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[dcwebman]

I'm sorry but I still don't understand sidecar files. From reading the Wikipedia entry about them it states one example:

AVI + THM. Many digital photocameras will store a .thm (thumbnail) file alongside recorded movies, with the same base filename as the movie file. These thumbnail files are plain JPEG files with another extension. This system allows for quickly displaying a still preview of the movie, and storing camera data which is not supported by the AVI file format.

I imported these two files into MC and expected the thumbnail to be used for the video file but MC created its own thumbnail. Why wouldn't it just use the THM thumbnail since it is already created?

[maid]

Hello,

I also do not understand them.
I am getting heaps off files I do not want.
I would love to turn them off.

Cheers

[raym]

MC's support of Sidecar files currently extends to videos only and cannot be disabled. Yaobing has stated in numerous other threads however that it will become optional in a coming build.

Basically, sidecar files store metadata for files. In my opinion, they are useful for 2 main reasons: (a) they provide a means of storing tags for filetypes that don't support them and (b) they provide a means of importing metadata created by other 3rd party apps (eg "My Movies").  Another benefit is that all tags are stored to the filesystem and not just the library (for those who care about this ).

MC's sidecar requirement is for the files to reside along-side the video files and having the name of the movie with the suffix "JRSideCar.xml". So for example, if you had a movie with the name "movie.mkv" you would need a "movie JRSideCar.xml" file along side it. Whenever movie.mkv is imported (or you do an "update tags from ..."), MC will read the correspoding sidecar file if it exists and it will update all the relevant fields. The format of the file itself is important and it's based on the "My Movies" file format which looks like the one below.

I use SideCars for capturing electronic program guide data for dvr-ms files created by a 3rd party PVR. Now when MC imports these files, I am able to make the most of all the related EPG data for each file. I also have a My Movies database for all my DVDs. Now MC can import all this data for me too.  It's one of the best features in MC14 so far for me!

Hope this helps.

Code: [Select]

<Titles>
  <Title>
    <ID>1</ID>
    <WebServiceID>bd4332a4-f545-4642-8ba2-68ba4b8371cf</WebServiceID>
    <CollectionNumber>1</CollectionNumber>
    <Type>DVD</Type>
    <Barcode>7321970139297</Barcode>
    <Country>Denmark</Country>
    <LocalTitle>The Brave One</LocalTitle>
    <OriginalTitle>The Brave One</OriginalTitle>
    <SortTitle>Brave One, The</SortTitle>
    <Edition>
    </Edition>
    <IMDB>tt0476964</IMDB>
    <AspectRatio>2.35:1</AspectRatio>
    <VideoStandard>PAL</VideoStandard>
    <ProductionYear>2007</ProductionYear>
    <ReleaseDate>2-12-2008</ReleaseDate>
    <RunningTime>119</RunningTime>
    <TagLine />
    <Description></Description>
    <ExtraFeatures NotPresent="True"><![CDATA[]]></ExtraFeatures>
    <ParentalRating Adult="False">
      <Value>6</Value>
      <Description>
      </Description>
    </ParentalRating>
    <DataProvider>
    </DataProvider>
    <DataProviderId>
    </DataProviderId>
    <ImportSource />
    <ImportId />
    <LocalTrailer>
      <URL>
      </URL>
      <Type>-1</Type>
    </LocalTrailer>
    <Covers>
      <Front>C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\My Movies\FileStorage\Covers\797f0ebb-a323-467d-b325-1f6c6feed116.jpg</Front>
      <Back>C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\My Movies\FileStorage\Covers\63f5a41f-e833-4f3e-aec0-03966b50737b.jpg</Back>
    </Covers>
    <DataChanged>9/23/2008 11:04:04 AM</DataChanged>
    <CoversChanged>2/19/2008 4:10:49 PM</CoversChanged>
    <LockData>False</LockData>
    <LockCovers>False</LockCovers>
    <Added>12/29/2008 12:35:28 PM</Added>
    <RecordChanged>12/29/2008 12:35:29 PM</RecordChanged>
    <Categories />
    <Genres>
      <Genre>Suspense/Thriller</Genre>
    </Genres>
    <AudioTracks>
      <AudioTrack Language="English" Type="DTS" Channels="5.1" />
    </AudioTracks>
    <Subtitles NotPresent="False">
      <Subtitle Language="Danish" />
      <Subtitle Language="Swedish" />
      <Subtitle Language="Norwegian" />
    </Subtitles>
    <Studios>
      <Studio>Warner Home Entertainment</Studio>
    </Studios>
    <Discs>
      <Disc TitleMode="False">
        <DiscIdStored>
        </DiscIdStored>
        <DoubleSided>False</DoubleSided>
        <Name>Disk 1</Name>
        <DiscIdSideA>CE36532D-AADA7726</DiscIdSideA>
        <DiscIdSideB>
        </DiscIdSideB>
        <LocationSideA>
        </LocationSideA>
        <LocationTypeSideA>3</LocationTypeSideA>
        <LocationSideB>
        </LocationSideB>
        <LocationTypeSideB>-1</LocationTypeSideB>
        <ChangerSlot>
        </ChangerSlot>
      </Disc>
    </Discs>
    <Persons ActorsComplete="False">
      <Person Type="1">
        <Name>Naveen Andrews</Name>
        <Type>Actor</Type>
        <Role>David Kirmani</Role>
      </Person>
      <Person Type="1">
        <Name>Nicky Katt</Name>
        <Type>Actor</Type>
        <Role>Detective Vitale</Role>
      </Person>
    </Persons>
  </Title>
</Titles>

