XBMC and Our Digital Future

So here is where I’m at. I’m working on getting our digital household up and running. I am getting everything encoded into the proper format and set up for the HTPC. A desk has been added to the living room. Kate’s laptop is to reside upon this desk. We also plan to have my underused Samsung laserjet printer connected to this laptop so anyone can print out what they need. The printer can also be shared so we can print out through our computers on the network. We also have plans of purchasing a low cost Android based tablet, and using a few programs, we can use it as the input interface for the Home Theater PC. We are embracing the digital future.

Now I want to do something a little different. I want to do a small software review, based on my experiences and uses for it. Bear with me, this something I have never done before.

XBMC

XBMC is a media center program, with its roots planted in Microsoft’s XBOX gaming console. The software was only able to be installed after some form of modding and hacking. The creators then ported the program to Windows, OS X, and Linux. A Media Center program is different from a normal video player. XBMC organizes your files, watches your folders, collects data, and plays your files. I will go into detail with each one.

                When you first install XBMC, you need to set up the install. This includes telling the program where your media files are stored. XBMC will then “watch” those folders; for example if you rip more CDs to your Music folder, XBMC will “see” the new files and add them. This a great thing to have in a media center program, as you don’t have to worry about continuously adding single files in the program. Once your files are in the program, it will then “scrape” your files to collect the metadata. It will attach this data to the file within the program. This will give you information such as covers, artwork, summaries, ratings, etc. This makes it easy to see at a glance any information for the movie. From this organization and listings, you can play your files.

One of the great things about XBMC is its ability to install add ons and skins. You can browse and download and install the skin that you want to use. They are all good, but some are better for certain applications. I chose Neon, and the individual options to be used for the Home Theater. All this is set up on my desktop for now, but it will all be translated to the Home Theater. It is easy to use and navigate froma  distance. I also installed the add on that should help me configure my Windows Media Center remotes to be used with XBMC. I hope to make this our main media center application. 

Overall, I give it a 9/10. Why? For everything it does great, it lacks a few things. For one, no Netflix or Hulu integration. I am hoping that the remote customization will help create custom macros to launch Netflix and Hulu Desktop. Below are a few screenshots from my installation as it sits for now. 

I have a lot of work to do with it, mostly with getting all the correct information and files all together. I will let you in on the process, every step of the way. So long, fairwell.