Fanart Question

[Biggen]

I have read the wiki's and I guess I am still a little unclear about fanart. I see all these pretty "backgrounds" in screen shots and I don't have any of those in SMM. All I have is front and back covers that My Movie Collection automatically downloads when I rip a new movie to the hard drive. I also don't have any images when I view "Poster View" in SMM which I am guessing is because I am lacking fanart.

So I guess I have two options according to what I have read on the wiki's. I can either purchase some points with My Movie Collections that will allow me to download fanart automatically when movies are added to my collection (easiest way) OR I can use either Phoenix/BMT to download fanart (slightly more difficult but free). Is this correct?

I used Phoenix before I converted to SMM so I am slightly familiar with how Phoenix works. Am I correct in thinking that if I install the Phoenix Fanart Plugin (and all its dependencies) that that will take care of all my missing fanart problems and I get get all those "purty" backgrounds?

[PLUCKYHD]

Yes those are your options. You can use BMT for free if you want.

[Biggen]

Originally Posted by PLUCKYHD

Yes those are your options. You can use BMT for free if you want.

Ok, I think I will try Phoenix as opposed to BMT. Since I installed Phoenix earlier I am a little familiar with its operation. I have some heard BMT horror stories for configuration so I may avoid that for now!

[PLUCKYHD]

Originally Posted by Biggen

Ok, I think I will try Phoenix as opposed to BMT. Since I installed Phoenix earlier I am a little familiar with its operation. I have some heard BMT horror stories for configuration so I may avoid that for now!

phoenix is just the api. You still have to have BMT to get the fanart.

[Biggen]

Originally Posted by PLUCKYHD

phoenix is just the api. You still have to have BMT to get the fanart.

Ahh I was thinking that Phoenix did everything for you. At least, I thought it did when I had it last installed.

So I have to instal the Phoenix API AND BMT. Ok, I'll take a look into it. Might be just easier to poney up the money for the points with MM!

[PLUCKYHD]

Originally Posted by Biggen

Ahh I was thinking that Phoenix did everything for you. At least, I thought it did when I had it last installed.

So I have to instal the Phoenix API AND BMT. Ok, I'll take a look into it. Might be just easier to poney up the money for the points with MM!

BMt will automatically install the phoenix api.

If you go the pay route remember I don't make anything for that so it is 100% your choice. The max points you need for fanart and posters is the $20 point level. Or you can contribute data for free to raise your point level.

[midwaybrit]

I was one of the first to buy an Xtreamer based on promises that have never really come true. Their long awaited Jukebox is a mess and I am seriously thinking of investing in a Sage TV 300.

Is your Jukebox feature straightforward without having to be a rocket scientist ? Also does it cover TV as well as movies ?
I notice from the posts above that fanart needs an additional subscription, but is it easy to add ?
Thanks for your time.

[Biggen]

Originally Posted by PLUCKYHD

BMt will automatically install the phoenix api.

If you go the pay route remember I don't make anything for that so it is 100% your choice. The max points you need for fanart and posters is the $20 point level. Or you can contribute data for free to raise your point level.

They have an option that gives your account 2500 points for 21 days to "try it out" so I just did that to see how it looks. If I like it I may just purchase the $20 point option so I don't have to install a plugin in Sage. The less plugins the better...

Thanks for the help, Plucky. You deserve some of that point money! Too bad they don't help you out...

[Biggen]

Plucky,

I applied for the 2500 trial points via My Movie Collection that is good for 21 days. I now have fanart via MMC, however there seems to be a problem. If I go into Sage on the server and select, say, CoverFlow, the fanart loads fine in the background and fills the entire computer monitor - Vertically and Horizontally. However, if I view the same Coverflow on my TV's (using HD300s) the fanart doesn't fill the entire screen. I have a right edge of approx a inch or two that the fanart doesn't extend to and an edge on the bottom as well In other words, it appears that the fan art is shifted to the left and slightly up and it is not filling up my entire screen. On the edges where there is no fan art, I simply have the background showing of whatever theme I have set.

This behavior is exhibited on all three of my widescreen TV's. I have 2-32" TV's and 1-50" TV. All TV's have HD300's on them. It isn't just limited to Coverflow either. Any of the Views that have fanart as a background seem to be shifted "off center" and not filling the screen on the right and bottom.

Any ideas?

[PLUCKYHD]

Going into hd300 detailed settings and adjust your overscan

[Biggen]

Originally Posted by PLUCKYHD

Going into hd300 detailed settings and adjust your overscan

I have the overscan adjusted perfectly (can see both the top-left and bottom-right bracket).

Its almost as if the fan art isn't big enough to fill my TV's. Where the fan art ends on the right and bottom, I still have the diamond background continuing on so my screen is working beyond the fan art.

It's hard to explain. I'll have to take a picture with my cam and post what it looks like.

[PLUCKYHD]

That is overscan as the fanart set to full screen and shrinks to fit. I have adjust mine where the boxes are halfway on and halfway off

[Biggen]

Ok so the brackets don't need to be adjusted like the insructions say? I'll play with it by trial and error to see if i can get it centered.

Thanks again plucky!

[PLUCKYHD]

I always have issues getting it perfect.

[Biggen]

Here is a pic of what the fanart looks like on my TV's:

http://i824.photobucket.com/albums/z...r/IMAG0001.jpg

As you can see, the edge of TV is displaying the UI and the background (Diamond Theme) properly. But the fanart is up and left.

Adjusting the overscan doesn't seem to do anything as far as I can tell. I messed around with it for about 5 minutes before I realized that the fanart wasn't even moving.

[gplasky]

Doesn't this have to do with one of the latest extender updates being able to display the UI at 1280 x 720? Don't you just need to get rid of the background cache files and rebuild them?

Gerry

[PLUCKYHD]

Nope that is a definate scalling setting those because even my top bar is not all the way to the right. You scaling settings can't be right if they are something is wrong in....The fanart extendes to fit the scaling area as does the top bar so that screenshot tells me the scaling area is shrunk.

[Biggen]

Originally Posted by PLUCKYHD

Nope that is a definate scalling setting those because even my top bar is not all the way to the right. You scaling settings can't be right if they are something is wrong in....The fanart extendes to fit the scaling area as does the top bar so that screenshot tells me the scaling area is shrunk.

When you are saying "scaling" you are talking about overscan, correct?

The Externder UI (not the SageTV UI) is all jacked up when I move the overscan real far off the screen - It's horribly un-centered But when I log into the server (via the Extender) the Home page seems centered enough. I would have thought it would be "uncentered" in the SageTV UI as well via the extender UI when I mess with the overscan.

[PLUCKYHD]

Originally Posted by Biggen

When you are saying "scaling" you are talking about overscan, correct?

The Externder UI (not the SageTV UI) is all jacked up when I move the overscan real far off the screen - It's horribly un-centered But when I log into the server (via the Extender) the Home page seems centered enough. I would have thought it would be "uncentered" in the SageTV UI as well via the extender UI when I mess with the overscan.

You need to adjust the overscan in the sagetv setttings not the overscan settings on the standaolone is that what you are doiing?

[Biggen]

Originally Posted by PLUCKYHD

You need to adjust the overscan in the sagetv setttings not the overscan settings on the standaolone is that what you are doiing?

I'm adjusting the overscan on my HD300's in the HD300 UI...

Ah crap. You mean that I need to be adjusting the overscan in the SageTV UI (via my HD300's when they are connected to the server) instead of the HD300's UI?