Use Emby to share library in Kodi

[elche99 0]

Hi to all.

I would use Elby to share my existing kodi library setup on a win7 system to give access to it to other 2 Kodi install (one vero4k sustem and one android tv)

I want to avoid that emby could break something if not managed in the right way when it scrapes files that are already in a Kodi library.

Do you know where I can find some guides to manage in the right way this full process?

[mastrmind11 722]

It doesn't work that way.  Either Emby controls your library db or Emby does.  However, I will say that I originally migrated from a Kodi mysql backend to Emby, and the transition was seamless.  Granted I didn't customize fanart, backdrops, etc very much prior to migrating, so ymmv.

[kanipek 230]

Hi to all.

I would use Elby to share my existing kodi library setup on a win7 system to give access to it to other 2 Kodi install (one vero4k sustem and one android tv)

I want to avoid that emby could break something if not managed in the right way when it scrapes files that are already in a Kodi library.

Do you know where I can find some guides to manage in the right way this full process?

 

Emby can replace your Kodi database. Can't be used to share your current kodi database. That being said I think it will do what you are wanting to do, but not the way you're thinking of.

 

It is really simple to set up Emby, a little more complicated to get it to sync to Kodi. But it is totally worth it.

 

You should look at the supported folder structure that Emby needs - not to different from what Kodi requires if at all. I recommend you that if you are not storing your metadata with your video files that you go that route when you are setting up Emby, will make it easier in the long run.

 

Also I have to say this - I was a long time Kodi user. Back to the X-Box Media Center days. It kept getting better and better but also more complicated to setup and maintain at least for me. So I finally switched to using Emby clients and I am very pleased. There is less customization in Emby, but it just works. Server up and running, load a client and you are off and running. So take a look at the various Emby clients - Emby Theater for windows and Emby for Android/Android TV. They are really coming along and worth a look.

 

Setting up Emby is pretty easy. But you may have some questions. Feel free to post here or if you like you can PM me.

[mastrmind11 722]

^^ this.  I was an XMBC user from the beginning, switched to Emby clients roughly a year ago and haven't skipped a beat.

[elche99 0]

Emby can replace your Kodi database. Can't be used to share your current kodi database. That being said I think it will do what you are wanting to do, but not the way you're thinking of.

 

It is really simple to set up Emby, a little more complicated to get it to sync to Kodi. But it is totally worth it.

 

You should look at the supported folder structure that Emby needs - not to different from what Kodi requires if at all. I recommend you that if you are not storing your metadata with your video files that you go that route when you are setting up Emby, will make it easier in the long run.

 

Also I have to say this - I was a long time Kodi user. Back to the X-Box Media Center days. It kept getting better and better but also more complicated to setup and maintain at least for me. So I finally switched to using Emby clients and I am very pleased. There is less customization in Emby, but it just works. Server up and running, load a client and you are off and running. So take a look at the various Emby clients - Emby Theater for windows and Emby for Android/Android TV. They are really coming along and worth a look.

 

Setting up Emby is pretty easy. But you may have some questions. Feel free to post here or if you like you can PM me.

Many thanks for your prompt answer.

My understanding is that installing Emby I must "build" an Emby catalog/library that in my case will be based on the same files that now are indexed in the Kodi library.

I have mainly 2 concerns:

1) I want to be sure that Emby catalog/library building doesn't affect in any way the Kodi library so if i change my mind I can stop my "Emby experiment" with no effect on my running Kodi

 2) Once I've installed Emby and shared its library within all my Kodi install , they will have the same responsiveness and speed or I should expect some slower behaviour?

[mastrmind11 722]

Many thanks for your prompt answer.

My understanding is that installing Emby I must "build" an Emby catalog/library that in my case will be based on the same files that now are indexed in the Kodi library.

I have mainly 2 concerns:

1) I want to be sure that Emby catalog/library building doesn't affect in any way the Kodi library so if i change my mind I can stop my "Emby experiment" with no effect on my running Kodi

 2) Once I've installed Emby and shared its library within all my Kodi install , they will have the same responsiveness and speed or I should expect some slower behaviour?

1) Just make a backup of your Kodi db before setting up Emby.  Also back up your advancedsettings.xml file, since you'll have to remove the SQL db reference in it in order for Emby for Kodi to work.

2)  You will not notice a performance difference.  If anything it's faster because the syncing of watched status/progress is basically instant across all clients.

 

side note, you might consider using SPMC instead of Kodi, since it is a gutted/streamlined version designed for low powered devices w/ exactly the same functionality (sometimes more) as the full blown Kodi.

You should also give the Emby client a try while you're testing.  As I mentioned, it took me a couple months to fully move over to the Emby client, and I haven't looked back.

[kanipek 230]

Many thanks for your prompt answer.

My understanding is that installing Emby I must "build" an Emby catalog/library that in my case will be based on the same files that now are indexed in the Kodi library.

I have mainly 2 concerns:

1) I want to be sure that Emby catalog/library building doesn't affect in any way the Kodi library so if i change my mind I can stop my "Emby experiment" with no effect on my running Kodi

 2) Once I've installed Emby and shared its library within all my Kodi install , they will have the same responsiveness and speed or I should expect some slower behaviour?

 

 

You Can set up Emby independent from Kodi. Get it setup, play around, become familiar with it.

Make a copy of maybe a dozen of your movie folders and another dozen of your TV Show folders. Setup Emby using those. 

Don't even concern yourself with Kodi. Get it setup. Get comfortable. Use and Emby client to play with it. Then when you are ready setup the plugin/add on.

When you are comfortable with the installation then you can add the Emby for Kodi plugin in Emby and the Emby for Kodi addon in Kodi - These two things provide the connectivity between Emby and Kodi.

Before you add the plugin/add on you can always make a copy of the Kodi database(s) whether that is a MySQL of local old school Kodi database.

Responsiveness is going to depend on the hardware running the server and more importantly the hardware the client is running on. I used an Nvidia Shield as a client and it was as responsive if not more so as having a local setup. Some Windows 10 "boxes" were the same as having a local setup also - that isn't to say that were as fast as the Nvidia, but as fast as they were with a local Kodi setup.

If you are not utilizing a lot of Kodi's bells and whistles you can turn off a lot of them and that will also help. As @@mastrmind11 said SPMC or another of the current, yet streamlined versions of Kodi will help immensely. 

EmbyCon is the other route you can go. A different approach than Emby for Kodi, allows Kodi to directly access the Emby database. Sort of turns Kodi into an Emby client - simplified opinion. Limited to a few skins at the moment but easy enough to modify for your skin of choice. Less bells and whistles available in Kodi - something to do with the limitations of a Video Add On I believe.

When using Kodi I always had the metadata stored locally with the video files - makes Kodi immensely faster (when scraping local metadata)

I am not sure what your current video library structure is so I don't where your concern lies.

If I can do it - not without some growing pains -- it's a different beast, takes a bit to wrap your mind around.  - Anyone can do it.  If you don't add the plugin/add on Kodi will never know about Emby nor Emby Kodi.