[I received this by e-mail -- JimH]
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I have used Media Center software since 2005 when I first assembled a HTPC
with Windows XP MCE 2005. Although the playback did not run very smoothly,
the media player editor was very good, it allowed full editing of many attributes.
I was very unpleasantly surprised when I assembled one HTPC with Windows 7
Ultimate and then found out that Microsoft has taken away many of the options
available in the previous versions, essentially providing a stripped down version.
So no more editing, pasting CD cover art was possible, limiting the media library
to the titles only available in the CDDB or whatever database Microsoft is using,
which many times has stubborn errors - wrong entries, wrong song order, etc.
I have a vast digital collection of more than 2,500CDs, any of them from foreign
countries. The only way to store them properly is to scan the cover art, paste it
and input all info by hand. I have used countless hours to compile my database
in the shape it is. But with W7 MC, no matter how the options are set, there
always comes a moment when the software starts comparing the meta data
in the library with the Microsoft endorsed database and then reverts to whatever
the database has in it, even if it is wrong. This happens particularly often when
media files are transferred between machines.There are many Windows XP
MCE users who felt abandoned by Micosoft: after so much hype when Media
Center was first launched, many music fans developed massive media collections.
Then when the "improved" Windows 7 was introduced, suddenly it became
apparent that the MC has been scaled down for no reason. It seems Microsoft
is just interested in short term hype to drive immediately sales up. There is no
commitment of any kind. And we are not even talking about Vista and its flops.
I tried Sesame TV and XBMC but I did not like them. I tried also JRiver MC and
I have to admit, I liked it the most of anything else. Before buying it, I would like to
ask several questions:
1/ Is there any way to simplify the ID3 tag editor? MCE 2005 had a good version,
but it only worked before ripping; once it is ripped it stores the changes in a file
in Windows; if the media files are transferred to another machine the changes
do not travel with them.
2/ Is there any way to make the GUI look like W7 Media Center when playing files?
I liked the idea of a "moving carpet" of all the CD cover art when playing files.
3/ Is there any limitation as to the number of files in the library? At this time I have
more than 60,000 media files in my archives. For example DLNA servers
work with no more than 30,000 files, or that is what I have been told.
3/ Is there any volume licence buying option from JRiver? I have 5 PCs in the
house and only one is used at a time to play files. I plan to put new MC
software on at least 3 of them. They all have Windows MC and XBMC already.
Author
Topic: Trying to switch from Windows Media Center [received by e-mail] (Read 2491 times)