Help with setting up a video download folder?
#1
Is there a tutorial on how to set up a video download folder?
Also possibly set it up on an external Hard Drive?
When I try to download anything XBMC says that I need to set one up.
I looked everywhere in all the Addons and can't find anything to set up.
I know I'm dim.

Thanks in advance.

Frank
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#2
Look here http://xbmc.org/about/

XBMC in short is Home Theatre software, not a download agent. XBMC allows for third party add-ons, some of which are streaming video sources and of these sometimes the settings will allow downloading to select folders. Each 3rd party add-on might handle these downloads differently depending on the enabled setting of the add-on, usually a right mouse click on the add-on in focus is enough to bring the configuration menu for that individual add-on. Otherwise in settings>add-ons>enabled add-ons>'addon of your choice>configuration Should this information not be sufficient, please refer to the specific forum or web site that supports the add-on in question.

Please note that in many add-ons the download facility may require addition software/links/libraries or external program set-ups like JDdownloader. And as a word of caution, most downloading is likely subject to copy-write regulations in your area and forum conversations regarding infringing material is verboten. The obligatory link http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=119117
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#3
"XBMC allows for third party add-ons"

This is why XBMC is absolutely NOT intuitive. The software has the option to download. If you try it, then it tells you to set a path although it's not part of its original objective to allow you to do so.

Somewhere in there it ask the user to download using JDownLoader, but even that doesn't work. I enabled the so-called add-on but it gives me all sorts of errors like "Fail to connect to server" or "script error." Then I went to YouTube and found Navi-X which is another mess. Sure after a Google search and install onto the computer and going through the complicated add-on process, it runs, but doesn't seem to have any connection with XBMC.

There's no rhyme or reason as to how a user is to go about doing anything and your software developers don't appear to have standards to go by. I'm totally frustrated by this ambiguous (your guess is as good as mine) system.

I guess I'll continue searching and hope that (I get lucky and) find a third party that has a clue.
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#4
If a specific add-on is giving you errors then you should probably ask for help from the person who made that add-on. You don't normally see people bitching to Google, Mozilla, or Apple (does IE do extensions?) about third party browser extensions not working, nor do people normally blame them for not being "intuitive" because those people went out of their way to install third party add-ons.

All add-ons in XBMC have an "author" section. We have an entire sub-site for add-ons at http://addons.xbmc.org where you are also given links to support threads. The XBMC Wiki gives a space for add-on authors to give additional on-site documentation. XBMC.org "has a clue" and goes out of its way to help you find the info you need. Don't get mad at us because you didn't even try to search for a solution and you want to blame us for giving people the option of using community made add-ons.

This is like getting mad at Microsoft because you can't download any random program and know exactly how to use that program.
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#5
Its like complaining to Weber because you burnt your sausages.
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#6
No, it's a system wrought with ambiguity. Despite your claims, XBMC is not intuitive.

Your sausage analogy is an oversimplification. XBMC is very complex and one doesn't need to research or view YouTube videos to learn how to eat a sausage.

Now, I have done some more research and found an answer. So I'm directing this to frankharrison - hopefully he'll read this if he hasn't already found a solution.

To the new user, one must be aware and remember that downloading a video is not an actual function of XMBC. Nor is viewing it. Correct me if I'm wrong anyone (admin) but XMBC is an operating system like Windows XP, 7 or 8. Thus add-ons are it's versions of apps or "application programs." So, when you're viewing a video using an add-on like "1channel" or "IceFilms" it's the app (add-on) and not XBMC you're dealing with.

Yes Ned Scott, I know you've probably face-palmed and said aloud "Isn't this what I've told you?"

So frankharrison, by your original post I assume you were trying to download from within the Icefilms plug-in. I assumed that because your description.

Anyway, go to video/add-on and right-click the add-on where you will be presented with a menu. The menu will give you three choices, the last one being "Add-on Settings" You will find what you need from there.

OK guys ?
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#7
Its not an OS,

Sausage not burnt by eating,

Just turns it to poo.

/haiku
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#8
(2014-03-04, 05:46)Maseo Wrote: No, it's a system wrought with ambiguity. Despite your claims, XBMC is not intuitive.

Your sausage analogy is an oversimplification. XBMC is very complex and one doesn't need to research or view YouTube videos to learn how to eat a sausage.

Now, I have done some more research and found an answer. So I'm directing this to frankharrison - hopefully he'll read this if he hasn't already found a solution.

To the new user, one must be aware and remember that downloading a video is not an actual function of XMBC. Nor is viewing it. Correct me if I'm wrong anyone (admin) but XMBC is an operating system like Windows XP, 7 or 8. Thus add-ons are it's versions of apps or "application programs." So, when you're viewing a video using an add-on like "1channel" or "IceFilms" it's the app (add-on) and not XBMC you're dealing with.

