JRiver Media Center is a media player and multimedia application that allows users to play and organize various types of media on a computer running Windows, macOS, or Linux operating systems. Developed by JRiver, Inc., it is offered as shareware.
JRiver Media Center is a "jukebox"-style media player, like iTunes, which usually uses most of the screen to display a potentially very large library of files. Features include photo and video organization and slideshow playback, the ability to rip and burn CDs, creation and playback of playlists and smart playlists with custom rules, independent media playback to multiple outputs, and plugins such as Audioscrobbler and G-Force visualization. It also has many interface layouts for different use cases, such as the standard mode for normal use, theater mode for use as a media center application for large screens, and mini mode.
Regular (usually daily beta) builds are posted on the Media Center Interact forum implementing requested features and fixing reported bugs. The forum has an active member community, with more than 56,000 members as of 2021.
History JRiver Media Center was created by J. River, Inc., a Minneapolis-based company founded in 1982 by James "Jim" Hillegass that developed networking and internet software for Windows, DOS and Unix. Originally the software was known as Media Jukebox and had both free and premium versions.
The company announced in 2001 that it planned to launch a subscription service for Media Jukebox to compete with Napster.
The software was rebranded to JRiver Media Center for version 9 in 2003.
In November 2007, J. River released Media Jukebox 12, a stripped-down version of JRiver Media Center 12, which is available to download for free, compared to JRiver Media Center's price of $49.98. JRiver Media Jukebox includes most of the audio features of Media Center;but the image and video functions are removed. The last version of JRiver Media Jukebox was version 14.0.166. However, the version 14 removed several features previously available for free (specifically CD and cover art lookup) and now only available in the Media Center product. As such many still use the older free version of JRiver Media Jukebox 12.0.534.
Version history Major versionLatest versionInitial ReleaseSignificant changes6.02000 DVD playback Broadcast and cable TV (ATI cards)7.0May 2001 Crossfading and gapless playback9.0May 5, 2003 Initial Media Center Release. Was Media Jukebox previously.10.0Apr 9, 2004 Improved Action Window ThunderStorm skin Media Mode Buttons Streamlined Tree 3D Visualizations11.0Jul 18, 2005 Split Views Faster database Theater View enhancements New Image Editor Audible integration UPnP support Video CD playback Multi-channel support (5.1, 7.1, etc.) for WAV and WMA files12.0.15112.0.534Jan 23, 2007 New "Display View" Search & Sort speedups New tag system Background (auto) import and folder watching DirectShow controls Display Action Window New look13.0.11313.0.172Jan 28, 2009 New Theater View Skin TV Recording was rebuilt Cover art auto lookup See reference for detailed list14.0.4614.0.161Aug 7, 2009 Native support of DirectShow Headphone DSP Improved tagging Surround Sound output Room Correction Photoshop(psd) support Video tagging Hulu integration general speedups15.0.3515.0.174May 5, 2010 WebRemote Portable Settings Kernel Streaming Cover View16.0.7516.0.176Apr 28, 2011 Netflix integration Play Doctor Intelligent Search Set Top Box support Play From Play To Relational DB Fields madVR Video Renderer17.0.2217.0.189Apr 10, 2012 Super Audio CD ISO playback Gapless iTunes encoded MP3 playback Resample by sample rate Red October Improvements Commercial skipping18.0.7818.0.212Nov 27, 2012 Video to Audio conversion ZoneSwitch Multi-drive ripping for BD and DVD AIFF and ALAC encoding Desktop background slideshow Red October HQ Windows 8 support19.0.3219.0.163Aug 30, 2013 Native CD Art Display TV EPG download scheduling User accounts RAW image support Real-time DSD output and improved volume leveling20.0.1020.0.132Aug 28, 2014 DSP over DLNA WDM Driver Linked Tracks (always play together)21.0.521.0.90Sep 11, 2015 4K improvements for high DPI displays Shared Views - backup / share views DSP Presets can be saved / loaded DSP per file 4x DSD delivered as DoP 3D Blu-ray and MKV 3D support Volume Leveling uses additional headroom Touch screen support for images JRemote Android App is now available22.0.1522.0.97Aug 5, 2016 Single Frame Video Playback Open Subtitles Lookup Listening Test Theater view for Mac/Linux Theater View Lighting - Control lighting View Extras Sox Resampler Panel—a web app remote23.0.723.0.102Summer 2017 Panel—a web app remote JRiver's WDM driver works with Tidal and WASAPI Exclusive Mode Auto-fill Car Radio Buttons PowerPlay Radio KISS HTTPS/SSL—Secure Connections WavPack DSD Support for Artwork.zip24.0.224.0.77May 2018 Blu-ray Menus UHD Blu-ray Title Playback ZoneSync Zone Groups—similar to Playlist Groups TV Post-Process Command25.0.125.0.115January 2019New Features in MC2526.0.126.0.107November 2019New Features in MC2627.0.127.0.85August 2020New Features in MC2728.0.127.0.63April 2021New Features in MC28
See also Comparison of media players Musicmatch Jukebox RealJukebox
References
External links
Official JRiver Media Center Interact forum Official JRiver Media Jukebox site Reviews