To get started you’ll need to have installed the server and client of My Movies 3 on your main Media Center machine. We’re installing the client and server on this machine so that we can use the client to browse movies in Media Center and the server will allow us to edit the data remotely. The server also adds the possibility of remotely accessing the same collection database from each PC on the network. Using a central database in place of flat files saves time and resources by not reloading flat files from the folders and downloading data to each client Media Center machine.

On the remote machine you’ll only need to install the client for browsing the My Movies 3 library. For editing the collection remotely, install My Movies 3 Collection Management from the My Movies download page. Unfortunately, the installation process doesn’t offer to change the firewall settings so that we can access the database remotely and it needs to be done manually. Start by opening up the Control Panel –> Safety and Security –> Allow a Program through the Firewall on the Media Center and press the Change settings button. Press the Add another program button and locate “Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.1\MSSQL\Binn\” (64-bit users look in “Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.1\MSSQL\Binn\”) and add sqlservr.exe. Also, locate Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\90\Shared\sqlbrowser.exe and add it to the exceptions list (64-bit users need not use program files (x86) this time).

Now to edit the collection launch the My Movies Collection Management program and you’ll be prompted to enter the network location of the My Movies server machine (after logging in to the My Movies server, which is the same username and password as a My Movies forums account: register here).

It takes some time to access and load the database. To change the location of the My Movies server later access the File menu and select the Connect to Server option. Management of the My Movies collection should now be possible from the client machine.

My Movies Collection Management offers a fairly comprehensive ability to edit movie metadata manually and retrieve data from remote sources. To change the title or source of a particular movie select it from the left hand pane and press the small red and green arrow icon in the toolbar.

From this next dialog change the title, location and format to help narrow down the results and find the correct selection for the title in question. For instance, The Patriot regularly comes up as a Steven Segal movie when it’s in fact the Mel Gibson revolutionary war tale of the same name.

Simply select the proper title and format (type) for the movie and press the Change button to download the updated information. That’s all there is to it! You should now be able to use the Collection Management tool to edit your entire movie collection’s metadata remotely for My Movies 3. Have trouble or tips? Leave a comment below!

Long time users will immediately notice a speed improvement over previous versions, especially while browsing large collections and when first starting the plugin. The entire experience is much more responsive making finding and playing the particular movie you’re looking for much less time consuming than previous versions. As an added bonus Firestorm includes experimental support for an SQLite database which will further improve the experience. To enable this feature you’ll simply need to download and copy the correct version of the SQLite DLL to the ProgramData\MediaBrowser folder.

Another notable feature of MediaBrowser FireStorm is that themes can now be created and released as plugins separate from the core code. Now just like with the plugin interface you can download and switch between themes without the need for a completely new release of the MediaBrowser plugin. In fact the Vanilla theme which was previously included in the main package is now a plugin shipped separately. In order to download the Vanilla theme you’ll need to open the MediaBrowser Configuration and select Add from the Plugins tab. Next select the File –> Sources menu and Add the following source: http://www.throgsoft.com/plugins/plugin_info.xml. Afterward, a restart of the configuration utility is required to load the new plugin listings.

For long time users there have also been some changes to the ImagesByName structure. Images have now been separated into appropriate categories with a new folder structure. In order to facilitate this transition there is a migration tool available for download. Of course, for those new to Media Browser (or who just need to update their images) there is always the extensive package offered by TheHTPC.net.

Another feature long desired has been added as well in multiple entry points. Now, for each section created in the configuration tool MediaBrowser also creates an entry point. Using Media Center Studio you can add these new entry points to any start menu strip. Simply enter the start menu tab and expand the Entry Points at the bottom then drag and drop a point onto the strip. This is a great feature for those who prefer to browse recorded TV shows inside Media Browser or those who simply want to select HD/SD folders from the start menu.

Firestorm is a definite step forward for MediaBrowser which should be a definite upgrade on every Media Center enthusiasts list. The performance and stability alone are quite an improvement over previous releases a certainly cements MediaBrowsers status at the top of the heap of movie library plugins. New users and old alike can download this latest release from the Google Code repository.

To get started we need to launch the Windows Registry Editor by opening the start menu and enter “regedit” into the search box and press enter. A dialog will appear asking you to confirm, since the program needs administrator privileges to run. Once inside you’ll see a folder style listing on the left and a few entries on the right. In the left hand pane navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Media Center\Extensions\Netflix.

Delete the Netflix folder or just the entries on the right hand side to erase the saved login information and once again be able to re-enter your login information. Just relaunch Windows 7 Media Center and enter the Netflix application and you should once again receive the login prompt.

