4 ms·

Manage your HTPC from anywhere

44 points by styxit 13y ago

m_mueller 13y ago
What does 'HTPC' stand for? I've only ever heard 'Media Center PC' to describe that sort of appliance.
- Kudos 13y ago
  Home Theatre PC.
- styxit 13y ago
  'Home theater pc' so your media-center description is quite accurate.
  - tombrossman 13y ago
    This looks very cool and I'll try it this week. I've got a new Raspberry Pi and I plan to replace a Popcorn Hour with it, if I can figure it all out (I'm brand new to Raspberry Pi & HTPCs). One small suggestion, assuming this is your site? There are a couple typographical errors on the front page text, plus I might word the top line differently. The site looks great even if you ignore these suggestions though, and well done creating this project. - Manage your Htpc from everywhere -> Manage your HTPC from anywhere - Using multiple applications to control you htpc? No More! -> Using multiple applications to control your HTPC? - ...to controll them all -> ...to control them all
    - styxit 13y ago
      Thank you for the text corrections! This project runs great on a raspberryPi (that is how i use it myself). I would recommend doing a git clone the get Htpc Manager running on the Pi. This makes auto-updating the htpc manager software a lot easier.
joelhaasnoot 13y ago
Bonus points for integrating everything. But meh, another solution for controlling newsgroups. As a more casual downloader who thinks newsgroups are too much hassle, this doesn't really work for me.
- Kudos 13y ago
  It supports torrents too, though I'm not sure how reliable it is with public trackers.
spdmn 13y ago
I've tried this software and find it doesn't quite stack up to the original HTPC frontend project, Maraschino (http://www.maraschinoproject.com http://www.maraschinoproject.com) which offers more or less the same functionality. I prefer Maraschino mainly because of the integrated remote control which allows me to control XBMC with the keyboard from the web GUI. I'd recommend you try both and see what works for you.
- robk 13y ago
  I agree, Maraschino seems much nicer. Although at the end of the day, I don't really think I need a HTPC manager when each HTPC app I use has a nice web interface that all play well together. For a phone, there's a nice frontend but on PC/webapp, I find the tools offered by each work perfectly. Sickbeard to add shows, SANZBd to check downloads and nothing for XBMC/Plex as I just use it as a front-end.
CliffyA 13y ago
So it's a tool that makes it easier to pirate TV shows? I'd prefer a tool that would pull all the episodes from my legitimate DVDs, or automatically dropped the DRM from my iTunes season pass episodes and imported them into my HTPC.
- voltagex_ 13y ago
  After Requiem stopped being maintained, I don't think there's a way to drop DRM from any iTunes video content.
  - dbcooper 13y ago
    Can't you just use an older version of iTunes with it?
    - voltagex_ 13y ago
      Yes, but Apple prevents you from getting HD content with an older version.
- bgroins 13y ago
  No, this makes it easier to manage the disparate tools you already have in one pane.
- Kudos 13y ago
  I didn't start buying music online until it became easy to buy it DRM-free. I'm waiting for the same thing to happen to TV shows and movies.
davexunit 13y ago
I just use XMBC's web interface and android application. Both work fine for me.
- styxit 13y ago
  Ofcourse, with only xbmc the default web interface and app are good enough, i agree. But when you have 5 programs running, on your htpc and for every one you have to use a different interface, HtpcManager can provide a solution by combining all programs into one interface.
sandGorgon 13y ago
My HTPC setup at home is to have my content on my laptop, running Plex server and I connect my android phone to my TV with the Plex Android app. Really, really good - in fact, I have seen people do the same with the 20$ android media sticks that you can buy off dealextreme or someplace. A great alternative to chromecast.
- thejosh 13y ago
  Plex is great. It runs on Samsung Smart TVs, which runs all our home media that allows kids to watch old home footage.
- grumps 13y ago
  Have you run this on Debian? I see they offer an ubuntu package, and a few RPM packages.
  - sandGorgon 13y ago
    It should work on both. Ubuntu is built on top of a debian core. Plus Im running 12.04 - which is a old, stable release - so should be more in sync with upstream debian.
- doublerebel 13y ago
  Plex also has an interesting business model: Free server software, in a dead simple installation package, with config and streaming through a pleasant html5 UI. Smart TV app also free. Small but not insignificant charge for iOS and Android clients. Small SaaS charge to provide dynamicdns /remote streaming. It's so much of what Boxee aimed for and failed. I like hacking on things, but Plex works perfect out-of-the-box. Really impressed ever since I started using the software a year ago.
  - sandGorgon 13y ago
    From what I understand, it used to be a fork of XMBC. I think the ability to do the client/server model is possible with XBMC, but very hard to do out of the box. But I agree - plex was worth the purchase of the mobile app.
grumps 13y ago
On slightly related topic, has anyone found some good Linux based tools to clean up your MP3 Library metadata?
- aseidl 13y ago
  Have you looked into Beets (http://beets.radbox.org/ http://beets.radbox.org/) or the classic Picard (http://musicbrainz.org/doc/MusicBrainz_Picard http://musicbrainz.org/doc/MusicBrainz_Picard)?
  - grumps 13y ago
    I think I used MusicBrainz before. It worked pretty well but I had a bunch of one off MP3's that were a single band/song that it just botched. So now when I go through I find artists that I have no clue who they are, and I listen to the song and realize it's wrong.
zapt02 13y ago
Raspberry pi compatible? :)
- styxit 13y ago
  Yes! Just follow the linux install guide.
beagle3 13y ago
Question on the subject: Does anyone know an HTPC/Media Center software that, when I pop in a CD or DVD, it automatically gets ripped and stored? Is there a plugin as such for one of the common ones (XBMC, Plex, etc.?)

