Greetings :)

After reading many threads and forums around the net concerning the Xbox XBMC setup, I've decided to give it a go. I only heard of the XBMC a week ago (can't believe I never heard of it sooner - and I've been reading all week trying to make sense of it all).

I have been prowling HTPC forums like here and media extender reviews for years - but nothing seems to live up to expectations or marketing BS. While I'm fairly technically competent, I'm not a puter geek so I've tended to hold off on a full blown HTPC. I've been reading and waiting for many years for the right device to arrive (yawn), but so far that hasn't happened. I had high hopes for the EVA8000 - but we won't go there. AppleTV seems like a possibility in time - but not yet. Great posts about XBMC have got me excited.

I plan to get an XBOX tomorrow. Currently, this seems like the the most cost effective and least technical solution to the problem of connecting ones HT to a network. My intention is to create a video server system where I can stream my DVD collection. Everything else this unit can do is secondary. I plan on doing the mod myself.

I still have a couple of questions regarding the Xbox.

1 - Component Video needs an advanced AV connection correct? I have seen several available online, but are these for the 360 or will they work with both?

2 - What makes Xboxes crap out? (Most common cause with general game use) Should I get a backup Xbox

3 - How is the PicQuality of standard DVD's (I'm located in a PAL region)

4 - Is there any reason one version (1.0 - 1.6??) is better than another. (I couldn't find this online)

5 - Finally, are there any Kiwi's here who live in Auckland that would be willing to help me if I get stuck?

I'm sure there are other issues I will discover but I'll move forward as things pan out. I'm planning to post my progress here in the hope (with all your wonderful participation) that it is a fun and exciting experience. I have been dreaming of a media server system for more years than I care to think about - now I want to make it a reality.

This is a really great site and I'm looking forward to all your suggestions and guidance.

1 - yes, you can get the microsoft advanced hd pack, which will have component and digital-audio out. they're hard to find nowadays, but you can probably get them on ebay or online somewhere. alternatively, a popular choice would be the Monster xbox hd pack. you can also try your luck with a 3rd party vendor; i'm using one made by mad catz, sold (exclusively) at gamestop - works fine for me.

2 - xboxes usually crap out when the user makes a bad mod. this includes installing/soldering a mod chip, installing a new harddrive, messing with the internals somehow. if none of those, xboxes sometimes just crap out for no good reason. it might have little to do with how old it is as well. since you're making it just as a streamer, i don't think you'll be installing a modchip (do a softmod) and you probably won't put in a larger hdd (it'll all be streamed). so just use it like normal; keep it ventilated; just hope it won't die.

3 - i'm in the nstc region; i range dvd quality in the "good" area. i suppose you're talking about when passing it through the hd pack. it'll be component as you know, and it doesn't have anything like faroudja processing or anything. i do believe it does some good scaling and cleans the signal up a bit. i think you'll be satisfied; how big is your screen?

4 - back in the day, the xbox version was more important for those installing a mod chip. you're not, but nowadays, there are xbox modchips that range all the versions. softmodding is universal. and one other thing is that the different versions came with different dvdrom drives. i forget the brands/models, but i think there were 3. i believe it's the earlier models that was more forgiving as to what type of media you put in there. some don't allow reading from CDR; not sure about DVDR, etc. not sure if you plan to use it for watching burned content; or if you plan to use it for retail DVDs and streaming only.

5 - can't help you out there. sorry.

Regarding versions, this can affect flashing the onboard bios (i.e. why bother with a mod chip). 1.0 can hold mutliple bioses (doesn't matter), 1.1-1.5 can hold a hacked bios (generally xecuter2 256k forget the most recent), 1.6 cannot be flashed and requires a mod chip (extra expense).

www.xbox-scene.com is the mecca for all things Xbox modding. I'd also check out the DVD/Remote kit - can be had cheap, and the Xir Remote mod for on/off http://xir.us/.

1 - Component Video needs an advanced AV connection correct? I have seen several available online, but are these for the 360 or will they work with both?

not the same as 360. Check out amazon.com, ebay or your local games stores.

We picked up a MS HD pack here in the states at a local store last week for $8 US

2 - What makes Xboxes crap out? (Most common cause with general game use) Should I get a backup Xbox

generally they are very reliable. Hard drives die as with any computer. Sometimes the power supplies go out. Try the first one out and if you like then you will probably end up with a few more like me.


3 - How is the PicQuality of standard DVD's (I'm located in a PAL region)

Can't comment on PAL

4 - Is there any reason one version (1.0 - 1.6??) is better than another. (I couldn't find this online)


you dont want a 1.0 The 1.0 is the only xbox with a GPU Fan. Even if you replace the case fan to make it quieter the GPU fan makes the overwhelming amount of noise. 1.1 - 1.6 don't have this issue...

Sean

I hadn't thought much about a softmod. I've been researching a modchip - so what can a new chip do Vs a softmod? Is there any speed difference? At least with a softmod I could move forward more quickly as opposed to waiting for a chip to arrive (If I go in that direction). Does a softmod allow the same things a modchip does (ie - bigger HD if I want one)? Can I back up the drive? How do I get on if the HD craps out - can it be replaced?

Finding the latest info is the most time consuming part. A lot of stuff is 5 years old, the links don't work, and a lot of stuff has changed since those times.

As for the HD pack, Amazon doesn't ship Xbox stuff Internationally, so I'll see if I can find one locally. I can still get a brand new DVD remote from the shop selling the box, but not sure about the AV pack. I did plan on the remote mod.

I'm just about to go get a box. Back later :)

From what I understand, softmodding is not an option for swapping the HD. If that's integral, look at modchips or flashing the onboard bios.

You sure can swap a hard drive with a soft modded box... Living proof right here... Lots of tutorials on line as well...

there are some features that some modchips offer that you can't get with softmodding, but for what you're doing (streaming media with xbmc), you shouldn't worry about it. with softmodding, you'll need a particular game and mem card, which is more readily available than ordering a modchip. i fg which games can be used to softmod; i think mechassault is one of them, splinter cell, and one of the 007 games. i think the huge xbmc thread has the details, i hope.

you can upgrade the hdd even if you softmod. at one point, i thought there was a limit as to how large of a hdd you can install, but i don't think that's the case anymore. i do remember seeing a website have a list/database of all the compatible harddrive models. it was a huge list; i think the xbox is forgiving as to what you can install. i picked up a random 80gb wd hdd at some pc show, and it worked.

