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[MrHaugen]

I found several posts of this topic, but most relevant ones was under MC14 forum, so I'll start another one.


After months and months of wanting to improve my metadata and images of my movies and series, I've taken the plunge and tested out Autometa. It gives you meta data and beautiful Posters and backdrops within seconds. But, and this is a big but, those gorgeous backdrops are about as useless in MC15 as a speed boat in Sahara. The progression in Themes have been on hold for a long time.

First of all, I love the way you get automatic images in Theater View, of artists and you can add your own static images for root items and so on. It can be both good looking and humorous. So, what is missing here? In my opinion there is only one:

• A way to get backdrop media for Series, movies and artists

This would seriously give you those jaw dropping moments. If there is one thing MC15 needs, it is to get on par with those other Media Center solution when it comes to eye candy. And especially in Theater View.


So, how can this be done? I think there is a few solutions.

1. Linking Media with media backdrops.

• With a database field called "Associated Media Link", each movie, series or artist could have this link pointed to a directory, or a file.
• If it's linked to a directory, all media will be used with the exception of folder.jpg. If there is several, the images will be random.
• In the case of artist backdrops, the images will stay the same when the artist name remains. Or else you'll get a lot of background changing when you switch tracks.
• What about putting trailers in the background of the movie meta data? Think of the wow effect, and how effective it would be! I think this would be a Media Center first! Plugins like Metadata already provides us with links to the movie trailers. Why not use this as a second option, if it's found?
• What about some sound tracks getting played when browsing the movies? Not as cool as video, but still...

2. You could treat all pictures in the folder, except for the folder.jpg, as backdrops and show it automatically

3. Put the backdrops in the Themes folder, in a given folder structure. Themes reads the backdrop in the directory based on where you are in Theater View.



So, the question is. Where is Themes heading? Is it possible to do something about this? I think there is a lot of move/series (and music) lovers out there who would really see the value of something like this.

[sunfire7]

I would also love to have this in MC,

Im currently using MC for music and Media Portal + Stremedmp for movies and series, and i must say that works perfect withouth user interaction.  So, my question to the MC team is if they can add support for (I dont know if you must ask or pay for implement it):

Moving Pictures
http://code.google.com/p/moving-pictures/

MP-TVSeries
http://code.google.com/p/mptvseries/

Those plugs for Mediaportal works pretty well and are highly developed, with this you will get auto-metadata and backdrops (fanart) automatic and without user interaction!

[Media Freak]

I applauded MC when version 15 appeared, it's needed to say that Theater Views got a nice upgrade from 14 but I quickly got disappointed as the rest of the updates for 15 quickly shifted to either Library Server/Web Remote development or its fixes.

All these stuff you mentioned in your post, I've talked about one way or the other with different approach on the MC board. I wanted to see MC rise up so much to match the aesthetic of let's say XBMC themes that I took a few days to do some mockups in this thread http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=56285.msg389291#msg389291.

For music library management, player and backbone, MC is the king of all them combined but I'm a big critic of MC's handling of Theater's Views and themes availability. My opinion is if MC JRiver don't have time to create better themes for Theater Views then why not open up the code for skinners to get better advantage to skin or even add apps?

[)p(]

As a first step it would be great if we could assign a backdrop to each item in the theaterview hierarchy. A second step could be the option to pick up "background.jpg" in a folder alongside the file.

[JimH]

You may be able to do more than you think.  Take a look in the skins directories and here:
C:\Program Files\J River\Media Center 15\Skins\Theater View\Themes

[)p(]

You may be able to do more than you think.  Take a look in the skins directories and here:
C:\Program Files\J River\Media Center 15\Skins\Theater View\Themes

I tried to mirror my theaterview hierarchy there but it did only properly pick up the standard predefined root items. How is it supposed to work?

[llafriel]

You may be able to do more than you think.  Take a look in the skins directories and here:
C:\Program Files\J River\Media Center 15\Skins\Theater View\Themes

It only gives random images for each category doesn't it?

[MrHaugen]

It only gives random images for each category doesn't it?

That is also what I thought. It's been a few weeks since I last played with this though.

[raldo]

That is also what I thought. It's been a few weeks since I last played with this though.

I wish we could at least get an explanation why downloading the images from the net was such a prioritized idea compared to user art. Why not use a combination with the option to turn either off?

I've turned Themes off, mostly because Themes returns funny stuff for my favorite bands, Tool and Textures. "The Cars", and "The Police" also return funny images.

Themes might have worked well if there were some kind of user interaction updated to a user DB, or if you added "band", "movie" etc. to the search. But that's another discussion.

+1 for your suggestions Mr. H. There's been so much DLNA lately which is of peripheral (no pun intended) interest to me. And I'm kinda awaiting some more eye candy in theater view!

Why not  make just implement user themes in the simplest way possible (for now): Search folders? We could promise that we'll never request mc to keep track of these files in any way The meta data exists in other DBs in, namely those accessed by the metadata plugins.

[Daydream]

+1 for your suggestions Mr. H. There's been so much DLNA lately which is of peripheral (no pun intended) interest to me. And I'm kinda awaiting some more eye candy in theater view!

+2. Wake me up when this happens, to upgrade to 15.

[nedam]

I feel the same way about DLNA (It is of little interest to me.) and would love to see some of these features added to Theater View. 

[Media Freak]

+3 on the DLNA stuff... no interest.

[MrHaugen]

I don't have any problems with DNLA. If we had a library server that would do automatic sync, I would definitely go with a DLNA option on some of my TV's. My HTPC will always be a MC15 client, but other equipment could have good use of the DLNA.

Things like DLNA and remote solutions have gotten a lot of attention though. I don't think it's bad at all. I just think that J River sometimes underestimate how much good eye candy impress people, how much it enhances the overall experience, and how many new customers it can potentially give.

One of many examples like it:
At work today, we had a HTPC discussion. I put up a temp MC15 install and did a showcase on it. He was pretty impressed. Ha have also seen my HTPC rigg at my home, so he know some of the things it can do. Another guy showed him some photos of some sort of open source Mac Media Center crap. He wants to go for the Mac Media Center, because it looked very nice, it can run on the new mac mini and it looked easy to use. What can I say; he's a sucker for nice design and eye candy. But there is many like him! That's the bad part.

[JimH]

If we had a library server that would do automatic sync ...

I believe it does.  If you don't, please start a new thread with details.

[MrHaugen]

Oh my! Is there a build I've not seen?!
This is good news. I'll give it a go shortly, once my new server is up.

[flac.rules]

I personally have no use for DLNA in particular, but i think the focus on server-client functionality and using devices as remotes is very wise. However i also wholeheartedly agree with mr haugen, we need more theatre view eye candy, having cool posters, movie info and so on, comparable to the best media-center front ends in that regard really adds to the experience, and its the only thing that keeps me from using MC as a total HTPC-solution (now i use another front-end "on top", while MC plays music and video)

[JimH]

Matt cleaned up MC15's Theater View skins and added some Theater View skinning documentation yesterday:

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

The build with the changes may be available tomorrow.

[kurushi]

Good wiki page & very usefull Thx to Mat!

[Matt]

Just a disclaimer that the wiki hasn't been updated (yet) for the coming round of changes.

This will be done in the next week or two.

[kewe65]

2. You could treat all pictures in the folder, except for the folder.jpg, as backdrops and show it automatically

I'd like to see this work with the Album Art Display in the standard view as well.  Currently, the album art in the folder ONLY rotates when you have the cursor hovering over the album in album view.  When playing the album, the Album Art Display only shows one static image.

[MrHaugen]

Exactly Kewe. This could be done for standard view as well.