Quoting mediadogg:

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Quoting gbarbay:

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Let me re-iterate what I want to see.
DVDP is already a terrific collection management tool. I don't want to change that.  I simply want it to have the added ability to initiate playback of those titles by using the already stored video files and sending those files to an existing hardware or software media player, whether on the PC or across the network. Easy. 

Something still isn't clear to me. Do you have an aversion to plugins? If so, then fine, that's your choice. If not, I don't understand why you are discounting a potential solution that has been available for over 2 years. LoadDVD is a popular plugin (over 20,000 hits on that page of my web site), and has had quite a bit of testing and feedback. Even if you decide not to use it, there might be some benefit to using an existing attempt at a solution to compare and contrast what you want to see in the product. LoadDVD does everything that you have said you wanted. My latest release even gives you scripts for streaming network video to any device using the VLC player engine.

No, I do not have an aversion to plug-ins at all.  I am not discounting that as a solution.  I do need to explore LoadDVD further.  However, I would be surprised if it supports the STB's in the manner I have described.  Not because I think its a bad program, but just because this whole "store your video on a PC, but play on your TV over the network" thing is only now starting to really gain a foothold in popularity and I do not see a lot of support from anyone yet.

I did look at VLC streaming but it seemed to me that it's really an HTPC solution where you need VLC running at both ends for it to work.  For the Dune and other H/W players, I did not see that as a viable solution since I don't see how you can run VLC on these boxes.  It's certainly possible I am wrong here as I rejected this option pretty quickly.

Can LoadDVD really do everything I ask?  Can I sit down in my living room, turn on my Dune and my TV, bring up the interface as LoadDVD sends it to the Dune, click on a title and have it play? I ask this in all seriousness.  Since this is the Internet, I need to say that is not meant as a snarky comment at all.  That is at the heart of the additional functionality I am looking for.

Quoting mediadogg:

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As far as Dune or other STB support, did it ever occur to you to place your requirements on the box maker? Why don't THEY supply the missing functions? Dedicated appliances are almost by definition compromises that sacrifice flexibility and openess for simplicty and lower cost. What you want your STB to do is already superbly handled by a PC, running DVDP and other software. You made your choice.

Indeed, a good front end by the box makers would go a long way.  Unfortunately, the UI's on the boxes are still lacking.  Actually, I have my doubts they will ever have a decent all in one solution (collection management + playback) such as what we are seeing starting to emerge by the 3rd party software vendors.

Yes, STB's are a compromise. However, HTPC's have their issues as well and, as a rule, do cost a good chunk more than these dedicated units do.  <shrug> There will probably be a convergence sometime in the future, but I will worry about that when the time comes.  I am not putting down the HTPC route, but that is not the route I chose, at least for now. STB vs HTPC can degenerate into a religious discussion, so I'll leave it at that.

Quoting Mithi:

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Well, I don't know the Dune, but NMT-Devices are as far as I know not remote-controllable, so you are kind of putting the cart before the horse.

The Dune and Popcorn Hour boxes go out over the local network to grab content and can also play local attached content.  They have interfaces which allow you to browse and pick your show.  However, as I said above, these UI's are pretty bad right now.  An advantage they have though is the ability for 3rd party solutions to be used as the UI.  Programs like MyMovies, yaDIS, and Zappiti are the three that currently work with the Dune, which is the unit I am more familiar with.

Quoting Mithi:

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The way to go IMHO would be to create a "play-list" that can be browsed on the media-player. Said play-list can of course be as intricate as the player allows, meaning covers, overviews, cast- and crew-lists etc. pp.

cya, Mithi

That is the functionality I am suggesting.  The only difference is why worry about having to create a play list? I can browse and choose from my whole collection on the PC.  I want to be able to do the same thing on my media player.  Unless you are suggesting implementing the whole collection as a play list, then accessing it that way on the player.  Possible I suppose, if it allows me the access and UI experience I desire.

I was just looking through the Plugins download page to see if there was anything I wanted... when I saw something mention Dune. Which made me think of this thread.

It may not do what all you want... but thought you may want to look at it. Go to the Plugins Page and look (towards the bottom) for...

TviX Plugin.
Generate cover and outline images for TViX and HDI Dune multimedia player

Like I said... may not do everything you are looking for... but thought I would mention it to you anyway. Who knows... maybe between this and LoadDVD... maybe you will have close to what you want until Ken decided if he wants to add your request or not.

Quoting gbarbay:

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However, I would be surprised if it supports the STB's in the manner I have described.  Not because I think its a bad program, but just because this whole "store your video on a PC, but play on your TV over the network" thing is only now starting to really gain a foothold in popularity and I do not see a lot of support from anyone yet.

I did look at VLC streaming but it seemed to me that it's really an HTPC solution where you need VLC running at both ends for it to work.  For the Dune and other H/W players, I did not see that as a viable solution since I don't see how you can run VLC on these boxes.  It's certainly possible I am wrong here as I rejected this option pretty quickly.

