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10 February 2009, 18:03

Miro 2.0 released

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Miro 2.0 in action
Zoom Miro 2.0 in action
Miro 2.0 has been released for Linux, Windows and Mac OS X. Miro is an open source HD Internet TV / podcast downloader and player which has been built with the aim of helping decentralise video on the Internet. Miro 2.0 can access video on archive.org or legaltorrents.com from the players sidebar and view the sites through an integrated web browser, automatically taking over when the user selects a video to download.

Miro is able to subscribe to RSS feeds and can seamlessly use BitTorrent to download content. MiroGuide is integrated into Miro to allow new users to find programmes to watch. Support for streaming sites such as Hulu is built in, but of little use outside the United States as the Hulu service is restricted to US viewers only. The player can be set to automatically download from channels and to stop downloading if videos are unwatched. It can also automatically expire downloaded video to avoid filling up hard disks. Miro 2.0 has added the ability to subscribe and download audio podcasts, as well as video.

MiroGuide inside Miro 2.0
Zoom MiroGuide inside Miro 2.0
It is now possible to pop out the viewer window and watch a video whilst browsing for other content; apparently Miro's most requested feature. Other improvements in Miro 2.0 include better performance, reduced memory footprint, and faster torrent downloads. In a brief test of Miro 2.0, we found a few rough spots in the user interface, but the application performed well for locating and downloading content and playback quality was good.

Miro was created by the Participatory Culture Foundation, a non-profit organisation, who are looking for volunteers to translate Miro, assist other users, test for bugs or write code. The Miro code is licensed under the GPL.

(djwm)

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