Is Argus worth considering ? - currently using Mediaportal

[elsmandino]

Hi there,

I have spent all evening trying to set up Argus with my Mediaportal Setup and really am having no luck at all in following the instruction guide.

I was originally using Miroslav's version of Mediaportal 1.3.0 alpha but my Argus installer does not appear to like it, so I have had to wipe this and install the original version.

The problem with this is that I have had to use the "Freesat Info" option which means that I have lots of channel EPG missing.

Anyway, moving on to what I have done so far:

1. I have installed, "Scheduler", "Mediaportal TV Server", "Mediaportal Plugin" and "Notifier".
2. I get to "Set Additional Scheduler Settings" and I have just pressed next without adding anything.
3. I pressed install
4. "Argus TV Database" comes up - I selected MYSQL 5x, added "MediaPortal" to the Password section and pressed "Test Connection" - connecting succeeded and I press ok.
5. The program finishes installing.
6. I enable the Argus plugin in MP Server

It is here that the guide really loses me. I have three tabs - "Configuration", "UNC Paths" and "Channels". What do I have to do from here?

I am determined to stick with this program but am really struggling with it at the moment.

Thanks v much.

[andrewNZ]

It's been a long time since I used MediaPortal TV Server, so I'm a but rusty.

Configuration ...Dont remember

UNC Paths are the locations of the timeshift and record folders. It is important to note that you MUST share these folders so ArgusTV can access them. See http://www.argus-tv.com/wiki/index.php? ... ed_Folders

ChannelsI'm rusty here too. I think you need to ensure that ArgusTV has the EPG Information to begin with, then you link the TV Server Channels (Services) to the Guide Channels (Channels).
This page might help you understand how ArgusTV works. http://www.argus-tv.com/wiki/index.php? ... nfusion.29

[Sjakko]

It is here that the guide really loses me. I have three tabs - "Configuration", "UNC Paths" and "Channels". What do I have to do from here?

Not much to do here really.

Configuration: I'd say check "Send EPG data to ARGUS TV ..." and "Only process EPG data for linked channels".
UNC Paths: These are recording and timeshift paths of the recorder, TVServer in this case. They are set in:
MediaPortal TVServer Configuration > Recording > Folders
MediaPortal TVServer Configuration > Timeshifting > Folders
Channels: This is where you link the TVServer channels (let's call them Services for consistency with the ARGUS TV Recorder) with the (ARGUS TV) Channels. Since you haven't set up ARGUS TV yet, you'll have no Channels yet. You can generate Channels from TVServer Channels (=Services) via TVServer Configuration > Plugins > ARGUS TV Recorder > Channels > Create/Import Channels.

Now in the ARGUS TV Scheduler > Recorders, set TVServer as recorder.

I suggest, if you haven't already, that you check the Installation Guide which is in the installer zip. It is quite well explained there. Questions are welcome off course.

[wileecoyote]

Mediaportal as a client still knocks the socks off xbmc, which I find slow and very clunky in operation, still a long way to go imo.

I respectfully disagree with this statement. I used MediaPortal (and even developed plugins, Colossus support, etc for it) for years. After I discovered XBMC I closely followed PVR development for a while, then about 8-9 months ago switched over to use it full time. XBMC is EXTREMELY faster than any MP client I have ever used, and is much more stable IMO. XBMC also provides no codec worries, easy configuration, data sharing between clients, built in Movie & TV Series support, Airplay, the list goes on and on....

As far as the question at hand, I currently use MP 1.3 backend along with Argus 2.0.2 (also as a backend) and XBMC on the front end. The ONLY reason I use MP is for HD-PVR/Colossus support. If/when Argus supports Colossus, I will drop MP completely. Argus rules based scheduling is far superior to any other backend I have used (NextPVR is probably the only other that comes close.)

Stability has never been an issue for both MP & Argus. MP TV Server & Argus-TV (FTR) have always been reliable.

Again, just my experience...

[Benoire]

my current opinion on XBMC is that it has tremendous potential for TV, but it just isn't there yet. MP1.3 solves the codec issue with LAV filters as standard, but until XBMC can implement a 'timeline' view for the EPG that is as good as MPs and is not just a crappy rectangle it won't replace MP. The channel list of now/next in XBMC is really counter intuitive and the really nice skins just copy the default confluence at present, another drawback. I think perhaps in two releases time when the PVR code has had time to mature it will be a force, but until then I'll be sticking to MediaPortal.

[Christoph21x]

Although my answer is a bit late, I'd also like to try to answer to your two questions:
ad 1.
This is xbmc-related. It stores its information locally in sqlite databases by default.
Two things you could check (but I don't know if this also stores/solves your view-state issue)

1.1 Activate the UPnP service of your "master xbmc" under settings/services
in your "client machine", you change the directory path to a UPnP path to your "master xbmc" - I'd give it a try. At least then you'll have immediately all scraped show informations wtc.
1.2 - more elaborated: you're probably using a MySQL database for MP. You can import all sqlite information of xbmc to there and then use MySQL databases instead of locally stored sqlite ones. That plus a smb-shared thumbnail directory MAY solve the view-state issue as well (I didn't test it, anyone can confirm/neglect?)
EDIT: This could even be a wanted feature: consider multi-user environment... other PC = other user? They would want to store their own view state...

ad 2.
I never encountered this with Argus, even not with earlier alpha versions of the PVR client.

Now.. my reasons:
1. Sure - scheduling rules' flexibility
2. SUGGESTIONS - great idea - similar flexible as recording plans
3. Clustered architecture - ONE (quite slim) scheduler uses several VERY THIN recorder services - that's brilliant! (using several distributed recorder servers here)
4. and by far the FIRST reason why I uninstalled MP several times shortly after installation in the past:
MP is (attention - FOR ME!) a "dead project". No moves, slow in development, (by that time) BAD (no) support - surely different today, it's not "vivid", it makes no progress, I ssumed that I would have the same thing years later (and the actual state confirms me). Argus is living, developing, fast correcting errors, thinking forth and back, what to change and to ameliorate...
... and that's exactly why I also chose xbmc... with every month you see increasing speed, functionality and stability - fits imo perfectly to Argus, although, I agree, there are things missing (flexible EPG etc.)
... and on the other side there was this boring and ugly front-end of MP...

The clear PRO's of MP that I saw and why I tested it more than just two or three times:
The TV-Recorder service: even though you can adjust all, it still achieves it to be quite simple to set up and configure.
PLUS - nearly intuitive scanning machine with preview - that's what I dream of within Argus...

Greetz - Chris

[Christoph21x]

by the way, guys - would this thread collection be worth of being mirrored in the wiki? (excerpt, of course)