Share Your Multimedia Library with XBMC using MySQL | QNAP

[bruceleeon]

Recently, we featured an article on sharing your playstate and watched status with MediaBrowser for WMC. One of my main reasons for using the software was the shared library features. Today, with XBMC you are able to perform the same functions. The process is a bit more difficult, but well worth it.

If you are a user that stores their media on a NAS like QNAP or Thecus then your process will be a bit easier than those of you that don't. For XBMC to share this information with other Media Centers in your home, it uses MySQL and because we are such big fans of running a NAS instead of a server, this tutorial will focus the installation towards this.

http://wp.me/p1Rvyo-p7w

[Hansaplastique]

Nice and short guide - cool

I hope I'm not violating one or the other forum rule (if so; I apologize), but I think it might be useful for users as a reference point.

I wrote a few guides on this topic as well (available in English and Dutch);

How to keep XBMC's in sync with MySQL focussing on the MySQL running on a QNAP for example for this purpose and unlike most guides assuming you're running XBMC Eden (11) or better, How to install MySQL, webserver, and PHPMyAdmin on your QNAP and How to share the thumbnail cache on your QNAP.

All guides work with a QNAP of course, and have been tested with the official XBMC Eden release on Windows and Mac OS, as well as OpenElec versions for Fusion chipsets (AMD) and AppleTV setups (1st gen).

In my signature you'll find more guides for related tools like SickBear, SABNzbd, and CouchPotato.

[bruceleeon]

I just saw the thumbnail cache guide... how do you feel about sharing thumbnails on large libraries across the network? My general feeling is that this frowned upon. My music collection shares 40,000 songs, 700 moves, and 100's of TV shows. I am interested to hear your stance before I try.

[Hansaplastique]

Well,...
I don't have 40,000 songs, but my movie and TV Shows collection is pretty extensive and I have not noticed any issue.
Keep in mind though that I never use wireless network (too slow in my opinion for 1080p, using fast forward, etc).

I guess the best way to find out is by simply trying. It really is only a matter of adding a share and the following lines to the advancedsettings.xml;

Code: Select all

<pathsubstitution>
    <substitute>
    <from>special://masterprofile/Thumbnails</from>
    <to>smb://192.168.1.1/Multimedia/XBMCCache/</to>
    </substitute>
</pathsubstitution>

If it causes [performance] issues, then simply remove it and you're back to normal.

I would be very interested to see the performance. What kind of network do you use?
I have everything wired 1Gb.

[bruceleeon]

I have a mixed environment. 3 HTPCs on gigabit, 2 on 802.11n. I can't stream 1080 to the wireless pcs..

[Hansaplastique]

On my Wifi 1080 works but has a very slow start, and has hickups in between ... unacceptable, an that's why I only use wired connections

[chrischambers]

I am a bit confused.

I am also having the same issue that my Indexing / updating of my movie and music folders are taking a long time, even time I add something new.

my setup is

Raspberry PI running version 12.
Movie and Music are stored and shared on my Qnaps

here is my confused, I understand the steps on "How to install MySQL but I am not sure on how to connect the MySQL to the raspberry PI. ? what am I missing