MediaPortal 1.19.0 Pre Release

We from Team-MediaPortal wish everyone a safe and happy 2018!  To celebrate the new year we have just released a Pre Release of MediaPortal 1.19.0 . Happy testing! Pre Releases are provided as a way for the community to test and give feedback on all the exciting things we have lined up for the next release. We allocate about one month for Pre Release testing. In that time we will only fix bugs, after which comes the final release! Highlights of this release  Bugfixes: We fixed some issues with MadVR We fixed an issue where MP was not able to manage audio volume correctly We updated SQLite to version 3.21. This reduces CPU load and add bugfixes We fixed TSreader crashing with MPEG2 stream We fixed some issues on MediaPortal Configuration New: We added some skin functions We provide a libbluray library based on our own fork.and updated to 1.0.2 (read information below) Along with the above items we kept consolidating our software. Note: For use Bluray with BD-J support, Java 8 must be installed. We recommend the version Java 8u151 in x86 version. Download-Link : Oracle Download Website Full list of changes You can review the complete change log for MP 1.19.0 Pre Release by using the link below: Changelog: MediaPortal 1.19.0 Pre Release Documentation of new features can be found at the following link: What’s new for MediaPortal 1.19.0 Pre Release Installation, Upgrade, Download and Feedback Installation Since we switched to .NET4 you need to make sure you have.NET4 installed on your computer (not needed if you are on Windows 8 because it comes with .NET4, but you NEED the .NET 3.5 features enabled! ). Otherwise you are not able to install MediaPortal and the installer just quits. Download-Link:  Microsoft .NET Framework 4 (Standalone Installer) Aside from that when doing a clean installation of the 1.19.0 Pre Release there is nothing else to worry about. Upgrade Upgrading from MP 1.2.0 Beta or later to 1.19.0 Pre Release All MediaPortal 1.2.0 Beta installations can be upgraded to MP 1.19.0 Pre Release without losing your settings. Plugins: If you are running MediaPortal 1.6.0 or earlier, then it is possible that some of your previously installed plugins will be shown as incompatible after the upgrade to 1.19.0 Pre Release! Whether or not a plugin is incompatible depends on the MediaPortal subsystems the plugin uses. All plugins that work for the 1.7.1 HotFix release, should also work with the 1.19.0 Pre Release. Upgrading Extensions: The easiest way to upgrade your extensions is by launching the  MediaPortal Extension Installer , and let it check for updated versions. However this only works for extensions that use our MPEI system. If the author of the extension releases it as a stand alone installer, you must contact them for an updated version. General note about Upgrades Manually stop TV-Service! On some systems our installer is not able to update the TV-Server installation because its files are locked or the service can not be stopped. For upgrades to 1.19.0 Pre Release we recommend that you manually stop the TV-Service and make sure, via Windows Task Manager  (enable the “all users” option),  that the TvService.exe process is really gone before starting to upgrade. Custom TV-Service properties If you manually changed the properties of the TV-Service  (like restart on error options) , then you must redo these changes after the upgrade. The installer is not able to save and restore your custom service properties when it installs the new version of the TV-Service. Feedback Bugs If you think you found a bug then please post a detailed report in our Bug Reports Forum . Make sure your report includes  all the required information . Incomplete reports will be removed to keep the forum clean.  Download Finally – the download. We hope that you took the time to read this release news entirely because it includes vital information about the major changes.   If you would like to support MediaPortal, we would be happy to receive  a donation ! The Team wishes you a lot of fun with this new release! .::. Download – MediaPortal 1.19.0 Pre Release .::. :: Post a Comment ::

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MediaPortal 1.19.0 Pre Release

Microsoft will reveal Project Scorpio Xbox console details at E3 on June 11

 Microsoft just sent out invites to members of the media for its big reveal of Xbox Project Scorpio, the upgraded console that will be the “first true 4K console for gamers” according to the company. We’ve long expected E3’s press event to be the big consumer debut for Scorpio, but Microsoft spelled out that it will indeed be the star of the show in a blog post on… Read More

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Microsoft will reveal Project Scorpio Xbox console details at E3 on June 11

