Feature Request: Device Naming & Management

[godbodian 54]

Would there be anyway the devs could add a device management/naming feature to MB Server?
 
Currently, MB3 runs all of our non-cable entertainment, therefore there are multiple devices connecting simultaneously, with that remote functions get pretty hard to distinguish when your a wife that could care less and just wants it to work or a 7 year old boy trying to watch Aliens in the Attic on the big TV controlled remotely by your tablet, when the prompt asks you which device?: MxHomeCPU1 or MxHomeCPU2.
 
 
If there was some sort of option to simply nickname these devices, it would greatly alleviate those moments when I'm watching The Avengers for the thousandth time and all of a sudden the screen goes black, a blue circle comes on the screen and Justice League comes on. (Nothing against JLA, aside from that sissy Superman.) Only to hear... oh sorry Dad, my fault.
 
What do you guys think?
(Sorry to the devs for putting this in the wrong forum. I realized it afterwards and could not move it to its proper position.)

Edited June 28, 2014 by godbodian

[Beardyname 194]

I think this is an great suggestion! But i have to ask what clients are you using ? Reason I ask is I only have 5 or so and the name they are using is quite logical.

 

In xbmb3 I believe I can set this name to whatever I want.

MBT uses the computers name,

 

Maybe It's a DLNA/MBC thing ?

 

The only DLNA unit have do also take the name i gave the device, so I'm just curious to how the names look for other players

[Koleckai Silvestri 1150]

Would definitely be a nice feature. Imagine having three Roku 3 devices on a network and they are all listed as Roku 3 without IP Address or Mac Address. Makes playing something with the remote a bit of a guesswork game.

[godbodian 54]

I'm on MBS & MBC through WMC and four Xbox 360s and one AIOCPU.

 

The additional clients or peripherals would be 2 Samsung Tabs, 3 Windows Phones, 1 iPhone & 2 Microsoft Surfaces.

 

While all the of the devices are used by my wife and I, our two teens and smaller children, what I find is they often use the devices in tandem with the smaller devices often becoming remotes for the bigger screened devices and their using the smaller screens only when the larger screens are unavailable. They and their usage were the inspiration to my post regarding my thoughts on a potential functional design principles for a Xbox app.

 

 

[With regard to consolidation, I think that the "mobile" UI's should work in a two or three fold/tiered process to best maximize on the ONE EXPERIENCE or "UNITY" of Microsoft devices. Where each device receives a number of "screening importance" between 1 and 3. Xbox Ones are always one, Windows tablets are two and Windows Phones are three. If all three devices are connected, number 1 acts as the main viewing medium, 2 relays any additional, noteworthy and DETAILED information about what is being viewed and/or acts as a remote control or primary viewing medium for number 3, number 3 acts as a remote control for either number 1 or 2 and offers minimal information. Otherwise if NOT connected or "joined in" each "unified" version acts independently and separately with no difference or distinction.]

 

I believe that these functionalities are key and core to general usage of none technical individuals, thus in keeping with that philosophy the remote system and device management system needs to employ an architecture that allows for device renaming so that those individuals that are less than technical can have the same seamless experience.

[overClocked! 63]

I think this is an great suggestion! But i have to ask what clients are you using ? Reason I ask is I only have 5 or so and the name they are using is quite logical.

I, too, love this idea. I do know that there are some devices that can be renamed via their built-in network settings. For example, Samsung TV devices can be renamed to a set of pre-defined options (Living Room, Bedroom, etc) or manually to whatever you want very easily. But for many devices, the process is not that straight forward. This would take the guess work our of it for Media browser server at least.

[godbodian 54]

True overClocked!, but what I've found is that the naming for Xbox 360s only applies to DLNA not MBC through WMC, in addition to the fact that other devices (of a mobile nature) name themselves based upon their architecture and often do not carry whatever limited nicknaming that they do allow, into direct device connections. Not to mention if you are the type of user as I, where some devices, you have multiple versions of the same device (2 Lumia 920s, 2 Samsung Tab 8.0, etc.), there is no real assistance for this.

 

For me and those like me, a nicknaming feature would be such an excellent addition.

Edited June 30, 2014 by godbodian