Can LoadDVD really do everything I ask?  Can I sit down in my living room, turn on my Dune and my TV, bring up the interface as LoadDVD sends it to the Dune, click on a title and have it play? I ask this in all seriousness.  Since this is the Internet, I need to say that is not meant as a snarky comment at all.  That is at the heart of the additional functionality I am looking for.

Well of course not. I was baiting you to get you to focus on what was really important, rather than covering the waterfront. LoadDVD does in fact do most of it, but I understand that you are looking for a seamless solution that doesn't exist. Now it seems that you are getting some good feedback from others, I'll leave the rest up to you. Good luck!

Given my attraction to the graphic display in the opening post I decided to check out MyMovies to see what it could do.

Admittedly, I didn't play around with it for too long but here's what I discovered:

1. The basic display for the Collection Management version is ugly and unwieldy. There are no options to customize the display (as shown in the OP). Which makes me think the OP is for the Media Center version maybe.

2. The ability to add/remove data is not user-friendly and doesn't have anywhere near the versatility of DVDP.

3. While it IS a user build database with a points-system for contribution (which unlocks features...and excellent idea IMO) the ability to submit incorrect data is just as bad as Profiler.

There were other issues but you get the gist.

I had absolutely NO intention of moving away from Profiler but I wanted to satisfy my curiosity.

I'm someone who loves functionality (which Profiler has in spades) but also wants the 'prettiness' to go with it and it is in that area I think Profiler falls short.

Quoting gbarbay:

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The Dune and Popcorn Hour boxes go out over the local network to grab content and can also play local attached content.

I know, I have a HDX 1000 which has the same hardware as the Popcorn Hour, just slightly different GUI.

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An advantage they have though is the ability for 3rd party solutions to be used as the UI.

How exactly?

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Programs like MyMovies, yaDIS, and Zappiti are the three that currently work with the Dune, which is the unit I am more familiar with.

Again, what exactly do they do?

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That is the functionality I am suggesting.  The only difference is why worry about having to create a play list? I can browse and choose from my whole collection on the PC. I want to be able to do the same thing on my media player.

Well, somehow you have to put the data into the media-player. I only know the HDX and a kind of "website" to be browsed with the HDX itself seems to be the only way to go. (Which of course doesn't mean that there are other, better ways I simply don't know of)

And if this indeed were the way to go NO changes to DVD Profiler would be necessary, as the XML-Export contains all the data needed, it 'just' has to be transformed into the proper form.

cya, Mithi

Hmm, the more I'm re-reading the feature request I get the feeling you don't want to have new feature in DVDP, but you want to have a possibility to get on the data of DVDP from a Set Top Box, Media Player, ...

So this would be more a feature request to the producer of those devices. 

mediadogg/Mithi: I'll have to dig some into how specifically these programs do what they do and get back to you. I am still new to these other programs and real life is about to take a turn for the busy for me. I also plan to investigate other alternatives such as Zappiti and yaDis. Don't know much about these other two other than to say Zapitti is Dune specific ASFAIK.  So standby.

VirusPil: As I said earlier, it would be nice if the STB makers would handle this, but they don't, and their native UI's are clunky at best.  I made the request because I see other 3rd party s/w solutions emerging and I want my cake (DVDP) and be able to eat it (media box interface) too!    And, no I don't care if the functionality I want is through DVDP or through a plugin.  I only care about the overall user experience.

Pantheon: I am a newbie to MM as well and you are correct about its interface. Its also not the easiest program to get up and going from a new user standpoint.  I don't really do the online collection thing so I can't comment.    I do believe the I/F on MM can be improved by purchasing or unlocking more points. I don't yet know if this applies to the CM on the PC or only on the UI on the Dune.  I will say (just as a data point and not as a discussion point), that the MM developer is very active on his own forums as well as on AVS and he updating his program very frequently (like weekly). However, I will stop here as this is not meant as a MM vs DVDP feature by feature discussion. Believe me, if I thought that an alternative program was perfect for my needs, I wouldn't spend time here requesting additional features.  I would simply be using the other program!

Finally, let me apologize if I sound like a salesman for MM.  I only talk about it here because it is the alternative I am most familiar with and have not had a chance to check out the other alternatives. I have tried very hard to not come across as saying, "Well, MM can do this, that and the other, so I want DVDP to do this as well". However, I feel that some compare/contrast is necessary to show that what I am asking for is not some blue sky fantasy that is technically impossible. Rather, I have made some very specific functionality requests and only want to show that other programs are doing this now, however imperfect these other programs may be.  I want to emphasize this is not a "which program is better" discussion, but a "I like the DVDP user experience, but would like the added functionality of being able to have an I/F to a STB, and oh, btw, here is an example of another program which has all the functionality I want, which shows it can be done" discussion.

So, once again, after all the smoke and hype, there is nothing ...

@gbarbay: Actually I don't think you sounded like a MM salesman at all. You were giving an example of the functionality that you wanted. That's OK.

But I am annoyed that you had not fully explored the various options available in DVDP, before ranting about what you thought was not available. Well, nobody's perfect. That's OK too. I'll be around, if I'm lucky, after you do your research and give us an update on your thoughts. Best of luck. What you eventually learn, I'm sure will help us all. So do a good job, OK?