Focusing on the overall energy and overall experience I prefer mfc both as a model and as a browsing member/guest.Always a good time.
I find it annoying that many people point out that some features are out of date on mfc or not as good visual as skype or whatever (but then they also admit mfc is the site they spend most of their time on so..if you don't like it why you always there... )
You'd probably be amazed at just how many members log in out of habit/boredom. Even if favorites aren't on, they'll be logged in, often in one of the lounges, even if not really watching any cams. If I'm online at home, and I'm not recording or editing videos for my YouTube, I'm generally on MFC, even if the tab isn't my main focus. I might have a model or two open in different windows just for sound that isn't music while I write or read things, when favorites aren't on. Hell, ask any model who's known me for years, half the time I'm sleeping while on MFC.
That doesn't mean that the video quality complaint isn't valid, though. I did a Skype with a favorite, today, and even she commented how much better the quality and aspect ratio is on Skype over MFC. She mentioned she hates how MFC crops to 4:3, so she has to be further away from her cam to have all of her in frame (and she's all of 5' to 5'1"), as an example. So, it's not just members who think MFC has to enter the 21st century in terms of video codecs and aspect ratios.
While I don't often visit CB, it does have 16:9 aspect ratios and at least 720p video, if the model's internet can support it. Streamate, though, has the overall best quality of video of any cam site I have visited.
There are multiple display options on MFC. Avatars are default, but there are different sized room previews also available, which move when you mouseover them.
Yeah, the new preview is the "non-live" mobile feed. So, if models aren't set up to use the mobile feed, it will still just be a static image that refreshes every 30-ish seconds. One model I know says she doesn't use the mobile feed because it messes up her normal feed. You would know better than me, but I'm pretty sure if the model has the "HD" option enabled on her feed, she automatically is also set to the mobile feed, now.
Mobile users can switch to a "live" setting, which has sound and full video, if their phone and connection support it (WiFi is best, it rips through data, otherwise), but that is generally 30 or so seconds behind the actual video... oddly enough, a bunch of us have noticed the same thing about PM cams, recently; they're also a good 30 seconds behind the main room, now, for some reason. Mobile users, though, have other limitations, too, like not being able to go group or private (not that I think the "go private" option in PM windows has ever worked on the desktop site, either), or view their archived privates.
If you're one of the fellas who doesn't like the feel of contributing a chunk of a countdown that a bunch of freeloaders get to see as well, that's another perk for Streamate, since joining a gold show requires a minimum pay-in, so everyone watching has contributed. I'm personally not bothered by this, but I know a lot of guys are.
I don't mind the gold shows on SM. If I'm in the mood to just spend a few bucks, I'll sometimes look for a gold show there that is a decent length with something I'm looking for. Generally most buy ins are only $3-$8, so it's nice when I just want to spend a few bucks, and not have to spend $20+ buying tokens.