I just noticed that some pages of my original Chameleon MediaCenter post is not viewable on the forum anymore - it's generating an Invalid Cast error when you try to view the last page. I guess that means it's time to start a new thread.

That original post, from nearly 3 years ago, now has over 14-thousand views, making it one of the most viewed topics on this forum. I think that is a good indication that there are still a lot of users out there who love My Movies as much as I do, and want to keep enjoying it for many years to come. That's why I continue to improve Chameleon MediaCenter for all of us, making it easier, faster, and more functional with every release.

What is Chameleon MediaCenter?
Chameleon MediaCenter, or CMC, is a built-from-scratch standalone program that primarily emulates the look of the My Movies WMC plugin for displaying your My Movies collection. CMC works alongside My Movies, so you will still use My Movies Collection Management to maintain your collection.





CMC really comes alive if you have at least 2500 My Movies Contribution Points, which grants you access to the My Movies API. CMC can use the My Movies API to get the best metadata possible. Your My Movies collection will look best on CMC - far better than Kodi, Plex or XBMC could ever hope to achieve. If you don't have the necessary My Movies points, you should definitely buy them. CMC will not only look better, but also be much easier to use, the result is worth it. And hint-hint, nudge-nudge, the best is yet to come, as a future update to CMC will offer even better integration with CMC and My Movies, including offline titles and discless movies!




One of the main benefits of CMC vs. WMC is that CMC is still actively maintained, unlike WMC where Microsoft has actively shut down functionality and completely removed support. Since I first released v1.0 almost 3 years ago now, there have been 48 notable updates, 17 of those were major version updates, and 7 of those major new versions came in just the past year!

Another benefit of CMC is that I've spent a lot of time integrating it with popular video players, so you don't have to tweak connection scripts or figure out how to make it work. CMC simply works with the latest players out of the box: MPC, CyberLink PowerDVD, DVDFab Player, VLC, PotPlayer, even JRiver. CMC will automatically mount ISOs for playback, and can also handle DVD Folders, and all popular transcoded media formats like MP4's and MKV's.





CMC also has advanced capabilities, like directly playing Episodes (if they've been mapped in My Movies) on ISO's or Folder rips. This works incredibly well with MPC, which supports direct playback of Blu-ray and DVD episodes. If you configure MPC as your TV Episode player, then CMC will even auto-play each episode one-after-another, just like streaming TV but without the commercials!





CMC lets you enjoy what was so great about My Movies on WMC, but without having to struggle with keeping legacy Win7/Win8.1 installs operational, or hacking WMC onto Win10. As you browse around your My Movies collection in CMC, I think you'll be surprised just how closely it resembles My Movies on WMC - well, except for how fast it is. CMC is much faster than WMC could ever hope to be!









Plus a Music Library!
CMC has also recreated some great WMC features - most notably the Music Library. CMC has an audiophile class audio-engine built-in that supports all of the common music media formats. I think you'll be surprised how closely CMC recreates that incredible WMC Music Library, including how covers are arranged and even that amazing CD cover waterfall screensaver. Or if you prefer, play a photo slideshow of your favorite memories while you listen to music.







Plus an App Launcher!
Another great features of CMC are the External Links, which is a powerful App and URL launcher. CMC can launch dozens of pre-configured Win10 apps like Netflix, Hulu, Steam, and many more, or open any URL in the browser of your choice. After all, shouldn't a MediaCenter be the hub of your HTPC? CMC understands that you want to do more with your HTPC than simply playing Blu-rays, so it makes it easy to jump to other apps, and easy to get back.





One of the great benefits of the External Links app launcher is that you can easily open DVR apps, like SiliconDust's HDHomeRun, which let's you record and watch live TV from free over-the-air (OTA) or even cable channels depending upon the HDHomeRun box you get. CMC launches the HDHomeRun app so quickly and easily, it almost feels like you have a DVR integrated into CMC.


Long story short - Chameleon MediaCenter is absolutely the best way to enjoy your My Movies media collection. Plus your prized music collection. Plus running your other favorite HTPC apps. If you haven't discovered CMC yet, or haven't tried a recent version, you should definitely head HERE and check it out. There's a ton more functionality available, way too much to detail it all here.

-Paul
I'm not just the CMC creator, I'm also a CMC + My Movies user

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Chameleon MediaCenter (CMC) v7.0 - A FREE WMC replacement GUI for My Movies Collection Management on Win7/8.1/10/11, plus a Music Library and App Launcher!

I stayed with WMC running Windows 7 until this weekend. Three years ago I bought a license for Chameleon (MyMovies Browser at the time). I thought it was promising but WMC was working so we stayed with until now.

Purchasing a 4K TV prompted me to finally ditch WMC as 4K on Windows 7 isn't a great experience. Anytime it jumps back to native resolution you need binoculars to read the screen. I was pleasantly surprised by all the work that has gone into CMC in the meantime.

I ran the small program provided with CMC that updates the metadata in the MyMovies folders for CMC and programmed the MCE remote in CMC's settings so I can use it to browse TV series and movies and launch Win10 apps (HDHomeRun, Netflix) and browser based Amazon Prime and YouTube plus launch the VLC and MPC-BE media players. I showed family members how the remote works and everyone is happy. I hadn't checked out MPC-BE lately, I really like how it integrates with CMC and how easy it is to fast forward.

I've looked at Emby, Plex and Kodi but none of them were a direct replacement for WMC/MM. CMC provides the same features for TV Series and Movies stored on our media server (Win7 running DrivePool) and is able to launch the other apps we use for viewing so I'm very happy with the overall experience.

I think this maybe a better solution, with the app launcher

does it have remote control support? If so can you open and close it with remote?

Yikes!! $22.00 per machine? I have 10 machines.

I didn't realize how expensive it was, sorry, I withdraw my statement saying it to be a good alternative. For that type of money it would require the HD Live TV support.

Guess that's what turned me off last time I looked at it. BUT it is a good piece of coding.

Just a quick announcement - CMC v5.0 is being released in a few days, and it will be completely free. While I greatly appreciate every CMC user who purchased licenses to fund CMC's development, it's reached a point that it no longer makes sense for me to charge for CMC.

As always, CMC will remain ad-free and does not collect any personal data collection.

You will still need at least 2500 My Movies Points to unlock the My Movies API, which is the best way to use CMC.

I've read the recent posts about issues with WMC and IE 11, possibly the final gasp of the infamous WMC. For My Movies users looking for an alternative, Chameleon MediaCenter is the best option.

For the moment, CMC v4.2 is still available to use with a 101 title trial-limited restriction - that's perfect to get CMC installed and talking with My Movies and make sure you like it. Then in a few days when CMC v5.0 is released, the limitation will disappear.

Also, ignore the license purchase page on the website, no need to purchase any licenses. It will soon be replaced by a voluntary donation page, for those that wish to contribute to CMC's ongoing development.

-Paul

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Chameleon MediaCenter (CMC) v7.0 - A FREE WMC replacement GUI for My Movies Collection Management on Win7/8.1/10/11, plus a Music Library and App Launcher!