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Usage scenarios

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gpvillamil:
This brings up an interesting point - we all have our own ways of doing things that influence our feedback.

For example, some people do music management on one PC and playback on another. Share libraries, multiple libraries. Access via media server or a via a shared drive. Others use the same PC. Some have multi-monitor setups, some a single monitor.

Perhaps it would make sense to build a poll around the usage scenarios?

jgreen:
GP--
Another great thread!  I'm definitely a 1b/1a user.  I started out with Audio only at my desk, mostly as a 1a, and then found I loved the program's precision so much I made more 1b time and added in additional media types.

Up until a few weeks ago I only brought MC into the livingroom by extension, and then only audio.  I would configure the playlist in my office and then send the analogue tap out to my preamp. 

I definitely believe in multi-monitor support/configurations.  While 1a works well with a single monitor, 1b is greatly enhanced by twin monitors, IMO, and I think theater view needs a mode that would be a regular view (say, on a laptop) with a theater view video tap out.

All the same, I think jriver's got a great UI for MC12 and I doubt it will be changing in this verson.  I think it's more important for us to understand our own usage scenarios and how that colors our impressions of the GUI's usability.

glynor:

--- Quote from: Doof on June 28, 2006, 08:54:02 am ---Exactly. :)

See, in my situation, I do all of my 1.b stuff on my main PC. Then for the Theater View PC, I just do a Library Update, and all of the tag changes I made carry through. Originally I tried using Library Server, but it's performance wasn't up to snuff (no APE playback was the biggest thing - I didn't rip all of my CDs to APE just to listen to MP3s on my surround sound). I don't actually create playlists on the Theater View PC. Now that I think about it, that's probably just because it's not really possible. But I don't miss it. I mostly just play individual albums on the Theater View PC. Come to think of it... I never really build playlists on my main PC either.

--- End quote ---

I generally do a hybrid of the two points-of-view.  Most of my "hard core" tagging (1b) gets done in my "computer room" on what most people would think of as a computer (though I do have 3 monitors, 2 mice, and a baby grand piano in there all connected to the machine).  While I do sometimes play music in there (and occasionally a video or two - when the wife is using the HTPC), it's usually a 1a type scenario (while working on something else).

Then I have my HTPC.  I use this system for the vast majority of my "home" media playback.  Generally I find that I don't end up using Theater View.  It's just too slow.  Yes, in Standard View the fonts are very small and navigation is more difficult using my remote.... But, I just suffer through usually.  Installing Window's large fonts helps (and increasing MC's font size a smidge), but basically I'm just lucky that I have good vision.  I too, like gpvillamil, find that I often do some tagging and organization work in front of the HTPC.  Now, it is eased by the fact that I have a full wireless keyboard and mouse out there (though the keyboard is usually put away in a drawer).  But, quite often you think about it when you're using it and that's where I use it the most.  If it annoys me that something is in the wrong Genre, I often "need" to fix it right then.  I also build a lot of playlists in front of the TV, usually a little at a time (just in Playing Now) while people are over for an informal "party" -- kind of DJ-ing.

I find that I just don't end up using Theater View for a couple of reasons:

1) It's often much too slow to get to what I want.  To many "clicks" are needed to drill down to what I want, and there's not a very easy way to visually ID where I am in any particular View Scheme heirarchy.  I think unifying Theater View with the new "Tiles" system could GREATLY improve it's usability here (along with using a system similar to OSX's Finder's "Column View").

2) Some of simple the features I often want are either not available, hidden, or too hard to use.  For example, there's no way to tell if Shuffle is on or off in Theater View.  There's no way to easily "Add as Next To Play" from Theater View.

Mostly, I use Theater View so that others can see easily what is going on.  For example, if I have a large group of friends over and we are trying to pick what movie to watch... I'll go through my "New and Unwatched" View Scheme in Theater View a page at a time.  Also, my wife uses Theater View quite a bit (her eyes aren't as good as mine and we don't have a nice high-def TV... yet).  But, she almost always just navigates to one of my "Smartlist" View Schemes and clicks play (with Shuffle turned on).  She never uses it to drill down to find specific media files... For that she'll switch to Standard View.

One of the biggest problems that I find with my method is that it isn't very "drunk friendly".  When I'm building a playlist with friends over in Standard View, it's far too easy to mess something up if you are less-than-sober.  If Theater View was playback only (no tagging at all -- as it is now), but was a LOT more functional for regular use, I would be a very happy camper!

Lastly, I use MC heavily as a DJ (3).  For that, there's little I've found that's better.  Multi-zone playback, and the multi-monitor support (with G-Force thanks to Andy), crossfade, and a big external hard drive are my friends!  I don't do any real "mixing" as a DJ so I have no need for any of the fancier DJ software applications (with looping and whatnot).  I mostly do weddings and corporate events (and parties for friends), so that stuff isn't needed.

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