Xbox-Scene Tutorials are here - there is a soft-mod section: http://www.xbox-scene.com/xbox-tutorials.php. Soft-modding wasn't around when I did my box so I know very little about it. These days I'd probably look very closely at it for my uses.

The issue with HD size was fixed in bios a while ago (I think it was refered to as the LB48 issue or something which limited drives to 137GB. That said, I'm pretty sure with the new mega hard drives that some people with 500GB or more have found issues and use both an F and G partition (for reference C is boot, D may be saves but I don't remember, E is the major storage area, F is for larger non-stock harddrives and is all remaining, and G is rarely used except when someone upgraded to LB48 and didn't want to redo the HD but G may be used now with very big ones to deal with some file issues).

Also, regarding some of the soft-mod games, the Xbox Silver/Greatest Hits editions often get fixed against the exploit. I know this was the case with 007 as you needed the original. Just something to watch out for. Modchips are easy as hell to find and buy online but the real issue is installing them and unless you are a competent solderer already it can turn into a fiasco and those pogo pin modchips have been known to have issues and come loose from time to time (then again plenty of people have no problems).

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t127/Grooving_Kiwi/Pile.jpg

I set it up and verified it was working. I had a quick play then tested some DVD's. The PQ seemed reasonable and the DVD-ROM wasn't too noisy. The unit is a lot faster at selecting menus/chapters/skipping and playing after skipping than my stand-alone DVD player. It was all pretty basic stuff. Then I got serious and opened the case to verify its version

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t127/Grooving_Kiwi/Open.jpg

I discovered it is a version 1.6 according to the info here (http://www.xbox-scene.com/versions_1.php)

I didn't have a choice as it was the only one the store had. I'm happy :) Now I have to decide how to mod it. I'm currently leaning toward a chip mod. I'm currently in the process of investigating local suppliers (NZ).

After further searching this afternoon I have found answers to some of my questions. It occurred to me the PQ is probably the same as the DVD-ROM output when I finally get it streamed across a network. I only had a composite connection and it looked reasonable on a 42" Sony LCD. I have ordered a component connection so I expect some improvement. It'll will probably take some time to arrive.

I'd like to use this dashboard. It was this thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=635294&page=1) that got me all excited.

http://japhule.collinsreport.com/avs/xbmc/12.jpg

Isn't this the Project Mayhem 3 dash that comes with XBMC?
Is the newly loaded software Linux based? I've read a lot about EvoX, but I couldn't find any screen-shots. Is EvoX the dash, or is it the underlying software? I'd like some clarification on that.

A local store suggests this chip (http://www.modz.co.nz/store/comersus_viewItem.asp?idProduct=73&image=). I'm still researching though.

That's the stock XBMC dash. If you intend to use this primarily for media, that's the only dash you should be concerned with. Forget Evox, although using it temporarily may make the modding process easier - not sure.

I don't know much about softmods but really, the whole goal is to get the Xbox to run unsigned code. That's all any mod chip does so you get the same functionality out of any mod chip or even flashing the onboard bios (not an option for 1.6). A soft-mod can do the same thing. If you have interest in playing Xbox Live online then maybe a case can be made but don't get wedded to a chip. I had a chip for a long time and eventually just flashed the onboard bios and did away with it - and it does exactly the same thing as before, same hacked bios, no difference in usage. This is a mature product at this point, no new features have come out in a long time in the bios or soft-mod world, just get it done and start running XBMC.

component cables will make the video much much cleaner and sharper.

like chrisfb said, you might as well save some headache and just go the softmod route. i quickly skimmed the features on that chip; i'm not sure you're going to be using any of them for your purposes.

evox is primarily a dash; xbmc is primarily a program that you can run from the dash. like chrisfb said, you can run xbmc as your dash, although it might be a better idea to use evox just during set up. replacing evox with xbmc as your dash afterwards is as easy as moving some folders around.

for even faster access to my files, i've gotten rid of the xbmc startup intro (usually a splash and sound by the group who made the build) and defaulted xbmc to start in "My Files" so i can quickly go down to my SMB share.

Krazie's softmod allows for multiple boot dash's. I boot into xbmc by powering up with the power button and I use the DVD tray button to boot up into evox. I only use evox when upgrading xbmc. (Let me save you some head aches now by telling you that you should only upgrade xbmc while using an alternate dash like evox or one of the others.)

Again...thank you for your valuable comments. There is always a lot to consider - especially for a noob!

I have continued to research the chip Vs Softmod option. Considering the requirements of a softmod (Game, USB Drive etc) it is basically equal to the cost/effort of a modchip IMO. Somehow, the modchip feels right to me - a gut/intuition thing :).

After further research and agonising over the various chips I came to the following conclusion.

1 - I will not need many of the options available on the top chips for what I want right now. Once the system is setup, I probably will not need to touch it.

2 - I know very little about the possibilities of the XBox and the mods. I tend to have to see/touch/play with the various features to fully understand them. A basic setup will grow my confidence and I can branch out from there.

3 - If I outgrow the basic system, I can always build up another box with all the latest and coolest stuff (I was keen on an LCD panel, but that can wait)

4 - And this was surprising...I found a guy who lives just up the road who will carry out the mod for a very small fee...recommended by one of the local mod sites. He will even install the 30Gb drive I had sitting here as part of it. This seems the simplest option considering the mountain of material one has to wade through to sort a box out for oneself.

If things go well, I should have the box setup tonight while I wait and watch. Sounded too easy and this way I don't have to wait for a chip to arrive.

I hope you don't mind my enthusiasm :D

Hopefully back tomorrow. Stay :cool:

Note there are two ways to do a softmod. The first is to use the game save exploit (which requires the appropriate game, etc.). The second is to do a hot swap of the hard drive. This doesn't require any additional hardware, but is a more risky endeavour. I went this route and didn't have any problems.

Softmod link coming up...

when I get to 5 posts...

http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=496263

While a softmod is definitely an option, I've decided to get my unit chipped, as it has worked out to be the easiest and simplest choice. As I said, the bonus is the modder lives just up the road. Unfortunately, he is out of chips and his next shipment didn't arrive yesterday as expected, so I am in hover mode.

My focus has now shifted to creating a server setup. I am rather interested in the "UnRAID" system, but there seems to still be issues with supported drive cards, MB's and also read/write speeds. I'm still investigating.

I am looking at the NASlite stuff as well. What are your suggestions. I have read other threads on this forum regarding this, but it is still an open proposition.