44 points by styxit 13y ago

m_mueller 13y ago

What does 'HTPC' stand for? I've only ever heard 'Media Center PC' to describe that sort of appliance.

Kudos 13y ago
Home Theatre PC.
styxit 13y ago
'Home theater pc' so your media-center description is quite accurate.
- tombrossman 13y ago
  This looks very cool and I'll try it this week. I've got a new Raspberry Pi and I plan to replace a Popcorn Hour with it, if I can figure it all out (I'm brand new to Raspberry Pi & HTPCs). One small suggestion, assuming this is your site? There are a couple typographical errors on the front page text, plus I might word the top line differently. The site looks great even if you ignore these suggestions though, and well done creating this project. - Manage your Htpc from everywhere -> Manage your HTPC from anywhere - Using multiple applications to control you htpc? No More! -> Using multiple applications to control your HTPC? - ...to controll them all -> ...to control them all
  - styxit 13y ago
    Thank you for the text corrections! This project runs great on a raspberryPi (that is how i use it myself). I would recommend doing a git clone the get Htpc Manager running on the Pi. This makes auto-updating the htpc manager software a lot easier.

joelhaasnoot 13y ago

Bonus points for integrating everything. But meh, another solution for controlling newsgroups. As a more casual downloader who thinks newsgroups are too much hassle, this doesn't really work for me.

Kudos 13y ago
It supports torrents too, though I'm not sure how reliable it is with public trackers.

spdmn 13y ago

I've tried this software and find it doesn't quite stack up to the original HTPC frontend project, Maraschino (http://www.maraschinoproject.com http://www.maraschinoproject.com) which offers more or less the same functionality. I prefer Maraschino mainly because of the integrated remote control which allows me to control XBMC with the keyboard from the web GUI. I'd recommend you try both and see what works for you.

robk 13y ago
I agree, Maraschino seems much nicer. Although at the end of the day, I don't really think I need a HTPC manager when each HTPC app I use has a nice web interface that all play well together. For a phone, there's a nice frontend but on PC/webapp, I find the tools offered by each work perfectly. Sickbeard to add shows, SANZBd to check downloads and nothing for XBMC/Plex as I just use it as a front-end.

CliffyA 13y ago

So it's a tool that makes it easier to pirate TV shows? I'd prefer a tool that would pull all the episodes from my legitimate DVDs, or automatically dropped the DRM from my iTunes season pass episodes and imported them into my HTPC.

voltagex_ 13y ago
After Requiem stopped being maintained, I don't think there's a way to drop DRM from any iTunes video content.
- dbcooper 13y ago
  Can't you just use an older version of iTunes with it?
  - voltagex_ 13y ago
    Yes, but Apple prevents you from getting HD content with an older version.
bgroins 13y ago
No, this makes it easier to manage the disparate tools you already have in one pane.
Kudos 13y ago
I didn't start buying music online until it became easy to buy it DRM-free. I'm waiting for the same thing to happen to TV shows and movies.

davexunit 13y ago

I just use XMBC's web interface and android application. Both work fine for me.

styxit 13y ago
Ofcourse, with only xbmc the default web interface and app are good enough, i agree. But when you have 5 programs running, on your htpc and for every one you have to use a different interface, HtpcManager can provide a solution by combining all programs into one interface.

sandGorgon 13y ago

My HTPC setup at home is to have my content on my laptop, running Plex server and I connect my android phone to my TV with the Plex Android app. Really, really good - in fact, I have seen people do the same with the 20$ android media sticks that you can buy off dealextreme or someplace. A great alternative to chromecast.

thejosh 13y ago
Plex is great. It runs on Samsung Smart TVs, which runs all our home media that allows kids to watch old home footage.
grumps 13y ago
Have you run this on Debian? I see they offer an ubuntu package, and a few RPM packages.
- sandGorgon 13y ago
  It should work on both. Ubuntu is built on top of a debian core. Plus Im running 12.04 - which is a old, stable release - so should be more in sync with upstream debian.
doublerebel 13y ago
Plex also has an interesting business model: Free server software, in a dead simple installation package, with config and streaming through a pleasant html5 UI. Smart TV app also free. Small but not insignificant charge for iOS and Android clients. Small SaaS charge to provide dynamicdns /remote streaming. It's so much of what Boxee aimed for and failed. I like hacking on things, but Plex works perfect out-of-the-box. Really impressed ever since I started using the software a year ago.
- sandGorgon 13y ago
  From what I understand, it used to be a fork of XMBC. I think the ability to do the client/server model is possible with XBMC, but very hard to do out of the box. But I agree - plex was worth the purchase of the mobile app.

grumps 13y ago

On slightly related topic, has anyone found some good Linux based tools to clean up your MP3 Library metadata?

aseidl 13y ago
Have you looked into Beets (http://beets.radbox.org/ http://beets.radbox.org/) or the classic Picard (http://musicbrainz.org/doc/MusicBrainz_Picard http://musicbrainz.org/doc/MusicBrainz_Picard)?
- grumps 13y ago
  I think I used MusicBrainz before. It worked pretty well but I had a bunch of one off MP3's that were a single band/song that it just botched. So now when I go through I find artists that I have no clue who they are, and I listen to the song and realize it's wrong.

zapt02 13y ago

Raspberry pi compatible? :)

styxit 13y ago
Yes! Just follow the linux install guide.

beagle3 13y ago

Question on the subject: Does anyone know an HTPC/Media Center software that, when I pop in a CD or DVD, it automatically gets ripped and stored? Is there a plugin as such for one of the common ones (XBMC, Plex, etc.?)