Release Notes
Recorded TV Manager Add-in for Windows Home Server
Build 3.9.2 - May 10, 2010
This is a maintenance update which fixes some minor problems, further improves error handling for more stability, makes some necessary adjustments to better coexist with WHS PP3 and provides for full support of WTV files.
You must uninstall Version 3.7.6 (from the Home Server Console) first. You data files will be preserved.
Be sure to follow the Installation Instructions.
Upgrade policy for Registered Users.
WTV Files on Windows Home Server
As discussed here in the 3.7.6 Release Notes, the AutoCopy Service, which is running on the Windows Home Server does not have programmatic access to the metadata in WTV files. As a result, some AutoCopy functionality, AutoDelete and the SeriesInfo database do not work reliably for WTV files in Version 3.7.6.
The problem is that the system functionality necessary to get metadata from a WTV file is only available to processes running under Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2. Windows Home Server runs on Windows Server 2003, so there is no way for a process running on WHS to reliably extract metadata from a WTV file at this time. This will not change until the 'Vail' release of WHS which will be based on Windows Server 2008 R2. I have developed a working solution for the interim.
The Recorded TV Manager MetaData Service runs independently of the WHS on any Windows 7 client computer on the network. This provides a "metadata resource" for the WHS, specifically for the Recorded TV Manager AutoCopy Service. Whenever the AutoCopy Service (running on the WHS) needs metadata for a WTV file, it looks it up in the MetaData XML database maintained by the MetaData Service. The MetaData Service runs unattended in the background and requires no user interaction after setup. Once the AutoCopy Service is connected with the MetaData XML database, WTV file support is fully functional.
Note that using the MetaData Service to provide WTV file support is optional and is not required to use the update. If the MetaData Service is not used, then the same restrictions on WTV files apply as in Version 3.7.6.
To enable full WTV file support utilizing the MetaData Service support, first update the Add-in to Build 3.9.2 and then download and install the MetaData Service.
The Host computer for the MetaData Service (the computer on which you install the software), can be any Windows 7 Media Center machine. Ideally, the Windows 7 machine with the tuner would be the best choice because the computer will always be on when it's needed. Note that if the Host computer is turned off or goes to sleep, the MetaData XML database will be (temporarily) unavailable to the WHS Add-in.
MetaData Path
The connection between the AutoCopy Service running on the WHS and the MetaData XML database which resides on the Host computer for the MetaData Service, is enabled as follows:
The Config MetaData program, which is installed along with the MetaData Service, writes a file named MetaDataPath.txt to the Windows Home Server Software share
That file contains the MetaData Network Share name
The WHS Add-in will acquire MetaData from that location.