Is there any bonus (apart from backup/parity info) these systems offer over a (JBOD??) setup? (Meaning a case full of drives say running XP). This initially seemed like the easiest solution, but I'd definitely like some advice.

Does this case/drives/xp solution need a server config? What is the difference if it does?

How much does the speed of the network affect the streaming (Does it need to be Gigabit?)

Thx...I'm off to research some more :D

Not a JBOD expert but I'm not sure how easy it is to swap drives, add drives, or remove drives from an existing array. Anyone who has been running a media server will attest that this is huge. You always wind up scaling your space over time and expanding an existing array as good deals come on the market is very valuable. The strength of unRAID in that it provides parity, is easy to expand through additional or swapped drives, and since it is not striped offers spindown which saves power, noise, heat, lengthens the lifespan of the drives and exposes them to very different usage patterns (losing multiple drives at once is bad and this will help but also not being striped minimizes a multidrive loss to only those failed drives rather than the whole array).

As far as issues with write speed - it's going to be slower over a network by default and this is any server but obviously hardware raid with striping rather than software will provide better performance (then again the purpose is to serve media and function conveniently for this purpose rather that write it as fast as possible).

For reading performance...see here as this is an impressive stress test and other links are provided: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=10449703&&#post10449703

Not a JBOD expert but I'm not sure how easy it is to swap drives, add drives, or remove drives from an existing array. Anyone who has been running a media server will attest that this is huge. You always wind up scaling your space over time and expanding an existing array as good deals come on the market is very valuable. The strength of unRAID in that it provides parity, is easy to expand through additional or swapped drives, and since it is not striped offers spindown which saves power, noise, heat, lengthens the lifespan of the drives and exposes them to very different usage patterns (losing multiple drives at once is bad and this will help but also not being striped minimizes a multidrive loss to only those failed drives rather than the whole array).

As far as issues with write speed - it's going to be slower over a network by default and this is any server but obviously hardware raid with striping rather than software will provide better performance (then again the purpose is to serve media and function conveniently for this purpose rather that write it as fast as possible).

For reading performance...see here as this is an impressive stress test and other links are provided: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=10449703&&#post10449703

Thx for the valuable info. Much of what you've said is why I was looking at UnRAID - saw it quite some time ago and thought it looked good. I like the idea of the HD's spinning down (heat, lifespan and power saving as you say). Not sure I really need the parity protection though.

I planned on a full 1:1 backup of my movies to HDrives and just leave them sitting in a cupboard on a shelf (protect my large collection investment) as well as running a separate server of HD's with the "movie only". HD's are cheap enough now if you shop around to make this affordable. Some would say its cheaper to buy the disc again instead of doubling up like this, but like all collections, some things aren't replaceable (Discontinued etc). "Movie only" on the server seems the way to go as a lot of the "Extra" stuff just isn't worth watching and even the good stuff is only worth one watch - takes up too much space as well.

I'm definitely going to use the free version of UnRAID (3 x 500Gb drives) and set that as a trial. These drives should take a while to fill up. I thought the best bet is to backup my movie to the hard drive and watch it from there when it's time to watch that particular movie again. This way I'm not spending days backing up and I can check the integrity of each movie as I go.

Another option I have considered as using the 1:1 backup drives and not run a server at all. Just plug the drive I want into a USB drivebox and plug it into the network - surf to the movie I want and hit go. A 500Gb drive would hold a lot of movies and I'd only have to change infrequently (Unlike the usual task of picking a disc, loading the player etc). If I put my best movies on one drive I see it as a fairly simple process and surely less task-orientated than the player scenario.

Anyway, I have to get some components first to build a server. I'll start with a cooler stacker case I think and go from there. The hardware requirements for the UnRAID seem limited so I might start with an old box I have already if it'll do the job. Time will tell.

I run a XBox with the Xecuter 3CE mod chip on v1.6 XBox. XBMC is my default dash and it is served by a Novell Netware v6.5 SP6 File Server set up to emulate a Windows NT Server share. The XBMC uses it's built-in samba protocols to connect to and access the resources on my File Server.

You should consider setting up a Linux Server in a remote part of your home, allowing it to serve your files in general, and act as a print server. You can do so much with Linux. You could set it up as a set top box PVR, then access the recorded movie share from your XBox, or you could set the Linux box up as a UPnP device, and there would be very little configuration afterwards because XBMC supports UPnP devices (check to see if your Router supports UPnP).

I looked at sharing my movies, games and music from a Windows PC but they are not designed to "Serve" files while efficiently managing standard processes. If you are going to invest in a SAN device of some kind, you might as well look at improving the overall organization of your network as a whole by implementing a server solution that can minimize or eliminate the long term problems associated with a peer-to-peer networks, as I did.

I chose Novell because of the ease of setting up and managing my users (3), printer sharing (3), Data Backup (1 TB), Web Server, VPN/FTP Access and file search across all of my volumes. The best part of my setup is that I have access to tons of support and I can control how and when my data is accessed, and it is cake to change it (Web-based). My Server has sat in the basement for a year without any problems.

On another note, while you've got the case open on your XBox, buy a quiet fan because the stock fan is very noisy! XBMC is graphic intensive and will cause your GPU to heat up just from moving around the menus so make heat managment a priority so you don't take a chance on burning up your CPU and/or GPU.

-LA

I looked at sharing my movies, games and music from a Windows PC but they are not designed to "Serve" files while efficiently managing standard processes.

Just an FYI, I've nearly 1TB on a Windows XP machine with an AMD3400+ and 1GB of Ram. It serves audio and all formats of video flawlessly (DVD ISO, Hi-Res Xvid at 576p) even to multiple machines. My neighbor actually removed Server 2003 and went with XP when he rebuilt his multi TB machine. For serving files to a couple of units, it's more than adequate. If you are looking for a corporate backbone - forget it.

Actually now that I think about it, I have another XP machine with a Celeron 1400, 256MB of Ram and it handles similar files (DVD ISO etc...) off an ATA 100 interface no less and even has done it over the 33 PCI bus when I had an IDE card in here. That thing has been streaming all types of content to my Xbox since early 2003. Actually, I've served 1.4 GB high quality Xvid while encoding DVDs with Gordian Knot at the same time on it and encountered no issues although GK defaults to low priority. Granted it doesn't see much use and houses my kid's video and some other misc now but it has never failed.

It's not ideal for mainstream server duties in the world but for streaming over a home network to a limited number of users, it works and has always worked flawlessly. But if you want to stack on other functions that are going to tax it all the time, you may want to look at something else (a user doing normal work is not an issue though, I assume intensive gaming or high priority video encoding would be).

