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More => Old Versions => Media Center 16 (Development Ended) => Topic started by: jmone on September 09, 2011, 02:47:38 am

Title: Can you create a Duplicate Entry in the MC Library?
Post by: jmone on September 09, 2011, 02:47:38 am

I'd like to create multiple entries in MC for a single Video File, that way I can tag the playback properties separately for each entry (eg you could have different streams, Playback Ranges etc).  I tired using MPL files to import the XML data from the sidecar files again but I got some odd results.

Title: Re: Can you create a Duplicate Entry in the MC Library?
Post by: Alex B on September 09, 2011, 03:30:47 am

The files in the database are referenced by the filename. For an audio file you could create a custom cue sheet (it would be indexed as a separate library file), but a cue sheet does not work with video files.

A workaround would be to create an alternative file path on the OS level. If the file is on a network share you can mount the location as a new drive letter or if the file is local you can use the NTFS junction point feature or create a new virtual drive letter by running a SUBST command (for example, you can have a .bat file in the Startup folder that runs a SUBST command automatically).

The sidecar file may cause a problem if you have Auto-Import set to monitor changes. I have not recently tested if MC can automatically update metadata when only the sidecar file has changed, but if it can, you may need to change the auto-import and/or sidecar settings. Personally I export my video metadata periodically to a few mpl files (one for each root location) and have the sidecar system disabled.

EDIT

I don't know if a sidecar file even stores any playback properties data. I think it is limited to those library fields that are actually set to "write file tags".

Title: Re: Can you create a Duplicate Entry in the MC Library?
Post by: jmone on September 09, 2011, 03:41:36 am

Mmmm - all of that is ugly but I found a way of doing this by making additional MPLS files on blu disc rips....but I feel a feature request coming on!

Title: Re: Can you create a Duplicate Entry in the MC Library?
Post by: Lasse_Lus on September 09, 2011, 04:12:26 am

jmone, why do you not add some extra fields ?

Title: Re: Can you create a Duplicate Entry in the MC Library?
Post by: Lasse_Lus on September 09, 2011, 04:23:53 am

Quote from: Alex B on September 09, 2011, 03:30:47 am

I don't know if a sidecar file even stores any playback properties data. I think it is limited to those library fields that are actually set to "write file tags".

..that seems logic, but it's not like that with sidecars, all tags are written  :(