Topic: Too Easy III -- Keep Those Requests Coming -- Please read the first post (Read 114836 times)

JimH · « **on:** February 02, 2016, 06:20:17 pm »

We've done a couple of "small change" request threads. Here's the last one.
http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=98734.0

The rules are the same and if you don't read them, you may find your post missing.

PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE POST BEFORE POSTING
Long or complex posts will be removed.

In the Too Complex thread, we were told how unintuitive MC could be.

So here's the challenge for those who want intuitive software.

Suggest a change that will make MC easier to use (but NOT a feature request).

If you can meet the following guidelines, we'll try to make the change.

A change needs to be:

1. Easy to implement (less than an hour)

2. Generally useful to most users

3. Something that doesn't remove existing functionality and that isn't controversial

In other words, it must be clearly better.

and

4. Something that can be described in 10 lines or less (not complex)

PLEASE don't post anything else in this thread (no "+1" posts or comments). Start a new thread if it doesn't fit the requirements.

Castius · « **Reply #1 on:** February 02, 2016, 08:37:34 pm »

Red icon in tray icon to Show a recording in progress.

astromo · « **Reply #2 on:** February 02, 2016, 09:04:54 pm »

Provide the existing context menu functionality available in other branches of Standard View to the Television branch of the tree for Recordings.

I'd like to be able to manipulate tags, names and cover art of TV recordings in situ without having to jump back to Video.

RoderickGI · « **Reply #3 on:** February 02, 2016, 10:42:06 pm »

Please enable the use of the "Get Movie & TV Info..." function against [Media Type] = "TV", rather than only against [Media Type] = "Video".

Done

This will allow me to use my custom EPG data view to selectively enhance the EPG data I have before a recording is made, and thereby improve the Guide display, recorded TV program selection based on rules, file naming, metadata and Cover Art collection, particularly where EPG data contains errors or insufficient data initially that can be corrected by enhancing the records with information from TheTVDB.

See http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=102069.msg708252#msg708252

Note, I'm not sure if this would take less than an hour, if all implications are taken into account.

RoderickGI · « **Reply #4 on:** February 02, 2016, 10:54:26 pm »

Please enable editing of the Episode name when using the "Get Movie & TV Info..." function, in the same way that the Series name can be edited.

Done

The ability to edit the Episode name is important when the naming used in TheTVDB is slightly different, enough to prevent a match. Of course this can be done now by renaming the Episode before doing the lookup, but the same could have been said for Series name. It is inconvenient to back out of the "Get Movie & TV Info..." dialogue, rename the Episode, and then go back into the dialogue and complete the search, particularly if more than one "guess" is required.

While a user is not going to know for sure what change would provide a match, often it is just a matter of punctuation, and an educated guess can result in a match.

An alternative would be to implement fuzzy logic for use in matching the Episode name, but I believe that would take more than one hour.

glynor · « **Reply #5 on:** February 02, 2016, 11:50:14 pm »

So, I have one that seems like it should be easy (or even a bug maybe), that's worth throwing in the ring.

Make Thumbnailing use Automatic playback mode all the time, even if Tools > Options > File Types > Playback Method is set to External Program.

Done

To explain:

Right now, I use MC for work on a couple machines. I have a Library of work files: videos I may need to edit, source clips, source graphics, sounds, etc. I keep many of the File Types on this machine set to External Programs, so that when I double-click a MOV file it can open in MPEG Streamclip, TS files in VideoReDo, and a PNG in Photoshop, and whatnot.

The problem is that this breaks Thumbnailing. No new files (at least video files, I'd have to make some new images and go check for image file types) get video thumbnails when they're imported. To get them to have generated thumbnails, I have to go back into File Types, change them all back to Automatic, then run the thumbnail update manually on the files, and then go back in and switch the File Types back again. Which is super-annoying (and means I mostly live without thumbnails for newer files).

It seems like for thumbnailing, it wants to really be in control of its destiny anyway, so it should always use Automatic. External Program certainly doesn't work, so at least when that is picked, it should use Automatic instead.

JimH · « **Reply #6 on:** February 03, 2016, 06:18:52 am »

No voting, please.

Matt · « **Reply #7 on:** February 03, 2016, 06:48:35 am »

Quote from: glynor on February 02, 2016, 11:50:14 pm

Make Thumbnailing use Automatic playback mode all the time, even if Tools > Options > File Types > Playback Method is set to External Program.

I'm a little confused by this one.

I set my APE files to play with an external player.

Then I imported a few in my test library. The cover art came in fine.

So are you sure we aren't doing this already?