Thx for the advice. I have wondered if a standard XP machine would act as a server as easily as anything. It would be quite easy for me to setup using some older tech I have.

UnRAID is also growing on me after some serious reading and discussion...and it's free for 3 drives. Still thinking about things though :)

For media streaming Win XP has worked flawlessly. Actually once the machine gets under major load it's the user experience that suffers first long before the ability to stream. The machine can be very slow from a user perspective while ripping/encoding/streaming while in general network browsing and streaming from a remote is not noticably impacted.

The issue with Unraid and 3 drives is that you lose an entire drive to parity and the parity drive must be >/= to the size of the largest drive in the array. In effect you buy 3 500GB drives and lose 33% to parity (not horrible but not desirable). This loss gets minimized as the array expands. That said, you can test it out and get yourself started then later on add to the array once you are satisfied.

I got my box modded yesterday and have been playing with it ever since. There is a lot to learn and I haven't had much time to play with puters or Xboxes over the last few years, so it's all been a major learning curve. The modder set it all up to boot straight into XBMC so that was pretty cool.

First impressions...Wow!

It didn't take long to figure out without it being connected to a network it is pretty limited, unless you have a honking HD that can store heaps of stuff. I haven't - I did stick an old 30Gb one I had in, but it was pretty obvious early on that it's not big enough. It's also noisy - perhaps even having problems as XBMC has hung a lot of times straight after activating something. I'm going to get a new drive this week and install it.

My next problem is I haven't done any network stuff for about 7 years. Our machines are setup and I haven't needed to change anything, so I found it a major challenge to sort it all out. It took me hours of reading and playing, but finally got the box to recognise the network. Then after some more tinkering I managed to ftp back into the Xbox. :cool:

Further tinkering today has yielded a problem in that I can't switch to Library Mode within the "Video" window without hanging that page (Once the switch has occurred you can't do anything in there and it doesn't show any of the content that is there either). You can't switch back to file mode either and the only way to get it back is a reset boot :eek:
I found that it works perfectly in the 360 skin, so I don't know what is happening.

My enthusiasm isn't quite as good today. Many hours of tinkering, reading and thinking to try and get it setup like I'd like. So much for working on my server this week :rolleyes:

Back to it I guess...

you'll figure it out.

i'm interested in what kind of PQ this puts out. i'm looking for a DVD server solution, and this looks good, compared to setting up a HTPC to stream from the DVD server.

My first question would be what version of xbmc did your installer install?

My first recommendation would be to start with something stable the like official 2.01 release and learn XBMC before playing with newer versions.

Sean

I prefer the dvd qaulity of my xbox 1 running xbmc over my 360. Both using component. The xbox 1 has better blacks and shadows. The 360 needs so much calibrating to get it to where I like it, I usually just end up using the xbox1 instead. Obviously, the 360 does HD much much better. The xbox1 just doesn't have have the cpu/ram to do hdtv well.

If you are not a techy person, do NOT use Linux.Stay away ...far away from Linux. You'll spend more time trying to get little things done in Linux that will take mins to do in Windows. You'll get frustrated and give up. I've used all sorts of machines over the years for my media storage. Anything from a p3 1Ghz with 512 megs of ram, to newer p4's. The XBMC has exceptional streaming capabilites, and you can set the amount of cache for video's and music in XBMC itself via the settings area to improve performance on slower networks. Your network speed is the more important factor here anyways. Your PC is nothing more then a share, it doesn't need to be quick. I do recommend a dedicated PC for this though.

XBMC is really stable for me. Has been rock solid for years. Although I keep up to date with the latest releases.

I do recommend having evox on the machine as well. In case you mess up xbmc trying to set things up, it's good to have a backup dash like evox. Or, get a evox bootable dvd made up and stick that in if you mess up xbmc and can't get into the machine again.

don't forget http://www.xboxmediacenter.com/ as well as xbox-scene for more info as well.

Hang in there, xbmc is simply the best. Nothing else comes close for dvd/sd material, pics and mp3's.

you'll figure it out.

i'm interested in what kind of PQ this puts out. i'm looking for a DVD server solution, and this looks good, compared to setting up a HTPC to stream from the DVD server.

I only have 4 movies available online currently and I have to say I'm reasonable happy about the PQ. At the moment the box is connected via composite, so things are a little soft and the colours a little weak. I have an HD AV pack coming (hopefully this week) so that should help being a component input.

As for a HTPC, I dreamed of one for years - watching forums, reading, researching etc. I came to the conclusion that most people who have them seem to spend more time tweaking /toubleshooting them than actually using them. I wasn't sure one could get a rock solid stable device, but times are a changin. I don't really have the time to play as much as I would like. I want to set it up and forget about it. I think perhaps HTPC's can be customised a little better, although I could be wrong.

My first question would be what version of xbmc did your installer install?

My first recommendation would be to start with something stable the like official 2.01 release and learn XBMC before playing with newer versions.

Sean

The system states it's "XBMC pre 2.1 (Compiled March 5 2007). Other than that I don't know anymore.

How do I find out exactly?

XBMC is really stable for me...

I do recommend having evox on the machine as well. In case you mess up xbmc trying to set things up, it's good to have a backup dash like evox. Or, get a evox bootable dvd made up and stick that in if you mess up xbmc and can't get into the machine again.

don't forget http://www.xboxmediacenter.com/ as well as xbox-scene for more info as well.

Hang in there, xbmc is simply the best. Nothing else comes close for dvd/sd material, pics and mp3's.

Evox is loaded on the machine, But I don't know how to make it boot into it. There is a setting in the "Settings" window that allows me to change to evox.xbe? but when I do, nothing happens, even if I reboot. What do I do? I'd like to know how to change dashboards (something else to suss out)

I really want something that is rock solid stable.

The system states it's "XBMC pre 2.1 (Compiled March 5 2007). Other than that I don't know anymore.

How do I find out exactly?

No man. You want the 2.01 STABLE build. SVN builds change like the weather at times. You should not be messing with anything other than formal point releases when setting up a system and 2.01 was not so long ago that you are leaving much on the table.

Builds HERE
http://217.118.215.116/

No man. You want the 2.01 STABLE build. SVN builds change like the weather at times. You should not be messing with anything other than formal point releases when setting up a system and 2.01 was not so long ago that you are leaving much on the table.

