Filed under: Multimedia, Software
MediaCentral: New Mac Media Center Software
A developer by the name of Martin Hering is working on a new project called MediaCentral. Inspired by both Apple's Front Row and the CenterStage project, it aims to be a media center player for many media types. It's very early in development but there's a beta available if you'd like to try it. Supported TV devices are several of the EyeTV devices and there's support for both the ATI Remote Wonder and ATI Remote Wonder II remote controls.Watching the emergence of several new media player softwares like this makes it clear that the home media center is the next paradigm shift in how we use the media available to us. The first company that can release a media center that's both sexy and usable will reap the benefits of the coming shift. I have to believe Apple knows this. I'm getting excited about an upcoming MacWorld Expo announcement for the first time in years.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Reid Ellis said 1:38PM on 11-14-2005
"Media Center"s abound, and have done so for a few years. From Microsoft's epinomious Windos Media Center through MythTV. The Macintosh platform seems to be arriving late for some reason.
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Fuco said 8:33AM on 11-14-2005
Congratulations Martin,
Not so cool as Front Row, much less features than CenterStage, but on the other hand... it works!!
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arkowi said 8:40AM on 11-14-2005
This looks like it has some promise, thought its not there yet. An interesting feature is the abilty to play ripped video_ts folders (something Apple would never do , "yeah, rip your dvd's"). I have some program (name escapes me) that I currently use to play back It does not seem to integrate the iTunes library yet or iPhoto, but I guess it is safe to assume that is coming. Looks good though, I will try this out tonight.
CenterStage has been moving at a microsoft pace and that hacked up FrontRow that made its rounds a few weeks ago causes more problems than anything.
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iFelix said 9:09AM on 11-14-2005
This is looking good, was looking for something like this for sometime.
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Siva said 11:05AM on 11-14-2005
Apple's DVD player can already play a video_ts folder. I test all my rips with it before I burn to DVD. start DVD player without a DVD in the drive, go to file, open DVD-media and then choose your video_ts folder and then hit play - it plays the video_ts folder. I am sure you can apple-script this and allow other media software to play it.
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arkowi said 1:28PM on 11-14-2005
Yes, but you have to go to file, open, etc. I am talking about something that lets you easily browse a folder of video_TS folders. Think iTunes for video_TS folders...or see the program Matinee...http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/25254
You can setup a folder of your video_TS folders, point this program too them, and then browse them with a simple interface, add cover art etc...This would never work as a stand alone media center option because its ONLY DVDs video_TS folders.
However, if MediaCentral can do this along with your iTunes and iPhoto libraries they may be on to something.
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Oliver said 2:56PM on 11-14-2005
It's a pity that all of these apps require 10.4. I'm still running 10.3.9, which i am generally very happy about. But i would love to give CenterStage and MediaCentral a try (not to mention FrontRow).
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Thomas Bonk said 6:31AM on 11-19-2005
I'm currently working on a Salling Clicker Remote. Menu navigation already works :-)
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