MediaBrowser has long been a favorite for anyone looking to replace the built-in movie library browser with something that has a few more features. MediaBrowser is a free plugin for Windows 7 Media Center that adds more advanced library management, multiple view options for browsing the library and plenty of sorting options. It doesn’t take long with this plugin to see why it’s so popular. The latest iteration, Firestorm, adds even more features to the mix including a vastly faster user experience as well as increased stability over previous versions. For new Media Center enthusiasts Firestorm offers the perfect timing to try Media Browser for the first time.

Long time users will immediately notice a speed improvement over previous versions, especially while browsing large collections and when first starting the plugin. The entire experience is much more responsive making finding and playing the particular movie you’re looking for much less time consuming than previous versions. As an added bonus Firestorm includes experimental support for an SQLite database which will further improve the experience. To enable this feature you’ll simply need to download and copy the correct version of the SQLite DLL to the ProgramDataMediaBrowser folder.

Another notable feature of MediaBrowser FireStorm is that themes can now be created and released as plugins separate from the core code. Now just like with the plugin interface you can download and switch between themes without the need for a completely new release of the MediaBrowser plugin. In fact the Vanilla theme which was previously included in the main package is now a plugin shipped separately. In order to download the Vanilla theme you’ll need to open the MediaBrowser Configuration and select Add from the Plugins tab. Next select the File –> Sources menu and Add the following source: http://www.throgsoft.com/plugins/plugin_info.xml.

For long time users there have also been some changes to the ImagesByName structure. Images have now been separated into appropriate categories with a new folder structure. In order to facilitate this transition there is a migration tool available for download. Of course, for those new to Media Browser (or who just need to update their images) there is always the extensive package offered by TheHTPC.net.

Another feature long desired has been added as well in multiple entry points. Now, for each section created in the configuration tool MediaBrowser also creates an entry point. Using Media Center Studio you can add these new entry points to any start menu strip. Simply enter the start menu tab and expand the Entry Points at the bottom then drag and drop a point onto the strip. This is a great feature for those who prefer to browse recorded TV shows inside Media Browser or those who simply want to select HD/SD folders from the start menu.

Firestorm is a definite step forward for MediaBrowser which should be a definite upgrade on every Media Center enthusiasts list. The performance and stability alone are quite an improvement over previous releases a certainly cements MediaBrowsers status at the top of the heap of movie library plugins. New users and old alike can download this latest release from the Google Code repository.

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MediaBrowser Firestorm Brings Performance, Stability and Features