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[Dr Tone]

1) I'd like to see an interface that follows apples design guidelines and feels like an apple app.  IMO, this is more important than the video features in the windows version.
2) I'd like my media volume keys to work when mc's internal volume control is bypassed.

[Afrosheen]

1) I'd like to see an interface that follows apples design guidelines and feels like an apple app.  IMO, this is more important than the video features in the windows version.
2) I'd like my media volume keys to work when mc's internal volume control is bypassed.

Yes, definitely, on both accounts.  I really hope that these two features will be the focal point of this version's development…

[sandalaudio]

1) I'd like to see an interface that follows apples design guidelines and feels like an apple app.  IMO, this is more important than the video features in the windows version.
2) I'd like my media volume keys to work when mc's internal volume control is bypassed.

I also agree about the interface. I have no complaints about the sound and the playback capability on MC19.

I think the general behaviour of the program differs a lot from the standard Apple guidelines, and this makes the program look DIY and less professional. (although competitors like Amarra or Audirvana are not much better either).
For example, the menu bar appearance and locations need to be cleaned up. e.g. "Option" should be "Preferences..." and should be on the far left menu. These Apple design guidelines are minor things but makes the application look much more commercial and professional.

I have two requests.

1. Support for foreign characters is a bit dodgy on MC19. Standard apple shortcuts for accent or umlaut etc don't work on MC. (e.g. on Mac OS, ö is [ALT+u followed by o], é is [ALT+e followed by e] etc, which is standard for all applications like Finder, iTunes, Microsoft Office but it doesn't work on MC. When I do batch processes like file move, some files with tags that contain foreign font causes an error (says the file does not exist), but the job actually completes fine. It must just be the way MC deals with the non-english Mac/Unicode characters.

2. Maybe it's just me but the content sync transfer to portable devices (e.g. Walkman) is very slow on MC19 compared to the Finder drag and drop. If this becomes as fast as the Finder then I am very happy.

I've just purchased the MC20 upgrade license. Keep up the great work!

[Afrosheen]

I think the general behaviour of the program differs a lot from the standard Apple guidelines, and this makes the program look DIY and less professional.

I don't wish to begrudge, but I wish to make sure that this isn't just an "aesthetic" issue, which by itself is certainly valid and don't mean to disagree with that.  But what I wish to emphasize is the functionality that an integrated interface brings, which I indicated in the thread that I wrote earlier today in the MC 19 for Mac forum.  

There are many of us power users who employ certain tricks that the MacOS provides to make the usability and functionality of independently developed apps ever more efficient and more powerful.  So I just wish to make this point is clear that some of us aren't requesting a more native "look" that is more appealing or conforms to a certain design appeal that, for instance, iOS 7 had demanded from its developers when it was released.  We are just requesting that the app reflects the features of the environment of the OS that we Mac users have chosen to be in and that "philosophical" point is something that I hope is considered here in this case and not dismissed as a superficial design request as it seems to have been in the last version, with the implicit response to this request being that the integration of the app was the sacrifice we Mac users had to make for having this app exist on the MacOS.  

So I'm not saying that such dismissal was deliberate, but something that was presented as a limitation stemming from the base direction of the development of the app, which I do not fault the staff here at all.  But I believe that was not communicated well at the start.  And so my wish here is to make sure we all are on the same page as to what we users are exactly contributing to, specifically whether the development of the app is permanently constrained by its direction or whether the leap will be made and the app will gain it's own "Mac identity" beyond its well curated port from Windows to Mac.      

And I understand that making such requests isn't something that developers like to hear.  It is certainly taxing and enervating to hear demands like this.  But I hope that this understanding is also reflected from the developers of the users to request another contribution to something that is at its third iteration, when we are looking for features that are common requests during a first iteration of an application.  Please forgive me for being frankly honest, but it is beginning to challenge the faith in this process and the patience some of us have been showing.

I certainly wish to continue supporting the development of the software, as I have had great benefit from having it on my machines.  So I am immensely grateful that Media Center has been brought over to the Mac and that gratitude is still stronger than such desires I personally have for the app.  I am still incredibly appreciative despite the reservations I just expressed. 

And with that I wish to also express my sincerest appreciation for the time taken to consider this hullabaloo post!  

[mwheelerk]

I really don't think people are really requesting just a look but the form and functionality of a Mac app. Great product no the less.

[Afrosheen]

I really don't think people are really requesting just a look but the form and functionality of a Mac app. Great product no the less.

eh, there was a lot of talk that "skinning" would be considered an adequate substitute.  You can read for yourself by checking the thread.

[JohnAV]

I really don't think people are really requesting just a look but the form and functionality of a Mac app. Great product no the less.

No question most Mac users would prefer a MC20 where the user interface complies with Apple Guidelines more then MC19 does. Hopefully this has already been discussed a lot and is finally doable. 

[6233638]

eh, there was a lot of talk that "skinning" would be considered an adequate substitute.  You can read for yourself by checking the thread.