Yes Ned Scott, I know you've probably face-palmed and said aloud "Isn't this what I've told you?"

So frankharrison, by your original post I assume you were trying to download from within the Icefilms plug-in. I assumed that because your description.

Anyway, go to video/add-on and right-click the add-on where you will be presented with a menu. The menu will give you three choices, the last one being "Add-on Settings" You will find what you need from there.

OK guys ?

You bring up a lot of good points, and you've explained the situation very well. I'd probably be one of the first people to say that XBMC could be a lot easier and more intuitive to use, and I don't disagree with you on that. It's more that you seemed to blame allowing add-ons for part of that complexity, that I took issue with.

Generally, users like OP aren't that common because people will first have to learn how to install an add-on before having issues with the add-on, and the first add-ons they come across are add-ons from the XBMC.org repo. It's a more gradual learning curve, where the user first becomes familiar with XBMC's basic functions, then explores more features, learns about those, etc. That learning curve can still be improved, and we try to do what we can do make the UI and settings better, but it's typically not as bad as what happens with OP, where they are dumped into the middle of what is typically considered "advanced" usage.

There's been a big increase in devices that have these add-ons preinstalled, along with a big increase in interest in those add-ons. XBMC.org can't really help those add-ons follow or develop usage standards because they violate our forum rules (wiki), which creates an unfortunate communication gap and community gap. It's hard to collaborate on "best practices" when the new popular add-on can put XBMC.org in hot legal water. Still, we allow users to install add-ons, because we're not here to police anyone. Open source is all about being able to use software however you want to use it. So if you want to blame the fact that XBMC allows third party add-ons, go ahead, but no matter how much XBMC's core becomes intuitive (or not), users will always have the option to use XBMC in ways we didn't think they would use it.
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#9
The decision from xbmc.org that it's not possible to download to a nas or a smb drive does have a direct effect for all xbmc addons, also for all third party addons.
I know that there are workarounds available like making use mounted drives.
For me personally it's not an issue. I don't download anymore, I prefer streaming.

If I would like to download is also no problem, my htpc does have a 1tb hard drive.
With syncback I will have the downloaded files synchronised in no time with my nas.
It's also still possible to download to direct connected hard drives, like the hard drive from my htpc.

I really don't understand the decision to make it impossible to download directly to a nas drive. We are allowed making use of sickbeard, couchpatato and jdownloader, with those programs you can download to a nas drive without problems.
Those downloaded files are also copyright protected.

The most problems occur with android boxes that still try to make use of the download function, although it's almost impossible to download directly to those boxes, ignorant new xbmc users will download till the android box is out of memory and crash.
These problems can be solved by making it impossible to download to an android box, and make it possible to download to any hard drive or cloud in a network.
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#10
As far as I know, there is no such limitation, at least not any intentional one.

I do know there are (were?) some issues with python add-ons in some situations not being able to fully understand XBMC's virtual file system, which is needed to use network paths/XBMC's internal file sharing clients. That, however, is considered a "bug" that we do want to fix.
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#11
(2014-03-04, 10:34)Ned Scott Wrote: As far as I know, there is no such limitation, at least not any intentional one.

I do know there are (were?) some issues with python add-ons in some situations not being able to fully understand XBMC's virtual file system, which is needed to use network paths/XBMC's internal file sharing clients. That, however, is considered a "bug" that we do want to fix.

I was told that by example in 'mashup' and 'what the furk' it's impossible to download to a nas because of the design made by xbmc.org
If that isn't true, then I would really like that to be changed.
The developer's of those addons mash2k3 and kinkin know what they are doing, they don't make crappy python xbmc addons like I read before on this forum.
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#12
Yeah, the current design of the virtual-file-system and how python interacts with it, limits that ability, but it isn't intentional. It's jus a design flaw/bug. XBMC does not and will never use technical limitations to prevent people from downloading or pirating or anything like that, good or bad. We have a "don't talk about it here" rule, but we leave the decision of how one uses XBMC up to the user.
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#13
(2014-03-04, 11:57)Ned Scott Wrote: Yeah, the current design of the virtual-file-system and how python interacts with it, limits that ability, but it isn't intentional. It's jus a design flaw/bug. XBMC does not and will never use technical limitations to prevent people from downloading or pirating or anything like that, good or bad. We have a "don't talk about it here" rule, but we leave the decision of how one uses XBMC up to the user.

If it's design flaw/bug, will this bug be solved in xbmc Gotham?
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#14
it is possible but the add-on needs to do it on their end. so there is no bug in xbmc, just a limitation of python.
first it needs to copy it to local temp and then to the final folder
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#15
Youtube addon does it well enough.
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Help with setting up a video download folder?0