Bad experience for a first time user of XBMC

Yah, XBMC rocks! But like anything it can always be improved and it's good to see threads like this have an effect once in a while. It's good to know that team XBMC is open and receptive to ideas. It only makes for a better experience.

spoco2 Wrote:So, yes, this will be my media center software from now on!

I'm glad to hear that you stuck though it. The learning curve is a bit steep but it gets easier with time and the program just keeps getting better.

Awwwww, i love a happy ending.

poofyhairguy Wrote:That is why I personally have problems with a "bounty for features" model. It is VERY hard for non-developers to understand the work (and therefore the value) needed for particular features. The site would have tons of bounties that no one will touch (because the task is WAY harder than any non developer would figure) that would create some sort of pressure for the non-paid developers ("This one bounty is very high so that means the feature is wanted, why don't developers do anything!?!?!?!?").

For example the divx/GT2x0 bug is NOT a trivial thing. In fact after messing with it I am fully convinced that the root of the problem is in Nvidia's driver which they may never fix. But the bounty for it would sit on the site forever as a black mark on XBMC.

The last problem with a bounty system is that XBMC (or more specifically FFMPEG) is a legal landmine. Whoever gets paid to develop XBMC opens themselves up for being responsible for infringements (since there is then money to get the attention of the media overlords) of FFMPEG. Ask Firefox about x264 support and they will tell you- media decoders are nasty business legally. This community is left alone because no one profits from XBMC. When that changes, so do the rules...

I do like this bounty for features model although it is very hard to apply in Open Source software with many upstream providers. In my opinion, it will create a natural supply and demand chain for features and devs are rewarded (and the donations should go to devs and not to expenses).

But your last argument (legal) is very debatable. Even with XBMC, code needs to be committed in order to be available, paid or not. The only difference is there is a second trace of the committer: a financial one. But that one could be covered just as easy as the technical one. But that is not even the point since copyright is no problem with XBMC (thnx Wiso!); just conform to the GPL.

The only problem is patents. And not the code which is breaking them; FFMPEG is at risk. Only distributing them is the danger for media players (decoders) like XBMC. And alone in countries with software patents. That's the reason why many Linux distributions offer the option to install FFMPEG afterwards. For easy distributing XBMC, it would be great if FFMPEG could be installed and compiled afterwards with Addon Manager.

I hear this argument quite a lot within media related open source communities but I doesn't hold back parties like Boxee to go commercial. And they (or any other who ships FFMPEG and won't pay MPEGLA) also are left alone while having lots of venture capital. Still, they use the same software, the same license and a EULA.

natethomas Wrote:Ask and ye shall receive, at least to some small extent, guys. With the just released RC1, when you add a source, you are prompted to set content right then and there.

Very well then.

I would like to suggest moving skin specific options (custom_SkinSetting_1111.xml) to "Appearance" category. Those skin options are about appearance after all.It is very confusing for a newcomer (at least for me was and still is) that almost everything is under Appearance->Skin (including changing of skin theme) but still fine tune skin in separate settings category.

I suppose a simple line "skin options", under the -theme or -fonts, linking to "custom_SkinSetting_1111.xml" would improve user experience and make things more intuitive and consistent.

Robotica Wrote:For easy distributing XBMC, it would be great if FFMPEG could be installed and compiled afterwards with Addon Manager.

At some level XBMC is tied at the hip to FFMPEG. Without it, XBMC is pretty much useless. Distributing XBMC without FFMpeg is like selling a car without an engine- worthless to most people. Especially that new Windows base that has been added (yes Windows folks, I just implied you are less tech savvy and I am sure you know why- no offense).

NOTE: I am not saying XBMC does not add value to the FFMPEG chain. It obviously does. But without FFMPEG, XBMC would be a shell of its current self. No one argues that.

Quote:I hear this argument quite a lot within media related open source communities but I doesn't hold back parties like Boxee to go commercial. And they (or any other who ships FFMPEG and won't pay MPEGLA) also are left alone while having lots of venture capital. Still, they use the same software, the same license and a EULA.

