Hi All
Is there any xbmc experts that can advise on the easiest way to make my files in video folder useable by xbmc
To do it manually is not really an option ( to many) . They are in the main, videos recorded from a TV and other sources ( not film etc) which I have made the .xml info files myself and also the 360x240 Video1.jpg
They are in Genera folders i.e. Drama, Comedy etc. The folder as a folder.jpg image in to display the folder image.
Then in each folder are three files for each program
Video1.mp4
Video1.xml
Video1.jpg
Video2.mp4
Video2.xml
Video2.jpg
etc
I think xbmc uses different files for displaying info ( but are xml files !) and for displaying the equivalent of Video1.jpg
Thank you, any guidance would be great.
XBMC uses *.nfo files for movie info and *.tbn files for thumbnails
You can batch make a copy of the your xml and jpg to create a nfo and tbn
How to create a “Batch File”
Open Notepad and create a New Document (eg XBMCopy.txt ) … double click to edit and type
copy *.xml *.nfo
copy *.jpg *.tbnÂ
Now save the document and rename the file extension to .bat    ( XBMCopy.bat )
Copy the XBMCopy.bat file into the folder your media is in and then double click the XBMCopy.bat file.
A couple of seconds later it will make a copy of you WDTV files and create XBMC compatible files.
EDIT: Just did a quick test … XBMC does not recognise the WDTV XML (renamed to NFO)
Now, me personally i’m doing this the “other way around” ie. i use XBMC to get my Movie Info and Thumbnails and convert them to use on the WDTV … which works fine.
BUT … looking at the nfo XBMC created
   Non-Stop
etc etc etc
This works fine on the WDTV (Displays movie info ) even when it’s renamed to XML for the WDTV
however … the WDTV generates this XML format
   Non-Stop
etc etc etc
which renaming this to NFO … XBMC doesent give any info
So in closing…
WDTV is happy with  and or
 tag inside the NFO or XML
XBMC is only happy with tag
Thanks Joey foe quick reply
That’s good information, I understand
To take it further forward, I have one folder with many sub folders, ( about 100) each sub folder containing videos of let say “ Life on Earth” and the associated .xml , .jpg files.
So I could do your method above, but would still take some time.
Can you see a way of making it more automatic ( maybe a more sophisticated batch script )
Either by copy the files and maintaining the folder structure using a .bat file, then another .bat file to copy them back to the original file structure.
or maybe a .bat file just put in the top folder were the files exist and making the copies, then renaming them, going down the sub folders recursively.
Ok sound a lot to ask, while I am writing, but sometime what a novice thinks is a lot, is not always the case.
Thanks again.
Ps username changed - ! must of logged on with old username / email
just added some more info on finding i just tested now (see above)
i’m sure batch scripts can do what you want … you will have to google it though (stackoverflow has a lot of helpful stuff)
me, myself … i’m a script kiddie 
 (very novice, just cut’n’paste)
Thank Joey, as always
Good info, thanks for trying out, will set me in the right direction
Ummm…maybe I missed something here, but why did you manually create the xml files for your TV shows?
Are your TV shows not listed on TheTVDB?
Did you want the xml to include something different then what is shown on TheTVDB for those shows?
If no, then you seem to be going the long way around to get what you want. Unless they are some unfamiliar show, then XBMC will automatically scrape all your data for you.
Hi
I can see why you asked the question, and yes for movies I will just scan / scrape again.
But not all videos that I was asking the question for are TV and the ones that are, have been collected over many years ( I am in my latter time of life – laugh ) some from video tape and then transferred to digital files etc. The naming convention I used then was just ad-hock, no standard. To go back and rename them to see if a scrapper understood, would take far too long, and indeed probably not come up with a result for a lot of them.
I created the .xml files slowly when purchased the wdtv – years ago, so all works ok, would be daft to start again and just playing around with XBMC on the Raspberry Pi – which works very well using Gotham.
I am just learning slowly and thinking of the future, since in many ways, I think it may be more future proof. The wdtv range may finish and my box will die at some point.
I cannot see that XBMC being supported by the community will ever die, just get better.
So if you know of a way that XBMC can analyse the video content and make a info file ( Joking) I think the way above is the one to take, but any suggestions welcome.
you can batch replace the WDTV XML
to which XBMC & WDTV will recognise.
my fav … “textrep”  http://www.download25.com/install/free-text-blocks-replacer.html
and yes, it’s Free and works recursively (will look inside subfolders)
1 Like
No, probs
Just a tiny guide … you will need to do “2” passes to rename the tag [see pic below]
I also strongly advise to test it on some “Test” folders … as great a batch processing is … if you stuff it up, then well you’re kinda “stuffed”   well, not really, but it’s a hassle to fix things up if you accidently make a type-o-
Once you’ve done this … then you can do the batch copy/convert XML to NFO and XMBC should now read the movie info.
Note: You will will have to “Refresh” you XBMC media library and also the WDTV library for the changes to apply.Â
For XBMC (on PC) navigate to “VIDEOS” highlight your movie folder … press “C” on your keyboard … select “Scan for New Content” … if a warning says from Local or Internet … choose “Local” (note: after a while it will bug you again with a Local and Internet Source Question … just keep choosing “Local”)
For WDTV … just power down completely (press and hold standby button for 5 seconds … unplug from power … wait 10 seconds … plug back in)
Hi Joey
Thanks for doing the tutorial, its appreciated and without being to embarrassing, nice to have someone being so helpful without being asked.
Yes I am ultra carefull when doing all this stuff, I have backups of all my stuff everywhere ! Cant have to many, at least when I do muck it all up, I can go back one step – and it does happen.
I would usually make a copy of say half a dozen folders, to some where else and try it out there first.
Off topic for this forum, and it’s all new to me , but more and more impressed with xbmc on Raspberry Pi using Raspmbc, and the Amber skin.
No probs Tony,
i guess i’ll have to dig out my Raspberry Pi … it’s been a while, last time i used it i was running Xbian