The Windows 10 Creators Update is now available for manual upgrading

Enlarge / This option is the best way of transitioning out of the Insider Program. (credit: Microsoft) The “official” release of the Windows 10 Creators Update , version 1703, won’t come until Patch Tuesday on April 11, but if you want to upgrade now—and don’t want to enroll your system in the potentially unstable Windows Insider Program—you can now do so. The Windows 10 Update Assistant will upgrade any Windows 10 Home or Pro system to the Creators Update; you’ll need to grab the latest version of the Assistant and then run it, but it should be straightforward enough. If you’re upgrading more than one machine or want to perform a clean install, the Media Creation Tool, available from the same link, is the better bet; the Media Creation Tool can fetch an ISO to burn a DVD or create a bootable USB drive, and that can be used for bare metal installs. The Creators Update itself is build 15063.0, but there will be a small Cumulative Update delivered on April 11. Previews of this patch have been rolled out to insiders, with the fast ring Insiders on 15063.14 and slow ring Insiders on 15063.13. Using the Update Assistant or Media Creation Tool appears to also update to 15063.13. This situation may well change by the actual release day next week. Read 2 remaining paragraphs | Comments

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The Windows 10 Creators Update is now available for manual upgrading

Windows 10 preview makes it easier to do a fresh install

Windows 10 Insiders are greedy but brave souls who want the latest software toys and are willing to take some risks to get them. The latest preview build (14367) gives them a “get out of jail free” card, however, with a new tool called “Refresh Windows.” According to Microsoft, the tool will “install a clean copy of the most recent version of Windows, and remove apps that came pre-installed or that you installed on your PC.” The caveats are that it’s only available to Windows 10 Insider Preview users (of course) and that it will replace the latest version with an older, but more stable Insider Preview build. The tool gives novice users a slightly easier way to do a clean install than the “Media Creation Tool, ” but unlike that app, doesn’t let you download your own ISO. Given the fact that most Insiders will prefer the Media Creation Tool, Refresh Windows seems more at mainstream users in an upcoming Windows 10 release. Should you wish to use it, you’d better back up any content, apps and other personal data, despite the fact that you have the option to keep your personal files. The preview build also includes new languages for handwriting recognition and a keyboard shortcut to access the Feedback Hub. You get numerous fixes and improvements for PCs, like better notifications from your phone to your PC with Cortana and reduced battery drain when using Edge. Windows Mobile customers also get a slew of fixes. Source: Microsoft

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Windows 10 preview makes it easier to do a fresh install

MediaPortal 2 Alpha 4 released

We are proud to offer a special Christmas gift for you: MediaPortal 2 Alpha 4 ! Although this version is still tagged “Alpha”, which means there might be still problems, don’t hesitate to try it. It works very smoothly and will probably be the last Alpha release before we take the next steps to a “Beta” release! Be sure to read the instructions at the end of this news regarding installation, upgrade and extension compatibility. Why MediaPortal 2? If you don’t know what it’s all about, read the blog:  MediaPortal 2: What does it bring to the table?  or just give it a go and find out what the most advanced media center dares to offer you in future. Summary of changes This release brings a lot of new technologies to your HTPC. We upgraded to .NET 4.5.1 framework , switched from SlimDX to SharpDX , switched the default database to SQLite , updated many 3rd party libraries, implemented new features and of course fixed some bugs. Improved user experience: Major improvements to Media Library navigation and layouts, user selections are now saved and reused the next time. This affects filter, sorting and layout of each screen. Reduced complexity in Media Library menu items, moved filters into own dialog. Added support for browsing Media Library shares by filesystem structure. Improved GUI performance due to newly added VirtualizingWrapPanel (which reduces memory required and speeds up display because only visible items are allocated). Improved media importing performance. Improved video thumbnail creation. Improved database performance with no size limits due to SQLite as new default database. Fixes Browsing network shares could fail under certain cases. Some minor fixes in the MediaPortal UPnP library. Updated plugins OnlineVideos plugin is included in this release. SlimTV plugin (both NativeTV and MPExtended) has been significantly improved for Alpha 4 release. WebRadio plugin to play your favourite web radio streams inside MP2! More plugins are available! (via our MP2 Plugins Downloads section on the website and forum) WiFi configuration plugin (included). CEC remote plugin allows controlling MP2. The full change log is available here: MediaPortal 2 Alpha 4 change log Screenshots Installation Before installing MediaPortal 2 make sure all requirements  are installed. Then extract the downloaded .zip archive and simply run the .msi installer file. For screenshots or further details, refer to our Getting Started wiki.  Upgrade notes Due to the new default database (SQLite) you cannot use an older version (SQLCE, MySQL) with the default installation. You must add your media shares again. However, performance is much improved compared to Alpha 3. Local cached online data will be kept (like covers and backdrops). Feedback & Support Discuss this release in the official release thread MediaPortal 2 Alpha 4 If you are looking for further information please check out  MediaPortal 2 wiki first. We are working constantly to improve it, and you can help! If you don’t find an answer there create a new thread in  MediaPortal 2 forums . If you find a bug, please check our Issue Tracker   &  bug report forums  first. If it has not been reported already, create a new thread. Download If you would like to support MediaPortal, we would be happy to receive a small donation ! The Team wishes you a lot of fun with this new release! .::. Download – MediaPortal 2.0 Alpha 4 .::. .::. Download MP2 plugins .::. .::. Post a Comment .::.

