miro posts

Filed under: Audio, Internet, Video, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Open Source

Cross-platform internet video app Miro hits 2.5

by Brad Linder Jul 23rd 2009

About two weeks after launching Miro 2.5 RC 1, the folks behind the open source internet media browser and player have taken off the release candidate label.

The program lets you find, download, and view media from a number of sources. That covers RSS feeds for audio and video podcasts, BitTorrent downloads, and web video from sites like Hulu. Version 2.5 includes a ton of updates, including:

Improved speed (Miro claims version 2.5 is 4 times faster than Miro 2.0)
A new audio podcast section in the Miro Guide
Better audio playback interface
Easy download link for YouTube videos
New keyboard shortcuts

Miro 2.5 is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Tags: miro, miro-2.5

Filed under: Audio, Video, Windows, Macintosh, Open Source

Miro 2.5 RC1 released: Internet video player for Windows, OS X

by Brad Linder Jul 8th 2009

Miro is an open source media application for Windows, Linux, and OS X that lets you download and manage video podcasts, watch web video, or movies stored on your desktop. This week the Miro team launched the first release candidate for version 2.5. It's available for Windows or OS X, and the source code is also available for anyone interested in compiling it for Linux.

The latest version is designed to be faster than Miro 2.0 while using less memory. There don't appear to be a ton of new features, but Miro 2.5 RC1 does have a tantalizing section marked "Miro Audio Guide" which would seem to imply that Miro plans to add links to audio podcasts soon. That would be a welcome addition, particularly since my favorite podcatcher, Juice, hasn't been updated in ages.

[via gHacks]

Tags: miro, miro-2.5, miro-2.5-rc1

Filed under: Video, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Open Source

Miro: Adopt a line of code to support open source video player

by Brad Linder Apr 29th 2009

Open source media player and online video aggregator Miro is taking a cue from the highway service and asking patrons to "adopt" a line of code to help pay the bills much the same way as you can "adopt" a stretch of highway.

Here's how it works. You visit the Miro Adoption Center and pony up $4 per month and you get your name associated with a line in the Miro code base. Your name will also appear in the About Miro credits. But you don't get any tangible benefits like super fast downloads or anything.

In the long run, the only reason to adopt a line of code is because you want to support this open source project. But if you're the sort of person who needs an NPR mug before donating some money to help keep Morning Edition on the air, maybe the adoption page will help encourage you to pull out your wallet for Miro.

[via Boing Boing]

Tags: fundraising, miro, miro-adoption-center

Filed under: Internet, Video

Open source video player, aggregator Miro goes 2.0

by Brad Linder Feb 10th 2009

The team behind open source internet video player Miro have pushed out version 2.0. The new player features a new interface, improved speed and performance, and the ability for users to add links to online streaming video portals like Hulu and CBS.com to the sidebar.

Unlike other internet video players which are primarily focused on offering streaming video content, Miro is built for downloading videos. This means you can typically watch higher quality videos and you can watch your movies when you're offline. You can subscribe to any video podcast with an RSS feed, browse for videos in the Miro Guide, or download YouTube videos.

Tags: internet-video, miro, miro-2.0

Filed under: Internet, Video, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Open Source, Beta

Miro 2.0 pre-release adds support for web video

by Brad Linder Jan 23rd 2009

The developers behind open source media player and podcast aggregator Miro are putting the finishing touches on version 2.0 of the cross-platform application. But you can download an early build of the next generation media player today.

For the most part, Miro 2.0 works like Miro 1. It lets you search for and download video podcasts from a variety of sources. If the podcast you're looking for isn't in Miro's directory you can add any RSS feed and automatically download and organize audio and video attachments.

Aside frm a new color scheme, Miro 2.0 also adds an integrated web browser and the ability to add a link to any web page to the program's sidebar. In other words, if you want to be able to watch videos from Hulu, YouTube, or another online video site, just add a link to your sidebar and you can open the web site with Miro.

What Miro 2.0 doesn't do is let you add sites to its search engine. So if you do add a page like Hulu to your sidebar, you'll have to conduct your search using the intergrated web browser, not the Miro search box.

[via NewTeeVee]

Tags: miro, miro-2.0, video

Filed under: Fun, Internet, Utilities, Video, Open Source, Social Software, Podcasts

Miro gets refreshed to version 1.1, Bit Torrent dramatically improved

by Jason Harris Jan 17th 2008

The open source, cross-platform video platform, Miro, recently released version 1.1. The new update offers two main improvements. First, Miro has significantly improved BitTorrent performance by giving the user more control and settings for BitTorrent downloads. Miro's support of BitTorrent has always set itself apart from other media players with it's BitTorrent support and we're glad to see them enhancing this important feature.

Second, Miro 1.1 has made it easier to find the search results you're looking for by instituting a combined search across all 5 of their search engines. Users who want to only search the engines one at a time can still do so by choosing the engines they're most interested in seeing results from.

