Major Release of Miro Aims to Compete With iTunes

ravrore writes "Miro 4 was released today, a major update to the popular multi-platform FOSS video player. The new version adds music support, local network stream and transfer, music purchasing, and Android syncing. Miro is positioning itself as the open iTunes for Android users. 'We believe the open media world can be just as integrated and usable as the closed, top-down, DRM'ed systems of companies like Apple. And we want to prove it,' says Nicholas Reville, Executive Director of Participatory Culture Foundation, which creates Miro." It looks like the project still has a few rough edges, but is definitely getting there.

"Open Media"

[elrous0]

FOSS-speak: "Open media"

Translation: We've got public domain crap, idiots talking to their webcams, sucky indie bands who need to practice more and promote less, and that's about it--unless you want to pirate.

Seriously, the summary is trying to promote this as an iTunes competitor? Really? I hate Apple crap, and even *I* know that iTunes is way better than this.

Okay, you can all mod me down now for daring to criticize an open-source project. You know you want to.

Not going to work

[gentlemen_loser]

Any time any company or organization markets itself as "the [insert adjective] [insert proper noun] alternative for the [insert other proper noun]" the group is destined to failure. The issue is, at its heart, where the company is coming from. Rather than trying to invent a great music/video player, they are trying to invent an iTunes (or anything else) clone. Please STOP! Go invent a great, open source, cross platform music player without looking at iTunes and people will come.

Don't believe me? In the electronic music community, there is a synth called Zebra 2. Its from a company run and developed entirely by one guy who never advertised it. He never pitched it as the "something for the something else alternative." He just made a great fucking synth. After a short amount of time, word got out, all of the music rags covered it, and now it tops all of the "greatest synth" lists.

You will never get anywhere making a clone. You'll always be a step behind.

9 reasons Miro is not better than what I use now.

[Hatta]

1)Works with my current music library. -- So does mplayer.

2)Converts and syncs to Android -- I don't have an android.

3)Buy Music and Apps inside Miro -- I like my music and apps free thanks.

4)Download and play almost any video -- So does mplayer

5)Convert any video -- Again, mplayer

6)Share Your Media on your Network -- This is what Samba is for.

7)Open-source - don't lock yourself in! -- Excellent point, but not superior to what I use now.

8)Ultra-fast torrent downloading -- Do one thing and do it well. Can Miro be controlled programatically like rTorrent?

9) But it's not about the features! -- I'm not even sure what that means.

God, I hate marketing. Bullshit doesn't smell any nicer when it's coming from open source.

Re:"Open Media"

[E IS mC(Square)]

You may very well criticize any open source project, but you lose all the credibility by saying itune is any good.

The worst piece of crap since real media player.

Re:A few rough edges

[Risen888]

That's probably because everything supports OGG now. Because of us zealots. We won. Again. Enjoy your practicality, but remember who paid for it.