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[Donny Bahama]

Is there a comprehensive document/manual I can download that explains all the features and how to use them (hopefully with lots of screenshots?) I'm inclined to ask numerous questions as to features and capabilities of MC13 before I upgrade, but before doing so, I'd like to do the honorable thing and try to find the answers on my own. I know a lot of this info is probably out on this forum somewhere, but I haven't been active in this forum (I'm still using MC10!) and I'm not even sure of the proper terminology to use when asking (so it makes it hard to search.) Besides, I'd really like to just start at a table of contents and work my way through the whole manual. That way I'll probably find cool stuff that I wouldn't even have thought to ask about!

[gappie]

in the wiki, at the top of this page there is a part called media center manual. http://wiki.jrmediacenter.com/index.php/Media_Center

might be something.

 
gab

[Donny Bahama]

Thanks, gab! Hopefully it's fairly up to date.

[JimH]

There are topics on this board that describe important new features in MC13.  This topic at the top of this board has a list of the features.

[Donny Bahama]

Thanks, Jim. I saw that (and looked through it.) Problem is, it doesn't cover new features in MC11 or 12! I'm sure I could probably find "new features" lists for the older releases, too, but even that doesn't help me from the standpoint that I'm sure I'm not even taking advantage of all the features in MC10 currently.

[Donny Bahama]

Here are some examples of things that I'm curious about (and having trouble finding answers about)...

1. What does Media Server do? What's its main purpose? Will it allow me to control Media Center remotely via http? How do I set it up and use it?

2. If I wanted to write my own remote-via-http interface, can I access the MC database from an external app? While MC is running? Is there a published schema?

3. Can I assign more than one genre to a song/album/artist?

4. Can I use "mood" (i.e. relaxing/energetic/uplifting) as a means of grouping music?

5. Is there some way I can say, "when I click on this, run this" - as a means of executing an external program? (i.e. to do things that I can't do natively from within MC such as using an app like PowerDVD 8 to watch a Blu-Ray movie - or executing an automation script using AutoHotKey that will perform a sequence of commands.) I'm thinking I'd most like to be able to do this when in Theater View.

[JimH]

1.  Media Server is a shell that can call several servers, one of which is Library Server, for serving MC files to another copy of MC on another PC.  More in our Wiki (link above).

2.  Please see the Third Party Board here.  There are several solutions.  The DevZone (link above) has information on MC interfaces.

3.  Maybe.  Someone else will have to answer.  Some fields allow lists (separated by a semi-colon, I believe).

4.  You can make smartlists that do that.  MC analyzes files for BPM, etc.

5.  Yes.  Search for Blu-ray here.  jmone wrote up a solution.

[JimH]

Thanks, Jim. I saw that (and looked through it.) Problem is, it doesn't cover new features in MC11 or 12! I'm sure I could probably find "new features" lists for the older releases, too, but even that doesn't help me from the standpoint that I'm sure I'm not even taking advantage of all the features in MC10 currently.

For $15, how can you lose?  MC13 is light years ahead of MC10.

[Donny Bahama]

Thanks, Jim.

1. I looked up Media Server on the wiki and found the info to be very limited.

2. Will check out 3rd party forum and DevZone

3. Would separation even be necessary? Seems like queries/filters could look for partial ("contains") matches, right?

4. Not really interested in BPM, would rather tag with actual mood words, but I guess I could probably use a tag for that. Can I create my own tags if there isn't a suitable one available?

5. Cool. Will check that out.

I know $15 seems like pocket change to many, but my wife and I have been hit especially hard by this economy. Money is super tight right now, so I want to make sure MC13 will do everything I want it to (or will at least support a workaround) before upgrading.

[JimH]

Here's a link:
http://wiki.jrmediacenter.com/index.php/Servers

[zxsix]

4. Not really interested in BPM, would rather tag with actual mood words, but I guess I could probably use a tag for that.

There's already a mood tag built into the library.

Can I create my own tags if there isn't a suitable one available?

Yep, as many as you want and whatever type of field you want (alpha, numeric, stars like rating field, multi-value list, etc.)
Tools > Options > Library & Folders > Manage Library Fields > Add New Field, fill in the blanks.

[Donny Bahama]

Sweet! Thanks, zxsix!