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[acordesman]

The response from JRiver to buying the master version Media Center 21 is a message saying that , "Your web purchase should have activated Media Center on your PC automatically. If you have another PC, you can use the attached Install Key for the next 14 days. Just save the Install Key in a convenient location, then run it on another computer where you have Media Center installed."

It did nothing of the sort and I have a Mac. I also have seen nothing to indicate that Version 21 is ready, and the message from JRiver also says that, "If you need an Install Key and more than 14 days has passed, you can generate a new one at the restore page."

This scarcely seems to be either a useful email or one that makes it easy to upgrade when Version 21 is ready for the Mac.

[blgentry]

JRiver licensing is done in a very different way than most programs.  It's REALLY generously licensed though.  They allow you to license all of the computers that you personally use/own (within reason).

Whenever you want to license a computer for JRiver, you need a license file.  That's what should have been mailed to you.  Those files end in .MJR.  Since you have a master license, you can use that file on any version of Media Center.  Were you able to license your Mac version of MC?  If not, get that MJR file to your Mac and run it with Package Installer.  That should license you.

Now, what about this 14 day thing?  That's confusing isn't it?  The deal is, since JRiver allows you to license as many computers as you own, they let you use the same license file as many times as you want.  Once the license is *installed*, it's permanent for that computer.  BUT:  The file you use to do this expires in 14 days.  That way, you can easily license all the computers you have, giving you two weeks to do it.  After that, the file is "dead" and not usable any more.

What if you need to license a computer outside of that time?  Like when they release MC21?  No problem.  Just go to the restore page and ask for a restore.  That will mail you a new file, that's also good for 14 days.   Again, once activated, the licenses are good forever.  It's just the activation file that expires.  JRiver will allow you to ask for new files up to 10 times per year.  They call this a "restore".  I think the terminology is confusing.  But the process isn't too bad once you get it figured out.  Oh and if for some reason you use up your 10 restores, JRiver will normally reset these and let you have more.  As long as you have a decent reason.  They are trying to be extra generous about licensing, while at the same time protecting their intellectual property and preventing rogue users from abusing the system and licensing computers for their friends, or worse, for pay and profit.

I hope this helps clarify things for you.

Brian.

[glynor]

This is covered pretty well in the Restoring a License wiki article:
http://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Restoring_a_License

[blgentry]

This is covered pretty well in the Restoring a License wiki article:
http://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Restoring_a_License

Technically, you're certainly correct.  But I find that article to be exceptionally hard to understand.  I mean no insult.  It's just that JRIver's licensing procedure and policy is very different than most other software.  The terminology makes it hard to understand.  Now that I get it, it's actually very straightforward.  But trying to get there coming from the outside it's hard to "get it".  That's why I take the time to answer some of these types of questions; because don't think an outsider can read that wiki article and understand how it works.

I was actually thinking today that an infographic or a video would explain the process much better.  Not that I have a way to make either.  It was just what occurred to me.

Brian.

[JimH]

It might be best to leave licensing questions for JRiver.  Sometimes the more that gets said, the harder it is to understand.

This link almost never fails when people have trouble:
http://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Restoring_a_License