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Best Media Center to replace Front Row in Lion?

Best Media Center app for Mac OS X?

  • XBMC

    Votes: 8 21.6%

  • Plex

    Votes: 22 59.5%

  • Boxee

    Votes: 2 5.4%

  • Other

    Votes: 5 13.5%
  • Total voters
    37
munkery

munkery

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Dec 18, 2006
2,217
1
Mac OS X Lion is no longer going to include Front Row.

This is from this article.

I use Front Row all the time so I need to find a good replacement.

XBMC, Plex, and Boxee all seem pretty good and they are all based on the same source code.

Which one is the best?

Any other good alternatives?
 
Best is subjective. One likes this while others like that. Try them all and use what you find the best. Personally I've been using Plex and it has been great.
 
I've been using Plex, and while I like the overall look and feel, I think Plex 9 made some strides backwards in terms of usability (I'm sure others would disagree), and it has choked on some of my media files. I had to use Front Row to play all of one series that I had, because for some reason Plex would quit with 15 seconds left every single time, so we wouldn't see the big reveal cliffhanger at the end.

Sohrob, thanks for the link to Squire, that looks intriguing. I'm going to request an invitation and see how it works.

jW
 
Sohrob said:
I suggest Squire. It's still in alpha, but you can request an invite here (you should receive it within a week or so). It's very beautiful, and it's going to be free when it goes public! Here are screenshots: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sylion/
Click to expand...

Thanks for the link!

I actually do not particularly like any of those three so alternative suggestions are particularly appreciated! I will try it out.

Hellhammer said:
Best is subjective. One likes this while others like that. Try them all and use what you find the best. Personally I've been using Plex and it has been great.
Click to expand...

Using "best" seemed like the most efficient means to illicit other individuals subjective opinions. Sorry.

I have tried each one in the past and always went back to Front Row. I really just wanted to get some feedback from other users so I am more knowledgeable when I try each one again.

I am mostly looking for good alternatives to those three that are not yet appearing on websites such as Pure Mac and MacUpdate. Honestly, I did not expect that there would be any beyond those three.

Thanks for the feedback.

Mal said:
I've been using Plex, and while I like the overall look and feel, I think Plex 9 made some strides backwards in terms of usability (I'm sure others would disagree), and it has choked on some of my media files. I had to use Front Row to play all of one series that I had, because for some reason Plex would quit with 15 seconds left every single time, so we wouldn't see the big reveal cliffhanger at the end.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the feedback. Good to know.
 
I Like Boxee its simple lets me control my MKV and Avi (stuff i Either can't be bothered to convert or it isn't quite good enough quality to bother) files using a simple file structure. I am too looking for something to replace Front Row on Lion. I have allot of content in iTunes some purchased some converted using Handbrake. I also watch allot of Podcast through front row.
Firstly, Does anyone know if squire will support iTunes content?
Secondly is there an option now that will support iTunes content with DRM.
Any Help would be great.
Also a tip for anyone interested. I use Mira on my Mac Mini. (mainly because i use an external IR sensor) it lets you press the menu button on your remote and instead of launching Front row it gives you a selection of apps to launch. this can be really hand if you use a few apps (like boxee and front row). anyway I hope i can help some in this problem and would appreciate any help anyone can give me.

Thanks
 
I have an interim solution. for iTunes store bought content

If you use the remote app on your iPhone or iPad you play all you content and put it full screen.

By no means perfect but it works for the time being.
 
Anyone know anything that can play iTunes store bought TV shows and Movies?

Right now I have 2483 TV shows purchased in iTunes. I buy all my TV shows there because I work nights. I used to use FR for all of them but once SL was released, FR never updated play counts in iTunes so I quit using FR.
 
hexonxonx said:
Anyone know anything that can play iTunes store bought TV shows and Movies?

Right now I have 2483 TV shows purchased in iTunes. I buy all my TV shows there because I work nights. I used to use FR for all of them but once SL was released, FR never updated play counts in iTunes so I quit using FR.
Click to expand...

