geozime weringerong perceval
Berk Boyraz
So, as everyone here likely already knows, Windows Media Center comes to an end with Windows 10 and with it that green button I've used for years with MediaBrowser. I remember Kodi from its XBMC days and to me it was one of the most convoluted setups I had ever seen but I see they have improved somewhat. With that said: it's still remarkably convoluted. However, with the unfortunate demise of the little green button I must look elsewhere for a suitable replacement and the only thing that came to mind was indeed XBMC/Kodi. So I installed it, downloaded the themes and other required packages, and got it running on my Windows 8.1 system. That was the fairly simple task.
However, now I am dealing with thousands of things that I just simply don't want. In Windows Media Center's MediaBrowser I had/am using the Pearl theme and have three sections setup: Animation, TV Shows, and Movies. All self explanatory. I was able to remove all the clutter and make it a seamless and simple experience. Naturally, since I have all the codecs installed I never needed to leave Media Center to watch anything.
On Kodi I have gotten as far as setting up a theme: 1080XF MB3. It, like all the other themes detected the library for the most part and pretty quickly picked up where I left off on WMC. With one exception: I can't seem to find a way to organize it the way I have it in MediaBrowser Classic or in any of the MediaBrowser applications.
So, my most important question: can I organize MediaBrowser on Kodi so that I have only 3 (or 4) sections: Animation, TV Shows, Movies, and Favorites just like WMC's MediaBrowser? Like I have in every other MediaBrowser application I use?
I personally use the modded version of Arctic Zephyr by im85288 on here but you can certainly have whatever you want on the homescreen. You simply remove the ones you dont want and point it to the bits you do want. For example, I have attached a photo of my home screen.
I hadn't even seen Arctic Zephyr until just now and will try it out. It looks really nice from the preview images and if I can customize it to show essentially what I have in Media Center that would be perfect.
By the sounds of it, with Arctic Zephyr I should be able to utilize Kodi as a replacement with minimal hoop jumping which is most important as the ease of use of Media Center once you have the codecs installed (the same ones that I'm sure Kodi will now take advantage of from the K-Lite Codec Mega Pack) it was pretty easy to use with a remote.
Yeah, exactly what I was going to say. And pressing Z during playback will stretch and shrink your image in several ways. If none of them fit you can do it another way where you can adjust horizontally and vertically independent of each other. Honestly, except maybe for live tv, WMC is shit compared to Kodi. Just my opinion though.
Also, the skin has nothing to do with the library or remote support. The same library is there when changing skins, it is just the views of it that may change. If a remote works in one skin it works the same in all other skins.
Yes I never understood that either. Setting up Kodi is so simple and you don't have to deal with setting up codecs. WMC sometimes crashed during video playback so I had to lay it to rest but still use it occasionally for live tv. The only reason I moved video to WMC was to use one program but the experience was not a good one.
To me I had the opposite experience. Of course, this was when it was XBMC but Kodi still retains some of those design philosophies. Kodi to me seems convoluted in the way they approach many aspects: especially the UI. I've noticed that every theme I have selected uses this little box to display episodes for TV or descriptions for Movies before pressing play. I am guessing its the underlying Kodi display. It doesn't look or feel right from a projector.
However, Kodi has crashed on me three times so far but I must keep am open mind as its either Kodi or Emby Theater. Kodi is the closes to WMC as one will get - I just need to get used to it and its flaws.
I will take a look into Aeon Nox as well; I do like the Arctic theme but it has one pitfall that I have encountered with all themes: that little box for episode listing or movie description that looks lime it was designed for a 17 inch monitor and not a 100+ inch projection image (thank you Wireless HDMI/WHDI)
Really? Setting up codecs for me was pretty plug and play; get both Mega Packs, install, select the filters and sound system, disable subtitles, enable hardware acceleration, and WMC (and pretty much anything else) can play pretty much any format without issues. And all it took was 10 minutes - when I first installed Windows 8.
I remember Kodi from when it was XBMC (early XBMC) so it left a bad taste in my mouth. Quite frankly, Media Center + MediaBrowser/Emby has been my ideal setup for years but we are all entitled to like whichever we prefer.
"Z" isn't exactly on the remote but it does recognize most buttons, I don't know if Kodi has its own built in volume like WMC does but when I pressed volume up it changed the Windows volume which was already at max.
I find the library: I just want it to be as simplistic as it is in WMC. Arctic is currently my go to theme as it does just that. I am still trying to see what works on the remote and what doesn't in Kodi. There really isn't a keyboard in the screening room. That's where the computer resides. As I hinted at above, I use Wireless HDMI to deliver 1080p content and 2.1-7.1 audio streams ti the room with the projector,
Don't you have a harmony remote? You can configure buttons in Kodi by editing the keyboard.xml but with a harmony you can simply configure keyboard entries.. You can configure buttons to go directly to recently added or pretty much any action available. I don't use a keyboard.
Not sure what centered box you are referring to. Why is losing lav disconcerting? I hated dealing with codecs. For one ff and rewind does not work with mkv videos and no way to manage subtitles with the remote.
If you are able to take a screenshot to show the box (no idea either, what you are referring to).... it might be possible to disable it.... Or are you talking about the Info dialog? If you are, then you can change the behavior by going to Settings > Videos > File lists > Default select action And select Play or resume.
I'm guessing the little box is the info screen? Not sure if the OP has explored many skins but most are now showing this in full screen..as can be seen here: -arctic-zephyr-skin-custom-version/?p=215497
Actually, a Harmony Remote is the one thing I never got around to purchasing. Never had the need for it but I know it can control the PC, Xbox One, and the Projector and I also believe the Surround Sound System and those other related things. The one thing I have to check if it can control the Wireless HDMI Transceiver. If it can, I would happily pick one up although I'm not entirely certain how Harmony connects to all those other devices or if it can connect to that many. The big four are PC, Projector, WHDMI, and Audio System.
The only reason losing control over LAV and the other codecs is disconcerting is because it makes it easy to universally control how all programs on the system playback audio and video. I never had a problem rewinding MKV videos and typically I force subtitles except for the essential ones (like if they are speaking a different language in a scene) off.
Since the three quotes here go together I figured I would address them at the end of the last quote. I think what I was seeing was a glitch that was bringing up Kodi's file browser or something that listed episodes in a very small square box at the center of the screen.
However, with that said, the info box is of concern to me as that doesn't display full screen either. I am in fact using Arctic Zephyr now but I will admit to the fact I haven't explored through all themes to determine one I like (though Arctic has been my favorite). However, it looks like the full screen info display version I have to pull from GitHub unless you've already merged those changes (I saw your name mentioned: I'm guessing you are the theme's designer im85288?) but this is what I get now (pulled from 1 movie and 2 TV shows - you'll have to forgive me, I have no idea how to take a screenshot in Kodi; I thought it was Control + S but it didn't do anything but bring up a drive list so I had to switch to windowed to get them as print screen didn't work either):
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