Builds HERE
http://217.118.215.116/

The guy that did the mod set it all up - he used a self-made install DVD. He never gave me the option of a build, but I wouldn't have known the difference anyway :o

The above site - is that a straight download site? Or is xbins the place to go?

That site is T3CH's download site. His versions of XBMC are the only pre-compiled versions officially endorsed by xbox-scene and xboxmediacenter.com. (They will offer no support for any other compiled versions) No need to go through xbins anymore. He has the 2.01 build archived as well as many others.

Once you become more familiar with xbmc and its settings you can try Pimped versions without any worries. Pimped usually comes with a few more bells and whistles but IMO you aren't missing much with the T3CH versions.

That site is T3CH's download site. His versions of XBMC are the only pre-compiled versions officially endorsed by xbox-scene and xboxmediacenter.com. (They will offer no support for any other compiled versions) No need to go through xbins anymore. He has the 2.01 build archived as well as many others.

Once you become more familiar with xbmc and its settings you can try Pimped versions without any worries. Pimped usually comes with a few more bells and whistles but IMO you aren't missing much with the T3CH versions.

Thx for the info. There is so much to learn it's rather daunting, but I'm having fun regardless. I'm about to upgrade my HD, so I'll use the disc the mod guy gave me. Then I can sort out a reinstallation of XBMC - wanting to be able to run the 2.0.1. version and also the latest one when I get myself sorted.

Still haven't figured out how to change the dashboard. Can this be done inside XBMC? I thought you could change it like a skin, but that's probably far from the truth.

My HD upgrade is taking first priority - probably tomorrow.

Picked up my new server case today

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t127/Grooving_Kiwi/ServerCase.jpg

It's a Thermaltake VA8430BW - "Armor" range. The open cooling grills in the front are great. The curved panels on the front are BS in my opinion, but I plan on removing them. Function over form here I'm afraid. It has some LED fans, but who cares - I'm only interested in the number of Drives it can hold and it's cooling potential - currently 14 drives, and 6 fans. I chose this over a CM Stacker 810 because this case included a PSU - and was slightly cheaper.

It'll probably be a week before I'll have time to sort the other parts. Still trying to get XBMC sorted.

I did get my HD AV pack yesterday. Looks okay and came with all cables - Composite, S-Video and Component and included an optical lead for audio - cool. I'm planning to get that installed tomorrow along with the network cabling to our existing puter - draped across the floor between rooms doesn't have a high WAF! ;)

that install cd the guy gave you -- does that install xbmc as your default dashboard? not sure which installer he was using.

when i first modded my xbox, i had evox as my default dash and xbmc as a program.

making xbmc as my dash and evox a program was pretty much moving folders around.

if you want to install another dash, even as a program you can run from xbmc, you'll have to download them, of course. might have to get another installer evox elsewhere or the "usual places".

that install cd the guy gave you -- does that install xbmc as your default dashboard? not sure which installer he was using.

when i first modded my xbox, i had evox as my default dash and xbmc as a program.

making xbmc as my dash and evox a program was pretty much moving folders around.

if you want to install another dash, even as a program you can run from xbmc, you'll have to download them, of course. might have to get another installer evox elsewhere or the "usual places".

Yep...I think it installed XBMC as the default. He said it was an installer he had modified. XBMC boots straight up - that's what I wanted. He modified the bios so it would do that (I think). Evox is on the HD (Seen it when I ftp'd) but I don't know how to start it. (Another thing to sort out :D)

not sure how that disk installs everything. you'd definitely need to establish ftp access first. a few ways to do that; xbox-scene can help you with that. i personally use c-xbox tool -- easiest program to ftp to xbox.

i have it set up in /E/Apps/Evox

that folder contains default.xbe, evox.ini; backup folder with .bin files and .txt file, skin folder with folders of skins (obviously), and Trainers folder which is probably unnecessary.

xbmc recognizes the Apps folder and lists all the programs in the Programs section.

not sure how that disk installs everything. you'd definitely need to establish ftp access first. a few ways to do that; xbox-scene can help you with that. i personally use c-xbox tool -- easiest program to ftp to xbox.

i have it set up in /E/Apps/Evox

that folder contains default.xbe, evox.ini; backup folder with .bin files and .txt file, skin folder with folders of skins (obviously), and Trainers folder which is probably unnecessary.

xbmc recognizes the Apps folder and lists all the programs in the Programs section.

This last part makes more sense to me now I've had some time within XBMC. I'm going to have a go upgrading to a new HD tomorrow. Thankfully, the existing 30GB is working, so I have a backup if I stuff it up - well here's hoping :)

Well I got my new HD installed today. It was easier than I thought it would be (had me worried) as the mod guy gave me a boot disc. That disc opened up into a menu and from there I could select "Upgrade HD" All I had to do was hit enter and away it went - did all the formatting and it completely setup the system from scratch again. I guess you'd call this an "Installer." I'm certainly thankful it was so simple. "phew"

I also plugged in my new HD AV pack. It makes a huge difference. The image is much clearer and sharper. If I look close though, I can see slight diagonal lines within the image. I'm certain this is the poor quality of the component leads. I'll get some better ones next week. The optical connection for audio seems to do the trick as well, although I've haven't really tested it. Nice to see 5.1DD/DTS registering on my receiver :cool:.

Next up is setting up an alternative version of XBMC. The current build that has been installed has some issues as I've mentioned before. I'd like to sort out how to install multiple dashboards and easily switch to them.

Can this be done from within XBMC? (Can I switch dashboards like I can switch skins?).

I do recall if you set you chipped or softmoded but I found that AutoInstaller Deluxe is a great way to auto setup you xbox.
It is menu driven and allows you to set everything up from the get go.

The last time I used the disk it had the new version of xbmc on it and you can choose the dashboard.

The later stable versions of xbmc will allow you to update by downloading the new plugins as to having to reinstall the xbmc.

The thing I like about the aid disk is that you can reinstall over and over again at the beginning if you mess things up.

Go to the site: aideluxe com

I like my xenuim ice modchip, I have 3 boxes chipped and have set it up to use a bios that allows lba48 or .67 partions. I have capacities of 137gb or more and want to utilize it for storage when I take my box with me on trips to store games and some movies the kid want to watch.

Xenuim has a samba server or you can use xbmc network shares to stream or ftp between the box and pc.

