Overview

Popular plugins you probably want/need..

Introduction

Now you have your main setup working you are ready to really unleash the power of MediaPortal by customizing it to suit your needs.

As open source software, MediaPortal is very easy to extend. As a result, many skilled developers offer a huge variety of plugins to extend the capabilities of MediaPortal and allow you to customize almost anything you can think of. 

You have already learned how to find, install and configure extensions on the previous Plugins page, and have installed several essential extensions such as MP-TV Series and Online Videos in the Videos Setup Guides.

Which plugins should you use next? A lot depends on how you use MediaPortal. The following list of popular plugins will give you some ideas how you can customize MediaPortal using:

• plugins included with MediaPortal - marked '(MP)' and linked to documentation in this wiki
• extensions - linked to some of the most popular plugins and tools in our Downloads > Plugins Listings, which provide detailed descriptions as well as links to download, wiki documentation (if available) and support forums 

Popular Plugins

Global

These plugins add features throughout MediaPortal, are usually installed by most users and supported by most skins.

• Fanart Handler - display fanart on Basic Home and many windows in MediaPortal, as well as search and download music artist fanart or artist thumbnails for artists stored in your MP music database, or any artist currently being played (on the fly)
• Latest Media Handler - display latest media, usually on Basic Home, for all types of media 
• Extensions - browse and manage extensions within MediaPortal: Install, update, uninstall extensions and even set settings in some cases.
• Backup Settings - backup and restore ALL MediaPortal settings, and schedule automatic backups

GUI

These plugins allow you to customize the graphic user interlace (GUI):

• Home (MP) - select date format and Classic Home/Plugins screen settings including organizing menu items
• Topbar (MP) - enable/disable and configure auto hide timeout to display the topbar with playback controls

In addition, many skins provide Menu editors to customize the Basic Home screen with the items or features you use, as well as different themes. layout options and in some cases even font sizes. See Skins for more info.

Input/Output

• MiniDisplay (MP) - to setup your minidisplay device with MediaPortal
• MPDisplay++ - Extended Display/Touchscreen Plugin with skins designed for your minidisplay device
• IR Server Suite (IRSS)  - a separate product from Team MediaPortal, IRSS is a suite of tools and plugins which can add support for many more remotes as well as additional features to control your system and every other application (including receiving and 'blasting' remote commands to other hardware devices that support it).
• EventGhostPlus - Connect MediaPortal with EventGhost to run macros and triggers, for example turn off the lights when a movie starts or pause when receiving a phone call.

Playback

• ViewModeSwitcher (MP 1.5 or later) - to auto detect and remove black bars without cropping subtitles
• Intelligent Frame Correction (IFC) - similar to ViewModeSwitcher, but enhanced to provide the best possible aspect ratio and view mode via. automated black bar scanner and automated view mode selector
• iTunes (MP) - use iTunes as an external player for the file extensions you select
• Winamp (MP) - use Winamp as an external player for the file extensions you select 

TV, Recordings

• Comskip Launcher (MP) - launches Comskip to  analyze your TV recordings for commercials so they can then be skipped during playback.
• Argus (formerly For The Record/FTR) - an advanced rule-based scheduling system to record TV programs - replaces the MP TV Client plugin
• TvWishList - rule-based recording within MP - create a list of movies or episodes you want to record or get a reminder. TVWishList will search your EPG data and automatically record them and/or send you an email.

Videos, Movies

• Moving Pictures - designed especially for movies  - focuses on ease of use and flexibility 
  • IMDB+ - enhanced features like renaming and grouping when using IMDb to grab data for Moving Pictures plugin
• My Films - use your current movie catalog app with MediaPortal, or create a new one which you can use with your preferred movie catalog/database -  many features like full network support, multiple databases, multi-user features and profiles, advanced searching, etc.
• MP-TVSeries - organize your TV shows in MediaPortal
• Online Videos - Watch Internet Videos, Movie Trailers, Youtube videos and WebTV within MediaPortal - over 300 sites supported
• Trakt - integration with the Trakt.tv website to record what TV shows and movies you are watching. Based on your favorites, your friends, and the community, trakt recommends other TV shows and movies and a whole lot more.
• Showtimes - download and display movie show times for your local theater, schedule a download of movie data from IMDb or TMDb, Trailers, movie posters and FanArt from TMDb
• SubCentral - search and download subtitles for movies or TV shows all within MediaPortal
• Anime 3 - manage and watch your collection of Anime videos
• DVDArt - manage all Artwork (DVD Art, Clear Art, Clear Logo, Backdrops, Covers) for MovingPictures, MyFilms and MP-TVSeries

Music, Radio

• MPTagThat - tag and manage music files, plus retrieve album cover art and lyrics; rip and burn audio cds, to get the most of using Music in MediaPortal
• MusicDB Reorganization (MP) - Schedule a scan to import new music files to your music database
• LastFMScrobbler (MP) - AutoDJ features and scrobbling tracks to last.fm website
• MyLyrics - automatically download and display lyrics to your favorite songs and even add them to the music tags
• Global Search - search your music library and either play the results or add to playlist. When installed this plugin replaces the search button in Music windows
• Smart Playlists - create and execute smart playlists linked to your music collection.via a custom database query
• MusicInfoHandler - automatically 'scrape' artist and album info for your music files in the background when MP is started
• One Button Music - instant playback via a remote button (like Play) of a playlist, folder or random songs, without the need to turn on TV
• mvCentral - scan your music video collection and create a database with detailed info, and images from Last.FM and Discogs  fanart.
• RadioTime - browse and listen to thouasands or world wide internet streams provided by TuneIn
• Rockstar - search and play online music from Spotify and Grooveshark
• Pandora MusicBox - listen to Pandora Radio (only available in USA, Australia and New Zealand)
• DVDArt - manage all Artwork (CD Art, Banner, Clear Logo) for Music and Artists

News, Weather, Sports, Info

• Wikipedia (MP) - search and view articles and images from Wikipedia from within MediaPortal.
• RSS News (MP) - monitor and read your favorite RSS feeds
• InfoService - a 'replacement' of RSS News which also supports RSS feeds and twitter feeds on the home screen
• World Weather -- display weather forecasts, charts and feeds, weather images and slideshows, weather maps, geographical clock, astronomy and calendar information for up to 10 locations, plus current weather for the selected location on most windows.
• World Weather Lite -- a simplified version of World Weather, which replaces the previous standard Weather Plugin provided with Media Portal up to and including MP 1.2.  This previous plugin used data from the free API of The Weather Channel, which is no longer available.
• Browse The Web - browse the Internet using your remote control in MediaPortal
• ScoreCenter - displays sports results from "almost" any web site

Games

• Sudoku (MP) - play Sudoku in MediaPortal
• Tetris (MP) - play Tetris in MediaPortal
• Emulators - manage and play your PC Games and Emulators (ROMs) with details, box art, screens and fanart

HTPC/System

• Update Control - show, search, download and install Windows updates
• HTPC Info - display info about your PC BIOS, OS, hard disks, network, system and graphic card sensors, codecs, etc. as well as monitor your TV Server and Clients.
• Media Slayer - rip CDs and DVDs to your HTPC with media info and cover art if you wish

Web/Mobile Access

• MPExtended -  a service which provides data retrieval and streaming functions for all web clients like those listed below
• WebMediaPortal - web interface for MediaPortal to browse and watch your media library from any PC in the world, schedule recordings while away, and more.
• aMPdroid - MediaPortal for your Android phone or tablet
• WifiRemote - Use your wifi device (e.g. iPhone or Android app) as a remote to control MediaPortal 

Related

• Plugins