More => Old Versions => JRiver Media Center 30 for Windows => Topic started by: niari on September 01, 2022, 08:09:21 pm
Title: Upgrade Frequency
Post by: niari on September 01, 2022, 08:09:21 pm
Upgrade license emails make it sound like upgrade license payments are an annual event. A quick check of the 6 upgrades I've paid for reveal that they happen every 9 to 10 months.
So, rather than $19.98 the actual annual cost is really more like $25.
Given that I just use Media Center for playing my ripped CD collection and new downloaded music from a computer, very few of the updates are of value to me. I have to question whether I'm getting value for money here.
Title: Re: Upgrade Frequency
Post by: vaso65 on September 02, 2022, 02:12:11 am
Upgrade license emails make it sound like upgrade license payments are an annual event. A quick check of the 6 upgrades I've paid for reveal that they happen every 9 to 10 months.
So, rather than $19.98 the actual annual cost is really more like $25.
Given that I just use Media Center for playing my ripped CD collection and new downloaded music from a computer, very few of the updates are of value to me. I have to question whether I'm getting value for money here.
I agree.
The upgrade to release 29 was requested in February 2022 and the release came out in May (?). So the last "annual" lasted 6 months.
An annual release (12 months or more) could also be fine, although I think it is more correct to come out with a new release every 2 years.
Title: Re: Upgrade Frequency
Post by: pacomo on September 02, 2022, 02:33:32 am
I agree. I cannot see myself upgrading every 6 months when there is no value for me since I i only use it for music.
Title: Re: Upgrade Frequency
Post by: mattkhan on September 02, 2022, 02:53:46 am
If the new release has nothing you need then don't upgrade. Nothing will break, your current installation will continue to work just fine.
Title: Re: Upgrade Frequency
Post by: JimH on September 02, 2022, 04:44:58 am
I cannot see myself upgrading every 6 months when there is no value for me since I i only use it for music.
Amazon Alexa is one obvious new change for MC30.
Title: Re: Upgrade Frequency
Post by: JimH on September 02, 2022, 04:51:29 am
Please read JRiver's Business Model (https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,81987.0.html) to better understand how we operate.
Title: Re: Upgrade Frequency
Post by: Guernsey on September 02, 2022, 05:03:38 am
Worth it for the Amazon Alexa integration alone
Thank you
Title: Re: Upgrade Frequency
Post by: slerch666 on September 02, 2022, 07:50:55 am
I buy every new version, regardless.
Why?
Because I believe in what JR are doing with MC. It provides an amazing platform for the consumption of media that no other platform even comes close to. Expensive? Depends on your needs.
If all I used it for is Audio, I would consider upgrading every other version instead of every, just to show support to the developers and keep the lights on.
I wish MC offered a more Plex like experience (that is, a MC app) for Roku and other "smart" platforms without resorting to workarounds. But then, I have a Plex server for this already and my wife can use it so... whatever. :D
Title: Re: Upgrade Frequency
Post by: Mike... on September 02, 2022, 10:44:15 am
Your business model is over 9 years old. ;) Make it an actual subscription and increase the price if a once a year upgrade doesn't quite cover it anymore.
My first reaction to reading the e-mail about v30 was, already?! Didn't we just get v29. And yes, that was this year. Now we have spring and fall releases like Windows?
Spotlight and Alexa do not interest me, there still isn't a way to get rid of the spotlight button. Previously, I didn't hesitate to buy the new version, I'm giving this one a pass. See you in 2023 for v31, maybe...
Title: Re: Upgrade Frequency
Post by: JimH on September 02, 2022, 11:27:28 am
Because I believe in what JR are doing with MC. It provides an amazing platform for the consumption of media that no other platform even comes close to. Expensive? Depends on your needs.
If all I used it for is Audio, I would consider upgrading every other version instead of every, just to show support to the developers and keep the lights on.
I wish MC offered a more Plex like experience (that is, a MC app) for Roku and other "smart" platforms without resorting to workarounds. But then, I have a Plex server for this already and my wife can use it so... whatever. :D
Ditto
Title: Re: Upgrade Frequency
Post by: Awesome Donkey on September 02, 2022, 06:45:59 pm
I see the subscriptions suggestion has come up again. Am I the only one who absolutely hates having to have software subscriptions? Don't you hate it when a software that when you buy a license you can use it indefinitely (at least until it either stops working with a newer operating system or the if license keys are involved the company itself goes under) suddenly decides to switch to a subscription model? TeamViewer and Malwarebytes come to mind here, previously you could buy lifetime licenses for both then they phased out the ability to buy a lifetime license and switched over to the subscription model.
At least with JRiver Media Center versions you buy it once, and you should be able to use it for years to come. Yes, like with companies with subscriptions there is still an uncertain future with operating system compatibility and if JRiver went under and you couldn't activate MC anymore, but generally thus far older versions of Media Center tend to work fine on newer operating systems like Windows 11. macOS and various Linux distros are less backwards compatible with software due to various reasons unfortunately. And yes, I know Windows will eventually start doing the same and start phasing out 32-bit and switching over to 64-bit.
With Media Center there is no requirement to purchase upgrades. If you're happy with the version you're using now and there's nothing in the new version that interests you, just skip it and use the version you're happy with. I'm sure there's users who skip a release cycle, maybe they skip a few of them?
I can see some of you don't like the business model they've chosen, but in my opinion it's better than those with monthly/yearly subscriptions.
Title: Re: Upgrade Frequency
Post by: EJR on September 03, 2022, 02:38:07 am