I did use cbox to ftp to the xbox but i did not like long file names and the xbmc ftp works much faster.

been using my xbox 1.0 since new and only had the dvd player go bad which I do not need because I just ftp from another one or pc.

good luck and have fun

Well I've been fully focused on trying to setup XBMC the way I want. It's taken a lot more effort than expected - mainly because it isn't always obvious how to do things and it didn't help having a version of XBMC that was buggy.

I ended up installing the latest release (after finally figuring out the file structure on the box) and have found it to be awesome. I'm still trying to get it all setup - takes quite a while downloading movie/music info and covers, sorting icons, network shares and stuff. I do believe once it's setup that it will be quite spectacular. Using Wide Icons really does lift the game as well.

I even figured a mod to the video overlay to add extra info to it - now that was cool.

Hopefully., I'll get a chance to get some other bits for my video server this week - MB, CPU, RAM. I've been somewhat daunted by everything I've had to learn, but the best thing is I'm learning a lot about a product that is going to play a major part in our household. I better get back to it :D

been using my xbox 1.0 since new and only had the dvd player go bad which I do not need because I just ftp from another one or pc.

The only issue is in updating your dash/XBMC and fubaring it bad enough that you wind up without FTP access. The only remedy (unless you have a mod chip that allows FTP access - uncommon) is a boot disc.

I had the same deal with a bad drive, which incidentally was perfect, didn't get used for a year and then never once worked again. Eventually I screwed up a dashboard update of XBMC and had to get a drive involved to salvage it. Murphy's Law in action.

Krazie's softmod allows for dual and tri boot options... On the dual boot you can boot so evox or some other dash by opening the DVD tray or XBMC by using the small power button. This way you always have two options for FTP access if something get FUBAR'd....

Picked up the Mobo, RAM and CPU for my server today. The build is happening here for those interested. UnRAID Media Server Build (http://support.lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=688.0)

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t127/Grooving_Kiwi/MObo.jpg

Hope to get it together tomorrow. I'm looking forward to having all my DVD's on tap. Hope I can get it all sorted :eek:

Well I got my UnRaid Server built and fired up. While I had a few issues, it was more to do with inexperience than anything else. I have 3x500Gb drives installed giving 1Tb with parity. I'm still working on the setup as I want to experiment before I start loading too much data.

I have a movie loaded to check watch-ability from within XBMC. So far, everything seems fine. I still have a lot of setting up do to with XBMC and some tweaks to get it to meet my requirements. This has been a satisfying experience. Hopefully some pics to follow.

Wow - you've really moved along here going from nothing to a server and media streaming setup rather quickly.

XBMC and the whole modding thing is a significant learning curve but unfortunately outside of native HD content, it's the best game going. Plus, I already went down that road so it's all behind me.

BTW - awesome Unraid thread in their forums. Will be very helpful for me in the future. Thanks for documenting it all.

Well I got my UnRaid Server built and fired up. While I had a few issues, it was more to do with inexperience than anything else. I have 3x500Gb drives installed giving 1Tb with parity. I'm still working on the setup as I want to experiment before I start loading too much data.

I have a movie loaded to check watch-ability from within XBMC. So far, everything seems fine. I still have a lot of setting up do to with XBMC and some tweaks to get it to meet my requirements. This has been a satisfying experience. Hopefully some pics to follow.

I too have the Thermaltake Armor - love that case. And yes, the wings are pointless and rattle as well. If you agument it with a 5-in-3 type of backplane like this (http://www.pc-pitstop.com/sata_cages_enclosures/a5in3.asp) let me know how you got it to fit. I had to hammer the crap out of my case to get it installed.

Someday, it will look like this:

Filesystem Size Used Avail Use% Mounted on
c: 233G 85G 149G 37% /cygdrive/c
d: 280G 270G 11G 97% /cygdrive/d
e: 280G 271G 9.2G 97% /cygdrive/e
f: 280G 255G 26G 91% /cygdrive/f
g: 280G 238G 43G 85% /cygdrive/g
i: 299G 129G 170G 44% /cygdrive/i
j: 299G 293G 5.3G 99% /cygdrive/j
k: 234G 227G 7.1G 97% /cygdrive/k
l: 234G 225G 9.4G 97% /cygdrive/l
m: 299G 292G 6.2G 98% /cygdrive/m
n: 466G 315G 151G 68% /cygdrive/n

The backplane is different but that looks like the Athena Power case offered on Newegg (there are also generics on Ebay using the same enclosure/racks but different backsides). I think on Newegg people also pointed out that they won't fit in certain brand cases without major issues. From what I read IcyDock seemed more compatible with various systems and rails if you intend to do the 5 in 3.

Athena Power Link: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817995001
True CON: This will only fit in a case with rails... Or if the 5 1/4 bays do not have the metal resting tabs at each drive bay, otherwise you can use it. The other models Athena makes have the slot for that type of case. I had to buy a Antec / Chenming type case (with rails) for this back plane to fit.

I don't see the 5 in 3 on ebay but here's a 4 in 3 that matches up with Athena's offering: http://cgi.*********/SATA-Backplane-RAID-4x-HD-Hot-Swap-Trays-3x-5-25-Bays_W0QQitemZ230128905647QQihZ013QQcategoryZ64459QQssPageNa meZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Wow - you've really moved along here going from nothing to a server and media streaming setup rather quickly.

XBMC and the whole modding thing is a significant learning curve but unfortunately outside of native HD content, it's the best game going. Plus, I already went down that road so it's all behind me.

BTW - awesome Unraid thread in their forums. Will be very helpful for me in the future. Thanks for documenting it all.

Yep...come a long way in a short amount of time. I've been working at it full-time (on hiatus currently) so I've had the time for a change. Lots to learn (and still learn) and I'm sure a lot more grey hair. I can't tell you if it's been worth it yet because I'm not quite fully there. Just making the start to backing up my collection - trying to figure how to do it - File Vs IFO VS ISO etc (same old argument :) ) I'm my own worst enemy here - can't make up my damn mind!

You're right about XBMC - it rocks. We don't have HD in New Zealand yet - probably years away - and our Sky PVR takes care of TV. XBMC does everything else I want and then some. Appreciate you taking the time to follow this thread. It's threads like this that have inspired me (Not sure if this is inspiring ;) ), but I wanted to document as I went - still a few more things to add. I'll get there :D

I too have the Thermaltake Armor - love that case. And yes, the wings are pointless and rattle as well. If you agument it with a 5-in-3 type of backplane like this (http://www.pc-pitstop.com/sata_cages_enclosures/a5in3.asp) let me know how you got it to fit. I had to hammer the crap out of my case to get it installed.

