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[johnfriend]

I love Media Jukebox and have gotten an offer to "upgrade" to Media Center but don't know enough about it...is ther a web page that shows it and covers the features??

Thanks!!

[JHC]

There is a comparison here:

http://www.musicex.com/mediajukebox/comparison.html

It explains the differences between the various versions.

Jonathan

[johnfriend]

Are there any screen shots of Music Center??

[Doof]

Media Center looks just like Media Jukebox.

Basically, picture MJ, but with TiVo functionality, Image viewing, and a few other enhancements, and you have Media Center.

Then strip out all of the TV and Video stuff, and that's what Media Jukebox is going to become. At least, that's how I interpret it.

[johnfriend]

I love this product but I worry about feature bloat??  

I'm sure jriver is feeling Mediaplayer 9 and MS Media Center pressure but why not do 1 thing well... on the other hand they've made a killer music player... be interesting to see what develops!!

[Omni]

I admit I haven't given it much thought, so anyone feel free to flame me, but I don't really understand JRiver's "mission," so to speak.

Media Jukebox became what it is strictly due to its audio capability and versatility.  Why compete with Microsoft (in the video arena) when their stuff is both free and just as good as anything else (again, in reference to video playback).

It's not like people are going to be archiving DVD's on their hard drives and we need a better media "center" to sort it all out.

This is not a criticism, per se, because after all, the audio functionality is still there, and I just ignore the video functionality--no skin of my nose.

I do, however, wish they would remember that old expression, "Dance with the one that 'brung' ya," and get back to concentrating on making more audio improvements rather than video improvements. <shrug>

Omni

[Doof]

That's precisely why they split it into two products.

Media Jukebox is ONLY audio.

For those of us who want the added support of video, images, TV, and HTPC, there's Media Center.

[JimH]

It's not like people are going to be archiving DVD's on their hard drives and we need a better media "center" to sort it all out.

There are already a surprising number of people doing that, and archiving TV shows.

We have to think ahead several years.  Even right now, a 200 GB drive will store movies at a cost of around $5 or $6 each.  What will that storage cost in five years?  Probably closer to $1.

It is not uncommon in the high end part of the market for people to have servers that are approaching or have passed a terrabyte of storage.  They have chosen to spend around $1000 to do it.

We won't forget "the one we came with".  Thanks.

[johnfriend]

I agree with you Omni.  JRiver has to do what they want but MS Media Player 9 is free and killer!!  So I wonder about there being any upside in developing a competing product.  Media Jukebox is great because it's FOCUSED.  I never use the video functions I use the MS product.  

I've had a HTPC since '98 and watch video on a PC daily...that's why I'm interested in seeing screen shots of Media Center.  I'd love a new MS Media Center but I don't need the any of the hardware and MS doesn't YET sell just the software so I'll keep my $1600  My video out card came bundled with a player so any replacement has to be MUCH better.  

Then again I was using MusicMatch (ick) when I bought Media Jukebox so you never know!

PS... about focus
I love Media Jukebox because it's focused and elegant computer software I hate MusicMatch because dosen't want to be what it is it tries to be some kind of science fiction car stereo... all those fly out panels make me nuts!! (my 2 cents)

[KingSparta]

They have chosen to spend around $1000 to do it.

A Drop in the bucket compared to just a few years ago when the limit was an 8 Meg hard drive at over $10,000

And if you got up on the wrong side of the bed it would crash, burn out a few read - write heads and took up about 20 cubic feet

[Omni]

We have to think ahead several years.  Even right now, a 200 GB drive will store movies at a cost of around $5 or $6 each.  What will that storage cost in five years?  Probably closer to $1.

Actually, that thought did occur to me as I was typing my response.  Moreover, I also pondered how much longer Microsoft would keep giving away their stuff.  Like with their MediaPlayer8, they already charge extra if you want to encode anything into MP3.  (Disclaimer:  I actually have no idea if they get any of the money one pays for those third-party encoder plug-ins.)

Again, I want to stress that I was in no way criticizing JRiver for their current business model.  Okay, maybe I was a little, but for the record, Media Center is fantastic (IMHO), and its current audio management supremacy is well enough to keep me patiently waiting for "new and improved" audio features while they finish up the video stuff.

Omni

[JHC]

I'm one of those people who like (loves) the direction JRiver is going in with Media Center.

I don't buy the argument that "Media Player is free so why bother with video?". After all, Media Player plays music as well and yet people are paying to use Media Jukebox. The fact is, Media Jukebox does music better and the goal (I would imagine) is to do video better as well.

I've just recently become a Media Jukebox (Media Center) junkie and what attracted me was the breadth of the software. I'm just now getting in to setting up a Home Theatre PC, and while I won't use it to play DVDs (I have a player), I think that combined with Hairstyle, having one piece of software handle music playback in addition to slide shows and MPEG video is fantastic.

There are many MANY people over in the Microsoft forums begging to get their hands on the Windows XP Media Center edition software -- but its sold only as part of a complete system. That's an untapped market -- one that JRiver appears to want to target.

I say good luck and keep at it!

Jonathan