I think you will find JRiver MC a great alternative. It takes more time to get it all setup just the way you like, but I think you have much more control to actually get it
just the way you like.
As JimH said, they want to add value to the program, so if you have comments/feedback/requests they are usually pretty responsive. In fact, now is a good time in the development cycle, as this is the time they usually stop making major changes/additions, and focus on the little things to refine before moving on to the next version. v17 has been very focused on metadata and video, so I expect to see more energy focused here, which is where it sounds like you expect to use MC; how convenient
Enjoy, and don't hesitate to ask for help