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MediaPortal 2 Alpha 4 released

The YouTube app is now available on Roku 3, and it features full HD streaming and a send to TV featu

The YouTube app is now available on Roku 3 , and it features full HD streaming and a send to TV feature from your phone. Might we suggest this Beyonce video as a candidate for the first thing you watch? Read more…        

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The YouTube app is now available on Roku 3, and it features full HD streaming and a send to TV featu

MediaPortal 2 Alpha 3 released

Finally here it is! The next MediaPortal 2 alpha release – dubbed Alpha 3 – is out the door. Although progress since Alpha 2 has been immense,  please be aware that this is still an alpha release and therefore not meant to be used on a productive system. Make sure that you read the instructions at the end of this news regarding installation, upgrade and extension compatibility. Summary of changes Improved user experience: Added support for resuming playback, the resume position stored in central MediaLibrary  Added support for more image formats that can be used inside MP2 Added audio album cover support for Titanium and Reflexion skin Added animated fanart backgrounds for Series and Movies Improved navigation, restoring focus now works better when returning to previous screen Fixes Fixed opacity mask rendering in SkinEngine MediaLibrary importer now only does refresh imports Updated plugins Updated OnlineVideos plugin is included in this release News plugin will now download default news feeds per country on first run Weather plugin updated for new API New plugins are available! New WiFi configuration plugin (included) WebRadio plugin to play your favourite web radio streams inside MP2! CEC remote plugin allows controlling MP2 ( Forum ) SlimTV plugin got a reworked miniguide ( Forum ) – Download:  SlimTV – NativeTV or  SlimTV – MPExtended from the new MP2 Plugins section on our website. The full change log is available here: MediaPortal 2 Alpha 3 change log Screenshots        Installation Before installing MediaPortal 2, you need to make sure all  requirements  are installed. Then extract the downloaded .zip archive and simply run the .msi installer file. For screenshots refer to our  installation wiki .  Upgrade notes If you had an earlier version of MP2 installed you might not see your media items inside the libraries. The metadata for the media items have been extended (like the added geographic location support for images). Remove your existing share, then add a new one for the same location. Local cached online data will be kept (like covers and backdrops). Feedback & Support Discuss this release in the official release thread MediaPortal 2 Alpha 3 If you are looking for further information please check out  MediaPortal 2 wiki  first. We are heavily working to improve it. If you don’t find an answer there create a new thread in  MediaPortal 2 forums . If you found a bug, please check our Issue Tracker   &  bug report forums  first. If it has not been reported already, create a new thread. Download      If you would like to support MediaPortal, we would be happy to receive  a small donation !        The Team wishes you a lot of fun with this new release! .::. Download – MediaPortal 2.0 Alpha 3 .::. .::. Download MP2 plugins .::. .::. Post a Comment .::.    

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MediaPortal 2 Alpha 3 released

Leak: Next-Gen 4K Blu-Ray Discs Pack 100GB of Data

While the Blu-ray Disc Association may not have made any official noises about the existence of 4K Blu-ray discs, a leak from a disc manufacturer reveals that they’re on the way—and they pack 100GB of delicious data. Read more…        

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Leak: Next-Gen 4K Blu-Ray Discs Pack 100GB of Data

Netflix Ditches Silverlight With HTML5 Support In IE11

An anonymous reader writes “Netflix today announced that it has finally taken the first step towards ditching Silverlight for HTML5, largely thanks to Microsoft, no less. The company has been working closely with the Internet Explorer team to implement its proposed ‘Premium Video Extensions’ in IE11 on Windows 8.1, meaning if you install the operating system preview released today, you can watch Netflix content using HTML5 right now. Back in April, Netflix revealed its plans to use HTML5 video in any browser that implements its proposed ‘Premium Video Extensions.’ These extensions allow playback of premium video (read: with DRM protection) directly in the browser without the need to install plugins such as Silverlight or Flash.” Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Netflix Ditches Silverlight With HTML5 Support In IE11