Media Server Software

[dguarnaccia]

About a year ago, I popped into my local high end audio shop in town to look at the theater room I can never afford, and they did the cruelest thing they could..they showed me the Kaleidescape system. For those who've never seen it, it's a crazy expensive home media system that automates your media library storage and collection process, and has an amazing user interface. I fell in love with it, but I'll never be able to afford the 50k price tag for a fully loaded system. So my question is this: Are there other media server user interaces with similar features.

The two things I admired most about it was it's ability look up additional content about a song/movie/dvd/cd, index those media assets with an amazing array of metadata, and allow you to browse your collections across all those media data attributes and cover art. It also would assemble related movies/music/etc around the currently selected item so you can explore your library. Here is a video that explains it, http://www.kaleidescape.com/experience/video.php (skip to the 2 minute mark to see what I'm referring to)

So, here is my questions. Are there other software solutons or HTPC type software packages that rival this functionality? I have to believe someone's build something better at this point. But from the most part, all the media server stuff I've seen have pretty boring UI's. I've played with Tversity, and Nero Home, and I wasn't impressed at all. Anyone have experience with any that start to approach the Kaleidscape experience?

Thanks,

Dg

[Lanceb1b]

About a year ago, I popped into my local high end audio shop in town to look at the theater room I can never afford, and they did the cruelest thing they could..they showed me the Kaleidescape system. For those who've never seen it, it's a crazy expensive home media system that automates your media library storage and collection process, and has an amazing user interface. I fell in love with it, but I'll never be able to afford the 50k price tag for a fully loaded system. So my question is this: Are there other media server user interaces with similar features.

The two things I admired most about it was it's ability look up additional content about a song/movie/dvd/cd, index those media assets with an amazing array of metadata, and allow you to browse your collections across all those media data attributes and cover art. It also would assemble related movies/music/etc around the currently selected item so you can explore your library. Here is a video that explains it, http://www.kaleidescape.com/experience/video.php (skip to the 2 minute mark to see what I'm referring to)

So, here is my questions. Are there other software solutons or HTPC type software packages that rival this functionality? I have to believe someone's build something better at this point. But from the most part, all the media server stuff I've seen have pretty boring UI's. I've played with Tversity, and Nero Home, and I wasn't impressed at all. Anyone have experience with any that start to approach the Kaleidscape experience?

Thanks,

Dg

Aww come on the price has really dropped lately;
"A base Kaleidescape System lists for $27,000 and includes a Kaleidescape Server with sufficient storage for 160 DVD movies, a Movie Player for playback in a single zone, and a DVD Reader for importing DVDs.":biglaugh:

Sorry, I use the poor man's system, HTPC w/ vista and a media extender.
You can try Google "The Green Button".

[dguarnaccia]

Hehe, at this rate, I should be able to afford it in about 15 years.

I'll take a look at tgb. I've been a bit disappointed with the media center interface, it could be so much better, but maybe the windows 7 version will improve it. I think the thing that I'm really looking for is to make the movie selection process fun. I think that's what makes Kaleidscape interesting to me.

Just wondering if anyone else had found something cool like that. I'm mostly just using the PS3 to stream content from my machine, but if I can find a good application, I'll build out a HTPC.

[dweekie]

http://xbmc.org/

I like the interface of this program a lot. It can interface with imdb and other databases for info. Since it's free, it's well worth giving it a runthrough on your computer. There's a lot of stuff to dig through in this app. I've been using it for a long time on xbox, but it's been recently ported to computers.

[JazzySmooth]

Hehe, at this rate, I should be able to afford it in about 15 years.

I'll take a look at tgb. I've been a bit disappointed with the media center interface, it could be so much better, but maybe the windows 7 version will improve it. I think the thing that I'm really looking for is to make the movie selection process fun. I think that's what makes Kaleidscape interesting to me.

Just wondering if anyone else had found something cool like that. I'm mostly just using the PS3 to stream content from my machine, but if I can find a good application, I'll build out a HTPC.

I use (and love) MediaPortal. Check out the 1st post in this thread for some sample screenshots

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1092168

[rumonkey2]

What timing...

I just got an e-mail linking me to this:

http://www.avrev.com/home-theater-feature-articles/video-related-articles/kaleidescape-the-mini-system.html

[cburbs]

Here is a good link -

http://lifehacker.com/5103464/five-best-media-center-applications

I know alot of people seem to like media portal.

[nwboater]

One of the best, and lots of forum support with many add-ons. Not free, but very reasonably priced. They also make their own extenders which greatly increases simplicity and WAF. http://www.sagetv.com

Rod

[SomeCiscoGuy]

One of the best, and lots of forum support with many add-ons. Not free, but very reasonably priced. They also make their own extenders which greatly increases simplicity and WAF. http://www.sagetv.com

Rod

I second the recommendation for SageTV. I've run Sage at the workstation level and on a WHS install - both work very well. Highly recommend it.

[dguarnaccia]

Thanks for all the recommendations gang. I'll dig through them all and start playing with them. I've searched for this stuff before, and never even heard of some of these before. It's amazing what you can find through a great network like this.

[dvenardos]

This looks very cool and supports practically every format available. I think I will install this on my daughters Ubuntu computer as a regular music player.

http://xbmc.org/

I like the interface of this program a lot. It can interface with imdb and other databases for info. Since it's free, it's well worth giving it a runthrough on your computer. There's a lot of stuff to dig through in this app. I've been using it for a long time on xbox, but it's been recently ported to computers.

[dguarnaccia]

Anyone have any experience with My Movies?

http://www.mymovies.dk/screenshots/windows-vista-media-center.aspx

Looks pretty easy to use, and solves a lot of the MCE shortcommings, plus seems to have a nice integration with IMDB...

[etcarroll]

Lots of folks do, run a search at av123.

I use the client-server version between my 2 MCE boxes and WHS server. Love it.

There's now a version specific to WHS, but I haven't bothered changing over to it.

[dguarnaccia]

The only thing that holds me back is that you have to gain enough "points" to use some of the featuers I really want, like BD back up and such. Anyone have any issues with that, and how have you overcome it?

[etcarroll]

Well, anydvd rips the BDs fine, and MM auto-recognizes them with a free dload from the SlySoft site, Virtual Clone Drive, so I haven't missed the auto-rip feature of BD disks.

And to be truthfull, I never liked the way MM auto-ripped standard disks either, I prefer the flexibility of 3rd party programs, right now I use freeware version of DVDFab.

So lack of points hasn't troubled me at all.

http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/rip_your_movie_dvds_and_watch_them_anywhere?page=0%2C0