MEDIAmonkey or just AUDIOmonkey ?...

[Stef61]

Hi,

MediaMonkey is a great software with a lot of capabilities (and a lot you don't get anywhere, especially those related to automatic tagging from Amazon, from file's names etc...)

The synchronisation with new IPod classic works fine, except when you go back ti ITunes and want to synchronize : the result is ITunes erases ALL you database (even if most of the files were downloaded previously via ITune !!! - but just one change done with MediaMonket 3 is enough to "coorrupt" your base in the ITunes point of view ! -)

So, why go back to ITunes if MediaMonkey does everything you want and at the best way ?

The answer is quite obvious : because MediaMonkey DO NOT MANAGE video files. (eg. MP4 files or GP3 files for mobile phones)

There is a very simple exemple, already reported in some threads in this forum : you can subscribe to a posdcast (for my own, I'd wanted tu use my IPod Classic in order to get the 7:00 news from a french news channel web site).

When I open ITunes, the software launches automatically the download from the web site. MediaMonkey did it as well.

Then, I start the synchronization with the IPod Classic. ITunes does the job fine. And MediaMondey does fine as weel.

The difference is, if I use ITunes, I can SEE this VIDEO podcast. And if I use MediaMonkey, I can just LISTEN the video post posdcast (no images, even if sometines, when I go into the menu, I can see some images clipping)

Things get worst if I want to use MediaMonkey in order to manage my video (MP4 format selected in the windows related to tje supported format) : no way. No file imported.

So, I wonder if MEDIAMmonkey is so weel named and if it souldn't be called AUDIOmonkey (because it only allows to manage audio files but other types of media files eg. video) !

PS : Don't consider my post as a attack, because you did a very great job (sincerely).
But my concerns, as I guess it's the same one for a lot of Ipod's owners, is about managing video files and throw away definitively this s... (sorry, I meant software) called ITunes.

I'd want to insist on that point (managing video files) because I think it's the main weak of MediaMonket 3 (wth considering that you can only manage ALL your files files with Itunes or none, but at this time, no possibilities to manage audio with MM and the rest with Itunes - beware to the global erase ! -)

Thanks if you could bring some hope to a far (or not) coming of video management with MM3.

[jabremer66]

Until MM supports video transfer, I have found a way to manage both without any problems. It's a little clunky, but it works.

I synchronize all my audio (MP3 only) files using MM3. I use iTunes for video and podcasts. In iTunes, I have checked the box "Manually Manage music and video" or something like that. I then have to manually copy videos / podcasts to the iPod. So far it has worked for me. It would be nice to automatically sync them all in Media Monkey, perhaps someday....good things come to those who wait, and MM is worth it!

[rusty]

When we first chose the name MediaMonkey, we never thought we'd be working on the Audio portion until now.

As it turns out, though, most of our users like MM precisely because it does the audio side of things so well. So we still want to do video, but we think that our users would prefer that we fix/improve whatever deficiencies exist on the audio side before proceeding to the video stuff.

But you're the users....so speak up.

-Rusty

[Teknojnky]

Basic video functionality, playback/syncing/organizng (that works with the existing library management functions) is all that is needed to start.

[smiller]

Yes, perhaps include basic video file transfer capability for now, then come back to this for augmentation after the audio functionality is mature. This would at least eliminate the need for a separate app to transfer video and would be very worthwhile on that level alone.

[Mizery_Made]

I will say that more times then not, when I try and introduce someone to MediaMonkey, I'm turned away for the simply fact that it has no support for video, that being playback, 'tagging' (not 'tagging' per-say, since most video formats don't have 'tags' but in the sense of being able to enter information about the file in a database to make finding/searching/group/renaming/etc. easier) and especially syncing.

Me personally, it might be cool to see Video supported to some extent, though I'm not one that would go to war simply to get that functionality.

[rovingcowboy]

Basic video functionality, playback/syncing/organizng (that works with the existing library management functions) is all that is needed to start.

this is a seconded vote for what teknojnky said.
how ever i prefer the audio to be working and the skinning to be working with less then 2 errors every 3 months.

before you make the video side of monkey.
i mean i have the plugin from winamp to handle the video part and it does work for me. but i use the major basic video stuff.
not any heavy user of video.

i mainly use audio on the computer.
why because i can use audio and still surf the web.
but video i have to stop my surfing and watch the video.
not only surfing but game playing and office work also needs stopped just to watch video?

so for me it is just a waste but every now and then i need to see and save video from utube or else where, so just basic controls and org... like teknojnky said is fine for me..

oh like that old saying goes... "keep it simple stupid."
not that your the stupid but that is just the saying.
which is to mean that the simpler it is to use the better it will be liked.

[Diabolic-Destiny]

personally im happy with mm as an audioplayer mpc does videos fne for me

[nynaevelan]

personally im happy with mm as an audioplayer mpc does videos fne for me

I agree, I do not want video files in my library mucking things up. "Jack of all trades, master of none." Stick to audio files.

Nyn

[rovingcowboy]

personally im happy with mm as an audioplayer mpc does videos fne for me

I agree, I do not want video files in my library mucking things up. "Jack of all trades, master of none." Stick to audio files.

Nyn

i believe in the jack of all trades master of none statement you said. but i believe it applys to those that only want to do it all and not one thing.

a better way to put it is

"Jack of all trades, Master of ONE "
since they all seem to be able to master atleast one trade. but then they have to do a few other things that are in line with that trade. not that can't do them. just that they can do the one better then the others.

i also do not like mucked up things. and believe me rusty , jiri , and the rest have NOT Mucked up media monkey so far. or i would not be using it. so don't think they would muck up adding in a side database to be used for video information.
i think it would be kind of like two nodes, added to the library node.
one for audio, and all folders under it, that deal with audio.
and one for video and all its folders under it.
but both would be using different databases. that should not be hard to do.?

then it might have an playlist like now for all accessible audio files.
and one for all viewable video files..

so i don't think that is mucked up.?
its like making to organizers and combining the control commads in one GUI.

[K1LL3M]

+1 for what rovingcowboy said.

I love media monkey, and it is the planned center of my entertainment HTPC , see case with its 7 inch touch screen. http://www.silverstonetek.com/products/ ... 3&area=usa. (had to get that in).

It would be nice to see support for video, but never at the expense of the audio, not that I think any of the guys working on MM would ever let that happen.

If there is ever a choice involved between dedicating resources to audio and video, audio every time.

And Rusty, thanks for asking what we want; that is precisely why MM is so great.

[swears]

Video transfer would be a great addition to MM. It shouldn't be very difficult at least w/ my MP3 player as right now, I just have to drag and drop the .wmv files to the correct folder.

For Ipods, i've seen this program called "Anapod Explorer" which is a very simple program which transfers the video files very easily. I think you ipod users should check this out while we wait for video implementation in MM.

[Randall_Lind]

There so many video players out there. I don't think we really need another. This is maybe why Itunes, Winamp and other are sluggish when scrolling through the library.

By the way audio is consider media also so MediaMonkey name is still ok.


If Rusty and the gang does video just do it right. I like how MediaMonkey does audio and the fact it has no sluggish when scroll through a small or large collection.

[jabremer66]

I also wouldn't mind the ability to transfer video to my iPod. It would be very nice to have a "one-stop shop" for transferring music, video and podcasts (audio/video) all in one application.

[nynaevelan]

I also wouldn't mind the ability to transfer video to my iPod. It would be very nice to have a "one-stop shop" for transferring music, video and podcasts (audio/video) all in one application.

Isn't that what Itunes does? I've never used Itunes for my library but I have not heard good things about it.

Nyn