For those not comfortable with editing the registry we’ve got a registry file available for download right here. Just download the .reg file and double-click to run then confirm that you’d like to apply the changes to your registry. Afterward re-launch Windows 7 Media Center and you should be presented with the login screen next time you enter the Netflix application.

To get started My Movies 3 can be downloaded from the My Movies website. Downloading the plugin is completely free and the basic features are free for everyone to use but there are limitations built into the software. Users who haven’t used the My Movies software previously are likely to be surprised by the limitations. My Movies uses an Xbox Marketplace style points system for purchasing extra features. Points can be had for participating in the submission of movie metadata to any titles with less than adequate metadata or can be purchased for cold hard cash. A full compliment of features will set you back a whopping $50 if you should choose the cash route.

My Movies uses a collection management application to manage the titles in your movie collection. This setup allows you to install a server/client setup to enable storing your collection data at a single machine and network the data between multiple computers. This is certainly a plus, allowing edits to metadata and images to be propagated across a users entire network without needing to make the changes on each machine. Collection management applications are becoming a much more popular alternative to downloaded or handcrafted text/xml files to store metadata for your movie collection and proves to be much more user friendly.

For those opting to add points to their account through submitting metadata, they can do so through the collection management application. Simply locate any titles in your collection that contain less than adequate metadata, indicated by a yellow or red indicator icon next to the title. These titles are able to be updated inside the management application and will then ask you to submit your additional data to the My Movies service. You’ll need to read the guidelines first and agree to the terms of the service or face penalties including suspension of your account. The guidelines are an effort to prevent questionable data from being entered into the central system and keep the metadata complete and clean and curb submitting data simply for points.

Onto the real meat of the plugin, the actual Media Center application, we see a familiar interface similar to other popular movie collection plugins such as Media Browser and Open Media Library. This is actually a departure for My Movies, formerly featuring a more menu based interface reminiscent of the original Media Center. The interface has been updated to reflect the Windows 7 Media Center style but has run into some growing pains along the way.

As you can see in the image above, My Movies uses the default style to output the movie title, date and rating information. The problem comes in when the movie title extends to cover the majority of the third row, obscuring the view. To complicate the situation further, stopping on a single title for approximately four seconds results in the entire display fading into the fan art view and hiding the collection completely (by default, can be changed in options inside Collection Manager).

The other view available to users without the appropriate point levels, list view, suffers the same problem with the fan art display. Stopping on a single title fades the view making reading the listing impossible. Though the list view does have a description of each movie as well as ratings, dates, cast and crew and more information that remains visible.

For those not opting to go the metadata submission route the other two collection views will run you $20 and $40 respectively for covers with details or centered covers. While probably the biggest included feature, disc copying, costs a full $50 to unlock the feature. While this is likely a killer feature for a select few many will likely be content with ripping their disks on a networked pc and simply transferring them with plenty of free software available to get the job done.

Despite setbacks in the interface design, once they’re addressed My Movies 3 looks to provide a feature complete solution to browsing and even growing your Windows 7 Media Center movie library. The collection manager is solid and easy to use for even the newest of users and the plugin interface meshes very well with the default Windows 7 Media Center design making for a seamless integration into an existing system. Unfortunately, considering these usability problems and the price involved in unlocking many features that are included free with other Windows 7 Media Center plugins, disc copying aside, it’s hard to recommend My Movies 3 over the alternatives.

For those who’ve already got the SQL server version installed updating to the latest version is as simple as downloading and installing the latest client version. We’ve got the 0.4.2 client for x86 systems and x64 systems available for download or you can head over to the Open Media Library site to get the latest versions. For those who haven’t given the 0.4 server a try yet we’ve got them available for x86 systems and x64 systems as well. As previously noted in the last Open Media Library article, single system installs require the server version to be installed though if you’ve already got server version 0.4 the latest client is all that is required to update to version 0.4.2.

For those updating, here’s a list of bug fixes and changes in this update, from the OML website:

Fixed:

• Bug fixes to importing previous oml.dat files
• Bug fixes to importing MyMovies.xml files
• bug fixes to importing oml.xml files
• bug fix to the moviecollectorz plugin
• Trailers now work
• fixed disappearing box art in db editor
• bug fixes to backing up/restoring the database
• various crashing fixes relating to meta data searches
• fanart from 0.3 versions of oml will now be pulling into 0.4 during import
• fixed race condition in the database layer
• deleting and updating favorites should now work
• fixed various issues when using 4:3 resolution tvs
• bug fixes relating to extenders (diff bugs for vista and win7 fixed) (extenders)
• fixed bug in transcoding mkv files under win7 (extenders)
• various fixes to drag/drop in the db editor

Added:

• Added firewall exception to the installers for sql server
• Added separate settings for plugins (movies vs tv)
• ability to remove fanart from db editor
• more logging
• ability to rebuild the database from scratch
• ability to do meta-data searches for tv shows and seasons

Changed:

• tv episodes now use “frontcover” image instead of thumbnail for display

If you’re haven’t already given Open Media Library a try be sure to check out our previous guide to getting started with version 0.4 and check it out. With development speeding up recently OML is sure to become a favorite for Windows 7 Media Center users in no time. Also, if you’ve got graphic design experience or coding skills be sure to head on over to the OML forums and lend a hand. Currently they’re looking for someone to create a few icons for use inside Media Center and coders and plugin creators are always in demand.