Currently there is no way to play iTunes DRM content on any of the Media Centre apps.

there may be hope though i found a really really old thread from 2007. some guys managed to replace Front Row with the OS from the original apple tv. If this could be done with the current Apple TV (version 2) Os we might be able to get our front row back
 
I'm using the Apple Remote APP on my iPhone/iPad to control iTunes.
Only problem is that I cannot control system volume, only iTunes volume.
So still using an actual physical Apple Remote just for system volume for now.

Tried xmbc, didn't like it. Gonna try plex, but mainly for streaming online video and not using my iTunes, if I can set it up that way....
 
Do any of the above allow you to enter it using simply the remote?

That was the feature of front row that I liked is that I could watch/listen to everything that was in my itunes library by simply clicking the menu button on my remote. I am almost considering restoring SL on my macmini so that I can regain that functionality.
 
While all the above may look nice, none of them integrate with iTunes and access the movie folder directly like front row does. And as such are useless for me. It's no good if it's free and looks pretty if it doesn't do what you want it to.

When people search for and ask for a replacement for front row, it at least needs to do the same things - if it looks better with a few extra functions then great. If not, it's not a viable replacement.

If anyone has a link to that app, I'll happily buy it.
 
hexonxonx said:
Again, none of them can play TV shows and movies purchased from iTunes. No such app can really ever replace FR.
Click to expand...

Add the folder containing the files as a media source; it should work.

I believe only the movies folder is configured to work by default. Other sources have to be added manually. Been awhile since I set it up so don't fully remember.
 
munkery said:
Add the folder containing the files as a media source; it should work.

I believe only the movies folder is configured to work by default. Other sources have to be added manually. Been awhile since I set it up so don't fully remember.
Click to expand...

Won't work since purchased TV shows and movies from iTunes are DRM protected.
 
hexonxonx said:
Won't work since purchased TV shows and movies from iTunes are DRM protected.
Click to expand...

Ok, thanks. I was not aware of that limitation.

If you need Front Row in Lion, copy and paste the following items into Lion from a system running SL.

/System/Library/CoreServices/Front Row.app
/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/BackRow.framework
/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iPhotoAccess.framework
/System/Library/LaunchAgents/com.apple.RemoteUI.plist
/Applications/Front Row.app
Click to expand...
 
ncc1701d said:
No. There is more to that than what you posted:

http://www.mac-hatter.com/blog/frontrowenablerforlion

So, there is no replacement for front row, yet.
Click to expand...

Sorry, I haven't actually tried to use Front Row in Lion.

Just provided the basic details of a potential solution in the hopes to help the those interested.

I was unaware the more recent updates to iTunes (10.4 and up) have broken this fix.

It still seems to work if you downgrade to iTunes 10.3 but that could cause other issues.

----------

Does the following quote from that article relate to the Movies folder or the video content within iTunes?

With the recent update to iTunes 10.4, Apple has changed how the library is read/written (iTunesAccess.framework?). As such, your iTunes Library content will not play in Front Row. I am hoping Apple rectifies this issue. You can however access 'Photos' and 'Movies'. I will update the package if/when an update is made available.
Click to expand...

http://www.mac-hatter.com/blog/frontrowenablerforlion
 
Last edited:
The closest thing I've found that resembles the ability to keep front row on Lion is the below link to an apple support thread. (Most of the thread is a mix of people like me who want a true front row replacement or the ability to keep front row working in Lion - mixed in with the usual BS that appears on threads. Hopefully the link will take you straight to the page that has the work around.)

Having said that, it is way out of my depth to understand really what is going on / what to do...

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3195183?start=105&tstart=0


Anyway, I have probably taken this thread off topic, as the title asks which is the best media centre to replace front row in Lion. For me, they are all the same, just slightly different UI's.
 
Is it possible that future macs will have the appletv "ability" built in to them? Front row allowed content not purchased through itunes to play and in a few different formats - they are obviously moving away from that.

Actually, is there any reason why when selecting the menu on your remote that it couldn't start up "appletv" software on your computer which then links to your tv? You need a cable from your computer to your tv, and for those that don't want that can always just keep their physical appletv's to do the job.

They should have just replaced Front Row with appletv software.
 
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