An alias file of a folder is in the Movies folder, but this folder alias is not displayed in the MediaCenter?

• nessMediaCenter supports aliases of files but not of folders. "Symbolic links" must be used instead.

1. Open the "Scripts" folder of the download image, copy the programme "Create Symbolic Link" to the desktop (or somewhere else where it is visible).
2. Drag the folder onto the programme and release (drag & drop). Select the destination folder (e.g. the user film folder) and confirm.

• "Create Symbolic Link" will create symbolic links of the folders in the destination folder - and these links will be displayed in the MediaCenter.

An alias file of a file is in the film folder, but this alias file is not displayed in the MediaCenter?

• The Finder creates aliases with the wrong extension: an alias of a film file has the extension "mov Alias" instead of just "mov". If a film file has the name "holiday.mov", then the Finder should call the alias "holiday alias.mov", but it is called "holiday.mov alias" instead. Replace the wrong extension with a correct extension and the movie file will be displayed. Or use "Create Symbolic Link" - this programme sets the correct extension and makes it easy to create links in destination folders.

• Basically, the same tips apply as for the Mac version (s. next tip).
   
• The difference is, however, how the media center can be started: on the Apple TV, the launched apps can be displayed by pressing the Home button twice. After selecting nessMediaCenter, swipe upwards to quit nessMediaCenter and then start it again.

• First, the firewall settings should be checked. To do this, please open the system settings, select "Security" and then the tab "Firewall". Check there whether the firewall allows incoming connections for nessViewer.
   
• Most of the time all incoming connections are blocked - then please (after clicking on "Advanced") allow incoming connections, stop DLNA (both the DLNA media server and the DLNA media browser of nessMediaCenter) and start again. A dialogue should then appear in which incoming connections are allowed for the DLNA media server and nessMediaCenter.
   
• Another problem is that DLNA media servers report their availability in intervals - so it can sometimes take 1 minute for them to show up as a device.
   
• If the DLNA media server is not displayed even after 1 minute, it sometimes helps to stop and restart the DLNA-Medien-Browser of nessMediaCenter.
   
• If this also does not help, then - after starting the DLNA media browser of nessMediaCenter - the device can be displayed by stopping and starting the DLNA media server.
   
• If even then the DLNA media server is not displayed, another software is probably blocking the port:

• EyeTV uses the same port for film archive sharing, for example, and must be switched off
• TVMobili also blocks this port on the respective computer and therefore the DLNA media server of TVMobili can only be accessed from another computer

• EyeTV films can be selected and started with the MediaCenter (even outside the EyeTV archive), but the TV channels and their live streams are not integrated in the MediaCenter. The reason is quite simple: EyeTV offers so much good functionality that it does not make sense to implement these functions in the MediaCenter.
   
• Instead, the MediaCenter supports EyeTV activation and control via the remote control:
   
  1. EyeTV can be activated by selecting "Exit" in the MediaCenter.
  2. When EyeTV is in the foreground, EyeTV can be controlled by the remote control.
      
• Our blog describes how to integrate nessMediaCenter into EyeTV (and thereby access EyeTV). And the remote control introduction of the nessMediaCenter help describes how to control EyeTV with the Apple remote control or "NV Remote".
   
• The remote control introduction of the nessMediaCenter help describes how to control EyeTV with the Apple remote control or "NV Remote II APP".

• While on the old, white Apple remote control the buttons are still labelled (up and down with "+" and "-"), the newer remote control unfortunately lacks this labelling.
   
• MediaCentre and Media Presentation are controlled in the same way by the remote control: left and right selects the previous and next entry, while "+" and "-" change the volume (iTunes control, Media Presentation) or add and remove entries in the MediaCentre to the virtual playlist.
   
• If the MediaCentre would allow a different assignment of the remote control buttons (i.e. "+" and "-" to select the previous and next entry), then there would be 2 different assignments: in a media presentation, the previous and next entry would then be selected by left and right? Or also there by "+" and "-"? And left and right would then consequently change the volume in a media presentation?
   
• When assigning the remote control buttons, we not only followed the (old) labelling, but also, for example, iTunes: even if the playlist is displayed as a list there, the previous and next music track is selected by left and right. And "+" and "-" change the volume. Exactly the way the system handles it, by the way.

But for the keyboard I can change the assignment of the arrow keys - so why not for the remote control too?

• On the keyboard, the volume can be changed with extra keys and "+" and "-" are also available as extra keys. In this respect, the different assignments are clearer and less confusing.

• The internet offer in the media center depends on the content of various providers. From time to time, providers change there content and then nessMediaCenter needs to be adopted.
   
• If internet content can not be accessed or played, then "Check For Updates" in the nessMediaCenter menu should always be called as first step. Because a new version is not always released after an adaption, it may also be useful to download the latest version manually and install it.
   
• In addition, it should also be examined for some internet content (e.g. YouTube) whether the latest version of Flash is installed (see System Preferences and then "Flash Player").
   
• Please note that the internet content is not adopted anymore and this feature might be removed in the future.

• The XML file of the iPhoto library must be accessed to show the albums, events and media in the media center.
   
• If the iPhoto library folder is not in the current user's picture folder but e.g. on an external volume, then the parent folder of the iPhoto folder (or the external volume) must be added to the "Access Permissions" (available in the File menu of nessMediaCenter) to grant access to the iPhoto library folder and its XML file.
   
• The Mac App Store version 1.7.2 or newer shows a corresponding info message if the iPhoto folder can not be accessed.
   