Well my point was that looking like a Mac application would go a long way to help making the program feel more native than it currently does - not that it would be a solution.
Obviously native menu support is important, and I'd like it to be a priority for MC20.
 
I'm not sure about remapping all the keyboard shortcuts though - perhaps as an option to switch between OS X native commands and general Media Center ones that apply to PC, Mac, and Linux might work?

[sandalaudio]

Honestly, the interface issue was the only thing I could come up with as a potential "wish list" feature. I am already happy with version 19.

The first impression I got from the Mac version MC was "hey this look like a PC program that's been converted to run on a Mac". e.g. It doesn't look like it was benefiting from pretty native font smoothing and rendering offered by the Mac OS.

One thing I am worried about is, I don't know how much extra work it currently takes for JRiver to make the Mac equivalent of the Windows build version, but if the Mac version becomes very different to the Windows version then it could lead to significant delays in Mac version build releases.

I don't want the Microsoft Office situation where the application is totally different between Mac and Windows, and have many incompatibilities because they are developed by two separate teams...

[Afrosheen]

I don't want the Microsoft Office situation where the application is totally different between Mac and Windows, and have many incompatibilities because they are developed by two separate teams...

That's a very good point.  But then again we are in the third iteration of MC Mac, and it's continuing to get closer to the full feature of MC Win.  But if that's what the development of MC Mac will be, to have a limited UI gradually gain the full features of MC Win, then I would like to know that so that I am not contributing with the hopes that I have of MC Mac.  It's not that I don't want to support that choice in development, but I rather know so that I'm not carrying false hopes.

[JohnAV]

That's a very good point.  But then again we are in the third iteration of MC Mac, and it's continuing to get closer to the full feature of MC Win.  But if that's what the development of MC Mac will be, to have a limited UI gradually gain the full features of MC Win, then I would like to know that so that I am not contributing with the hopes that I have of MC Mac.  It's not that I don't want to support that choice in development, but I rather know so that I'm not carrying false hopes.

I guess I have one question which is against legacy Mac OS X users, since 10.10 seems to be advancing core audio a bit, is there going to be a time when you stop supporting older OS's with the third iteration of MC Mac (MC20) to meld with more recent OS X abilities?    
Thanks for all your efforts!

Yosemite Core Audio changes beside MIDI over Bluetooth.

AV Foundation Framework Changes
AV Foundation framework adds support for a broad cross-section of audio functionality at a higher level of abstraction than Core Audio. The new AV Foundation audio capabilities are available in both OS X and iOS and include a new API that allows manual control of the camera focus, white balance, and exposure settings. In addition, bracketed exposure captures allow automatic capturing of images with different exposure settings.
You can now capture metadata over time while shooting video. This capability allows arbitrary types of metadata to be embedded with a video recording at various points in time. For example, you might record the current physical location in a video created by a moving camera device.
Other new capabilities in AV Foundation include:

Audio recording and playback
Audio file parsing and conversion
Audio units that allow for the creation of sound effects, filters, audio distortion, and reverberation effects
Pitch and playback speed management
A built-in equalizer and mixer that you can use in your applications
Stereo and 3D audio environments
MIDI compatibility
Automatic access to audio input and output hardware

For information about the classes of this framework, see https://developer.apple.com/library/prerelease/mac/documentation/AVFoundation/Reference/AVFoundationFramework/index.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40008072
 

[MartinG]

I also would like to have the program being more MAC stylish. Version 18 looked like a windows program running on MAC. Version 19 made a great step forward, but still looks like a ported program. I am really desiring a MediaCenter, that looks and feels like a real MAC program. I know that it is a lot of work, but believe me: JRiver is a program that I do much more prefer to Amarra or Audirvana. The remote app is perfect for me and is so much more comfortable compared to Apple Remote or other solutions. So, my wish list:
1. stability, stability, stability!!!!
2. Look and feel like a native MAC program
3. nothing that burns under my nails.

[Awesome Donkey]

How about a 'flat' version of the Noire skin that goes well with Yosemite?

[Afrosheen]

Could we keep any requests for skinning separate from this thread?  That is more of design request, which is quite different from the OP.  If we keep this stuff piecemeal, there's a greater likelihood of them happening, otherwise making it into a group an then seeing one part of it being address may disappoint some users who aren't aware of the difference in the type of requests being made here. 

[sandalaudio]

Could we keep any requests for skinning separate from this thread?  That is more of design request, which is quite different from the OP. 

Having skinnable custom interface is not as cool as it used to be a decade ago (remember Winamp?), especially since they stick out like a sore thumb these days with high DPI large monitors. The only popular app I have that still do skins is Adobe CS, with their push for cross-platform environment like Adobe Air.

Personally, it would be great if the MC was built with the standard Apple methodology, i.e. Xcode with Cocoa and Interface Builder. It would make the behaviour of search bar, table pull downs and menu bars a lot more predictable.

MC19 reminds me of what VLC or Firefox used to be like many years ago, just after porting to OS X. They became much better over the years. For example, look at the Preferences window in Firefox.

[sunfire7]

+1 to look more mac-like.

[TCats]

+ 2 for more Mac like.