Matt · « **Reply #8 on:** February 03, 2016, 07:14:01 am »

Quote from: Matt on February 03, 2016, 06:48:35 am

I'm a little confused by this one.

I set my APE files to play with an external player.

Then I imported a few in my test library. The cover art came in fine.

So are you sure we aren't doing this already?

I can see it's specific to videos.

Hopefully it'll be changed next build:
Changed: When playback is set for an external program on video files, thumbnailing still uses the internal engine (previously it wouldn't thumbnail).

Does that mean we're done with this thread now? Hah!

mwillems · « **Reply #9 on:** February 03, 2016, 07:35:51 am »

Not sure if this is an "hour" type project or not, but it might be so I'll throw it out. I would love some kind of (optional) logging for tag changes, file renames, database changes, etc. It could be a "report" like the import function provides after an import, or it could just write a text file to disk like the help logging (I'd prefer the latter, but most people would probably find the former more useful).

I live in a house with a few other people using and editing the library and it would be nice to be able to see the changes that people make in an organized way (and revert them if necessary). Related, sometimes I see tag changes being applied at the bottom of the screen and I'm not sure exactly what they are, and this would help with that. I'm just trying to get ahead of my family inadvertantly making large tag changes where they don't even know what they did much less how to walk it back. It would make me a very happy camper.

rudyrednose · « **Reply #10 on:** February 03, 2016, 08:03:32 am »

~~In Theaterview, live OTA TV. When listening to a program and we go to the guide, a live PIP of the current show would be reaaaaly nice !~~

Edit.
Sorry. Waited and moved from 20.132 to 21.25. PIP appears in Pause, and pressing Play brings me back to full screen.
I never thought to hit Pause again

MC never ceases to amaze me

Matt · « **Reply #11 on:** February 03, 2016, 08:28:24 am »

Quote from: RoderickGI on February 02, 2016, 10:42:06 pm

Please enable the use of the "Get Movie & TV Info..." function against [Media Type] = "TV", rather than only against [Media Type] = "Video".

Next build:
Changed: Television entries in the database can be run through the Get Movie & TV Info... tool.

ferday · « **Reply #12 on:** February 03, 2016, 09:14:48 am »

I would love for us to be able choose which tags are updated from the database (menu the same as CTRL-shift-v)

not sure if easy or if more of a feature request, but I'll try anyways

DoubtingThomas · « **Reply #13 on:** February 03, 2016, 09:42:14 am »

If a single track is selected, and "fill track numbers from list order is selected", change the track number to 1 and skip the error.

Done

Matt · « **Reply #14 on:** February 03, 2016, 09:47:37 am »

Quote from: DoubtingThomas on February 03, 2016, 09:42:14 am

If a single track is selected, and "fill track numbers from list order is selected", change the track number to 1 and skip the error.

That one is just so easy, so what the heck!

Next build:
Changed: When picking "Fill Track Numbers From List Order" with only one track selected it will set the track number to one instead of complaining that two tracks need to be selected.

DoubtingThomas · « **Reply #15 on:** February 03, 2016, 09:48:40 am »

In the PixOS skin.... when the track is selected/highlighted, please make the rating stars easy to read.

Arindelle · « **Reply #16 on:** February 03, 2016, 10:02:28 am »

Just for the eye candy ... bring back 3D views for Theater Mode (the ones that pivot -- still in Standard View). It disappeared after version 16, if imported it just flat 2D now, sort of worthless .. I think its just been forgotten .. only if if its really easy that is

JimH · « **Reply #17 on:** February 03, 2016, 10:18:40 am »

You're making Matt really happy. Thanks.

mattkhan · « **Reply #18 on:** February 03, 2016, 10:24:30 am »

I have no idea how easy this is as I guess it depends how errors are trapped but it's quite a simple change so I'll log it anyway

Change the messages in the convolution window so that some common errors are surfaced to the UI.

atm it says "Status: Not Valid" to cover every situation apart from "a filter is loaded and working". It would be useful to change this to something like

Inactive: a config file is not set/loaded
Not Loaded: no attempt has been made to load a cfg file yet
Bad Config File: a config file has been loaded but is actually invalid in some way (bonus credit if the parser can surface the actual problem!)
Active (<insert timestamp for when the cfg was loaded>) + existing "n paths" message : a config file was loaded and will be applied (assuming the convolution box is checked and something is playing obviously), the timestamp is important so you know *when* the cfg was loaded (as it doesn't reload changes to the cfg file on the fly)

mattkhan · « **Reply #19 on:** February 03, 2016, 10:29:52 am »

some more ideas that sound simple but no idea if it fits in 1hr

- add checkboxes to allow the user to choose which channels are shown in the analyser
- add up the total allocated buffer sizes and report the buffer latency in the audio path somewhere in the dsp studio window
- provide time of day timestamps in the generate logs output (or just extend the date format in the existing 1st log line from "03/02/2016 16:20" to "03/02/2016 16:20:21.123" (am assuming the 1st column in the logs is ms precision btw)

