Media file folder setup

[DSperber]

In the NextPVR config.xml you can simply add another top level directory that could point inside another folder.

Martin

I wanted to try out access to media files (other than TV) like pictures, video, music, etc., with both NextPVR UI on my Shield Tube as well as using NextPVR.exe on Windows (since they are the same UI).

Unfortunately, both access only the primary "C"-drive where the NextPVR server is installed. That's not where my media files are kept. They are on other drives (e.g. F, and others).

When I start looking for say "pictures" it presents a list of all folders on C. Not only do I not need to access 99% of the folders on C when looking for pictures, but it's really on drive letters other than C where I need to be looking.

Are you saying that config.xml is actually where this is controlled and that it can be updated to point to other high-level drives and/or specific folders? I'd actually like to be able to specify a "library-like" small set of folders which is the only thing I like presented at all. And drive letter should be part of that specification, so that no matter what drive the folder is on it would appear in this NextPVR media presentation browsing functionality.

Can you provide an example of what I should do in config.xml, say to access some non-C folder location?

Also, if it is possible to trim down the C-folders to present, where in config.xml would I edit in order to eliminate these?

[BrettB]

Are you saying that config.xml is actually where this is controlled and that it can be updated to point to other high-level drives and/or specific folders? I'd actually like to be able to specify a "library-like" small set of folders which is the only thing I like presented at all. And drive letter should be part of that specification, so that no matter what drive the folder is on it would appear in this NextPVR media presentation browsing functionality.

Can you provide an example of what I should do in config.xml, say to access some non-C folder location?

Also, if it is possible to trim down the C-folders to present, where in config.xml would I edit in order to eliminate these?

Did you try looking at your config.xml file? Specifically the section:

Code:

  <LibraryDirectories>
    <HideFileExtensions>false</HideFileExtensions>
    <HideDotDot>false</HideDotDot>
    <AllowVideoDelete>true</AllowVideoDelete>
    <HideFolderPngJpgInPictureLibrary>true</HideFolderPngJpgInPictureLibrary>
    <MusicLibrary extensions="^.+\.(mp3|ogg|m3u|wma|aac|wav|m4a|fla|flac)$">
      <Directory name="Default">C:\</Directory>
    </MusicLibrary>
    <VideoLibrary extensions="^.+\.(mpeg|mpg|m2v|avi|ty|avs|ogm|mp4|mov|m2ts|wmv|cdg|iso|rm|dvr-ms|ts|mkv|vob|divx|flv|m4v|3gp|rmvb|wtv|bdmv|lnk)$">
      <Directory name="Default">C:\</Directory>
    </VideoLibrary>
    <PictureLibrary extensions="^.+\.(bmp|jpg|png|tiff|tif)$">
      <Directory name="Default">C:\</Directory>
    </PictureLibrary>
  </LibraryDirectories>

[mvallevand]

I've moved your thread to the Windows forum because it has nothing to do with the thread you were hijacking. On Windows you can create these folder locations in the Settings->Media Folder section of NextPVR.exe. You can expressed valid concern about the NextPVR documentation but part of the issue is not looking at what exists. https://github.com/sub3/NextPVR/wiki/player-settings

If the folders are on a share there are other issues which can be solved if you search on the forum.

Technically other UI client users on other platforms but this needs users to edit config.xml

Martin

[sub]

If you look in config.xml, you can specify folders to be shown in the video library

Code:

<VideoLibrary extensions="^.+\.(mpeg|mpg|m2v|avi|ty|avs|ogm|mp4|mov|m2ts|wmv|cdg|iso|rm|dvr-ms|ts|mkv|vob|divx|flv|m4v|3gp|rmvb|wtv|bdmv|lnk)$">
   <Directory name="Local">D:\Videos\</Directory>
   <Directory name="Tardis">X:\Movies\</Directory>
</VideoLibrary>

NextPVR v4 used to have settings screens for adding directories etc, but they're not there in v5, which moved away from Windows-only (the settings screen was based around windows controls etc), and I haven't yet got around to creating v5 equivalent. For a while I wasn't sure if I was going to be using the UI client type interface, or replacing it with something else. It'll definitely be sticking around in v5, so I need to create some new settings screen stuff.

[mvallevand]

To avoid confusion sub is talking about web settings, NextPVR.exe does have the Setting I described above and noted on the wiki.

