We Got Served - The Windows Home Server Site

WHS Add-in author and WGS contributor, Brent Friedman has produced another WHS add-in to join his FTP Manager and WHS Mobile add-ins. TV Manager is a new add-in (currently in beta release) for WHS and Media Center that copies your recordings to your WHS for storage and management.

TV Manager comes in two parts. Part One, is installed on the home server for management of the Recordings and Part Two, is the Media Center (Vista only) plug-in that copies new recordings over to the WHS -  deleting the original. It also allows you to watch the recordings like you normally would via ‘Recorded TV’.

The Media Center plug-in deploys using the console add-in. After clicking the deploy button, on the client install \\SERVER\Software\TVManager_MC.msi

Features:

• Moves  the recordings to your WHS for storage, management, and later viewing.
• Allows you to watch the recordings in Media Center as if they were on that PC’s library.
• You can delete recordings via Media Center or the Console.
• You can even watch the recordings in other media programs (that support dvr-ms format)  via ‘C:\Users\Public\Windows Home Server\’
• It is and always will be Freeware.

Update – 3 July 2008:

TV Manager Beta 2 is now available. This version fixes all the known issues with Beta 1 and adds a few new features.

Changes:

• Works with Windows MCE 05 and Vista version with Media Center support.
• Works with Scheduled recordings as long as a user is logged in.
• You can close Media Center right after recording without file movement being aborted.
• Deleting recordings from Console does not require a Console restart anymore.
• Lifextender works using the workaround.
• The Episode listing on the TV Manager page of the Console now shows the episode description along with a friendlier duration.

Upgrade Instructions from Beta 1:

1. Uninstall the TV Manager add-in via the Console.
2. Uninstall the TV Manager plug-in for Media Center via Control Panel (Programs and Features).
3. Install the new TV Manager build from the download link below.
4. Deploy the new Client application via the TV Manager page in the Console.
5. On the MCE/Vista PC install \\SERVER\Software\TVManager_MC.msi
6. You should see a new Vista Media Center icon in your System Tray. If you don’t, run C:\Program Files\CompuGeek Software\TV Manager\TVManager.exe

Known Upgrade Issues:

After upgrading if the TV Manager page in Console crashes when clicking the “Recorded TV” button. Delete Shows.xml in \\SERVER\Videos\Recorded TV\ and copy the already moved shows to the MCE/Vista PC to the Recorded TV directory. The client application will detect the new files and move them back to the server recreating the Shows.xml in the correct format.

Lifextender Workaround:

Change Lifextender to monitor the ‘\\SERVER\Videos\Recorded TV’ instead of ‘C:\Users\Public\Recorded TV’
Download: TV Manager Beta 2

You can talk to the author, discuss your experience with TV Manager and rate it here in the WGS Forums