# Does this gadget exist?



## NotBananas (Apr 4, 2012)

I have my HT setup at it's optimum. 9.2 surround, 8 self powered subwoofers (yes, 8), X-10 light dimmer control, Sharp 80" LED TV, two Sony BDP-CX7000ES BR 400 disc changers (631 BR discs between the two), DLNA to my computer with over 12 Tb storage (724 mostly BR movies) connected all running Serviio with DLNA to watch movies via another Sony DLNA BR player or the Sharp 80". Nirvana!

Here's my problem: The DLNA menu on the Sony stand-alone BR player or the Sharp, shows only about 8 movies vertically on the screen, sorted purely alphabetically. It only shows the title as it appears in my computer folder's name without the cover art or a synopsis. Each move is stored within it's own folder with the movie's name as the folders' name. The videos are standard computer video file (mkv, avi, wmv, flv, etc.), the cover art is a jpg and a synopsis of the movie in txt format all within the folder.

Everything is working fine, but I don't have photographic memory, so I can't remember what the movies are about because I can't see the cover art and I can't read the synopsis. The Sony BDP-CX7000ES changer does show the cover art of only the BR discs that are inside the changer, but no synopsis either.

My question is there any software or DLNA device that will show all the movies with cover art and synopsis on the screen, maybe 12-16 at one time, that is on my computer similar to Netflix's or Amazon Prime's menu system?

Basically I would like to categorize and display the computer's movies on my 80" Sharp which has enough real estate space on screen to display these movies cover art. I know there are several computer based servers (I have Cinemar's Main Lobby which works only on tablets, laptops, desktops, etc., but not on the TV screen via DLNA).

Any ideas?


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## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

via DLNA? not that I know of, but it can be easily done if you want to run with an HTPC interface from the computer


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## Andre (Feb 15, 2010)

I would agree with mike and run XBMC over your HTPC

http://xbmc.org/

I will take some time to set up

Other then that you can look at a Control 4 interface but that's more $$$


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## NotBananas (Apr 4, 2012)

I know of Xbmc, I already have Main Lobby from Cinemar, and I know there are other computer based systems. But they all require a tablet or a computer to select and watch movies. Main Lobby shows only 10 movies at a time on an Asus tablet I have, so to scan and select from 1,000 movies even though they are categorized, is a task.

None can be directly displayed and selected to watch directly on the screen via DLNA, similar to Netflix, but I thought I'd ask. Maybe there's a business opportunity for someone.


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## onedayiwillbedone (Dec 20, 2011)

Hey did you ever find a solution? I only ask since I had the same problem I have only one 400 disk sony but it is the lower 960 or whichever model but full. Anyway i used Jriver and my Ps3. My other sony blu-ray player would never show cover art from my hp htpc my wife hated it but as soon as I found Jriver and used my Ps3 it worked. Program finds cover art and shows 15 to 20 at a time on the Ps3. Now we have 2 Ps3's one upsrairs one down stairs.


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## onedayiwillbedone (Dec 20, 2011)

Also have u noticed the blacks being weird on some blu rays that u have backed up on your hard drive then watched from your computer on your player? I know of others that used dvdfab only to back up those expensive blu rays that have watched them and colors seem off. Especially Avengers and Thor but only during dark scenes.


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## rab-byte (Feb 1, 2011)

A higher cost option that works amazingly we'll is Kalidiscape your talking a few K but it's amazing. 

Beyond that XBMC is good as are HTPC solutions.


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## NotBananas (Apr 4, 2012)

JRiver seems to be a good candidate. The only question is this "just" another media server running on a PC?

My main question remains. Can I browse and select movies to watch from my library (located on my PC) using the DLNA connection on the TV screen, similar to Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu Plus, etc.

I don't want to invest many days' of work with JRiver just to discover that it can't. Their info is not clear on this part.


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## onedayiwillbedone (Dec 20, 2011)

Yes it is a media center on the pc. However it loads all your movie info and cover art off internet. On my ps3 it shows the Jriver media files either on video, music and pictures. When i select it on videos it shows all cover art for all the videos. I will count how many it shows when i get home but somewhere between 15 and 20. It is all alphabetical still not sure if that changes. It does all off it through the dlna but that is with my ps3. I will try my other dvd player when i get home for you but sure it does to. It was the best 50.00 ever spent and the only way i found to load all coverart and names without those files names. I can also take a pic for you if you would like and if it would help just let me know.


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## tcarcio (Jun 27, 2007)

8 subs... Do you have any pics of your HT? I would love to see that setup...:bigsmile:


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## NotBananas (Apr 4, 2012)

tcarcio: ask and you shall receive
My receiver is a Yamaha RX-A3010 which is a 9.2 speaker out. All my Velodyne subwoofers are self powered. There's a left and right subwoofer RCA jacks out, so I paralleled the RCA cables for the 4 left and 4 right subwoofer outputs.
I also have a McIntosh MC-2500 power amp for only the two front speakers (500 watts/channel)


FRONT SPEAKERS (on the left and right side on the Sharp 80" LED TV)










FRONT RIGHT SUBWOOFER PAIR (Front right presence hanging from ceiling)












FRONT LEFT SUBWOOFER PAIR (Front left presence hanging from ceiling)












REAR LEFT SUBWOOFER PAIR 












REAR RIGHT SUBWOOFER PAIR (Note: the 12" Velodyne is driven by a Crown Com-Tech 400. I'll explain later why)












REAR SURROUND & REAR BACK












REAR PRESENCE (On top of ceiling corners, a pair of Bose VS-100 for voice)











McIntosh MC-2500 (it weighs 150lbs. so I have to keep it on the dolly to move it around)











Please pardon the mess with my vinyl LP's all over the floor. I have about 6,000 and started to catalog them.


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## RTS100x5 (Sep 12, 2009)

JRIVER MEDIA CENTER is FANTASTIC ... It does EVERYTHING ...:sn:


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## onedayiwillbedone (Dec 20, 2011)

Well I was wrong it only shows 13 movies at a time but you can change streaming options so if you use your wifi and not Ethernet it should play fine. Also my sony dvd player does not show cover art but does show the actual names not just file names not sure on why wont show cover art. There are a ton of features to change things if I have time when I get home this evening I will e-mail them and see if it can sort different genres as well the cover art thing. Just so you know I stream over wifi from upstairs to basement to ps3 and watch on epson 6020 on a Jamestown 120 inch screen and picture quality is still great.


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