More > JRiver Media Center 18 for Windows
Wish List: New MC User from XBMC & iTunes
Alex B:
--- Quote from: Daydream on August 21, 2012, 06:29:19 pm ---XBMC easy? Pffff. Years ago only the third time I tried I got it configured to scan my media right. I could not understand for the life of me how the Video menu had pointers to the real location files, and database abstractions at the same time. And then there where other Movies, TV series and the likes entries on the main menu. That on some skins would be hidden by default. What is wrong with this people?? What kept me going? The screenshot of the Aeon skin I saw on Lifehacker at the time. It's esthetic force trumped any difficulty 10 to 1. But that's just me and my artistic side. The engineers of this world are probably lured in by other details.
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FWIW, I just installed the latest XBMC and found it very difficult and illogical to use and apparently even seriously buggy. I am a total XBMC newbie, except that I have once before, years ago, quickly installed and uninstalled it. I couldn't see any magic in its interface. After I had figured out how to import my videos, it displayed them like any basic file explorer - as textual folder and filename lists. It did not have a volume control and it could not play the videos in full screen (only in a maximized window that still has the standard window controls visible) and finally it crashed in the middle of a very typical MKV video file. I am sure it can be configured to provide better user experience, but, IMO, straight out of the box, it is worse than a vanilla instance of MC.
--- Quote from: InflatableMouse on August 22, 2012, 06:43:36 am ---Being an ex-XBMC user myself there is actually only one thing I really miss and still use XBMC for .. subtitle download.
The addon in XBMC is subliminal. 2 pushes on the remote and it's got proper subtitles for almost anything.
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I couldn't find this feature by browsing the addons list or anywhere else. There is no need tell me where to find it - I have already unistalled the program.
Daydream:
--- Quote from: Alex B on August 23, 2012, 05:38:03 pm ---IMO, straight out of the box, it is worse than a vanilla instance of MC.
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Let's not improve MC anymore then, 'cause we're all covered. Maybe not much so against our own complacency.
--- Quote ---I couldn't find this feature by browsing the addons list or anywhere else. There is no need tell me where to find it - I have already unistalled the program.
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We're not here to make MC into XBMC, we're here to break new ground and come up with new stuff. To bump heads to spark new ideas. Sure some of us come from an XBMC angle, but I don't think that jeopardizes the core MC community and development.
glynor:
--- Quote from: Daydream on August 23, 2012, 04:52:07 pm ---I'll make an analogy. You remember how Firefox looked by default circa version 3? With icons with text names, and multiple menu, bookmark, nav, addons and so on bars? How does it look today? Simplified down to the core. And it seems everybody is happy.
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I don't know if everyone is happy.
I should add, though... I'm still a happy Firefox user. I certainly have NO interest in Chrome.
I don't know... Look and feel and priorities are such a personal thing. Some aesthetic things might appeal to you, and look garish to others. But I didn't think this post (the OP) was really about aesthetics, generally, but more about defaults. As rick and others pointed out above, Theater View can do basically everything the OP asked for.
It is telling that he is asking for those things. The default library setups need work. It isn't something that we often clamor for, and it isn't a "sexy" new feature (and it is probably darn-near impossible to get us to test them for you in production). But I'd agree generally that the default Library setup (both Standard and Theater) could use a total overhaul.
The system behind it is excellent, and doesn't need much more. But the defaults don't take any of this new stuff into account.
Daydream:
--- Quote from: glynor on August 23, 2012, 06:53:58 pm ---I don't know if everyone is happy.
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I picked Firefox to outline a longer trend; but the minimalist style comes of course under Chrome influence.
--- Quote ---I don't know... Look and feel and priorities are such a personal thing. Some aesthetic things might appeal to you, and look garish to others. But I didn't think this post (the OP) was really about aesthetics, generally, but more about defaults. As rick and others pointed out above, Theater View can do basically everything the OP asked for.
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If you're given only one tool, even a very flexible one, that's all you can use. There should be a discussion somewhere about a flexible tool vs the right tool. I was about to say something about that when somebody asked why people change captions so much but certain things change faster than I can reply.
--- Quote ---The system behind it is excellent, and doesn't need much more. But the defaults don't take any of this new stuff into account.
--- End quote ---
Yeah, that pretty much summarized it.
Alex B:
--- Quote from: Daydream on August 23, 2012, 06:37:55 pm ---Let's not improve MC anymore then, 'cause we're all covered. Maybe not much so against our own complacency.
We're not here to make MC into XBMC, we're here to break new ground and come up with new stuff. To bump heads to spark new ideas. Sure some of us come from an XBMC angle, but I don't think that jeopardizes the core MC community and development.
--- End quote ---
I just wanted to share my experience and add a "+1" to your comment (that I quoted above). Nothing less and nothing more.
I said: "I am sure it can be configured to provide better user experience", i.e. obviously the default install of XBMC is just a skeleton for adding the desired features. I am usually more than willing to experiment with new things (for example, I seem to have 357 folders/programs in my "Program Files"), but I realized that I would need to spend a considerable amount of time reading the XBMC forums and testing the add-ons before I could create a nice XBMC setup that I could use as a reference when posting to this and other request/development threads. Unfortunately, I don't have time for that now.
In my opinion MC is easier for a complete newbie because usually after a standard install & automatic import you can simply open Theater View and see you files automatically organized and easily start playback. I did not say that the (Theater View) interface should not be developed further.
I also did not mention iTunes (iTunes is also on-topic here), because it doesn't provide many things to configure. Its interface is quite nice and usable as it is, but it doesn't allow you to really personalize it.
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