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[swinster]

Hi All,

Is it possible to have such apps as (UK biased here) Sky's Now TV, BBC iPlayer, 4oD, ITV Player, Demand5 (plus many film system such as Netflix, Amazon Prime) directly launchable from within MC, so that you don't need to leav (and return to) the 10 ft theatre view) I know that MC has the idea of a 'Plugin', but I'm not entirely sure if this is the same concept.

Obviously, there are now many, many competing media savvy devices (from Smart TVs from the likes of Samsung, LG, Panasonic or Sony; to streaming devices such as Roku, Sky Now TV (made by Roku), WD TV, Google Chromecast, Apple TV; to consoles such as the PS and XBOX). Each of these have their own ecosystem and allow the user to launch all these apps and more.

I know that MC supports a very limited number of these services (such as Netflix and now ChromeCast (I think)), but it seems as though the ability to utilise such apps within MC on a grander scale is missing and other device are leaping ahead (albeit, maybe not from a quality point of view).

Obviously, this post has a heavy UK slant (as I'm based in the UK) but I'm guessing there are similar apps for these devices in the US and other parts of the world.

Is this something JRiver are looking to expand upon?

[BryanC]

I can't address this:

Is this something JRiver are looking to expand upon?

...but MC has a built-in browser that can access most of these services without needing to leave MC.

The problem with writing the code to access these services (if the APIs are even available) is that suddenly MC is at the mercy of those companies to not change their APIs and terms of use on a whim, which they are notorious for doing.

[ldoodle]

Does the same not apply the NetFlix, Hulu, even YouTube etc.? And then would the same not apply to devices that already have these players available; the PS3 has Amazon Prime - do Sony not care about APIs, ToS etc? Nintendo Wii has the BBC iPlayer.

Now that LOVEFiLM has been absorbed into Amazon Prime, I fully expect to see it make an appearance into the Theater View UI. I could accept a 'small' company like LOVEFiLM not getting a look-in, but to not incorporate Amazon Prime would be a massive mistake in my eyes (unless of course Amazon themselves don't allow it).

[swinster]

The streaming services (IMHO) need to be able to be launched and navigated from theatre view via a simple remote. I'm not entirely sure if the built in browser of MC would allow for this, yet each of the boxes previously mentioned do

This is obviously just one persons view, but is would seem that the world is moving on and I would love to be able to use MC as the central control point for all my media. However, it would appear that additional boxes would be required, which in themselves can then also do most things MC can do, which then leads you where MC will fit into the mix going forward? As they say, standing still means you are actually going backwards.

[Hendrik]

Its not like we don't want to offer such functionality, but the sad reality is that many of these services are not "open" and don't offer the kind of access we would need to integrate them. Sadly they don't have a big interest in support for PC platforms, since for them the risk is too high, since its not a closed controlled environments like those small boxes are.

[swinster]

Ever though of an embeded version of MC?

[JimH]

Yes.  That's part of why we're working on a Linux version and on the JRiver Id.

[swinster]

Oooh. Hows that going? Are there any release plans? Will it be able to support what I am outlining above?

[JimH]

The issue of services is separate from MC for Linux.  Hendrik stated it well above.  It's not a question of desire on our part.

[ldoodle]

Its not like we don't want to offer such functionality, but the sad reality is that many of these services are not "open" and don't offer the kind of access we would need to integrate them. Sadly they don't have a big interest in support for PC platforms, since for them the risk is too high, since its not a closed controlled environments like those small boxes are.

Is there really much difference though between offering Amazon Instant Video on a PS3/Wii vs. a media player on a PC?

And offering Netflix/Hulu/Youtube on a media player on a PC vs. Amazon Instant Video?

Is it really a case that for some reason Amazon don't have an API for consumption via a PC?

[swinster]

Indeed. I think there is also a little bit of a contradiction in what JimH and Hendrick say, in that Hendrick suggests that such services are of the preserve of a "closed controlled environment like those small boxes", yet when I asked about an embedded MC version and JimH pointed out that this was indeed "part of why we're working on a Linux version and on the JRiver Id", then to say that the two (services/apps and embedded/closed boxes) are separate, is not something I truly understand.

Either the embedded MC Linux version could support such apps, or it couldn't or wouldn't. I don't think it would be an issue of couldn't (after all what are the Roku and similar devices if they aren't just embedded Linux boxes), but mroe a case of wouldn't. As pointed out, I think this might be a short sighted view in a rapidly expanding and fast moving 'media' market place.

[JimH]

We're not opposed to adding services, but it isn't as simple as you might think.

[swinster]

I do understand, but it might be something that needs to be looked into if only to keep apace, let alone to stay ahead of the game.