I've seen it mentioned in a couple of threads and I've asked a couple of questions but it is far from a high priority topic. I understand that but I gotta tell you, this is a great product in some ways - HD DVD and HD Windows Media and DRM support now and the ability to handle .ts files and a whole bunch of stuff I don't know about - but the user interface is HORRIBLE. This is especially true when playing mp3s. Want to listen to an entire album? Great, it's easy.
But who does that anymore? I want to sit down in front of my TV and quickly select songs to play, or create playlists on the fly, whatever. Media Center and it's Theatre View seemed the PERFECT solution, I have had Media Jukebox for over a year and love it. But it doesn't work with Avel.
No reason for me to purchase the upgrade until it does. I don't ever sit in front of my computer to listen to music and what I've been doing for two years is, go to the computer, create a playlist, go back to the couch and listen to it. And then about halfway through the playlist I say, "Hey, that song reminds me of this song", and I want to create a new playlist on that basis.
But I can't, without getting up and going back to the computer. And every week I go searching on the web for a media player, any player, compatible with the Avel that will allow me to do something so simple as create a playlist while sitting on the couch.
There are a number of people out there who have created their own versions of interfaces to work with the Avel - Swisscenter, TwonkyVision, the wzd. Actually the first 2 weren't created with Avel in mind but they have serious limitations. And anyway, particularly for the latter, they are mostly concerned with video. And apparently it's a great program, I've seen raves.
But for mp3s MC is is easily the best I've ever seen. Winamp? Seems like a high school project in comparison.
Now I bet you there are a whole lot of folks over on the AVS forum who would love to see compatibility between MC and Avel. People who would love to be able to select an album, or an artist, or just a song, and see it play and see the cover art with it. I do not know how good MC is at handling video,haven't tried that yet, but I imagine it is good.
I've been posting in a thread on AVS with some questions about how to get MC and Avel to work together, and have even gone so far as to download Intel tools for control points, and I have NO IDEA what I'm doing and have had no success. But if I could go back there and say "HEY, it works now" I bet you would have a bunch of new customers.
Or maybe I'm the only one who cares and that last statement is a silly attempt to convince you that looking into compatibility with Avel is a good idea. But considering the ridiculously cumbersome interface of the Avel player, I think a lot of people would like something better. And now that I think of it, there are at least 2 new customers, me and another guy who also asked a question about MC.
The entire thread is
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=459759&page=163&pp=20
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Topic: anyone here heard of the Avel Link Player? (Read 1191 times)