YAMMM necessary?

[UCBearcat]

Hi all,
I'm looking at installing the Companion app on my headless WMC7 machine. The wife misses the ability to schedule recordings when away from the house (option we had with the TimeWarner DVR). I ran a test install on my laptop first, and I noticed the option to install YAMMM. I don't rip movies or anything special like that. I'm still old-school and load discs into a Blu-ray player when I want to watch a movie. We primarily just use WMC to watch TV and record TV.
So the questions...
Given the way we use WMC7, will we miss YAMMM if not installed?
If someday I start ripping my DVD collection to HDD, can I add YAMMM by adding it post install?

Thanks!

[Motz]

So it does need to be installed per michael.

[foxwood]

We primarily just use WMC to watch TV and record TV.

I don't bother ripping many DVDs (no kids in the house, so repeat viewing of movies doesn't happen that often). But I do occassionally record movies (even though they cut them to fit the rigid 30 minute time grid), and I might not get around to watching it for a few weeks. When I record a movie, I usually move it out of the Recorded TV folder, into a Movies folder. That way, it doesn't clutter up the Recorded TV view. But when you do that, 7MC doesn't show the cover art and meta data properly in the Movies gallery. YAMM fixes this for me.

So if you record movies to watch later, and you don't necessarilly want them shoing up in the Recorded TV view, then YAMM is useful.

[mikinho]

It needs to be installed but if you don't want additional local movies showing in the companion apps you can stop and disable the service.

[bobbob]

i would prefer it if there was no dependency on YAMMM. I have perfect local metadata as it is and because the need for YAMMM wasn't explained during the install i assumed it was one of these add-on's like the bing bar that everyone disables. is there no way to get the ceton companion app to pick up already downloaded metadata rather than having a second service doing this job just for the companion app?

[mikinho]

There is not. In an upcoming build of Yammm you'll be able to set the option to only use existing metadata. It will not be added to the Companion Service as having it an a separate service provides a better architecture.

[scrambler]

There is not. In an upcoming build of Yammm you'll be able to set the option to only use existing metadata. It will not be added to the Companion Service as having it an a separate service provides a better architecture.

I am getting confused.
From reading other posts, I understood there was a way to configure the companion to use MyMovies metadata and not mess up the existing MyMovies metadata with new ones.
Are you saying this will only be a possibility in the future and not configurable in the companion?
if this is the case, Am I going to mess my MyMovies Metadata by installing the Companion?

Thanks for clarifying

[bobbob]

i guess its my fault but when i went back and installed yammm today through control panel - programs and features - change ceton companion app, but when i changed the settings such as folder location inside the ceton app these were not transferred to yammm. still, done now

[Motz]

There is not. In an upcoming build of Yammm you'll be able to set the option to only use existing metadata. It will not be added to the Companion Service as having it an a separate service provides a better architecture.

I am getting confused.
From reading other posts, I understood there was a way to configure the companion to use MyMovies metadata and not mess up the existing MyMovies metadata with new ones.
Are you saying this will only be a possibility in the future and not configurable in the companion?
if this is the case, Am I going to mess my MyMovies Metadata by installing the Companion?

Thanks for clarifying

Hopefully I can clear it up.

1.) As of current movie meta data isn't actually working for local movies
2.) This will be fixed this week ideally (testing right now)
3.) The first release we will always pull our own movie metadata and artwork for the companion app.

-> Let me clarify this though
3.1) If you DO NOT want us to create WMC7 metadata or download artwork then simply uncheck these options in the config.
3.2) If you uncheck them we will still pull our own metadata for the app, but it will NOT mess up any existing metadata or folder art.

4.) In the future we will have 3 options...
4.1) Pull all metadata
4.2) Use existing metadata (will look for dvdid.xml info and use it)
4.3) Fill in missing metadata (basically combination of 1 and 2)

There are several reasons why we prefer our metadata and it has some advantages for media center performance (even over other similar tool) which will discuss in an upcoming blog post.

Hopefully clears it up, but if you have more questions let me know.

[scrambler]

OK so at this point, if I do not want to mess MyMovies metadata in the companion config program under advanced > Metadata Settings, what do we check.
I tried unchecking Windows 7 medica Center, but then it automatically checks XMBC NFO. is that OK or will that add metadata in my content folders?

[grinchy]

OK so at this point, if I do not want to mess MyMovies metadata in the companion config program under advanced > Metadata Settings, what do we check.
I tried unchecking Windows 7 medica Center, but then it automatically checks XMBC NFO. is that OK or will that add metadata in my content folders?

I have a MM db and run the companion with YAMM w/out issue. For settings, I left Windows 7 Media Center checked and unchecked all the other settings... at least, I know I unchecked the ones regarding folder renaming, etc. Doesn't appear to have affected MyMovies at all.

[Motz]

"Create WMC7 metadata" creates the dvdid for the local movie library and should not mess with MM at all since it stores everything in it's own database. I believe it just reads all the artwork and cover art from the folder so you would want to remove those options. Also uncheck all the re-naming.

[scrambler]

Actually all the mymovies movies folder have a moviename.dvdid.xml file, so if this is going to create a new one it will likely mess things up...

[Motz]

Yes we would create new ones, so uncheck that option inside of the config. We do not use this information for the companion app though as we store our data elsewhere.

In future releases we will have this option:
4.2) Use existing metadata (will look for dvdid.xml info and use it)

[foxwood]

If I already have YAMM setup to my satisfaction on my HTPC, will installing the Companion Services add a new instance of YAMM, or change any of the settings of my current YAMM installation?

[Motz]

If you have Yammm installed already you should uninstall it before installing the ceton companion services.

When you install the ceton companion services it will actually use your existing yammm information settings (this is not on purpose though and is a bug we are working on). My suggestion is to install the services and then setup your settings again like you did in yammm.

[foxwood]

If you have Yammm installed already you should uninstall it before installing the ceton companion services.

Thanks, but no thanks.

I think I'll wait to see how the later versions you mentioned shake out. Unless/until the Companion provides remote video streaming to handsets, there isn't anything sufficiently compelling in what it currently does to warrant messing with my working configuration.

[scrambler]

Yes we would create new ones, so uncheck that option inside of the config. We do not use this information for the companion app though as we store our data elsewhere.

In future releases we will have this option:
4.2) Use existing metadata (will look for dvdid.xml info and use it)

And so back to my previous question
when unchecking Windows 7 media Center option, then it automatically checks XMBC NFO. which I guess will add metadata in my content folders?

If so then I should just wait until the use existing metadata options is there before using the library options

[Motz]

@scrambler... that sounds like a bug.... but i can not reproduce it here. I unchecked both, saved, rebooted PC even and they both stayed off. I will double check at work tomorrow though...

Is this happening for anyone else?

[grinchy]

This happens to me as well (XMBC NFO checks itself after unchecking Win7 Meta option) - I was about to post a separate bug for it

Latest services, Win7Ultimate x64.