially solve the problem completely.

I just don't add stuff too often and when I do, it's usually a bunch at once.  In fact, as far as music goes, I have a stack of CDs sitting on my desk.  It's just a hassle to get setup (I scan the cover art) so I do it once in a while and do a lot.

[Randy B]

So one option would be to create 2 folders on my NAS (Thecus N5200) and under "Tools", change my "File Location" for Videos and Cover Art to point to the NAS folders.  Is this correct?  Will I be able to maintain the NAS Folder from any MC12 application that I have running or will these cause problems with my Tags or other indexes?   

As you can tell, I don't believe that I understand MC12 well enough to utilize the Library Server just yet.  Additionally, I don't really have a main computer to act as a server for MC12 only.  However if I had to that, I could probably make that work. 

I have to ask- would the Library Server have advantages over the mapping of a NAS folder?

Randy B

[Matt]

You want the Media Center library on the NAS so that all users share the same library.

The disadvantage to this over Library Server, is that it won't be available from outside your LAN. (so you can't connect over the internet from the office for example)

[Alex B]

Randy,

When you add cover art to a video file from a disk location the source cover art file stays where it is. MC creates an internal link to the file and builds a more or less temporary thumbnail image for making the display faster (it would be too slow to read the image data from the original source files when a view contains a big number of cover art images). These thumbs are stored locally in a user & program specific application data folder.

I'd suggest trying the following:

Make sure that both PCs access the media files at the same location. Probably this is fine already.

Create a new folder on your NAS for a shared library (for example, M:\Library\ if the media files are on M:\media\).

Use MC's Library Manager on one of the PCs and create a cloned copy of the default library in the M:\Library\ folder.

On the other PC create a new library and point it to the same folder.

When both PCs are running this library only the first PC has write access. The second PC uses automatically a downloaded temporary copy of the library. If the library has changed you need to reload it on the "read only" MC for seeing the changes.

Edit:

If your original cover art files are not in a shared folder (or folders) you need to move them to a shared folder (or folders) and relink.

[Randy B]

Thanks to everyone for the prompt responses.  It will take me a while to back everything up and try the suggestions, so I may take a day or 2 to post my results.

Thanks again for all the support.

Randy B