[Alex B]

... (a) they provide a means of storing tags for filetypes that don't support them and (b) they provide a means of importing metadata created by other 3rd party apps (eg "My Movies").  Another benefit is that all tags are stored to the filesystem and not just the library (for those who care about this )...

c) They provide a simple means for reading the tags to another library (either on the same or another PC).


I suggested that they should be optional when I first saw this new feature in the beta board. Also it would be nice to have them available for any file type that cannot store tags.

My suggestion for the option dialog was a list of media types where you could tick the media types that would use sidecar files when native tagging is not available.

[marko]

MC's support of Sidecar files currently extends to videos only and cannot be disabled. Yaobing has stated in numerous other threads however that it will become optional in a coming build.

They've been optional since 14.0.31

It's in "General" somewhere... open MC's options and type side into the search bar at the top (of the options dialogue) to reveal the toggle.

-marko.

[dcwebman]

So for the example I gave, the THM files are still useless and are not true sidecar files in the MC sense?

[Yaobing]

So for the example I gave, the THM files are still useless and are not true sidecar files in the MC sense?

Right.  That is not the kind of sidecar file that we currently support.

[raym]

They've been optional since 14.0.31

Hmm, ok. Didn't realise that.

[rpalmer68]

It's in "General" somewhere... open MC's options and type side into the search bar at the top (of the options dialogue) to reveal the toggle.

-marko.

OMG I never realised you could do that!  A search in the options screen... how cool/useful!

There is just SO MUCH about MC that lies hidden/undiscovered!

Cheers
Richard

[dcwebman]

OMG I never realised you could do that!  A search in the options screen... how cool/useful!

There is just SO MUCH about MC that lies hidden/undiscovered!

Don't feel bad. I didn't know it either.

[HTPC4ME]

lmao me either...

for sidecars what about our libraries that we have tagged already, how do we use jriver to make sidecars from our library to the folder location?

example i have around 10,000 vid files i've tagged and only reason the tags stick is because i have the library backedup if it crashes i can just restore library, so can we use sidecars to write all that tag info to the files so if library ever gets corrupt etc we are ok due to the sidecars being there?

TY

[invictus0990]

Hi. Is there a way to hide all the sidecar files? I'm tagging a lot of videos and seeing all those xml files kind of annoys me. And since I have a ton of different folders in which my videos are located, it would be a pain to go into each folder, select all the xml files, go to their properties, and select Hide. So I'm thinking:

1) Is there a way in Windows (running Windows 7) to hide a certain file type extension? So that all xml files on the computer are automatically hidden?

or

2) Does MC 14 have a feature that allows me to store all the sidecar files in one separate folder?

If not, I think it would be a good feature to have some sort of organization method for these sidecar files, especially when you have a lot of videos in one folder and having a sidecar for each video in that folder just takes up a lot more space. I'd appreciate any input. Thanks.

[glynor]

XML Sidecar files are text files.  They don't take up any space at all, to speak of... I'm confused as to why this is an issue.

Personally, I wouldn't want the sidecar files anywhere EXCEPT right next to the files themselves.  One thing, though... If you issue a "Remove Tags" command on the file(s) from within MC, does MC delete the sidecar files?  If not, it should.  That would be an easy way to get rid of them if you want to...

[tcman41]

For my 120 (1080P) .mkv movies I use JRiver as a organizationally tool only, my movies are initially tagged with a program called Media Companion which in addition to movie info also makes a fanart.jpg, thumbnail.jpg and various other files and puts it in the folder with the movie.

I then play my movies through a home cinema interface called Xbox Media Center where all the movie tags, poster art and fanart is displayed. 

After my movies are tagged with media companion I then import them into JRiver, where it used more as an organizationally tool for my movies, after they are imported I see JRiver makes the sidecar file and puts it in the movie folder.

My problem is that in JRiver I have to manually put in all the info about my movies by hand, is there some way that I can get the info off the sidecar file to be displayed with my movie thumbnails in JRiver? it's all very confusing.

[JimH]

My problem is that in JRiver I have to manually put in all the info about my movies by hand, is there some way that I can get the info off the sidecar file to be displayed with my movie thumbnails in JRiver? it's all very confusing.

There are a couple of plug-ins on the Third Party board.

[gvanbrunt]

There is also native support for MyMovies XML files...  You can find info about it on the boards here:

http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=53793.0

It's what I use.