My Movies alternatives?

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JTScribe

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My Movies alternatives?

#1

Post by JTScribe » Sun Apr 10, 2016 3:56 am

My Movies recently made a huge change to the way they handle things . . . databases are now sync'ed with a server. There doesn't seem to be an option to turn this off, and you have to sync before adding titles.

This presents a problem to me because I use the program on two difference Media Centers - one with a "cleaned up" database for the kids to watch and one that is in a more supervised area so I don't stumble in and find them watching The Walking Dead or something . . . Kid HTPC has ~100 titles, the other has ~300. So intermittently titles from one will show up on the other, and if I go to add movies to the one it will demand a sync, then overwrite the database.

The lack of support or help on this issue from them is super annoying particularly considering I paid 50 bucks for the software and was at first willing to pay more if they'd give the option to disable sync . . . but that's water under the bridge.

I have shifted the vast majority of my collection over to Plex, so I could technically remove the software from the non-kid HTPC, but I have some 3D ISOs that obviously aren't recognized for playback by Plex.

So related, two-part questions.

- Is there a similar alternative to My Movies that can launch ISO files with Total Media Theater?

- failing that, is there a method to get 3D playback out of Plex in some sort of MKV container? *edit - on a current gen Roku 2.

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Crash2009

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#2

Post by Crash2009 » Sun Apr 10, 2016 4:44 am

How about.......Make the Kids login to the Kid Account. Then make the 100 Kid recordings only available in the Kid account.

Your account would have access to your 300 as well as the 100 in the Kid Account in case you want to add or remove.

We don't want the Kids watching the Naked Dead do we?

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#3

Post by JTScribe » Sun Apr 10, 2016 4:57 am

AFAIK there's no way to make a sub-account, you can make a second account, but then you lose access to external players or have to pay to unlock that feature again.

I'm fiddling with a second account and a database now to see how it works. Most of my collection is ripped to MKV; if I use something like LAVFilters to enable MKV playback in WMC, do you know if the subtitles can be switched on or off?

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Crash2009

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#4

Post by Crash2009 » Sun Apr 10, 2016 12:09 pm

My suggestions are alternatives to My Movies . I don't run that software and have no idea how to make it do what you want.

1) I was thinking more along the lines of a basic windows account named Kids. A limited account that cant be changed much.

2) make a folder inside the Kid Account, and place the 100 Kid Recordings in the Kid Folder.

3) set WMC Library to only see the Kid Folder. I think I would also edit the Kid Channels so they watch and/or record what you give them.

4) finally, make a Kid Image, and when they break it, re-image rather than trying to figure out what got broken.


I have never changed any of the default settings in Lav, but I see some adjustments that can be made within the Lav splitter.
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#5

Post by JTScribe » Sun Apr 10, 2016 12:36 pm

Ah, I see what you're saying. Yeah, the only reason I'm not using the built-in movie library is because of 3D ISOs. There aren't many but they get watched.

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Crash2009

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#6

Post by Crash2009 » Sun Apr 10, 2016 2:28 pm

JTScribe wrote: the only reason I'm not using the built-in movie library is because of 3D ISOs
I don't get it, what is so special about 3D ISO's?

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DavidinCT

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#7

Post by DavidinCT » Sun Apr 10, 2016 2:56 pm

Crash2009 wrote:
JTScribe wrote: the only reason I'm not using the built-in movie library is because of 3D ISOs
I don't get it, what is so special about 3D ISO's?
I gave up on ISOs a while ago, I use MAKEMKV to rip the Blu-ray with no compression, a direct rip. No problem with 3D movies in WMC built in library. Not that I have a TON of them but, the 4-5 I have play back fine.
-Dave
Twitter @TheCoolDave

Windows Media Center certified and WMC MVP 2010 - 2012

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#8

Post by JTScribe » Sun Apr 10, 2016 6:04 pm

Crash2009 wrote:
JTScribe wrote: the only reason I'm not using the built-in movie library is because of 3D ISOs
I don't get it, what is so special about 3D ISO's?
Windows 7 won't natively mount an ISO from the built-in movie library AFAIK. You need an external program to coordinate the ISO load (where My Movies come in) and then the Blu Ray playback software will autolaunch.
DavidinCT wrote:
Crash2009 wrote:
JTScribe wrote: the only reason I'm not using the built-in movie library is because of 3D ISOs
I don't get it, what is so special about 3D ISO's?
I gave up on ISOs a while ago, I use MAKEMKV to rip the Blu-ray with no compression, a direct rip. No problem with 3D movies in WMC built in library. Not that I have a TON of them but, the 4-5 I have play back fine.
So you can rip a 3D Blu Ray to MKV and have it play back within Windows Media Center without an issue? What third-party codecs are you using?

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mcewinter

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#9

Post by mcewinter » Sun Apr 10, 2016 7:12 pm

You can get MC to launch ISO with Virtual Clone drive and mikinho's Mount Image (linked below). Now just point the native library to specific child friendly folder.

https://www.redfox.bz/virtual-clonedrive.html

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1pzR0 ... RVdjA/view

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Crash2009

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#10

Post by Crash2009 » Sun Apr 10, 2016 8:06 pm

Yup. That's exactly where I was going after that "loaded question".....

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/11071/au ... ia-center/
http://techmovieshare.blogspot.com/2015 ... enter.html
http://open-media-community.com/2013/12 ... ia-player/

There are lots of choices out there...

MceWinter has suggested the most supported idea.

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#11

Post by JTScribe » Sun Apr 10, 2016 10:54 pm

Interesting. I'll have to fiddle around with it and decide if it will work for me. It's only detecting the disks I ripped to VIDEO_TS folders at the moment.

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