A look at the new ClipShow MCE add-in

Project Description
clipShow is a Windows Vista Media Center application that provides the ability to view a personal video collection in a slide-show type fashion. It features a "clip" capability that can play continous random clips of video media (customizable by 30 seconds, 60 seconds, 90 seconds, or the entire video). It also provides the capability to create custom playlists from the Media Center video library. In addition it also can organize a video media collection by common tags stored in the video file metadata, and allow clips to be played by those tags.

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This sounded like an MCE add-in that was worth a try, I have several short Video clips in .MOV format that were taken on my Nikon digital camera. I never really knew what to do with them as far as my media center setup was concerned. So I just left the various .mov files mixed in among my photo folders and photo files.

I had to install Quick Time alternative to get .MOV to play in WMP11 / VMC but other than that they play and I currently access them (If I remember they are there) in VMC in the Picture Library, if I am in a certain folder that also has some movie clips in there as well, I see a Related Videos option. If I click this I am taken to the Video clip(s). This kind of works for me as is but I cannot create a playlist and play each .mov one after the other!





clipShow

When ever I install a new VMC add-in I open MC Menu Mender first to see where the applications Icon has been placed and if I want to move it, first thing here, what's with the big red stop icon for clipShow in MC Menu Mender?
Answer: In the VMC UI there is no icon visible for clipShow.







No icon:


Upon launching clipShow I got two messages about having to create a playlist and another about Clipshow crawl execption, see screen shots below.





I eventually found a clipShow playlist creator entry in the Program Library area of VMC, again no icon showing for this plug-in.

I had to give the new playlist a name and the only locations I was given to "browse" for media was the Recorded TV or Video Library. Does that mean I am restricted to just those two locations? Neither of these locations are the current location of those short movie clips in .mov format I mentioned earlier.







So I selected Video Library and when in to a folder I have called home movies where I have larger DVR-MS clips from my Samung Mini DV digital camcorder. I selected all movies in this folder and saved the playlist.

I then got three critical errors see screens, I clicked OK on the final error and that just took me back to the program library, so not a good start at all with this application.
I closed Media Center and tried the same steps again same deal again.








So I tried to select a different folder with MP4 files in it instead this time the Burn progress thing said 100% complete, but then I got the Media Center Extensibility Host had stopped working message. Why does it say Burn progress anyways? I thought I was creating a playlist!

"Copy is progressing" so it's copying my movies from their original location to where exactly?



Followed by another clipShow has stopped responding message and then another Burn Failure.

At this point I am getting bored now and this really isn't turning out to be the kind of review I was hoping to give you.

Keep in mind this is a Beta, give it a go and let me know if you get any further with it? Maybe it's just my machine or something who knows!

Now where is that uninstall option?

UPDATE:

OK so I gave it one more try, I copied all my small .mov files in to a folder in the VMC Video Library. I then tried to create a Playlist again in clipshow, upon clicking save playlist I still get all those errors and the playlist is never created.



Do let me know if you get this working for you?