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+--- Thread: Why use a media manager software to handle artwork when XBMC does it automatically? (/showthread.php?tid=88277)
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Why use a media manager software to handle artwork when XBMC does it automatically? - outleradam - 2010-12-21
Why are there so many media managers out there to download custom graphics when they are freely available and automatically scraped when added to XBMC's library?
I just don't understand the purpose. There are so many threads on these forums where people need to know how to properly name a picture for a folder, where to get fan-art images, how to add a picture. There's even "packs" you can download with images for movies. I see so many people asking about how to add a picture and nearly no questions on how to properly name or format NFO or EDL files. Why?
Why would anyone bother to manually download a file and name it when it's freely available and automatic?
- YodaEXE - 2010-12-22
Well, I don't know about others, but I like having all the files on my machine. That means that if I need to rebuild my library I don't have to worry about whether or not all the sites are up and working properly and whatnot. It also decreases the rebuild time immensely. I have the storage space and I don't mind the extra files, so I see no reason not to have them there and save me trouble in the future.
- mcborzu - 2010-12-22
I like my Movie Library to be perfect:
I hate ugly Poster with tons of cast/quotes all over them - I try and use GetVideoArtwork.com posters
So many Movies have tons of fanart (Dark Knight) I went thru my Library and picked out what I like best
I dislike genre field having 8-10 entries, I went thru each one and only specified one genre per movie
Sort Title and Sets
Once you do it once it's set like that forever
Short answer - some people like to tweak and like total control over how things displayed. Plus customizing is easier with a desktop program rather than thru XBMC GUI...
- ralob - 2010-12-22
mcborzu Wrote:I like my Movie Library to be perfect:
I hate ugly Poster with tons of cast/quotes all over them - I try and use GetVideoArtwork.com posters
So many Movies have tons of fanart (Dark Knight) I went thru my Library and picked out what I like best
I dislike genre field having 8-10 entries, I went thru each one and only specified one genre per movie
Sort Title and Sets
Once you do it once it's set like that forever
Short answer - some people like to tweak and like total control over how things displayed. Plus customizing is easier with a desktop program rather than thru XBMC GUI...
I am exactly the same way. I much prefer to have total control over what is displayed.
- htpc guy - 2010-12-22
I agree with the statements above. I like having complete control. Also my front end does not have an optical drive. I like being able to rip/download my media with ember on my desktop (where the media is stored) and then update my library only when new content is added. Then I don't interrupt my wife or daughter when they are watching something.
- outleradam - 2010-12-22
^^ That does not make sense. You can copy a file into the proper folder and update the library at a later time.
Artwork gets better with time, for instance.. would you want a 10 year old cover for full metal jacket, or would you want the HD one that is available now and automatically generated? What I find really puzzling, noone seems to pay much attention to adding NFO files. That information is static and pretty much required as more and more movies with the same name are added to the collective databases.
People want to have outdated and/or static fanart, I can understand that... But most do not care about NFOs which ensure their movie and show recognition does not get worse over time?
- stoli - 2010-12-22
Adam - Ember creates the NFO, that was exactly mcborzu's point. Through Ember it's simple to control what goes into the NFO and thus xbmc. Ember is also a heck of a lot better interface for previewing the artwork...
- dandirk - 2010-12-22
I prefer the apps due to custom nfo information as well. I also save fanart and posters, if some bug me I will go through and see if there are updates.
As others have mentioned, customizing titles, sort orders, groups etc take a lot of time for large collections. Many of us also rebuild XBMC quite regularly (I have less and less lately). So nfo/files greatly improve the time it takes to rebuild.
Sure XBMC can export to nfo, which is a very nice feature. I just find its easier to use a separate app. I rip and create nfos on my puter, then copy them over to my server. XBMC will then pick it up when I update the library without any issues.
So essentially its preference. Until they add our media db to the "cloud", I will use a nfo app.
- vinistois - 2010-12-22
I use ember to scrape my movies, because leaving it to xbmc it often gets the wrong movie, due to weird movie file names that are downloaded.
