The CenterStage Project guys promised an update. And did they ever make good on their word. The Demo of Centerstage is now online. The graphics are stunning, interface breathtaking and it takes the MediaCenter application to the next level. It was a jaw-dropping WOW.

I was a fan of CenterStage back when they were duking it out with iTheater for the best MacHTPC experience. (Read: When people didn't understand what an Alpha release was.) I loved the community effort and the goal of having an intuitive media app. But with FrontRow released, I moved on and have been living in FrontRow bliss. I have demo'd iTheater, MediaCentral, and the current CenterStage release, but nothing blew me away.

After reviewing the demo online, reviewing the photos, and documentation, I am preparing to switch over to CenterStage when the new beta version is ready. The features go beyond any other media application. It is obvious they have put a lot of effort into the user interface and making everything fit like a glove.

Enter the demo of CenterStage. Now its important to note that the demo, only shows what they are projecting the final product to look like. The beta version of the app should have the majority of these features incorporated.

So here we go... with pictures.

Main Menu
The main menu is a side scroller or beautiful icons for each area. You can quickly navigate to the proper section and get to watching your movie. But the main screen also features several items no other media application has. Along the bottom, you can quickly see the weather, your mail inbox and news reader. It also highlights the last item you were playing, weather it was a movie, or a random CD. the images are easily identifyable and having a seperate section for TV shows is brilliant.

Music
Most of us will be using this module frequent. FrontRow does a great job of using iTunes to sort through music. CenterStage looks like it will go beyond that. You will be able to browse your music by Artist, Albums, Song, Playlist, Genre, Music Video, Podcast, Audio Books. They have also included a radio station and compact disc menu items. I'm glad they didn't over look the radio stations, like FrontRow does. Also included is an iTunes like visualizer. Nicely done!

They have also come up with several ways of browsing your music. They have a side scroller, list view and cd cover matrix. With the ability to ad FanArt the screen takes on the look and feel of the music. This theme is also used on other sections.

Screen Shots:

Movies

Within the movies section you also get your variety of navigation options. The Alpha scroller jumps through DVD Artwork, and a information menu provides more details about the flick. Browsing my Actors or Directors (all gathered from IMDB) makes searching for a specific movie a breeze. A DVD Menu also allows you to check out your latest netflix.

TV Shows
The demo did not include the TV Shows section, however from the high resolution images they provide it appears it will be handled very similar to the movies section, with browsing by show, and fan art views.

Photos
With the exception of MediaCentral, media apps out there have neglected the photo section. CenterStage does an excellent job of handling the photos. Browse by album, library, or last import. I would be nice to see the folders, as a lot of people use them. Once again the sidescroller lets you jump through pictures and enter a full screen slideshow mode. Everything fits nicely. You may also enter a informational screen showing the details about the photo.