Advice on update on setup in NPVR

[halls999]

Hi
Looking for some advice on updating my NPVR setup

Currently run 1 tv with a wired popcornhour a110, internal 1 tb disk, networked windows 7 pc. It works well for me but whenever I try to change someing in the past. like adding a plugin, I always end up with a load of heartache as dont really know what I am doing

NPVR is the standard setup skin and watch and record tv from the TV Guide and have a small library of recorded films in Videos. Anything i source elsewhere Ie DVD, I copy to hard disk on popcornhour because it will usually play with no issues.

The Big Question!
Does anyone have a good setup that works well for them using multiple popcornhours? that includes many of the updated features that are available from the plugins such as Movie and Music Jukeboxes, search plugins,Internet services such as Netflix, Upgraded Epg options/Automated Epg Options. Do these options need to be loaded individually or is their a installation package available or an idiot step by step that will allow me.

I am looking to update my setup so that I can watch 3 Tvs using same system.

First step is to purchase a couple of additional Popcornhours so that I have a popcornhour for each tv.
Is this the best extender or are their any benefits in going for one of the other supported extenders?


I would like to play direct from DVD on occasions but only have space for Dvd Player in one location.
Am I correct that I can purchase an external usb dvd, maybe Bluray(Any Suggestions on makes that work well), and connect to Popcornhour and see this device from any of the other two and play through the other two?

Is it best to use the popcornhour internal drive to store files or a networked drive. Can you play files from the popcornhour from NPVR Menu? Any good tips on Popcornhour intergration with NPVR



Steve

[mvallevand]

Does anyone have a good setup that works well for them using multiple popcornhours? that includes many of the updated features that are available from the plugins such as Movie and Music Jukeboxes, search plugins,Internet services such as Netflix, Upgraded Epg options/Automated Epg Options. Do these options need to be loaded individually or is their a installation package available or an idiot step by step that will allow me.

There is really no special installation instructions for plugins required for one or more NMT's. If you install for the PC client the NMT clients will automatically use the same settings.

Netflix is available via PlayOn only so you might prefer a PC client.

First step is to purchase a couple of additional Popcornhours so that I have a popcornhour for each tv.
Is this the best extender or are their any benefits in going for one of the other supported extenders?

It is the only supported HD extender. The hoice should be whether or not you wanted to use a PC.

I would like to play direct from DVD on occasions but only have space for Dvd Player in one location.
Am I correct that I can purchase an external usb dvd, maybe Bluray(Any Suggestions on makes that work well), and connect to Popcornhour and see this device from any of the other two and play through the other two?

If you can share the drive and the contents are not encrypted, you might be able to do it but the streaming speed from optical disk media isn't ideal.

Is it best to use the popcornhour internal drive to store files or a networked drive.

It is possible to configure mvpmcx2 to play from the internal drives instead of streaming, but it isn't best, in fact in your environment with multiple PCH's it could be a negative.

Can you play files from the popcornhour from NPVR Menu?

Yes to NextPVR it just looks like any share.

Any good tips on Popcornhour intergration with NPVR

Sub has done the integration work for you. Don't spend too much time trying to answer questions on your own.

Martin

[steeb]

I was going to write a reply but as usual Martin nailed it! But then thought I would respond any way!

My only advice would be before you go out buying MORE PCH's make sure you have the set up working that you would like with the extender you have.

sub and Martin have built in to NextPVR the ability to add (depending back end capability - A World of options!) Just reading through what you intend I would suggest perhaps a centralized source of media content would be a good way to go (like a NAS) otherwise you would be relying on the storage capability of one Popcorn Hour feeding the others? And that PCH would then have to be on the whole time?

There are no Idiot's guides as far as I know. And I think I have a vague understanding because I help do the wiki and I would love to make it more simple! That is not the way... :-(

AS to BluRay and DVD I have not tried it myself and am sure others will let you know but of course whatever you link via them to PCH they will only handle true authored DVD/Blu Ray (no mimics/copies?) and I don't think beyond anything other than locally. Though I would love to be told I am wrong here!

cheers

steeb

[Jaggy]

Martin has already replied to this message but I just thought I would add my 2c to it.

It works well for me but whenever I try to change someing in the past. like adding a plugin, I always end up with a load of heartache as dont really know what I am doing

You are not alone on that front, I went through the exact same thing when I started out (way back when) with every plugin etc. causing me all sorts of strife. What I did in the end was got myself a crappy fairly low spec spare PC as a test PC to try things on first before installing them on the production server & since then most things have worked just fine.... go figure....

I have posted an auto run script for multiple servers & the NMT's on the wiki which is what I use to jump between my production server & my test PC with the NMT's.

The Big Question!
Does anyone have a good setup that works well for them using multiple popcornhours?

Yes I have four NMT's running 99.9999999999% just fine (there is a slight issue for me with NMT lockups when playing back some glitchy h264/HE-AAC recordings that Martin is looking at right now, but apart from that.....)

that includes many of the updated features that are available from the plugins such as Movie and Music Jukeboxes, search plugins,

Yes I have just about every plugin for NextPVR installed & running just fine on the NMT's. There are one or two that don't work with NMT's so you need to read the instruction first.

First step is to purchase a couple of additional Popcornhours so that I have a popcornhour for each tv.
Is this the best extender or are their any benefits in going for one of the other supported extenders?

There are no other supported extenders that will do what you want but there are other derivatives of the A110 like the EGreat m34a that will do the same job (I have 2 of these as well as 1xA100 & 1xA110)

Is it best to use the popcornhour internal drive to store files or a networked drive. Can you play files from the popcornhour from NPVR Menu?

None of my NMT's have internal drives fitted as I don't want the noise of a drive spinning while watching TV & I just play everything back from the server, but I can see a use for having a drive fitted for playing back some files.

[halls999]

Appreciate the time taken to reply. Given me some good direction. Currently use a pc client and yoyo between using network drive and popcorn internal. I think I ditch using the popcornhour internal and stick to a network drive. I have just downloaded Jaggys(Thanks for the hard work) blueretro v+ and like it a lot. Decent size fonts for us with poor eyesight. Going to play with that getting all I want on it and see how I go. Then source another couple of a110's and replicate. Thanks Steve.