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[Spike1000]

These are just my notes and not a step by step tutorial but they may help users setting up MC for the first time. Comments welcome.

Spike

Code: [Select]

By default "do not play silence (leading and trailing)" is enabled, turn this off.
Tools | Options... | Audio | Track Change | Do not play silence (leading and trailing) (UNTICK)

Tools | Options... | Audio | Volume Protection (TICK)

Disable the "run import on empty libraries" checkbox so you don't have to race the annoying import timer.
Tools | Options... | Library & Folders | Run import on empty libraries (UNTICK)

Tools | Options... | Library & Folders | Configure auto import | Tasks | Fix Broken Links | (set it to NO if you use NAS, I leave it set to YES as I make changes outside MC)

Tools | Options... | Library & Folders | Manage Library Fields... | Select 'Show a link checkbox' for Album, Album Artist Album Artist (Auto), Genre and Name

Tools | Options... | Media Network | Client Options (when connected...) | Audio Conversion | Conversion: Don't convert audio (SELECT)

Tools | Options... | Tree & View | Sorting | Ignore Articles
Tools | Options... | Tree & View | Advanced | Right click recent command count : 8

Tools | Options... | General Features | Turn off/on any required features

Tools | Options... | File location and check where the backups are going

Tools | Options... | Startup Interface | Location: Last Location
Tools | Options... | Startup Interface | Mode: Last Exit View

Tools | Options... | Services | YouTube Manage YouTube Account (Connect to YouTube Account)
Tools | Options... | Services | YouTube Playback Bitrate: Highest Available


Tools | Import. . . | Configure Auto-Import
Fix broken links Yes (protect files on missing drives)
Don't auto import.
Check additional tasks that Auto-Import should perform


Customise the display:
[Elapsed Time] // [Total Time] // [Remaining Time] - [Bit Depth] bit-[Sample Rate] kHz-[Bitrate (labeled)]-[Channels] Channel-[File Type] - [PN Position] of [PN Tracks]  [Zone]

Thumbnail Text:
[Name] ([File Type] [Bit Depth]bit [Sample Rate])

Customise the Top Bar
Right click just above the play button area and you should get "customize toolbar". 
separator Import separator Run Auto-Import Now separator Tag separator Toggle Thearte View separator Refresh separator Recently Imported


NOTES:
Tagging:
The Artist field supports lists: "Chet Atkins; Mark Knopfler" is two list items
Album Artist is singular: "Chet Atkins; Mark Knopfler" is a single item.

Volume:

In Options > Startup, there are a few volume related options under the header 'Startup Volume'.

Optimize volume for best sound quality This option maximizes the wave-out volume slider on startup. This prevents double volume and related sound quality issues on Windows XP and earlier. The option is harmless but unnecessary on Vista and newer.

System Volume
System Volume controls the master volume of the entire system. It is equivalent to clicking the volume system icon and adjusting the slider.

Application Volume (Windows versions only)
Application Volume controls the volume of only Media Center. This requires Windows Vista and newer. It is not recommended for the best sound quality because it adds another volume layer.

Disabled Volume
Disabled Volume disables any volume controls. This mode is useful if you send audio to an external device with a hardware volume, and you want to avoid the complexity of two volumes.

Internal Volume
Internal Volume applies volume inside the 64bit JRiver audio engine. This is the highest quality possible software volume. More on 64bit processing here Audio Bitdepth.
Internal Volume is useful in cases when hardware does not offer a volume, which is common with high-end sound cards and DACs.
As with any audio processing, Internal Volume does not work when bitstreaming. It also does not work with web browser based playback like Netflix.



[JimH]

Thanks for posting these.  I had been thinking about starting a topic on how we should set MC's defaults.  I know there are some things we need to to change.

I'd like to set our DLNA Server conversion of audio to "No conversion".  It currently defaults to MP3 because that is always supported but it's not the best choice for quality.

Photos and video should default to full screen display view when played.

File should be displayed when viewing an artist, etc.

[blgentry]

If you're looking for suggestions on default settings I have some:

Definitely:

Audio > Track Change > do no play silence > (unchecked)
Audio > Track Change > use gapless for sequential album tracks > (checked)
Media Network > Client Options > Audio > Conversion > do not convert
Tree & View > Sorting > Ignore articles > (checked)
Startup > Startup Interface > Location > Last Location

Maybe:
Library & Folders > configure auto import > tasks > fix broken links > No

Thanks for reading.

Brian.

[mwillems]

If you're looking for suggestions on default settings I have some:

Definitely:

Audio > Track Change > do no play silence > (unchecked)
Audio > Track Change > use gapless for sequential album tracks > (checked)
Media Network > Client Options > Audio > Conversion > do not convert
Tree & View > Sorting > Ignore articles > (checked)
Startup > Startup Interface > Location > Last Location

Maybe:
Library & Folders > configure auto import > tasks > fix broken links > No

Thanks for reading.

Brian.

I agree with Brian 100%; these are all settings that (I think) are not currently in line with what a user expects as a default.

[rudyrednose]

Thank you Spike1000 and Brian.

Speaking of settings, many times I have wished for all the options to be available in a single text editable file (be it xml or other text-like format).

The option menu system is nice when exploring, but when you want to modify a given setting and you have to peruse through all the menus is frustrating.

Any way we can have our cake and eat it too ? (current option system is fine)

[mattkhan]

Do you realise there is a search function in the options dialog?

[marko]

Indeed, and, maybe I'm missing something, but, I've never needed to worry about settings for a long time now, ever since they've been included in the library backups.

The new version finds the previous version library, and ports it across, along with settings. Everything is there except for plugins.
Seems a lot of work for something MC 'just takes care of' these days?

[Spike1000]

Do you realise there is a search function in the options dialog?

I didn't 
Then I read it in a post somewhere ages ago (it doesn't come up very often).
Then I forgot it again.
Now you've reminded me again 
I'll try and remember it this time. . .

Spike

(It's the one at the bottom of the options window in case other people have missed it as well, it's really neat!)
(Edit | Quick Search Ctrl+Q brings up another funky search option that I've not seen before. .  Every day's a school day )

[blgentry]

Indeed, and, maybe I'm missing something, but, I've never needed to worry about settings for a long time now, ever since they've been included in the library backups.

The new version finds the previous version library, and ports it across, along with settings. Everything is there except for plugins.
Seems a lot of work for something MC 'just takes care of' these days?

I don't think it's "wasted effort" to make MC's defaults better for most people than they are now.  Not that what we have now is bad.  It can just be better.

As for settings being migrated, I agree that this takes care of itself when you are moving a library.  But what about fresh installs for friends, relatives, etc?  I've done a fresh install at work recently-ish and had to manually set all of the settings because I didn't bring a library backup with me.

tl;dr :  I still think it's a good idea to review the current defaults and change a few of them; like the ones I mentioned above.

Brian.

[~OHM~]

I have so many PC's that I actually have MC loaded on one with no library. When I find a setting that I like and want to keep I boot up that PC make the change and of course make a backup...It works great.....

[marko]

Brian, agreed.