Plex, XMBC or iTunes?

[Crazy Badger]

Automator does a great job of renaming files in a consistent format too

 

[Fresh Tendrils]

I've currently got both installed on my iMac. While I like the look of XBMC, it refuses to add my iTunes TV shows [it just adds empty folders for the shows]. For XBMC to add the actual files they need to be named something like 'Show.s01e01.' There's an advanced setting you can add to supposedly scan iTunes TV shows, but I could never get it to work properly. Plex on the other hand handles tv shows organized in an iTunes folder structure just fine i.e. Show/Season #/Episode Name.m4v. So if you want to add TV shows that are organized by iTunes, use Plex.

 

[dhartung02]

I love Plex - it is my complete media center hub. I have it running on a Mac Mini Server and then a separate mini under the TV for access. I am looking to add a jailbroke aTV to the mix as well. We play stuff from our iPhones, iPad, and remote computers all the time as well. It is great.

 

[Randomizer]

Worth the effort to get all your media nicely organised into folders with seasons and consistent names. Plex will then deal with it perfectly. I have about 2TBs of films and 1.5TB of TV shows on my ReadyNAS and can watch any of it from my iMac, MBA, aTV, iPhone or iPad from any Internet connection anywhere!

I am wrestling with this now as I transition my household from a PC to an all Apple environment. I have two ATV3s and I really like using them. I have alot of films and tv shows as well and would like to watch them in all the places you've named (except that I do not now what MBA stands for). To watch via ATV it has to be in iTunes so it takes Plex out of the mix. Is this correct? Is iTunes your primary or only serving application? This also means all films and tv shows would have to be reformatted to m4v or mp4, something I have been doing with Handbrake to date. I like what I see of Plex but just don't see how it would fit into my situation. It seems I would have to choose between Plex and my AppleTVs.

 

[Crazy Badger]

MBA = MacBook Air

I have a aTV2 which can be jailbreaked and run Plex and connect to my NAS. Would upgrade to an aTV3 for 1080p if it could run Plex.

 

[DAMAC3]

I am wrestling with this now as I transition my household from a PC to an all Apple environment. I have two ATV3s and I really like using them. I have alot of films and tv shows as well and would like to watch them in all the places you've named (except that I do not now what MBA stands for). To watch via ATV it has to be in iTunes so it takes Plex out of the mix. Is this correct? Is iTunes your primary or only serving application? This also means all films and tv shows would have to be reformatted to m4v or mp4, something I have been doing with Handbrake to date. I like what I see of Plex but just don't see how it would fit into my situation. It seems I would have to choose between Plex and my AppleTVs.

I would try iFlicks for converting all that video. I am in the process now. It is automated and saves A LOT of time (the app is slow, but you set it and leave it for large amounts of content). I have a few terabytes of content and just don't have time to run it all through Handbrake.

The 2nd generation Apple TV can be jailbroken to run PLEX and XBMC, but the newest one has not been hacked. You would have to find an Apple TV 2 on Craigslist or eBay and hack it (or get one already jailbroken). PLEX is an amazing app. Best presentation and organization of your media that I have seen. XBMC is close behind and has lots of other features (mostly in the form of plug-ins) that PLEX doesn't have. If all your content is in iTunes, I think the Apple TV is excellent for accessing content. My problem is that I want something with live OTA TV and PVR support built-in, so that means running a Mac Mini for PVR software (like EyeTV) and iTunes/PLEX/or XBMC. Trying to find a "media center" type of interface like the Apple TV give you to achieve this on the Mini.

 

[Menneisyys2]

I would try iFlicks for converting all that video.

Just a bit of warning: as I've also pointed out in several posts here at MacRumors, iFlicks is considerably (about five times) slower than Subler and about three times slower than the latest beta of MP4tools. You might want to give a try to the latter two first.

 

[X5-599]

Just a bit of warning: as I've also pointed out in several posts here at MacRumors, iFlicks is considerably (about five times) slower than Subler and about three times slower than the latest beta of MP4tools. You might want to give a try to the latter two first.

About Subler. Is it normal that Mountain Lion wouldn't let me open it after unzipping? Something about untrusted software from sources other than the App Store etc. Handbrake had no such warning. Which I also didn't get off the App Store...

 

[Menneisyys2]

About Subler. Is it normal that Mountain Lion wouldn't let me open it after unzipping? Something about untrusted software from sources other than the App Store etc. Handbrake had no such warning. Which I also didn't get off the App Store...

Here, the one at http://code.google.com/p/subler/downloads/detail?name=Subler-0.18.zip&can=2&q= could be opened and run just fine under ML.

 

[Ifti]

I use Plex on my Mini - with clients running on the mini itself as well as my iPhone and iPad.
All works wonderfully - even large 1080p files are 100% smooth.
Highly recommended (although I havent really used XBMC)

 

[X5-599]

Here, the one at http://code.google.com/p/subler/downloads/detail?name=Subler-0.18.zip&can=2&q= could be opened and run just fine under ML.

That's where I got it from. So, your ML doesn't complain?

 

[Menneisyys2]

That's where I got it from. So, your ML doesn't complain?

Nope - except for the usual "The app has been downloaded from the Internet" dialog, where you can just force running.

I haven't really hacked this ML except for disabling Quicklooksatellite (see http://cantuse.it/2008/11/disable-video-thumbnails-in-mac-os/ ) by "launchctl unload /System/Library/LaunchAgents/com.apple.quicklook.plist” and deleting the four(!) plist files as is explained at https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2582860?start=0&tstart=0

 

[X5-599]

Nope - except for the usual "The app has been downloaded from the Internet" dialog, where you can just force running.

I haven't really hacked this ML except for disabling Quicklooksatellite (see http://cantuse.it/2008/11/disable-video-thumbnails-in-mac-os/ ) by "launchctl unload /System/Library/LaunchAgents/com.apple.quicklook.plist” and deleting the four(!) plist files as is explained at https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2582860?start=0&tstart=0

Thanks for the reply. I think I found a set of options under Settings->Security. It says something about allowing Programs from different sources. I have it set to: App Store and verified Developers. I guess it's the "varified Delevopers" that restricts Subler from opening directly. Haven't tried it but I guess setting it to no restrictions would just warn about Subler being downloaded off the internet and then let it open just fine...

P.S. My OS is set to German language so I don't know the exact English words for the various settings and stuff.

 

[Menneisyys2]

Thanks for the reply. I think I found a set of options under Settings->Security. It says something about allowing Programs from different sources. I have it set to: App Store and verified Developers. I guess it's the "varified Delevopers" that restricts Subler from opening directly. Haven't tried it but I guess setting it to no restrictions would just warn about Subler being downloaded off the internet and then let it open just fine...

P.S. My OS is set to German language so I don't know the exact English words for the various settings and stuff.

Yup, surely it was. Mine is as follows: