[DaveBSC]

I have a question for J.River Media Center users. I'm playing around with the program and I like it, but I can't figure out how to get the program to stay on top of other windows. Specifically I'd like to keep the mini mode on top, but I can't find any option to do that.

 

[SP Wild]

I have the exact same problem.  Anyone?

 

[bangraman]

I think they would say "Don't run anything else then".
 
 
I dare you to ask in their forums

 

[DaveBSC]

I already tried asking there, got no response. I can't believe somebody would make a media player (and ask $50 for it, no less!) that can't so much as stay on top of another window. I've already given up and gone back to Foobar, finally found a theme I like for 1.0+.
 
It is possible to force JR MC to stay on top using one of the programs that run in the background and can force any window on top, but that's a pretty lame solution.

 

[Ham Sandwich]

"Always on top" is a property set by the skin.  Unfortunately the default "Slim" mini view skin does not make that option available in any of its menus.  Other mini view skins do have that option.
 
Workaround:
1) View >> Skins >> Skin Manager... >> Mini tab
2) Select one of the other mini view skins (fluxion will do)
3) Apply
4) right-click on the Fluxion view skin, go to options..., select "Always on Top"
5) Go back to the Skin Manager and switch back to the "Slim" skin (I prefer the Slim skin for mini view)
6) The "Always on Top" property will still be set so "Slim" will stay on top
 
The Slim skin really ought to have "Always on Top" available in one of its menus.  I don't know why it doesn't.  It's been like that for several versions.
 
If all you want is a player to play music then just use Foobar.  It's free.  It works.  It does what is needed and then some.
 
Where J River Media Center gets some advantage is in media management and organization.  I also prefer its views and searching features and other features.  I like the way it has enabled me to organize my library and do things like transcode from FLAC to MP3 on the fly when syncing to my iPod.  It's been well worth the initial price and upgrade costs to new versions for me.  YMMV.

 

[SP Wild]

Brilliant.  Thanks.
 
Might I add - the Theatre view and full remote funtionality is worth the price of admission for me.  Am I the only one that is demanding a remote volume control for all head-amps?

 

[DaveBSC]

The best thing about JRiver for me is the theme management. They couldn't really make that easier if they tried, and the brightness/contrast sliders for the themes is a really neat trick that I don't think any other player has. Unfortunately the program has a lot of quirks that I don't like, such as that it can't close for some reason in Slim mode. As far as I could tell from a few minutes of A/Bing, memory playback in JR doesn't have a sonic edge over standard WASAPI in Foobar.
 
Managing themes in Foobar is a nightmare by comparison, and many of the best Foobar themes are broken after 9.5.2. There are a couple of decent 1.0+ ones now though, so I dont really feel the need to pay for JR.

 

[Ham Sandwich]

::Luddite_smile_wearing_a_triport::
I'm going to be branded a Luddite for saying this, but I don't like applications that skin.  Skinning is just bad UI.  It breaks the behavior of the Windows UI.  Skinning breaks the utility DeskPins which is a utility that would have allowed you to have Media Center to always be on top.  Many other similar utilities also have problems with apps that skin.
 
If I could change just one thing in J River Media Center it would be to remove the skinning and have it be just the regular standard Windows UI.  Unfortunately you can't even give away a media player that isn't skinnable.  A media player has to have skinning or nobody would use it, well except for me, I'd still use it and I'd like it.

 

[DaveBSC]

Skinning doesn't bother me. The problem with JRiver's mini mode skins is that with the exception of Slim mode they are all hideous, and the ones on their page are all either equally hideous, or just copies of 10 year old Winamp skins.

 

[bangraman]

Quote:

Skinning doesn't bother me. The problem with JRiver's mini mode skins is that with the exception of Slim mode they are all hideous, and the ones on their page are all either equally hideous, or just copies of 10 year old Winamp skins.

Yup. It's surprising they don't have a more active range in this aspect. I can't believe it's just about the money... but maybe it is?