Boxee Media Manager vs. Competitors: Feature Comparison and Recommendations

Migrating Your Library to Boxee Media Manager: Step-by-Step

Overview

This guide shows a practical, prescriptive migration from an existing media library (local drives, Plex, XBMC/Kodi, or network shares) into Boxee Media Manager. Assumes Windows or macOS for the source system and a target device running Boxee.

Before you start

• Backup: Make a copy of your media and metadata database (e.g., Plex/Kodi DB files) before changes.
• Organize files: Put movies in /Movies and TV in /TV Shows with one folder per show and standardized file naming (See Naming rules).
• Network access: Ensure Boxee can reach source files over SMB/NFS or via attached drive.
• Disk space: Confirm target storage can hold all media plus extra for thumbnails and metadata.

Naming rules (use these standards)

• Movies: MovieName (Year).ext — e.g., The Matrix (1999).mkv
• TV shows: Show Name/Season 01/Show Name – S01E01 – Episode Title.ext

Step 1 — Collect and clean source libraries

1. Consolidate scattered media into central folders.
2. Remove duplicates and small sample files.
3. Fix common filename errors (missing years, wrong season/episode tags).

Step 2 — Export metadata (optional, for richer import)

• From Plex: export library bundles or copy Metadata and Plug-in Support folders.
• From Kodi: copy userdata/Database/*.db (favourites and watched status).
• If not exporting, Boxee will scrape fresh metadata.

Step 3 — Connect storage to Boxee

1. For network shares: enable SMB/NFS on the source machine.
2. On Boxee: go to Settings → Files → Add New Source.
3. Enter network path (e.g., \NAS\Media or smb://192.168.1.10/Media) and credentials if required.
4. For external drive: attach via USB and wait for Boxee to mount it.

Step 4 — Add libraries in Boxee

1. In Boxee Settings → Media → Add Content Source.
2. Choose content type (Movies, TV Shows, Music).
3. Point to the folder you prepared.
4. Set advanced options: language, scraper preference, and whether to include subfolders.
5. Repeat for each library.

Step 5 — Scrape metadata and match files

• Start a library update / rescan.
• Monitor the scraper: confirm correct matches for ambiguous titles (year/edition choices).
• For TV: check season/episode mapping and rename or re-match if episodes are off.

Step 6 — Importing watched status and playlists (optional)

• If you exported metadata from Plex/Kodi, use tools (e.g., export scripts or third-party converters) to convert watched flags and playlists into formats Boxee can read, then place them in the appropriate Boxee userdata folders. Boxee’s native importers are limited; expect manual steps.

Step 7 — Validate and fix issues

1. Browse several movies/episodes to confirm thumbnails, summaries, and playback.
2. Re-run scraping for mismatched items or manually edit metadata where needed.
3. Check subtitles and audio tracks; re-mux files if tracks are missing or misordered.

Step 8 — Clean up and optimize

• Remove orphaned metadata and duplicated entries from Boxee’s database.
• Enable periodic library updates and set a schedule.
• Generate or refresh thumbnails for faster browsing.

Troubleshooting (short list)

• Playback errors: verify codec support and try remuxing to supported container.
• Missing artwork: try alternate scraper or manually add folder.jpg/movie.jpg.
• Network timeouts: increase SMB timeout or use wired connection.

Post-migration checklist

• Verify all media plays on target devices.
• Confirm metadata, posters, and episode order.
• Ensure backups of media + metadata are stored separately.

If you want, I can produce a folder-by-folder checklist tailored to your current setup (Windows, macOS, NAS) — tell me which one you use and I’ll generate it.