Castius · « **Reply #20 on:** February 03, 2016, 10:52:40 am »

Fix dark skins for experimental tag window.
http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=101448.msg707910#msg707910

Thanks

rudyrednose · « **Reply #21 on:** February 03, 2016, 11:41:51 am »

Multiple instances + media server : add a number to the MC server taskbar icon.
I recently started to use multiple instances. For the MC server, there is no way of knowing which one is the one I want to close (I have a main server, but open a second instance to do cleanups on a different database). The main server has to remain active, there is TV recording occuring, can't close the wrong one...

kstuart · « **Reply #22 on:** February 03, 2016, 11:42:30 am »

A simple text file log of Failed Recordings and why they failed, is missing from JRiver MC21, yet present in every other hardware DVR and software system.

It is essential for replacing WMC as a TV system.

Thanks!

Awesome Donkey · « **Reply #23 on:** February 03, 2016, 11:55:49 am »

Three things that go together...

1. An option/toggle to set the default between display view and detach display when double clicking on album art in the tree.

2. Additional cover art scale options; 600x600, 800x800 and 1000x1000. This would act as an absolute size limit with no upscaling or downscaling, especially when resizing the detach display window.

3. Add option to open album art (depends on the default set in request number 1) in the right click menu > Cover Art. Something like "Show cover art". This is useful for those whom don't have the tree open or use hotkeys to use display view or detach display.

kstuart · « **Reply #24 on:** February 03, 2016, 12:19:09 pm »

Quote from: Awesome Donkey on February 03, 2016, 11:55:49 am

Three things that go together...

1. An option/toggle to set the default between display view and detach display when double clicking on album art in the tree.

2. Additional cover art scale options; 600x600, 800x800 and 1000x1000. This would act as an absolute size limit with no upscaling or downscaling, especially when resizing the detach display window.

3. Add option to open album art (depends on the default set in request number 1) in the right click menu > Cover Art. Something like "Show cover art". This is useful for those whom don't have the tree open or use hotkeys to use display view or detach display.

An option somewhere in "Options":

Never Show Cover Art

(Currently, no matter what setting exists, if you open an unimported folder using Windows Explorer, it shows the cover art full screen.)

Thanks !

tzr916 · « **Reply #25 on:** February 03, 2016, 12:21:55 pm »

1. Theater view: Ability to enable/disable AUTOMATIC edl commercial skipping via a check box in Tools>Options and/or on the fly with a remote button (like down arrow toggle).

2. Theater view: Show commercial skip markers in timeline.

3. Client: Theater View button to "refresh cover art from server".

4. Server/Client: Theater View button to "restart MC" (NOT restart the PC).

imugli · « **Reply #26 on:** February 03, 2016, 02:13:43 pm »

Quote from: rudyrednose on February 03, 2016, 08:03:32 am

In Theaterview, live OTA TV. When listening to a program and we go to the guide, a live PIP of the current show would be reaaaaly nice !

Doesn't this already happen? If I'm watching TV and press "Guide", I get taken to the Guide and the program I'm watching gets shown in the bottom right. Or do you mean the currently selected show in the guide?

xpto · « **Reply #27 on:** February 03, 2016, 05:04:04 pm »

In Standard View for each Playlist/Smartlist/Playlist Group there's a 'Notes' field where you can add your own relevant info. I like it and it's helpful to store any info you so desire.

"Click here to add notes" is the default message in that field just below the "Created on:" timestamp.

If you add an http:// URL to that field you cannot click on it as if it were a hyperlink. It's just text, not an hyperlink. Example: http://www.imdb.com/genre/animation

Instead, you need to highlight it, copy it to clipboard and paste it in your browser.

It would be intuitive, if you type an http:// link in that 'Notes' field for it to become automatically clickable.

Thanks

xpto · « **Reply #28 on:** February 03, 2016, 05:22:07 pm »

In Standard View and inside the Content Pane if you select a range of items - by clicking on the 1st, shift-clicking on the last - and now you press on one of the "Links", say "IMDB" all what happens is that it passes the 1st item you selected to the "Link" you pressed.

It would be intuitive if it would act on each one the list of items in the range you selected, essentially repeating the "Link" action for each of the items in the range.