Don’t forget to subscribe to Hack7MC for the latest on Open Media Library!

Not only has the database been greatly improved but so has the interface for editing the database and metadata results for the movies in the collection. To get started with this new version of Open Media Library take note that there are now two different versions. One version is the server and stand-alone, the other is a client version allowing for access to the same database and metadata contained on the server machine.

Make sure you get the correct version for the setup you are trying to achieve. Single machines need to install the server setup files for the proper machine OS (x64 or x86) and then all other machines on the network need only install the client. We’ve mirrored the downloads here on Hack7MC or you can find the latest versions on openmedialibrary.org as well. Choose the correct file from below, download and install:

Once the installation has completed you’ll be asked to provide details in order to setup the database. If you have installed the server edition the Server Name will likely be localhost (unless you’re running a separate database server box, unlikely under most circumstances). Follow through the short wizard which will take a few minutes to get the database created and setup to get started.

Once that’s completed it’s time to move on to the real meat of the project and begin adding movies to the new database.

The database editor has seen a few improvements in usability with this release as well, making titles easier to read and navigate. The basic principals are much the same as previous versions though much easier to use. Select Import and add to the collection by importing from a previous movie library plugin or scan your disk for titles.

Then select one or more titles from the second pane and right-click to bring up the metadata retrieval options. You can also enter details by hand, one by one but let’s face it that seems tedious. The database editor will go out and fetch the data from a number of reliable sources and give you a choice of titles to select from should there be any doubt about the correct one. Just choose from the list and the editor will fetch the information, cover art and backdrop images.

There’s even a new function for mapping genres returned from the source to existing or new genres in the collection. This makes it a snap to sort through all the various genres added by over zealous submissions and map them to the best possible match for your setup. It makes little sense to have hundreds of genres and this helps keep the deluge down and organized. Once you’ve mapped a genre it need only be done once and the program will perform the mapping automatically from then on.

Once you’ve finished perfecting your metadata arrangement it’s time to open up Media Center and give the plugin itself a try. The first thing you’ll be presented with after opening Media Center is a new option to add OML to a start menu strip or into the Extra Programs library. The start strip isn’t quite finished at this point, lacking icons and the TV tile that seems to not function yet but still beats going into the Extra Programs.

Should you choose to have the start strip added to Media Center a restart will be required before it will appear in the start menu. Afterwards enter into Open Media Library and you’ll see much the same interface as before except the settings menu has been quite improved from previous versions, now matching the look and feel of Windows 7 Media Center.

There are also a few options we’re looking forward to that aren’t quite functional yet such as themes and Alpha jump. Hopefully the TV tile will become of more use in the near future as well allowing us to store our TV series sets separately. For now though the team working on Open Media Library is doing a fantastic job and this plugin definitely deserves a try from anyone looking for alternative third-party movie library plugins.

Be sure to visit the Open Media Library project and get the latest news and downloads as well as dropping some suggestions or bugs in the forums. Don’t forget to stay tuned to Hack7MC for the latest on this and many other plugins in the near future as well!

To get started you’ll need a couple pieces of software installed. Download and install both VirtualCloneDrive from SlySoft as well as the plug-in from Mikinhosoft. Once you’ve got both packages installed using the program is fairly simple. Just re-launch Windows 7 Media Center and enter the native movie library.

Once inside the native movie library ISO files should now be listed alongside your standard movie listings. Unfortunately, there is an extra step necessary to mount the images themselves once they’ve been listed in the movie library. You will need to bring up the menu for the movie which has been saved as an ISO and select the More option.

Inside the More menu you should see a new option listed to Mount Image. Selecting this listing from the menu should then successfully mount the ISO image making it available to be played from the movie library.

After selecting the Mount Image option you should be presented with the ability to play the image as if you had put a standard DVD into your DVD drive. Alternatively you can return to the main movie library and launch the movie from there as well, just as if you had a regular disk inserted.

Unfortunately, at this time there’s no way to immediately differentiate between ISO files and other media types from inside the library and trying to play an un-mounted ISO file will result in an error. You will need to remember which files need to be mounted before they can be played. A visual representation is currently in the works for future versions of the plug-in, however, which should make using ISO files slightly more accommodating inside the native library.

