Feature Requests for MC22
Just to give some perspective: I don't know how common my usage case is compared to the rest of the community, but I use JRiver only for movies and occasionally the WDM audio driver.
I'm not interested in remotes or apps as I have a K400 wireless Logitech keyboard and I find it much better for HTPCs than any of the remote solutions I've tried, physical or software.
I don't use my PC as a DVR/TV because I don't want to leave it on all the time or deal with not being able to use the PC because someone else wants to watch cable TV.
I skipped MC21 because most of the listed features didn't really affect my usage case. So my comments come from MC20. At this point, I feel for various reasons the software is rarely useful anymore and I barely ever load it up.
Notice I didn't say bad. I actually think JRiver MC is really excellent. It's just development is moving away from my particular needs.
Here's a list of features I'd personally like to see that would get me excited again.
1. Better Documentation:
Honestly, some of these features may already be available, but the documentation is out of date and only decently organized. I'd rather not post in a forum unless I have a particularly complicated question.
2. 64-bit support:
It made sense for MC to be 32-bit when madvr was limited to 32-bit, but now madvr has a 64-bit version, and with a memory intensive program like madvr this has added a very significant speed boost. This was actually the feature that finally sent me back to just using MPC-HC again.
3. Improve Windows 10 WDM compatibility:
This is probably already better in MC21, but while I used the WDM driver constantly in Windows 8, ever since Windows 10 I get a loud, hissing, static noise 80% of the time I try to use it. When it works, this feature alone makes MC worth the price.
4. A way to process HRTF filters (before choosing output mode):
This has come up on the forums a few times. Currently MC forces choosing the audio output format before allowing any other filters. It you choose 7.1 output, then apply an HRTF filter Windows then adds “Ghost” or blank audio to the non-stereo channels. As a result, instead of a HRTF processed stereo being sent to your headphones and/or A/V receiver, a stereo + 5.1 empty channels is sent out. As this point, either windows or your receiver will process the audio again to convert the pseudo-surround into 2-channel stereo. This mix is not equal to the original 2 channels and it makes virtual surround impossible using MC.
On the other hand, if you choose stereo output Media Center converts your 7.1 file to stereo before applying the HRTF filer. This again defeats the purpose.
5. Internal MadVR and Lav Updaters:
MC has internal hidden folders for its filters, and it gets confusing trying to manage my system filters plus MC's versions. I'm never quite sure which one is loading, especially for LAV. Madvr development is fast and even when I had the current version of MC, it was often a month behind madvr's current development. Yeah, there are work-arounds, it's just more confusing than it needs to be. Some sort of menu option of “Update Lav” and “Update madvr” that let's me point to a madvr zip or a Lav executable and handles the internal update for me would go a long way.
6. “Virtual” meta entries:
About 20% of my collection is still disc only, but when I browse MC I'd like to see my whole collection. If I could add a metadata pointer and just have Media Center ask for the disk when I hit play, it would allow me to browse my entire collection- even the movies not on disk.
7. Blu-Ray menu support:
I put this last because I realize the challenges in implementing this and why it hasn't been done, but Media Center, as is, is useless for TV collections without a lot of time consuming trial and error. Same for Special Features.