Perhaps a small dialog box would be needed if the number of items in the range exceeds some predefined value: "Are you sure you want apply "Link" action to more than xx items?" or similar.

Thanks

Ark :D · « **Reply #29 on:** February 03, 2016, 05:47:45 pm »

I'd like to suggest adding a method to eject discs while in Theater View.

My main HTPC has a slot-load DVD drive with no physical eject button exposed. An "EJECT" item under the "DVD" menu would be great so we can eject discs without dropping into Windows to do so.

Thanks!

Done

xpto · « **Reply #30 on:** February 03, 2016, 06:06:07 pm »

Last message for today.

The Media Sub Type "Short" cannot be queried by the "Get Movie & TV Info..." function.

This was recently extended to Media Sub Type "Concert" which is a welcome addition.

I find it not intuitive to have to change Media Sub Type "Short" to "Movie", run "Get Movie & TV Info", and then back to "Short" just to be able to get the relevant metadata.

Thanks

Done

rudyrednose · « **Reply #31 on:** February 03, 2016, 06:30:24 pm »

Quote from: imugli on February 03, 2016, 02:13:43 pm

Doesn't this already happen? If I'm watching TV and press "Guide", I get taken to the Guide and the program I'm watching gets shown in the bottom right.

You are right. Post edited : http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=102992.msg715090#msg715090 Thank you !
I think this is the second time I post this request ;-)

imugli · « **Reply #32 on:** February 03, 2016, 06:58:48 pm »

Quote from: rudyrednose on February 03, 2016, 06:30:24 pm

You are right. Post edited : http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=102992.msg715090#msg715090 Thank you !
I think this is the second time I post this request ;-)

NP :-)

You can make the PIP keep playing by unchecking Tools > Options > Theater View > Pause Playback when Entering Theater View

astromo · « **Reply #33 on:** February 04, 2016, 05:23:59 am »

For a TV recording, populate [Date] with [Date Created] as an initial default or if the "Get Movie & TV Info" scrape returns a null value as part of the Auto-Import process.

This would save messing about for sports recordings at the very least.

Matt · « **Reply #34 on:** February 04, 2016, 06:58:57 am »

Quote from: xpto on February 03, 2016, 06:06:07 pm

The Media Sub Type "Short" cannot be queried by the "Get Movie & TV Info..." function.

This was recently extended to Media Sub Type "Concert" which is a welcome addition.

I find it not intuitive to have to change Media Sub Type "Short" to "Movie", run "Get Movie & TV Info", and then back to "Short" just to be able to get the relevant metadata.

Thanks

That one was pretty easy, so what the heck!

Next build:
Changed: Files marked as "Short" can be looked up with the Get Movie & TV Info... tool.

Matt · « **Reply #35 on:** February 04, 2016, 07:09:27 am »

Quote from: Ark :D on February 03, 2016, 05:47:45 pm

I'd like to suggest adding a method to eject discs while in Theater View.

That was pretty easy too!

Next build:
NEW: Added an "Eject disc" command to the Theater View disc tool selection menu.

Ark :D · « **Reply #36 on:** February 04, 2016, 07:17:32 am »

Awesome! This is why I already love this product. Thank you!

Matt · « **Reply #37 on:** February 04, 2016, 07:48:34 am »

Quote from: Ark :D on February 04, 2016, 07:17:32 am

Awesome! This is why I already love this product. Thank you!

Hey, we aim to please.

And just a little disclaimer that the eject command will eject all the attached drives since there isn't a specific drive selected.

RD James · « **Reply #38 on:** February 04, 2016, 08:02:35 am »

Sorry, 10 lines or less:

1. Program asks if you want to quit if there is a download in progress.
2. Option to prevent new panes from flashing.
3. Option to use the madVR OSD instead of the JRiver mouse UI with full-screen video to stay in exclusive mode.
4. Prevent auto-complete from filling in information from files that users should not be able to see.
5. Per-zone Playing Now customization. I don't need to see disc # and track # for videos. Director is not a useful field for music.
6. Consolidate auto-import errors into a single pane, instead of an error message that blocks playback commands.
7. Support rules to exclude files from import, to prevent import errors in the first place.

apostos · « **Reply #39 on:** February 04, 2016, 08:10:52 am »

A check mark to indicate which column preset the user is using. You’ve got them for active columns and column alignment.

