Emby General Appreciation and Anticipation

[iam4uk 26]

I've enjoyed using Media Browser and now Emby for quite a long time. It's growing and developing in encouraging ways. Now that we all need to anticipate future media access without Windows Media Center (who knows how long it will run with current features, including guide?), I'm testing out options for what could be next...

 

I have used Emby in these forms: WMC client, web interface, Theater, Android, and Windows Phone. Here is my impression of those at this point:

 

Emby in WMC is by FAR the best user experience for movies and TV shows stored on my home Emby Server. No other Emby client is even close in usefulness, enjoyment, layout, customization, or any other important factor.

 

In distant, distant, distant second place is the Android application. It has the obvious advantage of portability, but over the past several months, each update is as likely to render the application useless as to advance its utility. Because I use ServerWMC, the Android app is a great way to get access to all my CableCARD channels away from home...when it works.

 

In third place is the Windows Phone app. Simple and usable.

 

In fourth place is the web interface. I'd never rely on this, however, because its layout is awful and it does not seem to support all the audio codecs that the WMC and Emby Theater clients do.

 

In last place, but my highest hope for the future of Emby in general is Emby Theater. If it can become a combination of what the WMC client has been, plus live TV and DVR from CableCARD with HDHR-DVR (currently in Kickstarter), and if it can become more configurable with skins/themes and layout choices, and if it can more readily support remote control, then Emby Theater could be THE client for home media featuring mountains of media accessed via Emby Server.

 

I have very high hopes that Emby can grow into something even more amazing; great work, all!

[Macburp 109]

I would suggest you give the Emby Android TV app a try as an alternative to the Android mobile app. MBC it ain't, but its a great piece of work both for TV and for the touchscreen environment.

 

You're right about MBT. That app does badly need some love from the devs.