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[glynor]

The main reason I don't use the Tiles/Browser method of navigating (with a few exceptions) is that it doesn't really make effective use of screen real estate, and it is significantly slower than using Details View + Panes or Tree Navigation in almost all cases (especially when it needs to build thumbs as seems to always be the case for me).

However, I would REALLY, REALLY love it if Theater View worked much more like the Tiles method of navigating...

For one example, when you use it in Thumbnail Mode, and then choose "Show Files" the file list is still in Thumbnail-like view.  This is fine for pictures, but for Audio and Video files (which often have long names) is less than ideal.  It also could really use the Thumbnail Size slider, and some method of configuring the Font, Spacing, and Wrapping options for the Thumbnails.  Currently, when in Thumbnail mode, I can't really see more than a few characters of what different items are labeled, which makes it very difficult to use and navigate:



(How is this useful?)

Moreover, I'd like for it to "remember" (similar to Standard View) that it was last used in Thumbnail Mode rather than List Mode, on a per-view scheme basis.  Some view schemes are much more conducive to being used in Thumbnail-type views, and some are more conducive in List.  I also strongly agree with a number of other posters who would like more Standard View like options for Jump On Play.  The current option of Jump on Play --> Full Screen is fine for Video, but not really ideal for Audio.

All in all, Theater View is improving, but still isn't really "quite there" yet.  All of these issues combine to make it so that I still rarely use Theater View for anything other than Video, and even then, I have to keep it in List View rather than the (would be nicer) Thumbnail View mode...

I really like the navigation setup (the left-right nav, the choices available, and the methods of "drilling down"), but the way it actually looks and the information it conveys are less than ideal in many ways...

Thoughts?  Comments?  Suggestions?

[Mr ChriZ]

I've really been considering writing something similar myself.
I've just been too busy/lazy to do so.
I'd really like to see spacing between the thumbnails.
I've always found it strange MC defaults to 0 spacing between everything,
this looks not so good to me.
Comparitivley something like Windows Media Center always puts
loads of space in (Screenshot)

One other thought is the lack of colour in Noire's Theatre View.
I know Noire itself is Grey, but for something in your living room,
a bit more colour would really be nice IMO.

[raym]

Great suggestions Glynor. I especially agree with this:-

I'd like for it to "remember" (similar to Standard View) that it was last used in Thumbnail Mode rather than List Mode, on a per-view scheme basis.  Some view schemes are much more conducive to being used in Thumbnail-type views, and some are more conducive in List.  I also strongly agree with a number of other posters who would like more Standard View like options for Jump On Play.  The current option of Jump on Play --> Full Screen is fine for Video, but not really ideal for Audio.

I'd also like TV to "remember" (similar to Standard View) where in a list I was at last when jumping in and out.

I agree, TV is really great. It still needs a little polish here and there though. Especially in the user config space. There are so many great "behavioural" options for standard view. Somehow, this has been over-looked for THeater View which is arguably where you want to be able to config this stuff the most since all you typically have to control the interface is a remote control.