I'm also using Hairstyle via TV and Remote Control as my main interface to MC - no mouse, no monitor. With the current 9.1.x state of Hairstyle, I've settled on a fairly useable setup:
1. Customized Hairstyle's main.xml:
- remove the PIP (not enough space for it)
- make all buttons larger (for readability on a TV)
- make the clock bigger
2. Customize a TrackInfo visualization. Requirements:
- Readable on a small TV
- Show cover art
- Show visualization
- simple
I've set MC to load in Hairstyle mode. Using the remote, I can select images or music to play. Once Something is selected, it switches automatically to the TrackInfo visualization I've selected -- nice to read on any TV throughout the house, showing cover art and an equalizer.
Once I'm ready for something new, I press the "menu" button on my remote (this sends F11) and Hairstyle shows up again. Repeat.
Jaguu -- if you press esc, it sends MC back to full screen mode (I don't like this behavior either) - not good for a TV, but if you use F11, it toggles back to Hairstyle.
Here's some screenshots:
Combined with a ChannelPlus modulator w/ IR, I can listen, watch visualizations, and navigate my music from any TV in the house, and it's usable down to a 14" TV.
There's still several things that need some work. Here's my list:
- fix back button to it's own image
- magenta highlights unreadable on a TV
- show currently playing in Hairstyle
- option to NOT exit hairstyle mode when a playlist starts
- better control over what mode is displayed when playing starts/stops
- I also like the 'discrete' codes idea, for playing now, etc.
Thanks for all the great work, JRiver. This is truly an outstanding product. I eagerly await it to mature a little more!
JW