Universal Media Server | Forum

Optimus_prime wrote:Well, with no logs how can we help?

You can't. My experience is that even with log files the help I got was useless. The original poster is quite correct. UMS is an absolute nightmare to configure. Here's a list of the things I hate in no particular order of hatred...

There's two places for data. Some of it goes in ~/.config/UMS while some is in ums-version/database. Place ALL configuration and database files in one orthogonal place.

Java interface instead of a web interface. Who's idea was this? They should be shot. UMS is CLEARLY a remote service, not a desktop application. Services should NEVER provide a graphical user interface through a desktop toolkit. Doing so instantly makes them unusable headless or remotely. If you are going to provide a configuration interface then it should be done with a remotely accessible technology such as a web service. You've tied this shit to Java's graphics and there is absolutely no reason to do this. Java!=GUI. Choosing Java for portability is fine; just don't touch any graphics toolkits when you do it. It is so obvious that moving to a web based GUI would improve UMS significantly that I can't help but wonder why the developers ignore this.

Try configuring a specific renderer sometime. You may as well start by screaming because you are going to wind up there anyways. I've been trying for a year to correctly configure my Samsung UN55D6000. I've got the supported formats right out of the factory manually and yet UMS transcodes EVERYTHING even though mediainfo should clearly be matching the Supported lines in the renderer's config file. Simple MKV container with a H264 video codec and DTS track... transcoded. Yet the TV will play the unencoded version from the #transcode# folder just fine and do it instantly. Why is UMS forcing a _transcoded_to.mpg URI on the main folder and not the unencoded link?? I can't figure it out to save my life.

Oh... use StreamExtensions you say. NO. if my extension container as an unrecognized video or audio codec then I do want it transcoded. mediainfo/Support should be handling this all fine without the tons of effort I have tried to put into it.

Try getting this service to run as a disconnected background process. I can't do it. Everytime I logout UMS terminates. UMS is a service guys, it should run as one automatically. Headless should be the default/only option and running it headless should only get you a console trace of what it is doing. Anything like "wizards" or the GUI should be accessed through a web interface (see above).

The log files are useless, unorganized mess that is utterly unparseable by any normal person. I cannot tell what it is doing and I can't tell why it mediainfo reported information isn't matching my Supported Lines.

UMS: it's got potential, just that 6 versions later what's being worked on is adding overlays to the thumbnails instead of really fixing what's crap.

So like the original poster... we've given up on "help" and turned to ranting due to overwhelming frustration with the product.

Oh, yeah... subtitles NEVER work for me. Add that to the list.

I've never had a problem with UMS... You guys ever consider it's your setups? ie. computer can't handle the file to begin with? Before my last computer sh*t the bed a few months ago I would stream certain 1080p videos to my ps3 and it would skip a lot. It was usually high bitrate files (over 10 mb/s). Since my computer rebuild those same files play flawlessly and will now even play an untouched bluray rip without issue which can be as much as 35 mb/s or more.