Many Tricks
If you’re using the Usher 2 beta, make sure you get today’s update—it’s a biggie, but it also marks a “no turning back” point: If you install and use this update, and make changes to your library, you will not be able to return to Usher 1.
Why not? Usher’s release notes explain it well:
Tags and Properties now use the CSV format for their values, which necessitates a library file format change, which in turn has backwards compatibility ramifications. See the note that will appear after updating for more info on this.
Given that Usher 1 only works on pre-Catalina versions of macOS, this is really only a decision to worry about if you’re on an older version of macOS.
The other big news in this release is that we’ve decided Usher will officially return to market. When Usher 2 exits beta, the full version of will sell for $19, and upgrades will be $10.
However, we’re having a pre-sale: Between now and Usher’s official release (sooner-ish rather than later-ish), you can buy the full app for $14, and the upgrade is only $6.
What do you get for your money? A fully 64-bit app that works very well in Catalina, along with a slew of new features and performance improvements, as detailed by the multiple lengthy “beta” entries on the release notes page.
So how can you purchase Usher 2 at these great sale prices? The easiest way is to use the Usher → Buy Usher menu item within Usher 2. Alternatively, you can just use one of these links:
- Full Usher 2 license – $14
- Usher 1 → Usher 2 Upgrade – $6, and you must be a licensed Usher 1 user
Usher 2 may have been long in gestation, but we think the wait’s been worth it—Usher is an amazingly powerful media management and playback tool, and we think you’ll feel the same.
Hello !
I’m trying the new beta version of Usher 2, and my main concern is about the ‘auto-properties’ button : can’t find it, tried many times following the video-howto, but, depiste all my efforts, can’t find it at all.
Since retrieving meta data is my first goal (from Amazon US or any other place ? I’m in France btw, but that’s not an issue for me), can you tell me if this functionnality is disabled ? I hope not, this should be a deal-breaker…
Best Regards,
Rodrigo
We removed it because, honestly, it hasn’t worked well for years. However, there are better ways to do this nowadays. I use an app called Subler, and you can do “Open With” in Usher and send a movie to Subler. Once you’ve looked it up there, save the changes, and the metadata will be reflected in Subler. We’ll have more details on this process once Usher 2 is shipping.
-rob.
Thanks !
I understand, though I downloaded Subler, retrieved info very well, but when saving the files in Subler it takes looong time because remuxing the audio tracks (which is useless to me, since I just want the metadata… looking for another 3rd party software capable of retrieving such data (and compatible w. Usher), if you know one ?
anyway thanks !!
Rodrigo
I use Subler and I’ve never had it take more than a couple seconds to save a file, even for a feature length film. You can uncheck the covnerson boxes in Subler’s prefs, which might help (though mine are still enabled).
There’s also MetaZ: https://metaz.io
-rob.
Note: I just gave it a quick test, and it seemed to work.
-rob.
First thing to say: Thank you so much, Rob and Peter, for making Usher »return to market«. I got a license the moment I read this blog on friday.
But: Generating movie previews in version 4530 (April 30) doesn’t seem to work on my Macbook Pro 15 2015 (MacBookPro 11,4 – macOS 10.14.6 Mojave – Movie files on external harddrive – Usher preferences/Appearance/Generate movie previews set to ”QuickLook“).
[Remainder of bug report removed, we’re taking this conversation to email to figure out what’s going on…]
…and thank you for mentioning this great (freeware!) tool Subler, that can do so much more, Rob. If that’s not a macosxhint, I don’t know what is. …oh, good old days ;o)
Well, there’s no macosxhints any more, but I do post tidbits on my blog—such as writing about Subler, and there are some occasional macOS hints :).
-rob.
Thank you so much Rob and Peter for making Usher available again on the market
Alain