I checked out MB awhile back & passed on it to pursue MediaMonkey and JRivers.
Coming back, I like what I see. Only had it for a day but here's my 1st impressions:
- - - - - - -
Pros:
It has sleep / fade function that's easy to use. (JRivers does not)
A relatively simple 'Auto DJ' unit to explore your library with. (MM does not)
It' free. (JRMC and MM are not)
it has some pretty snazzy skins. Waiting for someone to do a better 'Eclipse3' dark with neon text one though...
The support online lacks snark or excessive ego!
Always ready to help and not over defensive about their product.
Cons:
Now Playing is screwy and sometimes takes you close to, but not exactly showing, the actual track being played.
Playing entire library at once button very good call. Simple. But you'll jump around you library as the track changes, as opposed to mixing the library then laying it at your feet like JRMC does. Not that big of a deal. if you missed something, Playlist > Recently Played is there to help.
Easy to get lost in the sauce as you tweak the plethora of controls that lay right underneath the eye pleasingly simple front.
No real remote control function outside of your cell phone. (
)
Adding new tracks still kinda buggy and sometimes crashes MusicBee.
Not really 'intuitive', once you get past the initial functions of the machine.
Maybe it's just me be used to other programs?
Overall, I'm very impressed!
The joining of the two main draws for me (Sleep & Auto DJ) under one roof, is a Godsend!
The remote can wait. And I'll keep dithering with the controls finding that perfect skin-to-textsize-to-contrast ratio.
This will be more important when I get a remote and need to see the text from across the room.
Overall Grade: Solid A.
When I get some $, I'm making a donation.
Just blew my stack on some stuff.
Wife's birthday, Easter for kids, mid-range PC speakers for greedy me!
