[tmelcher]

I "re-switched" (after switching to Windows in the OS 7-era of Mac) this past summer with the purchase of a 15" MacBook Pro. Recently, rather than investing in an AppleTV, I've weighed the possibility of purchasing a Mac Mini for use as sort of a home theater PC. However, I've admittedly run into a number of small qualms that prevent me from being able to reach any sort of media zen on the matter. Anyone have any ideas for any of these?

1. Movies and TV Shows should go in the "Movies" folder, not in the "Music" folder.
Okay, this is admittedly more a problem of me being slightly obsessive compulsive than anything, but I've found that the "Movies" folder, for me, goes completely unused, as almost all of my video files are indexed through iTunes, and thus are tossed in--quite incorrectly so--in the "Music" folder. Though this has little impact on me using it as Media Center, it would make it MUCH easier to navigate through my media, should the need to find files arise.

2. Lack of .avi support.
Okay, I admittedly can understand Apple rejecting the use of Microsoft's WMV format, but the older .avi container is one of the most established and widely-used formats around. I know that I can use Quicktime to make .mp4 files that refer back to these .avi files, but that spawns an unnecessarily high number of files, which, like above, though it may not come into play with day-to-day use, could become irritating when trying to navigate to find files.

3. Lack of customization.
I feel like FrontRow should have some sort of preference pane that allows the end user to customize how Front Row works, even if it is merely a pane in the iTunes preferences window.

Nonetheless, it seems to be the solution I will adopt, I merely hope that either users or Apple will come up with means to address these issues.

[msuper69]

Spotlight is your friend. It makes finding files trivial no matter where they are. And it will be even better in Leopard as it will search across the network.

[DigitalEl]

Ref. movies going in the Music folder, I agree 100% and this has bugged me, too. I think you hit the nail on the head though when blaming it on an obsessive personality. As long as we use iTunes to manage these files, it's probably gonna be that way.

[TETENAL]

FrontRow supports .avi movies just fine.

[Aron Peterson]

Front Row picks up all the movies in my Movies folder. My annoyance with the app is that it isn't a true media center. It's a front end for iPhoto and iTunes. That means it launches those apps in the background. What's the point when I can do that myself and browse libraries in them faster than I can in Front Row?

[TETENAL]

The point is to provide you with an alternative user interface that is larger and controllable with the remote so that you can use those apps when you are sitting some distance away from your Mac.

[Dakarʒ]

I don't like that I need to use iPhoto to access my photos. If front row can navigate my movies folder why can't it navigate my pictures folder?

[lpkmckenna]

1. Movies and TV Shows should go in the "Movies" folder, not in the "Music" folder.
You aren't meant to navigate the iTunes and iPhoto libraries with the Finder. If iTunes maintained 2 separate libraries (one for TV shows, music videos, and films in the Movies folder, and all music in the Music folder), it would create more confusion than it's worth.
2. Lack of .avi support.
Uh, .avi and .wmv is supported with the necessary codecs.

3. Lack of customization.
How would you customize it? Do you mean how it looks, or how it works?

The only serious change I want in Front Row is an option for video playlists. Right now, it merely plays one movie at a time.

[lpkmckenna]

Originally Posted by Dakarʒ 

I don't like that I need to use iPhoto to access my photos. If front row can navigate my movies folder why can't it navigate my pictures folder?

Good question indeed. I only keep personal photography in my iPhoto library. Everything else stays in my Pictures folder.

[Dakarʒ]

I find using the finder to sort crap quicker.

[mickeymac]

If you're going to display the mini on a TV, expect resolution issues. Sure you can go out to DVI or HDMI, but you can lose the edges of your desktop. This is less of an issue in using FR, but it's still not right, especially compared to the aTV.

[bmcgonag]

As for watching .avi and other formats using frontrow, just get the Perian quicktime components, and install it. Google it, easy to find.

As for where the movies are, just makes it confusing, should I put them in my music area, or my movie area.

I want Front Row to be able to read movies off of a shared iTunes, but miine doesn't between my iMac and my MBP. At least not the ones I've added manually from external sources. Do I need to put them in the music folder instead of Movies?

thanks,

Brian