• The media center gives access to the iPhoto media (albums, events and their media) and plays the selected media continuously, but the slideshow functionality of iPhoto is not available.
   
• But one or multiple albums or events can easily be presented with the remote control by selecting the album or event in the media center, pressing "+" (the "up" button) and then PLAY. And if you want to start a music playlist as background music, then you can use the iTunes control of the media center - during the presentation of the iPhoto media, the current iTunes music will continue to play and video sound will be surpressed.
   
• Using iTunes control to start a music playlist and then moving to the iPhoto albums to start a media presentation might not be as easy as the iPhoto slideshow functionality, but it offers remote control functionality which would otherwise not be available:

• Selecting / changing the music playlist with the remote control
• Selecting multiple albums and events with the remote control

• The XML file of the iTunes library must exist to access iTunes (successfully) in the main menu of the media center. iTunes 12 or newer has an extra setting "Share iTunes Library XML with other applications" in the iTunes preferences (in the "Advanced" tab). This setting must be activated to access iTunes in the media center.
   
• For the Mac App Store version there is a further requirement: if the iTunes library folder is not in the current user's music folder but e.g. on an external volume, then the parent folder of the iTunes folder (or the external volume) must be added to the "Access Permissions" (available in the File menu of nessMediaCenter) to grant access to the iTunes library folder and its XML file.

• If you select "iTunes" in the main menu, then playlists might be displayed below the iTunes control that contain no music tracks but movies / videos. These playlists are used to start (purchased, rented or private) movies or videos. The music playback, however, is handled through the iTunes control.
   
• If playlists are displayed below the iTunes control although no videos have been added to iTunes, then there are probably music files that are in the wrong format (QuickTime movies instead of MP3 files). To check this you can create a new smart playlist that contains as a search criterion "Kind contains QuickTime". The tracks that are displayed in this playlist should be converted into MP3 files or similar, removed from the iTunes music library and then re-added.
   
• If playlists are still displayed below the iTunes control, a new iTunes library might be created by starting iTunes while holding down the option key (ALT) and then selecting "Create Library".

• Access to the iTunes music is very different from "Front Row": while in "Front Row" albums, artists, genres and playlists can be accessed, the iTunes control allows it "only" to change playlists and their tracks ("Previous" and "Next"). The shuffle mode can not be started with the iTunes control, too.
   
• The iTunes control has a different approach: instead of switching between the different menues, playback mode and control (keys), the iTunes control always shows the same menue and always uses the same control.
   
• This concept might not be obvious at first glance - therefore an example: in "Front Row" the music was started by selecting a playlist. To select a different playlist, playback display mode is stopped and another playlist is moved to. Meanwhile a different track starts playing what you would like to stop, or at which you would like to decrease the sound volume - but that does not work. You must first select the others playlist to return to the playback display mode, and then you can stop the playback (of the automatically started track) or decrease the sound volume. With the iTunes control, however, you can immediately stop the playback or change the sound volume - without switching again to the playback display mode. And not only the "computer sound volume" can be changed, but also the iTunes sound volume.
   
• But there are also other differences: for example if you leave the music in "Front Row" to watch pictures or movies, then the music playback will stop automatically. On the other hand, the iTunes control will continue to play music if started. And if video presentation will be started, the video sound is suppressed to continue listening to the music playback. And in the iTunes control, the screen will be dimmed automatically after 5 minutes of music playback. In "Front Row" on the other hand, the display is rotated every few seconds during playback display mode.
   
• In short, the concept of iTunes control is to offer less and other functions, but also faster and easier control and less "fidgetiness" on the screen.

• iTunes offers features like this - to use these features, the movies must be added to iTunes and iTunes must be running. nessMediaCenter does not offer these features itself, but is showing the mark and resuming the play position this way. This is a compromise. The reasons are:

• One user might have seen a video, but another user (at the same computer) not.
• Some users do not want this feature at all.

• nessMediaCenter does not want to duplicate functionality other applications are already offering. By using iTunes functionality, each user can decide to use it (by adding the movies to iTunes and launching iTunes) or not.

Movies like AVI can not be added to iTunes - this tip does not help.

• Please download nessViewer to create a movie with a link:

1. Select "Open Media" in the toolbar and select the movie.
2. Choose "Save As", uncheck "Flatten movie file" and confirm..

• The new movie does not contain the movie data, but is a small movie with a link to the original movie. And this movie can be added to iTunes. For this little action, the demo version of nessViewer is sufficient.

Selecting DVDs takes some time and the displayed cover is wrong. A description is not shown at all.

• Solution:

1. Open "Movie Info" at the "File" menu and select a DVD.
2. Search a cover by the providers, or use your browser to search for it. Copy the cover (and description) to the "Movie Info" window.
3. Save the movie info.

• The metadata will be saved in the DVD folder if possible. If the DVD is moved to another volume, then the metadata will be preserved. If the folder of the selected DVD contains other movie files, then these files will be shown in the drawer. It is very easy to select the other movies and to set the metadata. There will be no search for metadata if metadata has been saved. The DVD cover search can be deactivated by opening the "Preferences" and deselecting all providers. .

For movie files, a preview and movie info is displayed, but a nice cover and content description would be more helpful.

• Please read the answer above: use ""Movie Info"".

add the metadata manually is too much work.

• Yes - it is work. But searching automatically for metadata has some disadvantages::

• Many times the retrieved metadata is wrong. File names has to be modified and must follow rules - same work but different.
• Movie files might be motion pictures, but what about all the private videos? Telling companies automatically about your private interests is not a acceptable solution. And yes: this is what happens if metadata will be searched automatically for all kinds of media..