MediaCenter & the new Photos App from Apple

The new Photos app from Apple is now integrated in a pre-release version of the media center. This allows access to the media of the Photos app, as it has been already available for the iPhoto media.

5 days ago, a pre-release version of Mac OS X 10.10.3 (Yosemite) has been released for developers which now gives you the long-awaited Photos app. How Apple had announced some time ago, iPhoto and Aperture will probably not be developed further, but replaced by the Photos app. Therefore, we have set ourselves immediately to the media center integration of the Photos app.

After the installation of the pre-release version of Mac OS X 10.10.3 and the first Photos app launch, the iPhoto media were easily transferred. As far as we can tell, the new Photos app is stable and makes a good impression. Who knows iPhoto will quickly find one's way.

In a pre-release version of nessMediaCenter and nessViewer, "Photos" is displayed in the media center main menu if the photos library in the pictures folder exists. In the media center preferences either only "Photos" or "iPhoto" and "Photos" can be activated.

On YouTube a demo video can be watched which demonstrates and explains - among some other newer features - the access to the media of the Photos App.

We will continue to test the pre-release and see how far Apple extends the new photos app. So far it would only be desirable from our point of view the ability to sort the media also by title - this is possible in iPhoto, but is absent in the Photos app.

nessMediaCenter 1.6.2 available in AppStore

nessMediaCenter 1.6.2 is now available in the AppStore - with the following changes:
1.) Preferences: Choice of the media center selection color
2.) modernized display of the selection
3.) optional presentation start from the current entry

In addition, "Open MediaCenter at startup" was renamed to "Open MediaCenter at application start", because "startup" has been interpreted by the review team as computer startup and this renaming is better understandable for the user as well.

Actually, this version corresponds to version 1.6.1 from 20.1., which was unfortunately rejected because of the ambiguous wording. By a faulty XCode upload, we had unfortunately to upload a corrected version as 1.6.2 on 28.1. - and therefore the release by Apple lasted this time 2 weeks.

The improved DLNA availability is not available in this AppStore version but will follow in the next AppStore version.

MediaCenter: DLNA availability

Erik informed us about a problem in the media center: if multiple DLNA devices are present, then only the first DLNA device appears in the media center - and this device must not be a DLNA media server, so that although DLNA appears in the media center, there is no media accessible.

Through several trials and protocols, that were issued for test purposes and Erik sent us back, we were able to solve the problem finally.

Especially helpful were there 2 existing DLNA media server (Fritz!Box NAS and DS214play), whereat the Fritz!Box NAS has been disabled for test purposes. In this case, the Fritz!Box NAS still reported itself as a DLNA media server even though it is no media available - and thus DS214play was then not available.
Another problem was DS214play that reports itself twice as device - and only the second device is a DLNA media server.

We have now solved the problems by showing only the first DLNA media server that really provides media. A modified version can be downloaded from the download page.

Many thanks go to Erik, who had the patience to test several attempts and different combinations!

And then there is also bad news for the AppStore customers: nessMediaCenter 1.6.1 was rejected on 27.1. by Apple. Due to a bug in XCode we had to upload unfortunately a corrected version as 1.6.2 on 28.1. - and apparently it takes again a week until Apple will review the new version. And the improved DLNA availability will not be included in this AppStore version.

MediaCenter: start a presentation from the current entry

During the preparation of the AppStore version of nessMediaCenter 1.6.1 we found a missing feature in the media center: starting a presentation from the current entry.

Although it has been able to select multiple entries by "+" and then start the presentation (by PLAY or RETURN), this solution is not optimal to start a presentation in the middle of a longer list - to select all following entries would be too cumbersome for many entries.

If you want to start a presentation from an entry, then now simply keep holding "PLAY" on the remote control for a short time (PLAY holding). Or at the keyboard hold down the Option key (ALT) when pressing the RETURN key.

With the keyboard you can also press "+" with the Option key to add all entries from the current entry to the "virtual playlist" (and "-" with Option key to remove them again). As a result, it is now easy and quick to present the middle entries of a long list:
1.) Use the arrow keys to select the desired entry (and thereby possibly hold down the Command key)
2.) Press "+" with the Option key to add all entries from the current entry to the "virtual playlist"
3.) Use the arrow keys to select one of the next entries
4.) Press "-" with the Option key to remove all entries from the current entry from the "virtual playlist"
5.) Start the presentation by pressing RETURN

The 32-bit versions have already been adjusted and can be downloaded - tomorrow the 64-bit versions will follow. And as soon as possible the AppStore version ...

nessMediaCenter 1.6.1 & nessViewer 3.6.1 for Mac available

These updates include the last two pre-release versions and changes since the last version.

The modernized selection display in the MediaCenter has been recorded more than positive - and who really missed Front Row, can set the selection color to blue ...

The fullscreen presentations on multiple screens has been improved and now just makes addicted - who (still) does not have 2 screen should upgrade for that reason alone.
At "Tips & amp; Tricks" we have added an instructions how to start multiple fullscreen presentations.

Unfortunately, the modernized selection display could not be adopted in the AppStore version because we have uploaded it on 1/1/2015 - this time Apple needed over a week to test and approve the version.

nessMediaCenter 1.6 now available in AppStore

nessMediaCenter 1.6 is now also available in the AppStore:
1.) New icons including Retina icons for Mac OS X 10.10 (Yosemite)
2.) Improved handling of (fullscreen) presentations on multiple screens
3.) Improved handling of (secured) folder access
4.) Bug fix at Miro video podcast playback

The folder access permissions determine which folders can be accessed: the picture and movie folder is accessible by default, all other folders - for example symbolic links that are in the picture and movie folders and link to folders outside these folders - must be granted by the folder access permissions.

So far, the folder access permissions have been granted after opening the media center, so they were not available in "movie info". Therefore, they are now being granted right after the start of nessMediaCenter.

In this version, videos of the supported internet providers can be presented which are collected in media shows or Miro video podcasts.

Apple has increased the prices in the Euro zone, so nessMediaCenter would cost 16.99 (mysterious: the AppStore had shown 19.54 Euro; display or calculation error?) instead of 14.99 Euro. We have therefore reduced the Apple price of nessMediaCenter to offer it for 14.99 Euro again - even if this means that we get less. For countries outside the Euro zone (e.g. USA) especially pleasant (for the customers): there nessMediaCenter costs now only 14.99 instead of 16.99 Dollar.

nessMediaCenter & nessViewer pre-release: media center selection look

By popular demand, we have modernized the selection display of the media center: whereas previously the selection has been shown using a rounded white rectangle, now the selection color can be adjusted in the preferences (tab: Center). The default is set to green.

In the media center, the selection is now displayed in the selected color rectangular and has a gradient of this color as background within the rectangle. Who knows Front Row, might recognize perhaps the somewhat familiar appearance...

A preliminary version of nessMediaCenter and nessViewer is now available - we will continue testing.