Major update to Miro, the free/open Internet TV client
Miro, the free/open Internet TV client, has just released a major update, going to 1.2. Miro combines BitTorrent (fast downloads), VLC (play any video format) and RSS (subscribe to video in "channels" and have new episodes downloaded directly to your desktop as they're published).
The idea is to create an open platform for enjoying video online, one that isn't owned by any company, one that anyone can produce video for -- to make video open like the web, not owned by any company. Basically, to make a Firefox for Internet video.
Link, Link to feature list
# On Windows and Linux, we updated to XULRunner 1.9, which brings memory and performance improvements.
# We’ve added a much-requested preference to set new channels to not auto-download.
# New preferences for tweaking number of simultaneous auto-downloads and torrent seeding.
# Important re-architecting of the frontend and backend code.
# Lots of bug fixes and tweaks.
# On OSX, we updated to Perian 1.1.
# On Windows, the Miro installer is now much simpler and prettier.
# Improved support for Flash in Channel Guide pages.
# Improved translations for dozens of languages.
(Disclosure: I am proud to volunteer as a board member for the non-profit Participatory Culture Foundation, a 501(c)3 charity that makes and publishes Miro)
the latest
latest episodes
I really, really want to use this product...but it has issues. I used it with much satisfaction from when it was Democracy player, until V 1.0 was released. After a major update at the end of last year(i think thats when it was) Miro would no longer open. Uninstalled. Reinstalled. Still would not open. Un/Re again. No dice. Searched forums, Miro Message boards. Found loads of people that had the same fix. No word whatsoever from developers on a fix. So frustrating, as it worked so beautifully when it worked. Today I see this post, and assume that they had acknowledged the issue and had fixed it. Downloaded the new version. Installed it. Opened it...or tried to. Was greeted with "You found a bug! Please tell us about it!" And the damn thing still would not open. Miro...please solve the issue...whatever in the hell it is.
Update: After vigorous searching, trying every fix under the sun, just about to give up on Miro for good, the last of 9 fixes that I tried finally solved the problem. I have never, ever, made so much effort to get faulty software to work. But, I write this as Miro streams gloriously in the background...finally. Yeah Miro!
I really wanted to like Democracy, but it had one fatal flaw for me: it would not show videos in native resolution. It always scaled them to window size. I just cannot stand scaled video, it's like fingernails on chalkoard to me. I ended up using VLC or QT to watch videos downloaded by Democracy, and then just stopped using it entirely. There were others on the forum with the same complaint, and I did file a bug report, I believe, but nothing changed.
I later tried one of the first 'Miro' releases (don't remember if it was a beta or point release or what), and it still had the same problem, so it got deleted as well.
I'll give it one last go-round tonight, but I'm not holding out much hope.
I haven't messed around with Miro at all, other than discovering that it downloads bittorret much, much, much faster than the two other clients I used. Try it...
Like the comments above I've tried to like Miro but it still doesn't obey OS DPI/font settings. I can't use it until it does.
It doesn't appear that this update integrates SafePeer or similar technology. So I still can't use it without corporate spies tracking my viewing behaviour. Sorry Miro, but Fail.