Alternative to XBMC for a server

[iPenguin02 5]

Anyone know of any alternative to XBMC that i can install on a server and have users use the setup off the server, like Media Browser. Kind of like having a central database XBMC, Main reason i ask is the for Hyperspin and plugins to stream Movies and TV Shows. I do not want to configure many different devices with the same plugins / settings. It would be great to setup on a server then have the front end use the server for its information.

 

Wondering if Media Browser will ever head down this route or have similar abilities / features like XBMC. I know this seems like asking for perfection, but i only ask because i hate having multiple programs to do different things. MB is still growing and i can see alot more plugins being added in the future,

 

Would gamebrowser plugin be worth using vs hyperspin on xbmc or an alternative?

Edited June 1, 2014 by iPenguin02

[bluemonkey07 590]

Nm

Edited June 1, 2014 by Vidman

[Koleckai Silvestri 1154]

For my purposes, I can't see XMBC as a server. It is a media player. A really good media player. It allows you to consolidate your collection, pull streams from the internet and put them all into one place. It collects metadata for those items to create a more pleasant experience. However each XBMC installation is alone in a sea of devices. Granted there are some tricks inside this media player to get around this but if your device can't see your collection then it can't play it.

 

Media Browser is a server. With a server, the clients don't need to know where the media is actually located to view it. The server acts as an intermediary and provides a bridge between the client and the media. The server goes on to maintain user profiles, metadata collection and other duties. This information is also shared amongst all the clients whether it is a smart phone, tablet, computer, or something else. Media Browser also has plugins and channels. Not as big a library as XBMC but it has the architecture to do the same things.

 

So in order to answer your question we must ask, how is XBMC a server instead of a media player? In essence what are you trying to achieve? 

[iPenguin02 5]

Wayne you are correct. I like what xbmc can do but I want it to be server base because of the other functions of it. I have no intentions to use anything other than MB for my personal media.

 

I mainly just want xbmc for streaming new movies and TV shows from like ice films and hyperspin.

 

If MB were to eventually go down this route I'm more than willing to wait. This is one of the reasons I asked how does Game browser vs. Hyperspin.

[Koleckai Silvestri 1154]

Well GameBrowser is a method to launch and play those console games that you've collected. You would need a valid ROM application though. So in that regard it seems like it is comparable to Hypervisor. As I don't play console games and for some reason GameBrowser won't launch Windows Games, I don't use the Plugin anymore.

[fantaxp7 191]

Well GameBrowser is a method to launch and play those console games that you've collected. You would need a valid ROM application though. So in that regard it seems like it is comparable to Hypervisor. As I don't play console games and for some reason GameBrowser won't launch Windows Games, I don't use the Plugin anymore.

I think he means hypserspin there

 

And I'd look into the gamebrowser plugin if you are after emulator/rom videos ipenguin02

[Koleckai Silvestri 1154]

I do. Good catch. Have hypervisor on the brain. Entirely different piece of server component.

[techywarrior 689]

Well GameBrowser is a method to launch and play those console games that you've collected. You would need a valid ROM application though. So in that regard it seems like it is comparable to Hypervisor. As I don't play console games and for some reason GameBrowser won't launch Windows Games, I don't use the Plugin anymore.

 

Gamebrowser in MBC launches Windows games fine. I think it's only Gamebrowser for MBT that currently doesn't launch Windows games. (or maybe it works there too) But I use it in MBC often with no problems.

[Abobader 3464]

Gamebrowser in MBC launches Windows games fine. I think it's only Gamebrowser for MBT that currently doesn't launch Windows games. (or maybe it works there too) But I use it in MBC often with no problems.

 

I do not think Wayne run MBC, only MBT

[DeeMac 17]

Only plex home theater is based on XBMC. Everything else including the server is built from the ground up just like us

 

Dont forget Openelec.

[DeeMac 17]

...and MediaPortal.

[DeeMac 17]

Yikes!  This is the age old debate/question that will probably never end because a lot of it is based on personal preference/needs...and each software package has slightly different objectives and attempts to meet those objectives differently.

 

Personally, I think plex is what he's looking for.... but I'm a mediabrowser guy.  I've never installed Plex.  Plex is built from xbmc code and has split into a server/client model.  Check out h t t p://www.lifehacker.com.au/2013/03/ask-lh-should-i-use-plex-or-xbmc-for-my-home-theatre-pc/

 

Also check out this page and look at the various Home theater PC software, devices, and related articles and external links.

h t t p://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_theater_PC

[Luke 42077]

Only plex home theater is based on XBMC. Everything else including the server is built from the ground up just like us

[iPenguin02 5]

Dont forget Openelec.

 

...and MediaPortal.

 

Any of those 2 options allow server setting or are they client based?

[psykix 97]

Mediaportal is definitely not what you want if you want server based.

 

And neither is Openelec. It's just a flavour of XBMC.

 

TBH.. Mediabrowser is what you want - and although it may have some features missing which you would like to have, it is the platform which is most likely to incorporate them in the shortest timeframe.

[kfonda 26]

Why not just use XBMC w/XBMB3C on the clients? This way you can use the MB3 server and still use all of the XBMC plugins.

[Chris Jones 14]

It feels as if iPenguin02 meant he wants to be able to centrally manage different devices/clients, such as the skin/plugins and settings so that all clients can be configured the same easily? If so then i've been wanting to be able to do something similar, for example, having all installs of xbmc (living room htpc, bedroom, office etc.) all running the same plugins, skins and settings, managed/kept in sync via the server (a change on one could update all other clients). No idea how difficult this would be in reality. Anyone know?

 

If that's not what you mean, then of course ignore my ramblings...

[Koleckai Silvestri 1154]

It feels as if iPenguin02 meant he wants to be able to centrally manage different devices/clients, such as the skin/plugins and settings so that all clients can be configured the same easily? If so then i've been wanting to be able to do something similar, for example, having all installs of xbmc (living room htpc, bedroom, office etc.) all running the same plugins, skins and settings, managed/kept in sync via the server (a change on one could update all other clients). No idea how difficult this would be in reality. Anyone know?

 

If that's not what you mean, then of course ignore my ramblings...

 

 

Not really that difficult if you're using Symbolic Links and SAMBA or NFS shares for everything. You just have to sync the shares. Windows hides this with Roaming User Profiles. When a user logs in, the profile is copied from the server. You could probably use a Windows Powershell or Linux BASH script to copy settings to other machines as well. The biggest issue would be accounting for differences in hardware. If all your hardware is the same, then you don't need to worry about that.

 

With Media Browser 3, you only worry about client setup on the local machine. User settings, Media, and everything else is configured on the server. Even many plugins are server based.