We don't know what deal Boxee cut. Maybe they do pay MPEGLA for every box sold. Maybe the new version of Boxee no longer uses FFMPEG as the engine for that reason (that would explain a lot actually). We don't know.

And the fact that Boxee got one time funding is nothing to the MPEGLA. They are the epitome of "evil geniuses:" they wait for a consistent revenue stream to ask for their money. One time donations to people who contribute to XBMC don't cross that line, but a solid financial distribution method out in the open (only way to do it) just might.

Finally, I am scared about more than just royalties. I feel that once XBMC gets big enough content companies might come after this community because XBMC is basically an iPod without iTunes (and they LOVED that). Everything XBMC stands for is an affront to their core business models, and I think the best thing about the project is that it is not tied to one person, or group of people for them to target. Heck, there isn't even a webpage now with a list of XBMC developers! Change to a monetary development system and names WILL be in the open (otherwise who the heck will put up money) and that paints targets on the backs of the fine developers behind XBMC...

orph Wrote:First post... also coming in from Media Portal.


TV Show importer... did not work.
- 1 series: Firefly Season 1. It just won't download the info. I even renamed them all to match the wiki instructions to the T. Nothing. Tried different settings, removed and re-added the source. Nothing.

Hopefully a solution will be found.
Thanks!

important note on TV shows:
DVD order, Absolute order and Aired order *DO* make a difference in how your shows get listed in the library. How you name your files can be very important in getting them to scrape successfully. and little of that has much to do with XBMC actually, its more the site being used for scraping.

for most of the time DVD or Aired order are what you want. which one depends on how your files are named based on the source you got them from. for example, my firefly came straight from my DVD's so i use DVD order and the file names are set up that way.
my big bang theory is recorded tv and so i name them accordingly (for a perfect example, go to thetvdb.com and pull up firefly, look at the differences between the aired order and the DVD order.

read this. seriously. its not too long and it will make scraping your tv shows SOOOOO much easier (i tried to figure it out without reading that first. after reading it, i sought out a hammer to hit myself in the head with for not reading first)
http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=TV_...mbering.29

I'd like to chime in and reinforce a feature request the OP made: please provide an overview how the last scrape(s) worked, what errors were encountered, what movies not recognized etc.
If you have a big library I found it a big hassle to check if everything got picked up right.

I have only had a XBMC box for maybe a month and a half....I got the darhma freak live version installed and have everything running on it I have wanted to....except roms but I haven't tried yet either...lol
I can honestly say that I am pretty sure that I had not even seen Linux let alone tried to do anything in it before

you don't have to be Linux savvy...just have to search a little
althoug I am building a second box built on I3 because I need a newer pc to do other things like ripping and encoding so why not make it multi purpose

maybe I got lucky because knowing Im not in my comfort zone then i get curious....when I see a settings option on the screen then i go into it.....when I see set content then i go into it....who would have thunk it....lol

Although with how excellent XBMC is.....I have not been able to find a way for it to wipe my a$$ for me and have not been able to find any documentation for it either....what a crap (no pun intended) UI
and it won't hold me tight either
I WANT JUSTICE!!!!

lol.....my rant wasn't aimed at anyone...ok maybe one...lol

I do have to say Thanks though for a wonderful program that a few choice selections works like a charm.....and I'm truly pissed it took me so long to find this!!!!

pecinko Wrote:I suppose a simple line "skin options", under the -theme or -fonts, linking to "custom_SkinSetting_1111.xml" would improve user experience and make things more intuitive and consistent.

And while I'm talking about consistency:

Maybe Programs could be renamed to Addons/Apps and maybe have its own "library". Addons could be installed and managed similar to add source and setting up content. Addon setting currently placed under left menu should be maybe placed in settins/addons section.

Thus addons options are in settings section. Programs hold all of Apps and behave as video or music sections. Custom Addon buttons could then be used for one's favourite Apps from Music, Video and Pictures sections (as in Confluence).

This seams to me more in line with XBMC philosophy.