To the original poster,
I've only been using Media Center since version 11 and while I appreciate it can do much more than I currently need/want it to, I prefer to use it only as a jukebox (this will probably change at some point so I don't regret having bought MC). For now, I see you with 4 options:
1) keep using MJ12 and use a separate freeware media editor- a slight nuisance
2) keep using MJ12 with no media editor- loss of functionality
3) go back to MJ8- frustrating and potentially time consuming
4) upgrade to MC12 and disassociating all non-audio formats- slightly annoying but giving you more future options, should you choose to use them,
As a fellow customer, I understand your frustration and think that there should be a link called "Existing MJ8 Users" listing the new features and any ones that were included in the paid MJ8 that are not included in the free MJ12, so that people like yourself can see the trade-offs and make an informed decision.
This said, I strongly believe that you, and other former MJ8 users, are not the target market for MJ12. J River is almost certainly looking for new users, who are used to free stuff but may be enticed by added features etc. to actually pay for an upgrade, like many other media players and softwares. The obvious risk for J River is that not enough new people will see/use MJ12 then upgrade to MC12 to offset the revenue loss caused by creating, supporting and hosting a free product that can be chosen instead of the paid one. Jim's frustration, which should probably have remained private, is understandable as by offering more and more features in a free version, it becomes less and less likely that a new user, many of whom are basic, will upgrade to the paid version.
If I were you, I would somewhat grudgingly upgrade to MC12- the added feature set is very impressive as is the knowledge and support level provided by many users on the forum. While I will probably never use the full functionality of MC12, I do appreciate the parts of it I do use and the ones I may use.