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More => Old Versions => JRiver Media Center 23 for Windows => Topic started by: music4al on August 10, 2017, 12:53:45 am
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I've been comparing JRiver and Plex to see which is more compatible for overall performance of what I want to do.
I'm an enormous music (vinyl, digital, cds)/music video/movies/tv series) collector.
I've used Catraxx and Catvids, Extreme Movie/Music Manager, Music and Movie Collector, Media Monkey, My Movies, All My Movies, Movie and Music Label, Plex, and several other programs to see how they perform and now I've just recently tried JRiver to see how it stacks up.
As a collector I'm trying to find the best Database/Collection programs that I can so I can put the whole shebang under one roof so to speak. And I was wondering how to do certain things under JRiver... but first I will let you know what I think of the other programs.
I've used Catraxx and Catvids the longest and still find it the best especially for vinyl but it's dated and is no longer actively supported, not that it needs it, it is still a very powerful program and it has a huge following of loyal supporters.
Extreme Movie and Music Managers - Very good but it takes a lot of time to manage it, it's very configurable but again it still has it's quirks, the Music database doesn't stand up as well as I would like.
Music and Movie Collector is starting to look better but it still falls behind Cattrax and Catvids and when I tried to use the import from Catraxx and Catvids feature, some of the information didn't transfer over well and it would take a lot of time to correct it.
Mediamonkey is good for digital music but didn't like the look and feel so far.
My Movies...again promising but i got frustrated with not being warned about the xml files and the fact it's sits in the background on startup.
All My Movies - The interface is very poor and the import features and how it supports television series are substandard
Movie and Music Label - Good database but haven't played with the Music Label so much, didn't like the layout.
Plex - Very good product, love it's interface and the fact that i can use my android box and link to my computer to view anything, the only drawback is that it can't play or even recognize Vob, Iso, ts files and you are forced to convert them to a readable format, again a lot of time spent converting stuff so it will work...but it may be worth it because of the great flexibility and the ability to add comments to the files.
And that brings me to JRiver...The interface is good and I love the flexibility and the ability to import and play all types of formats, including ISO...
The problem I'm having now is in regards to Music Videos, I can't seem to get it to separate the (Artist and Video Title) even though I've correctly set up the structure of the files, In one case I have an mp4 (video) file that does separate correctly and I even been able to include comments, however with another mp4 file this doesn't work, not to mention being able to do this with Iso, TS files, Is there a way to manually add comments or through import capability to do this, essentially I want the following to show up...
Cover, Artist, (Album or Title of video), Dimensions, Date, Duration, File Size, Volume Label, Comment, Filename (Shows path of file)
Because I have several hard drives full of genres, I have several with just Movies on them, Others with just Music Videos, not to mention music on another hoard.
It also helps that I can use the hard drives volume label to know where my files are stored on a particular hard drive. Since I'm new to JRiver, I just want to determine how I can display the files in the program to meet my needs, Regular Movies should not show up in the same category as Music Videos, now I
understand that that may require filters as long as I can tag each file for it's own category.
Any help, suggestions or thoughts would be appreciated.
So far I like what I see and I'm willing to buy the product if I can find out how to do certain things. It might mean that I may have to continue to use various products for various types of media, depending on which one does the better job.
Thanks for any advice or comments you make
Music4al
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If you liked Catraxx and Catvids you are going to love MC, especially as you are a collector.
It will do everything you want, although not all requirements have built in solutions. Rather, MC has the flexibility to do it your way. For example, there is no built in handling of Movie Series, so different people manage those in different ways. Same with Classical music, which is usually very personal. Some people want to sort and view by Composer, some want to sort and view by Orchestra, and so on.
MC does have a learning curve because the documentation can leave a lot to be desired. Hence, the forum is the primary support mechanism. Search it well. Search it often. Use Google to search it if you have complex search terms.
Then read. Read some more. Experiment, and read some more. It seems this is a hobby of yours, so you should enjoy the process. I can't point you to any one place to start, but do have a look under Tools > Options > Library & Folders > Manage Library Fields. Note specifically [Media Type] and [Media Sub Type] and their acceptable values. But don't start thinking about adding lots of new tags, at least until you work out what the default ones can be used for. Also, some tags have specific functionality around them, such as [Name], [Series], [Episode], [Media Type] and [Media Sub Type], [TheTVDB Series ID], etc.
You will note that "Music Video" is one of the accepted types. That, combined with Custom Views, Smartlists, and tagging will solve your problem with Music Videos, I'm sure. You will have to provide more details on the issue you are having, and examples please, and someone will be able to help you. It sounds like you have structured the file name, and MC isn't separating the Artist and Video Title automatically during import. It may not. The automatic process can only do so much. But there is a Custom Template capability that can take your file structure and import its contents into the correct library fields (tags). Search for "Fill properties from file name."
The thing to learn with MC is that the magic is in the Library (Database) and having the ability to write library tags to the media files, or sidecars files. You do not have to hold all the information about the media in the directory structure and file name. But MC can use and write very complex directory and file names if required. It has a great tool for that. If MC doesn't have the function built in, it has an Expression Language to add functionality.
The only way that Plex beats MC is in the number, type, and environment that Clients run on. Plex targetted putting Apps onto appliances, and they have been very successful doing it.