If you're not a user of Miro yet, we encourage you to take a look its way. Miro is a media viewing software package that allows you to view almost any video file format, search for and view YouTube videos, and access video podcasts via BitTorrent. Additionally, Miro is an open source video platform that lacks any DRM and allows unrestricted viewing of their materials. Also, they Miro takes pride in it's selection of HD content.

[via Miro's blog]

Tags: hd, joost, miro, online video, OnlineVideo, youtube

Filed under: Audio, Internet, Windows, Freeware

Ziepod: Free podcast aggregator

by Brad Linder Nov 21st 2007

Looking for a good, free podcast aggregator/player for Windows? For a long time, Juice (formerly known as iPodder) was the reigning champ. But it's kind of a pain in the behind to get Juice working with Vista. So we're always looking for a better solution.

You can use Miro to download audio podcasts as well as video, but that's sort of like using a tank to drive to the supermarket.

Ziepod, on the other hand, is a bit more like a corvette. It's pretty, easy to use, and fast. The built-in podcast directory is also excellent if you're browsing for new podcasts. Notice we said browsing? There's no search button, which is a bit baffling.

Another odd choice is that while you an set Ziepod to automatically delete podcasts that have been sitting on your PC for a certain period of time, there's no way to customize that setting for different feeds. So if you download some podcasts on a weekly basis and others on a daily basis, there doesn't appear to be an easy way to keep the last 2 days worth of one and 3 weeks worth of the other.

That said, Ziepod does a great job of pulling in your podcasts, storing them, letting you listen on your computer or synchronize with an iPod. There's also a commercial version for $20 with a few additional features like download bandwitdh speed control, and a dockable video bar.

[thanks booblik!]

Tags: aggregator, juice, miro, podcasts, ziepod

Filed under: Internet, Video, Open Source

Miro 1.0 released: It's not Joost, but it is open source

by Brad Linder Nov 13th 2007

Everybody's favorite open-source video aggregator/online TV viewing app has finally hit the big 1.0.

Miro is positioning itself as an alternative to Joost, but we're not sure the comparison is apt. Joost lets you watch professionally produced content in a custom-built streaming video player that brings a TV-like experience to your computer. Miro lets you download and watch videos that you could have gotten from other places -- but Miro makes finding video from thousands of sources all kinds of easy.

Miro is also open-source, cross-platform (with Mac, Linux, and Windows versions available), and 100% DRM-free. And while the fact that you can't watch streaming video might seem like a disadvantage, Miro dos a pretty good job of downloading videos that weren't really meant for saving to your computer. In other words, it's a handy application to have around if you want to download "web-only" videos from sites like YouTube.

[via Slashdot]

Tags: democracy, democracy-player, joost, miro, online-video

Filed under: Internet, Video

Odeo and FireAnt living under the same roof

by Brad Linder Sep 14th 2007

Remember FireAnt? Back in the day, it was known as a hot internet video aggregator. While the trend has shifted toward web video sites like YouTube, or aggregators like Truveo, FireAnt offers a standalone video player/aggregator that lest you download and watch videos without a web browser. You know, kind of like Miro. Actually, come to think of it, FireAnt and Miro's interfaces are remarkably similar.

But that's beside the point. The point is, FireAnt may be prepared to make a comeback. SonicMountain, the company that made headlines by purchasing podcast aggregator Odeo earlier this year has reportedly purchased FireAnt.

NewTeeVee reports that Odeo (SonicMountain changed their name after the acquisition) plains to integrate FireAnt and relaunch sometime around December. Imagine accessing Odeo's huge index of existing podcasts and podcast creation tools through a downloadable player. Or something like that.

Tags: firant, miro, podcasts, vlog

Filed under: Internet, Video, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Open Source

Democracy Player relaunches as Miro

by Brad Linder Jul 18th 2007

Okay, we know that Democracy was supposed to be renamed Miro when it hit version 1.0. But Miro 0.9.8 is out now. Whoo hoo.

Technically, this is a technical preview of Miro. But as with most of the beta releases of Democracy, it's already a pretty full featured video aggregator/player.

While new programs like Joost and Babelgum aim to provide a peer-to-peer streaming video experience, Miro lets you find, download, and organize videos you like. When you first launch Miro, you'll see a series of popular podcasts/vlogs that you can check out, including Ask A Ninja, Diggnation, and Rocketboom. Or you can search out your own video feeds and add them to the list.

So what's new in version 0.9.8?

Keyboard shortcuts on all platforms (Mac, Windows, and Linux)
Full context menu from Windows system tray
Added "report a bug" menu item
Added Veoh.com as a search engine
A whole slew of bug fixes

Tags: democracy, democracy player, DemocracyPlayer, miro, online video, OnlineVideo

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