That’s all there is to it! For anyone looking to add some make-shift ISO support to the native Windows 7 Media Center movie library can make use of this handy plug-in to get the job done though there are still some reservations which separate this option from complete third-party libraries.

Movie Collector is a paid program but offers a free trial limited to 50 movies which is enough to give it a good try-out. Of course, paid programs and plugins aren’t for everyone but if you’re still in get started by downloading the free trial from Collectorz.com’s Movie Collector page.

After installation launch Movie Collector as an Administrator. This step is fairly important as the Media Center plugin won’t launch otherwise. You’ll need to enter the Tools –> Options menu and select the Media Center tab. No actual changes are necessary but you’ll need to save the settings before the plugin will operate properly.

Once that’s done you can either add movies from your collection or use the provided example database to try out the program. Adding movies to Collector can be a fairly daunting process though straight forward. The program doesn’t scan your hard drive and instead relies on manual input, though an option to import from MyMovies is available.

You can find more information on adding movies to the database from Collectorz.com’s manual here. One important thing to note, however, is that you’ll need to link a movie file to each movie in order to play them from Media Center. Right-click a movie and select edit, then in the Links tab add a movie file to the entry by selecting the button above the lower text area labeled “Add Movie File”. This enables the movie to be played from Media Center.

You can launch the Media Center plugin from either the Collectorz program in the upper right hand corner of the program’s toolbar or from the Extra Programs menu inside Media Center. Once inside the plugin you’ll find a fairly full featured interface rivaling some of the best Media Center movie library options.

Bring up the onscreen keyboard and options by pressing ctrl on your keyboard or the Play button on your remote. From here you’ll be able to select sorting options and view styles as well as zoom to certain selections by letter.

The number of available viewing modes is quite impressive and you’re sure to be able to find one that suits your particular preferences. The plugin pulls information from the database and displays information about each movie in each view in a different an unique manner. For example, in the wall view stopping on a selection will bring up details on that movie without having to enter each one in turn.

Movie Collector’s Media Center plugin even comes with a search function that allows you to search through your database by specific metadata categories including title, actor, genre and rating. As well as selectable actor names inside each movie details screen.

MCE Zone and Collectorz.com have truly provided a feature rich platform for serious movie collections. Though the Collectorz database editor could use some more options to ease use for Media Center users like automatic hard drive scanning and file linking taking the time to do the extra work can provide one of the best Media Center library experiences available.

Be sure to give this handy tool a try and subscribe to Hack7MC to get the latest on even more tools and plugins in the future!

To get started open up Regedit by typing “regedit” into the start menu’s search box and pressing enter. Next using the tree listing on the left hand side locate the following folder:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Media Center\Settings\ProgramGuide

Next add a new DWORD entry by right-clicking the right hand pane and selecting New –> DWORD. Name this new entry excludeTVFromMoviesLibrary and then double click the new listing to set the value. To disable TV movies from appearing in your Movie Library set the value to 1, for the default behavior set the value to 0.

That’s it, close Regedit and restart your Windows 7 Media Center for the changes to take effect.

Of course, you could always download this registry file to remove TV movies from the Windows 7 Media Center Movie Library but it’s always good to know what a registry file is changing and how to reverse it. Thanks to Ian Dixon for the tip and be sure to stop by The Digital Lifestyle for even more Media Center related news and info.

To get started, you’ll need to follow the basic guide to using Starkcovers and create custom covers for your movie collection. You’ll also need to download a copy of the free software BIMP Lite. This is the software we’re going to use to batch convert those .png images into .jpg files.

After running StarkCovers on your movie collection you’ll notice that the built-in movie library no longer displays your movie covers. This is because the program has converted your former folder.jpg files into folder.png, which is fine for Media Browser. To get those covers back in the default library though let’s open up BIMP Lite.

First open up the Images menu at the top and check the Recurse Subdirectories option, otherwise it’s going to be a long day of selecting movie folders one by one. Next select the root folder containing your movies and covers and you’ll see BIMP load up your image on the right. Press the button below the listing to deselect all the images.

We only want to alter those folder.png images so right-click the image list and choose Select > PNG. In most cases the only images that will be selected are the folder.png images but do a quick double check to be sure. Most fan art and background images are saved as .jpg.

Next check that your output settings are set to not resize the images, output a jpg format in the same folder as it currently resides and set the quality to 100 so we get the highest quality image possible. Also, double check that the Prefix input box is empty (which is isn’t in the screenshot above). Then hit the Start button.

That’s it! Just relaunch your Windows 7 Media Center and your built-in movie library should now be sporting those classy StarkCovers.