Anyway, that is enough from me. Enjoy the journey you have just started!
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I suggest you start at wiki.
User Manual (https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Media_Center)
Getting Started (https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Getting_Started)
Auto-Import (https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Auto-Import)
2 wiki below for advance custom Auto-Import, Custom View, Smartlist
Expression-Language (https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Expression_Language)
Search Language (https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Search_Language)
This wiki may tell you about jriver can.
Full Index (https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Category:Frequently_Asked_Questions)
I think jriver database like excel.
tag in jriver like cell in excel.
Please enjoy. :)
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location of files can also be used to separate things into category ... say for movies my AutoImport points to folders with just movies ... and for MusVid, AutoImport points to folder with just MusVid (this only works if you keep thins in separate folders)
I came from XBMC/Kodi ... then Plex (have life membership there ... so i am not trying to justify my spending on JRiver ... since have licences for both products)
Best looking interface is Kodi ... what kill it for me is requirement to jailbreak iOS ... and 3D MVC branch is only supported by one guy
Best integration with smartphones/tablet is Plex ... on mobile/tablet, i can choose what music/video to sync from server (ovef wifi) ... and Plex transfer my choice to mobile/tablet doing transcoding as necessary (sync files are usable only in Plex app, which was OK with me) ... what kill it for me ... no MVC 3D support for MKV files ... Plex app on mobile can play only things natively supported by device (no flac on iphones ... no alac on androids)
JRiver ... obviously supports 3D MVC in MKV containers (albert on limited hardware and OS, but thats OK) ... their Theatre View is prettier than Plex ... not as flashy as Kodi, but pesting developers to improve it ... sync to mobile is clumbesome and requires USB connection to JRiver machine (something i will be pesting developers once they address custom fanart/backdrop in Theatre View)
Also like flexibility of knowing exactly how JRiver gets my audio/video to me ... something Plex is lacking a lot ... JRiver is not easy to set up (Plex is easiest), but choices and tweaks are enourmous (and for help can always rely on forum ... on a note Plex JRiver and Kodi - all have great support from respective communities)
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oh ... forgot ... for audiophiles ... Plex at the moment of writing does not support gapeless playback ... and no support for cue files
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To the OP - A nice feature in JRiver is that you can backup your library which includes all the settings. If you find a view or something you like you can make a backup and not worry about messing it up as you try new settings.
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And it is almost impossible to believe that Plex does not support any sort of volume levelling/R128/ReplayGain in any way, shape or form.
For music - i cannot understanding how anyone could actually use this platform without blowing their heads off one minute (playing a Loudness War modern album) and then have to crank the volume knob wildly to play an original pressing of Brothers In Arms.
VP
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As a user of both Plex and JRiver, there is absolutely no doubt that JRiver is far superior than Plex when it comes to music listening and organizing the library.
However when is comes to Video, Plex is to me much better in terms of user experience, streaming capabilities to many different devices. This is why I keep both, and BTW try to make them collaborate using DLNA in video mode, with no success so far (see specific post on this matter)
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As a user of both Plex and JRiver, there is absolutely no doubt that JRiver is far superior than Plex when it comes to music listening and organizing the library.
However when is comes to Video, Plex is to me much better in terms of user experience, streaming capabilities to many different devices. This is why I keep both, and BTW try to make them collaborate using DLNA in video mode, with no success so far (see specific post on this matter)
As another user of both Plex and JRiver, I totally agree with you regarding music and library management. Regarding video, JRiver has the by far better image quality when using ROHQ. But I would go as far as stating that JRiver lacks basic network playback functionality that Plex handles just perfectly:
1. Ability to choose audio track on remote client (e.g. when Chromecasting from my Android mobile)
2. Ability choose subtitle on remote client (which subtitle and on/off)
3. Ability to (or at least simple access to) changing streaming bitrate (yeah, its there in Gizmo, and it is possible to dig into menus in the PC network client, but it is not simple or intuitive)
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Regarding video, JRiver has the by far better image quality when using ROHQ.
This is the exact reason why I would love to be able to get JRiver engine hooked up to the Plex server when it comes to video. I could then fully benefit of my 4K system.
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Nah ... I prefer JRiver video handling ... fact that it can do 3D MKV encoded in MVC frame pack is already a killer
Multiple device support is subjective ... Plex can stream to many devices ... but they do not mention that on PS3 an XBOX1 its VERY sluggish ... playing original quality BluRay to my smart TVs is not smooth (no, its not a network issue) ... can transcode to lower quality for smooth playback ... but then I am not getting the best out of this
For best result on TV, Plex requires Plex Media Player ... that requires some sort of PC too (so for my use, Plex has no advantage here)
As I mention before ... only thing Plex has over JRiver (IMHO) is sync to tablets/phones ... I can sit on my couch, pick up my iPad ... select movies or shows to be sync ... and Plex sync it while transcoding media if required ... all is done over wifi
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Nah ... I prefer JRiver video handling ... fact that it can do 3D MKV encoded in MVC frame pack is already a killer
Allow me to distiguish: In my home cinema, with dedicated computer wired to my projector, JRiver is the only choice for video. In our living room and any other remote location where I stream from my home theater server, functionality trumps quality, and the items 1-3 in my previous post is actual pre-requisites and a showstopper for using JRiver in my living room. And I have tried. And tried.