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J. River Media Center: The best iTunes alternative, a review
12/27/08
...not that Cnet would recognize it. They didn't even mention this wonderful media program in their useful but incomplete un-iTunes round up.
When I saw this travesty, I had to write this review ASAP. Now I face a problem: I can stay at my computer all day and list all of the wonderful things Media Center has done for me over the past six years, or just tell you to use it and find out for yourself. I'll compromise:
First, let me state that Media Center is more an extension of my media will than a program. Almost anything I can imagine doing with music, I find out that I can do with Media Center. It also has some nice functions for pictures and video. As for iTunes: Media Center is to iTunes in music management what Barack Obama is to Michael Moore in hunky beach photography.
Some features, actual events:
1. I use Nero 9. I couldn't figure out how to cut out the beginning and end of an audio track. No problem for Media Center.
2. Need music off of your iPod? Get them out of there with Media Center, like I had to do after a computer crash (long story), and rename the files. I used equally brilliant, but niche-y Tagscanner for the naming part.
3. Media Center has been compatible with everything I've used. Every mp3 player, TV tuner (whether USB, PC or Express card) phone, Blackberry- everything.
4. It works with Amazon downloads (my preference), Audible (great), Audio Lunchbox, Tivo server. If "kitchen sink" weren't a cliche', I would use that phrase.
5. It's ability to sort and organize music is unsurpassed. It better at tagging than Jane Goodall.
6. It can organize pictures.
7. It can capture, but not edit, video.
8. The Media Center community is surprisingly active. J. River updates Media Center with frequency. Impressive, considering that Cnet's never heard of it.
9. Playlists, smartlists, everylist.
10. Podcasts.
But...If there's one thing that's bothered my about Media Center is that it uses the YADB database instead of the more comprehensive Freedb or whatever database Microsoft uses for CD and Mp3 lookups- when you're ripping CDs, for example. If all you like is Jonas Brothers and Eric Clapton, you're OK. If you don't have mainstream tastes in music, as I don't, then you'll have to use another program like...bleh...Microsoft Media Center to automatically populate track and artist info.
Bottom line: Give the Cnet choices a shot, but don't forget to audition Media Center. Except for the iTunes store and some specific iPod functions like device updates, there's no reason you have to stick with iTunes. And Microsoft Media Center is from the Devil.*
*Figure of speech.
Tags: best media programs, best music programs, i hate itunes, programs that work with itunes, which program should i use intead of itunes
3 comments
So is this program more efficient on resources? Itunes never really was friendly with my PC. I'll give this a try. 
I've never had a problem with resources. 
I am a big fan of Media Center 12. I am also an active collector of Classical Music on compact disc. I searched a long time for a database program that would be fairly easy to use to get my collection onto a hard drive. I wanted to rip all of my music using "Flac". The biggest problem I ran into with all other media players was their inability to list all the column headings with the classical music labels I wanted. Media Center 12 allows you to use any label you desire for your music, such as Composer, Conductor, orchestra, ensemble, solo artist, even comments and Bios headings for the liner notes etc.
Media Center 12 is a database program first and a music player second. But don't forget all the other wonderful features like videos and photographs.
Media Center 12 is a great program for getting a large CD collection organized in the way you want, not the way someone else thinks it should be!
If you have not experienced this program, you need to check it out. It just works!
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