Ember has a really nice renaming script built-in, so all my folders and files are named properly, with the year in the title.
This problem is being alleviated by couch potato, which renames my files for me, but I still scrape with ember.
Ember also generates a folder.jpg, which helps when viewing your stuff in files mode, because otherwise all you get is a bunch of white folder icons.
- AnalogKid - 2010-12-22
Reasons to use external app / self configured data....
1) IMDB / TVDB / etc may not be around forever
2) I have artwork at HIGHER resolutions than those sites offer
3) XBMC's export appears to export 'compressed' thumbs which aren't of the same quality as the original source thumbs
4) XBMC can READ thumbs in a number of file naming schemes, but can only export in one. If the export isn't to your liking, tough.
5) Many movies aren't listed on IMDB, so there is still going to be a need for manual / 3rd party scraping
6) Not everybody has internet. Some installations might have restricted access / bandwidth.... try 1000 movies on a slow internet connection
7) XBMC decides which cover to use, which may not be to my liking, therefore I then have to effectively do a manual selection to choose a different cover. This process is slow with 1000 movies.
8) There are some idiots who can't spell / type / use consistent naming for movies / tv etc... XBMC has no facility for correcting such mistakes in NFO files... you have to do it manually... so may as well use a good app to aid that process.
9) XBMC is very good at 90% of things and reasonable at 10%. Why shouldn't I use a tool that is excellent at that 10% (library management) ?
10) There are some features that XBMC simply doesn't support (but the skins do) - such as multiple fanarts, multiple thumbs, disc images etc.
11) The presence of these 3rd party tools probably indicates a need of some sort. i.e. there's a market for them. Many of the users of these tools are VERY experienced with XBMC. Chances are, they've thought it through and reached the conclusion that 3rd party library managers do 'add' something more than XBMC can provide. I would be one of those people.
12) Your premise that artwork will get better in time is false. New movies WILL have better artwork, but older movies are highly unlikely to. In fact, older movies are more likely to LOSE their artwork or disappear from scraping sites. I have seen a number of instances where artwork has been taken down and lost forever. I'd rather host my own copy of that artwork at the maximum resolution I could obtain at the time.
I could go on all night...
- BigO - 2010-12-22
I want to interject on this topis to a degree, if anyone feels i should make a new topic i will but its really close to what is being talked about here.
I do use ember as well for alot of the reasons listed above. My one question though is:
Does XBMC use the movie.nfo as a reference but still copies stuff to its local DB?
I ask this because while i have space on my file server i have an SSD in my XBMC and would rather the information be stored there so that access that info is super quick.
I don't use the library mode much and used the files view more often then not and without using ember i am unable to get fanart to show in that view correctly.
- mcborzu - 2010-12-22
BigO Wrote:I ask this because while i have space on my file server i have an SSD in my XBMC and would rather the information be stored there so that access that info is super quick.
Yes, once scanned XBMC stores the info in /userdata folder. The only time it would "pull" from the source location is if you're in 'Files' mode or using unsupported images - logos/extrafanart/etc...
- clackerdacker - 2010-12-22
I use Ember for all the above reasons but one major reason, for me anyway, I haven't seen mentioned yet is the ability to use other than MPAA ratings. I'm don't live in the USA and these have no reference to me. I like that I can have Australian ratings or a mixture of applicable country ratings where the source for whatever reason isn't available down here.
- outleradam - 2010-12-23
Those are all real reasons. Analog kid really broke it down for me. Thank you.
I use mythicalLibrarian to categorize, document and import about 40 gigabytes of recordings per day. Most of which I will never even watch... Sponge bob, Scrubs, some random movies which came up in conversation that I decided to record.... I'm not a big fan of those shows, but I have a DVR setup with MythTV>mythicalLibrarian and it's all set up automatically. In my case, a media manager would not be appropriate.
I now fully understand the desire to have granular control over a library and what it provides. Thank you for the insight.
- isamu.dragon - 2010-12-23
For me, it keeps everything universal.
If 1 movie/TV Show has a certain poster, then all XBMC Builds in the house have that same poster.