Someday, it will look like this:

Filesystem Size Used Avail Use% Mounted on
c: 233G 85G 149G 37% /cygdrive/c
d: 280G 270G 11G 97% /cygdrive/d
e: 280G 271G 9.2G 97% /cygdrive/e
f: 280G 255G 26G 91% /cygdrive/f
g: 280G 238G 43G 85% /cygdrive/g
i: 299G 129G 170G 44% /cygdrive/i
j: 299G 293G 5.3G 99% /cygdrive/j
k: 234G 227G 7.1G 97% /cygdrive/k
l: 234G 225G 9.4G 97% /cygdrive/l
m: 299G 292G 6.2G 98% /cygdrive/m
n: 466G 315G 151G 68% /cygdrive/n


I won't be using any of these hot swap devices - just don't see the sense or the need. They're expensive and you're not swapping out drives often to warrant them (IMO). And as the Armor has tool-less HD changing makes it fairly simple. Now I might look at something like this on my next puter though - decided my current P3 700 isn't fast enough for video manipulation and am going to upgrade. A hot swap would be good there I think.

Been dreaming of a media server for years - decided it wasn't going to happen by itself and that to live that dream I had to take some action. It all came together quite quickly - brain is still hurting :D...AND the wallet!

I like my Yahoo music service almost as much as my XBMC. I look at it as having 1 million songs on my PC for about $6/month. Now if I can figure out how to use XBMC to play the Yahoo subscription songs with drm (legally).

I've been doing quite a bit of searching and am running out of hope for this one. Any ideas here?

I could use my xbox 360 with windows media center extender. That works but much much to noisy and not nearly as nice.

Legally it will never be done. PLaysFureSure will not give out their secrets to be postetd in open source software ever. Sorry so say... I'm sure there are alternate approaches but there will never bill e legal one. Open source DRM would defeat the purpose of DRM....

Sean

I watched my first movie through XBMC over the weekend. All I can say is major disappointment! :(

The video quality was absolutely lousy - seemingly visible diagonal lines through the image (clear in colour). I thought this would be rectified by using better component cables...wrong!!! After lots of playing etc, I discovered it was the after-market HD pack I brought - complete rubbish!!! (I have learned a few things since I brought them unfortunately). I ordered an original one today, so it'll be 5-10 days away I guess.

The weird thing is that I did notice a big difference in the picture when I changed from the composite (original cables) over to the replacement component pack (sharper and better colour) - yet after watching a movie all I could see was the terrible video. I think perhaps I was somewhat excited by the prospect of finally getting a media center device happening that I never really noticed while playing with it???? Tends to stand out when your sitting there fully focused on it.

Now....strangely...going back to the composite, I see a huge improvement (definitely composite blurry/muted colours) but way better and the diagonal lines have gone. Now I can't wait until the original one gets here. I have since read there is a light and day difference. Time will tell!

Well better get back to some ripping...10 down, 690 to go :D

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t127/Grooving_Kiwi/DVDCollection.jpg

I wish you had said something. I know I had this conversation with someone else here, I thought it was you. The aftermarket and 3rd party HD packs are known garbage. Maybe a few people are happy or someone got lucky but I can't tell you the number of issues I have seen over the years. The Madcatz brand was so bad it was discontinued and they couldn't support it. The ebay cheapies have story after story of being replaced with "unbelievable picture quality improvement."

You either get the new MSFT HD pack (built in cables vs. breakout box on the old one as the box is the weak link so no uber cables will save you) or the Monster pack - they are both equal.

Nice collection by the way :)

I watched my first movie through XBMC over the weekend. All I can say is major disappointment! :(

The video quality was absolutely lousy - seemingly visible diagonal lines through the image (clear in colour). I thought this would be rectified by using better component cables...wrong!!! After lots of playing etc, I discovered it was the after-market HD pack I brought - complete rubbish!!! (I have learned a few things since I brought them unfortunately). I ordered an original one today, so it'll be 5-10 days away I guess.

The weird thing is that I did notice a big difference in the picture when I changed from the composite (original cables) over to the replacement component pack (sharper and better colour) - yet after watching a movie all I could see was the terrible video. I think perhaps I was somewhat excited by the prospect of finally getting a media center device happening that I never really noticed while playing with it???? Tends to stand out when your sitting there fully focused on it.

Now....strangely...going back to the composite, I see a huge improvement (definitely composite blurry/muted colours) but way better and the diagonal lines have gone. Now I can't wait until the original one gets here. I have since read there is a light and day difference. Time will tell!

Well better get back to some ripping...10 down, 690 to go :D

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t127/Grooving_Kiwi/DVDCollection.jpg

What resolution were you running XBMC at via component? You should also try messing around with the various deinterlacing options as some will work better than others. I don't think XBMC has deinterlacing on by default. Composite may also look better because you're feeding your display 480i and your display will do it's own deinterlacing and scaling. 3rd party component adapter really do suck, I know from experience also..

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t127/Grooving_Kiwi/DVDCollection.jpg


Drool . . . . .

Actually, I got my first SATA backplane (the iStar 5-in-3) due to ease of adding / moving drives. I've had my Thermaltake Armor for over a year now, and I just find drive maintenance is such a pain that made the $130 worth it. Right now, I'm adding another 5-in-3 to give me a total capacity of, what, 16 drives?

Thx for all the replies. Yeah...I'm real convinced now it's the after-market HD pack being my problem. Have to wait a week or more for the original to arrive. No worries though, I'm still trying to tweak the setup, Lots of things to still learn and a lot of ripping to do. Actually, the ripping isn't a priority yet. While experimenting with the setup I'm learning heaps about it and I'd like to get it setup properly from the beginning so the addition of content is icing on the cake.

My setup is PAL 720x576p - looks really nice except for the diagonal lines and murky video. Everything else is fine and the GUI looks incredible. Currently, I'm trying to get all my thumbnails sorted (want them stored locally so they don't spin up the drives on the Unraid. Still trying to decide the best solution. Need to learn of few more things first - especially custom tweaks like editing relational databases, customising the GUI, adding bits and bobs etc. I don't want to be a "tweaker" though. I want to set it up now, then leave it and enjoy it - if such a thing can happen :D

I know it's added a few grey hairs though :eek:

Glad you like our collection.

I don't want to be a "tweaker" though. I want to set it up now, then leave it and enjoy it - if such a thing can happen :D

It all starts with, "I'm going to do it once and do it right so I don't have to mess with this stuff much in the future."

