Best way to use XML files/folders with TV series when using Media Library and viewing by genre?

OK, I’m on FW 3.12.13 (latest), using the Legacy theme. No linksheets, movie sheets, etc. just plain XML.

The problem is I also run XBMC on my networked PC’s  at home and some remoted PC (5 members of my family scattered in diffferent cities). My WD TV Live Hub at home is mostly used by my kids. XBMC requires having my movies by folders when you want to use an addon called Artwork Downloader.  So, I would prefer keeping this method of sorting my movies out on my NAS.

Here is my folder structure:

Movies:

American Movies (Folder)

.Movie1 (folder)

…Movie1.mkv (file)

…Movie1.metathumb (file)

…Movie1.xml (file)

.Movie2 (folder)

…Movie2.mkv (file)

…Movie2.metathumb (file)

…Movie2.xml (file)

etc.

Foreign Movies (Folder)

.Movie1 (folder)

…Movie1.mkv (file)

…Movie1.metathumb (file)

…Movie1.xml (file)

.Movie2 (folder)

…Movie2.mkv (file)

…Movie2.metathumb (file)

…Movie2.xml (file)

etc.

Comics (Folder)

.Movie1 (folder)

…Movie1.mkv (file)

…Movie1.metathumb (file)

…Movie1.xml (file)

.Movie2 (folder)

…Movie2.mkv (file)

…Movie2.metathumb (file)

…Movie2.xml (file)

etc.

TV Shows:

TV Shows (Folder)

.Serie1 (folder)

…Season1 (folder)

…Episode1.avi (file)

…Episode1.metathumb (file)

…Episode1.xml (file)

…Episode2.avi (file)

…Episode2.metathumb (file)

…Episode2.xml (file)

…etc

…Season2 (folder)

…Episode1.avi (file)

…Episode1.metathumb (file)

…Episode1.xml (file)

…Episode2.avi (file)

…Episode2.metathumb (file)

…Episode2.xml (file)

…etc

.Serie2 (folder)

…Season1 (folder)

…Episode1.avi (file)

…Episode1.metathumb (file)

…Episode1.xml (file)

…Episode2.avi (file)

…Episode2.metathumb (file)

…Episode2.xml (file)

…etc

…Season2 (folder)

…Episode1.avi (file)

…Episode1.metathumb (file)

…Episode1.xml (file)

…Episode2.avi (file)

…Episode2.metathumb (file)

…Episode2.xml (file)

…etc

So, with my actual directory structure, I found out the best way to access my movies on the Hub is to use the view “Genre”. All my XML files are written according to that method. Example: Ice Age 4 is classified under the genre “Comics” in my XML as for all other comic movies, etc. This way, when I choose Comics on my Hub, it displays all my Comic Movies, even if they are all in separate folders.

The only problem I have is with my TV series. When using the folder view, it’s OK, I choose my serie name, then I choose which season and finally I choose which episode I want to watch. But, when using the genre view, all the episodes are there all scrambled together. What would be the best way to have it like when using the folder view for the TV shows? Is there something to change in the XML files or in my folder structure for the TV shows? Or, hopefully not) there is nothing to do other than switch back to folder view for the TV series instead of the genre view?

Why don´t you use folder view? It looks like nice structured folders

Well not really since:

OK let’s resume with number of clicks on the remote to access a file within my actual folder structure::

FOLDER VIEW:

Movies:

1- Choose the folder Comics

2- Choose the folder Ice Age 4

3- Play the movie

TV Shows:

1- Choose the folder TV Shows

2- Choose the Serie folder

3- Choose the Season folder

4- Play the episode

GENRE VIEW:

Movies:

1- Choose the category Comics

2-- Play the movie Ice Age 4 (or any movie since they are all there)

TV Shows:

1- Choose the episose (all TV Shows episodes are there and all scrambled)

The differences:

MOVIES:

With the FOLDER view, I don’t see all my movies listed under one category, I have to go inside the folder to see the info of the movie (xml) With the GENRE view, once inside one category, I see all the movies from that category with all the info (xml)

TV Shows:

With the FOLDER view, I have more clicks to do on my remote but at least I can go to one serie and choose which on I want to play. With the GENRE view, all the episodes are scrambled together once I go into the category TV Shows… which is not really a good way to find something easily.

