[jmarshall]

UPnP is not a filesharing protocol, it's a metadata sharing protocol. The URLs it shares are not stable, thus we cannot store them in the library as it currently is.

If you input your user/pass for your smb share, then you can select an option and XBMC will save that for later use. If it prompts you again then you entered the wrong credentials or have something else wrong with your network shares.

Cheers,
Jonathan

[coolspot18]

Does the library mode work with UPNP servers - in particular TwonkyMedia 4.18 and 5.12?

I tried getting XBMC AppleTV 9.11 to scan my UPNP shares but it just "hangs".

Library scanning works via SMB but is a bit slow (expected since it's scraping).

Any tips on getting UPNP + Library mode working?

Thanks.

[jmarshall]

UPnP is not designed to work with the library as the URLs are not stable.

Using a file-based protocol such as SMB is your only option.

[rdlemaster]

I'm curious about this. I understand that the URL's for the actual share aren't necessarily stable, but the video file names would be right?

I'm using MediaTomb and though one or two of my media clients will be running XBMC, I also may opt for cheaper hardware based solutions (ie: WD's media box, etc.). It is true that I could set up an SMB share and go that route for XBMC, but I'm confused about why a upnp client can't scape info on a movie solely from the filename. Just curious.

I know that there are media boxes that will do this. Are you saying it is just something that hasn't been implemented? If so then I'd be happy to help in doing so.

Thanks

[jmarshall]

XBMC has no idea what your files are named with UPnP - all it knows is the URL that twonky (or any other UPnP server) gives us. This can (and does) change. Thus, if you did scan your stuff into the library, at a later date you wouldn't be able to click on it to play the movie, as the URL will have changed.

We want to change the library completely (well at least clean it up a lot) and this is something we want to support - effectively we'd store metadata based on a title/year combination. You'd still just click on your upnp folders, but it'd now be supplemented with metadata.

Cheers,
Jonathan

[rdlemaster]

Hi Jonathon,

Thanks for the quick response. I must admit I'm not nearly as familiar with the UPnP protocol as I'd like to be. I've only just started to learn it. I'm curious though, if XBMC has no idea what the file names are, how does it then display them when I go to Videos and open up that directory?
If I understand you correctly, I suppose the issue would be if the url has the same file in different directories, etc.?

Thanks again, I'll continue studying the specs so this makes more since to me. Love the product btw, looks like there has been a great deal of work put into it.

Thanks,
Russ

[erlijus]

First of all, I am new here but really impressed with the overall quality of XBMC.

Here is my question.

I have a iTunes 9.0.2 media (mostly music) library on my main PC (Win 7). The "Music" folder in which media files are physically stored is shared via "HomeGroup" Win 7 feature (seems to create a UPnP media share).

Installed XBMC 9.11 on my old PC (Win 7 Home Premium) that I use as a media center. In XBMC Music category, I added the source corresponding to my music share (via UPnP, as it does not appear in samba shares). Then I launched the scan option to populate the XBMC database. Most tags were not imported, leading to the following problems:
* Track Number are non-existant, so when I browse an album, it is sorted alphabetically rather then by track number (and yes the option to configure the track name is correct, starting with [%T.]). When I look at the track properties in XBMC, indeed the track number is set to 0.
* Link between artists/albums/tracks seems to be broken somehow. If I browse by Album, I see the right tracks (it seems) in every albums. But If I browse by artists, the sub level of every artist is "Singles", no albums, and every track of that artist is under "Singles".

It is probably something I did worng during the importation, or something not working properly when importing via a UPnP share.

Thanks a lot for the pointers you could refer me to that could help me configure my music library on XBMC.

[prae5]

upnp sources cannot be added to the library and the url's they use are not stable and can and do change.

share your itunes library using samba and add content that way.

[erlijus]

Thanks for the answer, will try tonight to add my music via a samba share.

But why is there a UPnP option in the "Add Source" Menu if it is not to be used ?

[prae5]

You can use it in file mode.

Not much more i can tell you than that as i don't use it myself.

[jmarshall]

The issue with the tags not showing up correctly over upnp is separate to the issue that upnp shouldn't be scanned into the library.

You need to give us exact details as to how to reproduce the tag issue. Please check the latest nightly build as well - it may well have already been fixed.

[erlijus]

You need to give us exact details as to how to reproduce the tag issue. Please check the latest nightly build as well - it may well have already been fixed.

Here is what I am doing. Music Folder in kept organized by iTunes, with following structure : [Artist]/[Album]/filename. ID3 tags are up to date (as shown by File Properties under Win 7).

Sharing "Music" folder via HomeGroup Win 7 feature (creates a uPnP share, not SMB).

On Media Center PC, installed Win 7 Home Premium, then installed XBMC 9.11. In XBMC, first start, went straight to Music, then Add Source, then added the Win 7 Music share via UPnP. Did not Scan at first, did not choose "Library View". Even in File View, tracks were missing all ID3 tags info: no track number, no rating. Artists and Albums were correct though.

Hope this helps, will try the nightly build tonight.

[jmarshall]

I believe it has been fixed already then, yeah (certainly for some upnp servers, anyway).

[Vardnas]

Hi,

I’m currently running a NAS under debian. I have setup a UPnP between the server and a computer running under Windows 7 Ultimate x64 using mediatomb as mediaserver.
I’m currently experiencing a problem with the library mode (greyed out).
In videos, I chose to add source. I browsed and selected the UPnP devices options, selected mediatomb and the directory I wanted to add to XBMC.
After selecting the scrappers for movies (tried imdb, themoviedb and cine-passion) I ticked the run automated scan, recursive and use folder names for lookup options. In settings, I configured the specific scrappers (like enabling fanarts, disabling trailers etc.); then clicked OK to launch the scan.
That’s when, I think, the problem is as the scan pop up only appears for a second and I cannot go into library mode (greyed out).
The contents of the directories are correct and already contain the metadatas as they were already running under XBMC (9.11: Camelot) on windows 7 and I exported them to the server. Also, the movies I added work when I’m not in library mode (through streaming) but I can’t view the library.
Furthermore, to resolve my issue I tried reinstalling XBMC (9.11: Camelot), removing the files in APPDATA in the process and the addons too.

If anyone has any tips or solution about this issue please answer me.
Thanks in advance

PS: I’ve searched for this problem but couldn’t find any threads that answered it.

PS2: Didn’t know whether to post this thread in the linux or windows specific forums.

[spiff]

upnp is not a file sharing protocol. we cannot perform scrapes on upnp sources. the upnp server is supposed to be providing the info.