Then you find yourself liking it and keeping tabs on the technology. As time passes and/or new things come out your unconscious starts plotting new builds and projects. You manage to stay away for a while but it's already there. Trust me, I look at this thread....I see a hobbiest. Maybe not an insane tweaker/benchmarker with no life outside their technology but someone who is decidedly hooked.

;)

Currently, I'm trying to get all my thumbnails sorted (want them stored locally so they don't spin up the drives on the Unraid. Still trying to decide the best solution. Need to learn of few more things first - especially custom tweaks like editing relational databases, customising the GUI, adding bits and bobs etc. I don't want to be a "tweaker" though. I want to set it up now, then leave it and enjoy it - if such a thing can happen :D

XBMC automatically caches the thumbnails locally (on the internal Xbox drive). It will even locate the thumbnail automatically when you create/update your database. I think the menu option is "Get information for all files" or something (I'm not near the xbox now).

Now the issue becomes "What if the Thumbnail XBMC obtains isn't like my actual DVD box." For example the movie "About a Boy" came out with the french cover "About a Garcon." Thankfully you can change the cover thumbnail quite easily in the GUI - but you do have to go out and find your own custom thumbnail and store it initially on your server. The XBMC will cache this as well once you change it. So do you store the custom thumbnail in the directory of the movie, or do you just maintain a "Thumbnails" directory? Your choice - I don't know what would be best.

I'd say out of 450 movies, 5% were the wrong movie, and 20% had the wrong thumbnail (the cover art didn't match the version of the movie I owned). However, all of my stuff is NTSC region 1. But again - everything was easily changed in the GUI. You can even create ".nfo" and ".tbn" files to tell the XBMC exactly what movie and thumbnail you want to use in case you have to delete and recreate your database.

I'm an Oracle DBA (zimDBA - get it!) and I've never had to go in and manually access the XBMC databases.

It all starts with, "I'm going to do it once and do it right so I don't have to mess with this stuff much in the future."

Then you find yourself liking it and keeping tabs on the technology. As time passes and/or new things come out your unconscious starts plotting new builds and projects. You manage to stay away for a while but it's already there. Trust me, I look at this thread....I see a hobbiest. Maybe not an insane tweaker/benchmarker with no life outside their technology but someone who is decidedly hooked.

;)

Hehehehe...I think you're right. It really is quite addictive and once you sort out one area, there always seems to be one more little thing you just have to change. Some things are obvious, others seem to take some trial and error (this seems to be my area of expertise :o )

XBMC automatically caches the thumbnails locally (on the internal Xbox drive). It will even locate the thumbnail automatically when you create/update your database. I think the menu option is "Get information for all files" or something (I'm not near the xbox now).

Now the issue becomes "What if the Thumbnail XBMC obtains isn't like my actual DVD box." For example the movie "About a Boy" came out with the french cover "About a Garcon." Thankfully you can change the cover thumbnail quite easily in the GUI - but you do have to go out and find your own custom thumbnail and store it initially on your server. The XBMC will cache this as well once you change it. So do you store the custom thumbnail in the directory of the movie, or do you just maintain a "Thumbnails" directory? Your choice - I don't know what would be best.

I'd say out of 450 movies, 5% were the wrong movie, and 20% had the wrong thumbnail (the cover art didn't match the version of the movie I owned). However, all of my stuff is NTSC region 1. But again - everything was easily changed in the GUI. You can even create ".nfo" and ".tbn" files to tell the XBMC exactly what movie and thumbnail you want to use in case you have to delete and recreate your database.

I'm an Oracle DBA (zimDBA - get it!) and I've never had to go in and manually access the XBMC databases.

I've been having some strange results trying to get thumbs sorted like I want - even after updating library and cleaning...although I suspect if XBMC could tell me, it would say user error :eek:

I have tweaked to DB to point at specific thumbs, but it was time consuming. The last tweak involved manually entered thumbs, but then XBMC didn't use them even after updating and stuff. It can drive you nuts. Best solution, would be able to point to a local folder, be I'm sure if I do that, then it will be shown as a folder in the GUI (Don't want that). I still have some playing to do I can see. :rolleyes:

So do you store the custom thumbnail in the directory of the movie, or do you just maintain a "Thumbnails" directory? Your choice - I don't know what would be best.

The one thing I didn't want to happen was my UNRAID server drives having to spin up every time I looked at the thumbs - although, even if they are in the movie folder as a folder.jpg, once they are cached that shouldn't happen. Am I correct in that thinking? I guess when I update though, that will cause them to spin up. Got some testing to do.

My line of thought is that the thumbs aren't going to matter. XBMC doesn't memorize what your network shares look like and only access them if you click the file (you'd be in quite a quandry trying to get to that new rip you just put in there). I'm pretty sure it's going to scan the directories so that is going to spin whichever drive you are looking at. If you aggregate the folders from different drives in XBMC or via such a share in unraid, they will all be accessed and spun up to see the file contents. Once they have the contents, they will pull the thumbs but at that point the drives are already up.

Maybe I'm missing something here or not understanding you but to my way of thinking, if you are looking at the thumb, regardless of thumb location, you are already accessing the directory and drive that file is on.

The one thing I didn't want to happen was my UNRAID server drives having to spin up every time I looked at the thumbs - although, even if they are in the movie folder as a folder.jpg, once they are cached that shouldn't happen. Am I correct in that thinking? I guess when I update though, that will cause them to spin up. Got some testing to do.

There are two modes for both videos and music in XBMC. One is Files and the other is Library. Files mode is just like Windows Explorer. You are actually seeing what is on your drive(s). Library mode uses a database that you scan your files into. It saves all the info (cover, name, year, plot, cast, etc.) in a db stored on the Xbox. It doesn't read from you unRAID drive(s) except to actually play the file. Once your media is scanned into the db, you could actually shut down your server and the covers and info would all still be displayed. Of course, trying to actually play them wouldn't work, but it just shows that everything is stored locally in Library mode. That is not the case in Files mode. Once inside either the music or videos section, you can toggle between the two modes with a button on the left (if you are using the default PMIII skin).

LOL - I never use library mode. Forgot about that. I'm a pure file guy.

LOL - I never use library mode. Forgot about that. I'm a pure file guy.

I use Library Mode for movies. For tv shows and music, I use file mode. I have no idea why, I've just been more diligent about maintaining the DB for my movies. Maybe it's because I use the XBMC for 80% movies, 15% TV Shows, and 5% music.