Martin

[DSperber]

If you look in config.xml, you can specify folders to be shown in the video library

Code:

<VideoLibrary extensions="^.+\.(mpeg|mpg|m2v|avi|ty|avs|ogm|mp4|mov|m2ts|wmv|cdg|iso|rm|dvr-ms|ts|mkv|vob|divx|flv|m4v|3gp|rmvb|wtv|bdmv|lnk)$">
   <Directory name="Local">D:\Videos\</Directory>
   <Directory name="Tardis">X:\Movies\</Directory>
</VideoLibrary>

Thank you. That was the simple example I needed to get started.

So now, the question is where do I appropriately post my questions about "media"? In a separate thread? Regarding NextPVR UI app (since I'm trying to use it on my Shield Tube) because it's failing? NextPVR server? As long as we're talking about media here in this thread, I'll just continue the discussion.


So below is what I've now installed into my config.xml. That made for good progress.  However I cannot actually play my MP3 or FLAC music files. Nor can I navigate to the mapped network drive letter locations:

Code:

    <MusicLibrary extensions="^.+\.(mp3|ogg|m3u|wma|aac|wav|m4a|fla|flac)$">
      <Directory name="Default">D:\MP3\</Directory>
    </MusicLibrary>
    <VideoLibrary extensions="^.+\.(mpeg|mpg|m2v|avi|ty|avs|ogm|mp4|mov|m2ts|wmv|cdg|iso|rm|dvr-ms|ts|mkv|vob|divx|flv|m4v|3gp|rmvb|wtv|bdmv|lnk)$">
      <Directory name="NextPVR Recordings">F:\WinTV\</Directory>
      <Directory name="Movies">s:\movies\</Directory>
      <Directory name="Videos">s:\MyVideos\Videos\</Directory>
    </VideoLibrary>
    <PictureLibrary extensions="^.+\.(bmp|jpg|png|tiff|tif)$">
      <Directory name="MyFiles">s:\MyFiles\Document\Miscellany\</Directory>
      <Directory name="Pictures">y:\agent\</Directory>
    </PictureLibrary>

(1) The music problem regards that D:\MP3 folder which is on a local drive to the Win7 (not Win10) machine on which NextPVR server is installed. I can navigate to it through the "Music" category on the main NextPVR menu, and then drill down into \MP3 one level to an artist folder, and and then drill down one level into an album folder, and then drill down into that album folder to correctly reveal the list of MP3 and FLAC files within that album folder. So far, no problem. The entire list of files is shown, being both MP3 and FLAC music files.

However when I then navigate down the list and select any one of them and push the OK button on the Shield remote thinking it should start playing I instead get a popup error message: "Music playlists need a play button". So no playing of the music file occurs.

The item I selected for playing is a single MP3 or FLAC file, not an M3U playlist. I don't have playlists. Who's confused here? I'm not trying to play a playlist.

So where does the fault lie here? NextPVR server? NextPVR UI app? Me? Something I'm doing wrong?

(2) For both "Pictures" and "Videos" my directory entries make use of mapped network drive letters "s" and "y" (hosted by another PC on my network named \\DFW). When I try to drill down into the names of the properly presented high-level menu items (i.e. "MyFiles", "Videos", "Movies", "Pictures") I get a popup message: "Directory unavailable". I assume it's because these are mapped network drive letters, and not local drive letters.

I did originally try the network location syntax format for these folders, which didn't use a drive letter. Instead it was, for example, coded as "\\DFW\F\Myideos\Videos\" but that didn't work either. That's when I decided to use the mapped network drive letter method, with similar lack of success.

I even rebooted and retried, thinking maybe NextPVR server had been initiated prior to my mapping of the network drive letters. So just to be sure they were available when the program started at boot time, I rebooted. However I still get "Directory unavailable". 

Seems like directories must be local to the NextPVR server? That's disappointing for me and my situation


Thoughts?

[DSperber]

Ok. I did a bit of experimenting myself. Looks like the problem is probably in the NextPVR UI app running on the Shield Tube.

Although I'm running Win7, the NextPVR.exe Windows app is still usable for playing live TV as well as media. So I launched the Windows app on Win7, and tried all of this all over again.

And, much to my surprise, everything that failed with NextPVR UI client app on the Shield Tube now DOES WORK using windows NextPVR.exe on the Win7 machine!