JimH · « **Reply #40 on:** February 04, 2016, 08:16:49 am »

Quote from: RD James on February 04, 2016, 08:02:35 am

Sorry, 10 lines or less:

1. Program asks if you want to quit if there is a download in progress.
2. Option to prevent new panes from flashing.
3. Option to use the madVR OSD instead of the JRiver mouse UI with full-screen video to stay in exclusive mode.
4. Prevent auto-complete from filling in information from files that users should not be able to see.
5. Per-zone Playing Now customization. I don't need to see disc # and track # for videos. Director is not a useful field for music.
6. Consolidate auto-import errors into a single pane, instead of an error message that blocks playback commands.
7. Support rules to exclude files from import, to prevent import errors in the first place.

I moved your requests to a different thread. The list was long and some were outside the scope of this thread.

imeric · « **Reply #41 on:** February 04, 2016, 08:26:50 am »

Quote from: rudyrednose on February 03, 2016, 08:03:32 am

~~In Theaterview, live OTA TV. When listening to a program and we go to the guide, a live PIP of the current show would be reaaaaly nice !~~

Edit.
Sorry. Waited and moved from 20.132 to 21.25. PIP appears in Pause, and pressing Play brings me back to full screen.
I never thought to hit Pause again

MC never ceases to amaze me

The default should be changed so it doesn't pause. It seems to confuse everyone.

Same for the default time-shifting on analog devices as it will allow the colossus to bitstream AC-3

JimH · « **Reply #42 on:** February 04, 2016, 09:42:42 am »

I've moved a couple of multiple request posts to new threads. Please read the first post in this thread.

imeric · « **Reply #43 on:** February 04, 2016, 10:02:56 am »

Library:
Backup/Restore: Add TV, Video and audio checkboxes for ability to separate them and import/export on other PCs
File library and Tags: Similar to the Import log, have one for tag changes
Import library a little smarter when files are moved around outside of MC but still within the watched folder especially if the filename doesn't change and only the folders.
Ability to manually change the date imported field

xpto · « **Reply #44 on:** February 04, 2016, 10:05:40 am »

Ok, thanks Matt, good to know about the "Tooltip" library field. I wasn't aware of this functionality.

Also, thanks for this one:

Next build:
Changed: Files marked as "Short" can be looked up with the Get Movie & TV Info... tool.

imeric · « **Reply #45 on:** February 04, 2016, 10:06:34 am »

For TV:
-Ability to go back a few days in theater view guide. Would be very handy
-In standard Television view in the drop down for days go up to 21 days + ADD: Series Name, Description and Season/Episode to make it easier to work on subscriptions.
-For subscriptions please combine by search rules and by time as it would make it a lot more flexible to adjust subscriptions.
- Respect Tuner Priority from both the Managed device list and preferred tuner even when tuners are in use ESPECIALLY for recordings.

Matt · « **Reply #46 on:** February 04, 2016, 10:08:00 am »

Quote from: blgentry on February 04, 2016, 10:03:42 am

Wow! I've wondered about this for a while and had no idea [Tooltip] was available. Would you mind sharing the template that MC uses for the tooltip by default? By template, I mean that text that is displayed if [Tooltip] doesn't exist.

It uses a pile of C++ code for the default template. I suppose most of what it's doing is possible with an expression, but it's over my head to try to draw that up right now.

RD James · « **Reply #47 on:** February 04, 2016, 12:04:02 pm »

Can Music Videos also be enabled for lookups? (media type: video, sub type: music)

Done

wburkett · « **Reply #48 on:** February 04, 2016, 12:22:39 pm »

Here's one: when editing the rules in a smartlist, provide a tooltip or "?" or something to give a user a clue about using the "("'s and "["'s to logically group the rules in the Rules pane. I kept trying to figure out how to AND and OR rules and only accidentally stumbled on the ('s and ['s ... there is no visual clue on that pane to let a user know that they can do this. It's a great capability - but it's completely invisible if you don't know it's there.

Bill

Yaobing · « **Reply #49 on:** February 04, 2016, 01:38:20 pm »

Quote from: imeric on February 04, 2016, 10:06:34 am

For TV:
-Ability to go back a few days in theater view guide. Would be very handy
-In standard Television view in the drop down for days go up to 21 days + ADD: Series Name, Description and Season/Episode to make it easier to work on subscriptions.
-For subscriptions please combine by search rules and by time as it would make it a lot more flexible to adjust subscriptions.
- Respect Tuner Priority from both the Managed device list and preferred tuner even when tuners are in use ESPECIALLY for recordings.

Most of these (except the first one) are on my list. They can not be achieved within one hours of coding.

INTERACT FORUM

Author Topic: Too Easy III -- Keep Those Requests Coming -- Please read the first post (Read 114836 times)