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[benn600]

Why would anyone use iTunes over J River Media Center?

Has there ever been any anger between J River and Microsoft over using the name Media Center.  I think J River should demand money from Microsoft for using the name Media Center for their Windows operating system.  I think it's stupid to call an OS Media Center because there is no way every aspect of the OS is media related...whereas J River Media Center, yes, every single aspect of the program is media related...from managing music, photos, video, and podcasts to burning CDs, printing labels, ripping CDs, and sharing/streaming music...etc!

[glynor]

Microsoft's product is called "Windows XP Media Center Edition" and, I would guess that MC is typically branded "JRiver Media Center".  I don't know if this makes any difference...

I do know that if either company ever tried to make trouble for the other, it'd probably be fairly easy to demonstrate prior art on the name "media center" from other locations.  I'd probably just be best for neither company to make it an issue.

[AustinBike]

iTunes had some features that JRiver did not until 12.0 (compilation support and Tivo video integration being the #1 and #2 on the list for me).

Depending on what features customers need, they will choose the appropriate products.  Especially when it comes to media center sw it is very difficult to get people to switch.  It can become a religious issue for some.  I am sure there are itunes users who would never in a million years switch.  Maybe they use Macs, for instance.

Just remember that the things most important to you might not be important to others.

[benn600]

Perhaps J River should start a marketing campaign.  I'm lucky I ran across MC on the FLAC web site.  If not for that, I would still be upset, trying to use iTunes.

[BartMan01]

iTunes had some features that JRiver did not until 12.0

iTunes STILL has some features that MC does not.  Specifically it destroys 'on-the-go' playlists and can't create 'smart' playlists that work on the iPod.  If you create a smart play list in iTunes, it carrys over to the iPod and remains 'smart'.  Do the same in MC and it just becomes a static list on the iPod.

Couple of big ones that I really would like to get to work with MC are:
Unrated songs - as I rate them I need them to drop off this list.
Unheard podcasts.

[T2Mac]

Couple of big ones that I really would like to get to work with MC are:
Unrated songs - as I rate them I need them to drop off this list.

You can always create the following Smartlist for this one:

Rating: =NULL

Ian

[BartMan01]

You can always create the following Smartlist for this one:

Rating: =NULL

Ian

That works fine inside MC, but it doesn't stay 'smart' when loaded to the iPod, it becomes a static list of the items that were unrated as of the last sync.  If I rate some of the songs on the iPod, they don't drop off the list (on the iPod) until the next sync.  Apple's version of smartlists stay smart when loaded to the iPod.

This may not be an issue if you sync constantly, but for those of us who travel (away from home for a week or two at a time) it is.

[gk666999]

This may not be an issue if you sync constantly, but for those of us who travel (away from home for a week or two at a time) it is.

I agree.

[Bendra]

I rip my cds using iTunes because their music database is so much bigger and more dependable and I don't type so much.  Although iTunes rips to my MC library, after I import the music and analyze and rate it, the ratings don't necessarily show up in iTunes.

I synch constantly because I love the way I can create smartlists in MC, but I gotta tell you it's getting old.

Back in the day - between MC9 and 10, I thought this issue of live updating had been figured out.  What happened?

[vine-au]

Perhaps J River should start a marketing campaign.  I'm lucky I ran across MC on the FLAC web site.  If not for that, I would still be upset, trying to use iTunes.

I agree, I recommend MC to everyone I know, repeatedly, and post links whenever I can. There isn't much advertising out there though, pitty because I think it's te best media player available!