So:

(1) MP3 and FLAC music files played perfectly when I selected a track and pushed ENTER. Shouldn't the OK button on the Shield remote correspond to ENTER?

(2) Those mapped network drive letter locations for my Pictures and Videos directories, they were navigated to properly and I could drill down into those parent folders and then down into the sub-folders. And I was able to display or play the media files inside.


So NextPVR.exe Windows app running on Win7 has no problem with my config.xml. It is apparently NextPVR UI client app on Shield which is not behaving well.

[mvallevand]

Again, you aren't reading my posts. I specifically posted in this thread "If the folders are on a share there are other issues which can be solved if you search on the forum" so don't be disappointed, just spend a little more time researching the forum. The simplest way is to change the NextPVR Service to run with your user credentials.

Also in the post on the remotes for uidroid that I linked you earlier I posted " As an example music playback is not possible without the "Play" key" OK will start music, if you have ever clicked a Play button but since Back won't stop it, you need "long Play" to function as stop if your remote doesn't have a stop. On several occasions I have directed you to the remote key wiki link. If your Shield is the crappy original without the Play button you are SOL, but I did suggest getting a full remote gives you the best UI Client experience. I like RF remotes but you could even use an MCE remote with FLIRC. There is a thread on remote too.

Note music playing is enhanced in the next version of uidroid after sub release 5.2.4 if you have metadata tags in your music files.

Martin

[DSperber]

Also in the post on the remotes for uidroid that I linked you earlier I posted " As an example music playback is not possible without the "Play" key"  OK will start music, if you have ever clicked a Play button but since Back won't stop it, you need "long Play" to function as stop if your remote doesn't have a stop.

Note music playing is enhanced in the next version of uidroid after sub release 5.2.4 if you have metadata tags in your music files.

Martin

Ok. I don't know why I didn't think to push the PLAY button on the Shield remote. Sure enough, once I did that then on the next usage the OK button worked as well.

And as you say, the BACK button doesn't stop it, but "long-PLAY" did. My remote doesn't have a STOP, but I'm perfectly fine with long-PLAY, and now PLAY/OK for starting the playback on a selected file.

I just thought OK was an intuitive drill-down "go" for any function, with the logical intuitive likely the result. And apparently it is... just not the very first time you use it. A bit of an unexpected quirk, but I'm past it now. So this issue is now resolved satisfactorily.

And yes, all of my music files have the usual imbedded metadata information, including cover art within my FLAC files. For MP3 files I reverted to a single external common COVER.JPG file within the album folder, because many computer software media players will accept that alternative (as well as FOLDER.JPG, or imbedded art). For FLAC I started imbedding the art in every track because the physical Oppo players I have only look inside the metatdata for a displayable cover art picture. So playing FLAC music from the network through the Oppo players caused me to use that technique for FLAC.

Anyway, looking forward to your enhanced music playing experience when 5.2.4 comes out.

[DSperber]

Again, you aren't reading my posts.  I specifically posted in this thread "If the folders are on a share there are other issues which can be solved if you search on the forum" so don't be disappointed,  just spend a little more time researching the forum.  The simplest way is to change the NextPVR Service to run with your  user credentials.

Martin

Well, this remains unresolved.

I did find do a search on the forum for "network shares", with plenty of hits. Had to go down to page 3 where I found this very old thread titled "unable to use network shares in Videos" from 2008. It offered a solution to my own problem which was obviously the same as that of the poster in that thread.

Looking at SERVICES.MSC sure enough NextPVR service is logged on as "Local Service". Reading the solution offered on that thread along with your comment above, I was optimistic that changing it to my own credentials would solve the problem.

Unfortunately, it didn't work for me.  I changed the LOG ON properties of the NextPVR Service to have my own Windows logon  user name and password. Seemed to get applied properly. I then STOP'ed and START'ed the service, but NextPVR UI still complains about unavailable directory.

Looking at some other services I decided to try "Network Service" instead (which doesn't require any password). But that too is failing to let me get to the mapped network drive letter location.

Since it's actually failing it must be going through processing which perhaps is generating some logging. So is there some log output that I could now send you that would let you see if I'm doing something wrong? Obviously the config.xml directory information seems correct, and it works fine for NextPVR.exe using the Windows app on that machine. Same network drive letter location for both NextPVR UI and NextPVR.exe, but it's clearly usable successfully only by NextPVR.exe because of something else I must not have quite right.

Thanks for any help or guidance you can offer.