This is why I would say, the FOLDER view is better for TV Shows and the GENRE view is better for Movies. The problem is with the fact that you have to switch the views depending on what you choose… If we would have TV shows on the home page (besides Videos), this would resolve that problem very easily, but we don’t have it.

Do you get what I mean now? How would you resolve this? What about if I would use linksheets or movie sheets? (I never experimented this yet). Would that resolve the problem described?

You can do one folder less for the movies. 

Did you tried using WD Live Info Editor or The TVDB XML Fetcher for the WDTV Live Hub for TV Shows?

I usually use folder view, almost same structure as yours.

Well, with no more new firmware from WD,

I don´t think that anyone will bother wit Hub anymore.

foetus wrote:

You can do one folder less for the movies. 

    • *> What do you mean by one folder less? On my structure? Well, as stated in my first post, I need one movie per folder for xbmc as well…So, I cannot have something like all my movies in the folder “American Movies” This wouldn’t fit the xbmc requirements when using the addon Artwork Downloader…> But it’s not really the movies that gives me trouble, it’s more the TV shows when using the GENRE view.

foetus wrote:

 

Did you tried using WD Live Info Editor or The TVDB XML Fetcher for the WDTV Live Hub for TV Shows?

 

Yes, I regularly use WD Live Info Editor but what is it gonna change? This is only to edit or create xml files, a thing I don’t have any problems with. Does it have a role to play on the way the hub display files or folders besides wrting an xml file for you? I don’t get it. Also, I manage to correclty play with xml files, this is not really my problem. Like I said, it’s the fact that having all TV shows scrambled episodes together in the GENRE view. I wonder if they’re another workaround for this.

foetus wrote:

Well, with no more new firmware from WD,

I don´t think that anyone will bother wit Hub anymore.

I know about that and there is not much we can do. This is just too bad because I find it a good player besides these lack of features regarding a couple of things.

Finally, as I asked before: What about if I would use linksheets or movie sheets? (I never experimented this yet). Would that resolve the problem described?

I’m a n00b to XBMC so I’m trying to figure out why it needs your movies each in their own folder. I have mine NOT in their own folder but in genre folders and it has no problem at all with this structure…

I still use XBMC and don’t use individual folders for movies …

XBMC scraper generates thumbnail, fanart, actors, genre, year, plot etc etc  info for my movies without any probs

*i just add a video source and select tmdb as the scraper*

For both of you, do you use Frodo 12.3 AND the Addon Artwork Downloader with XBMC? The addon requires the structure of one movie per folder. If not, it does not work very well. But I know you can still scrape without the addon and that it works well. Actually, this is what I was doing before.

BTW Joey, I’m about to downgrade FW on my hub and try you Aeonish moviesheet theme…

I’m using Frodo 12.3 but its a modded version “Beyond XBMC” and the same scraper and its working fine for me with just the genre folders. Actually, I just point the “Add Files” option to my MYBOOKLIVE MOVIES folder and let it recurse the rest below it. No problems.

 

 

Again, do you use Artwork Dowloader with your folder structure? You say you have a genre structure so you mean you have all your movies under like:

Comedy (folder)

Movie1 (file)

Movie2 (file)

Movie3 (file)

Movie4 (file)

Movie5 (file)

Yup this is how I have it. I pull each genre, one at a time, into the library from my NAS. Works a charm. I’m using the meta scraper that comes with “Beyond XBMC” from the Freaktab forums. It’s a modded Android version to run on RX3188 chips.

YoyPVRUser wrote:

Again, do you use Artwork Dowloader with your folder structure? You say you have a genre structure so you mean you have all your movies under like:

 

Comedy (folder)

Movie1 (file)

Movie2 (file)

Movie3 (file)

Movie4 (file)

Movie5 (file)