Topic: To play or not to play; add your 2 cents worth here. (Read 3266 times)

LCtheDJ · « **on:** July 25, 2002, 10:53:33 am »

What's your preference - should a media player start playback on any action other than one you have specifically chosen for playback?

For instance, I expect playback to start when I hit the 'Play' button. It should also start to play when I double-click a track, if I have set up in preferences to 'play' on double-click. I expect files NOT to start playing when I drop them on 'Playing Now', or send to, or add to 'Playing Now'. Currently this is NOT how MJ works but that's what I would expect. Does your standalone hardware CD player start playing without pressing the Play button?

Do you want full automation, or do you want choices? Add your 2 cents worth here.

(For those of cultures unfamiliar with the term or monitary system, "Adding your two cents worth" means to express your own opinion on the subject.)

scodan · « **Reply #1 on:** July 25, 2002, 11:28:18 am »

I'd of course like to have the option to play or to append upon drag-and-drop to "Playing Now", but in lieu of that, I'd prefer for dropped files to be appended to the list.

Mirko · « **Reply #2 on:** July 25, 2002, 11:40:05 am »

It should be "optionized". So, if you (and me, in fact) prefer to not start playing if you add a file the software should serve you.

(did I had to write "playing, if you add a file, the"??)

Scronch · « **Reply #3 on:** July 25, 2002, 12:23:40 pm »

This is another one of those new user issues. I think the concept of Playing Now confuses new users. I explain to friends that Media Library is like a cabinet holding all your CD's, and Playing Now is the CD tray in your CD changer. So music in Playing Now is available to be played now.

Beating that analogy to death, I suppose some CD changers do automatically start playing when you push the tray in, but I would think most don't.

My preference is to make it an option. I could then see making the default 'Play' to keep newbies on track, but most seasoned users would probably change to 'Append'.

My first reaction is that this isn't a big deal, but I always find myself turning the volume to zero while I load up Playing Now, then stopping playback, then bringing the volume up, then double-clicking the first song; so I guess it is a significant issue.

Scronch

Bob L. · « **Reply #4 on:** July 25, 2002, 12:51:19 pm »

I prefer initiating play manually. If it's automatic, wouldn't I have trouble building a playlist by adding to playing now?

Regards,

Bob L.

Martin · « **Reply #5 on:** July 25, 2002, 01:09:09 pm »

but I always find myself turning the volume to zero while I load up Playing Now, then stopping playback, then bringing the volume up, then double-clicking the first song;

That's how I do it and if you read it like that it doesn't sound very intelligent.
Please make it an option.
It would also be nice to be able to see the library (including individual songs) and the "playing now" list at the same time.

I have been using MJ for two weeks now. It is the greatest jukebox I've seen so far and I'm definitely going to buy it.
Keep up the good work

Martin

Erik Jan · « **Reply #6 on:** July 25, 2002, 01:11:20 pm »

If I right-click a file and select "Send to/Playing Now/" I get to chose from
-replace
-add (to end)
-add (beginning)
-add (as next to play)
-add (play now)
-add (shuffle).

How about making these six available as options for the default behaviour of "Add to Playing Now"?

I just upgraded to 336 and it seems the default now is 'add (to end)' where the files to be added are optionally shuffled (if that playback option is set) before adding them to the end of the playing now list.

Personally I find this the most logical way of adding files.

The fact that playback is started (if it's not already been started) is not really a problem for me.... If I've got MJ up and running it's playing music anyway

(it's automatically starting at MJ startup as well)
However it does not really make sense to me either. I'd opt for waiting with playing files until I actually hit the play button.

Chico · « **Reply #7 on:** July 25, 2002, 01:42:30 pm »

I would prefer to have it as an optional setting as well. If having it optional is not an option, then I choose to not start when adding to Playing Now.

Chico

phelt · « **Reply #8 on:** July 25, 2002, 02:07:11 pm »

I prefer to start playback manually. I'm glad that I read about this before downloading - I will cease updating MJ so I don't have to deal with this. Autoplayback would be nice as an option, probably the default if there is confusion for new folks. I like Erik Jan's suggestion about options.

scodan · « **Reply #9 on:** July 25, 2002, 02:16:15 pm »

I prefer to start playback manually. I'm glad that I read about this before downloading - I will cease updating MJ so I don't have to deal with this.

Lucky you ...I wish I hadn't updated. I'm going to revert now.

sub-24 · « **Reply #10 on:** July 25, 2002, 02:21:20 pm »

If something is already playing - then when i add something to play now i like it to add into the list at the bottom.

If nothing is playing and i want to start from scratch i would like to finish my selections and then click a start button when i'm ready.

Doesnt everyone do it like this.

Why not - weird

HKMN · « **Reply #11 on:** July 25, 2002, 02:51:10 pm »

I like manually start playback as well. I don't like automatic thing at all. Either make an option to enable/disable this feature or return it as it was.

LCtheDJ · « **Reply #12 on:** July 25, 2002, 03:15:29 pm »

Just a short note here; did you notice this? If you have a list of songs in Playing Now, the player is stopped, and you click the player control button for Next or Previous - the track selection moves to Next or Previous AND begins to play.

Thanks for the replies and for keeping it friendly. Please continue.

AlonsoN · « **Reply #13 on:** July 25, 2002, 04:37:30 pm »

I like having play start when tracks are added to playing now.

Because life tends to go like this:

(Thought) Humm, nothing is playing.
(Action) Select tracks to play, send to PN
(MJ) Play starts.

If play did not start, then Action would immediatly have to be followed with anothter Action: Pressing Play. Which seems to me to be one step too many. Given that for me I never add tracks to PN without not wanting play to start, then how MJ works is great.

My default action for double-click is Add to PN(to End), and like I said, I would always want play to start. I suppose we could request that there be another option in Options that said "If play is stopped, start if something is added to PN"

FWIW my NAD cd changer has a button on the tray that when pressed closes the tray and starts playing the disk adjacent to it, and I almost always use that button. Saves a step.

sekim · « **Reply #14 on:** July 25, 2002, 04:49:12 pm »

Optional.

In LCs' case I can see why this could be a problem. However an optional toggle for anyone wanting it their way would be nice. Set it however you feel is right for new users, but at least give those who have been using MJ for a while a choice.

Callithumpian · « **Reply #15 on:** July 25, 2002, 07:23:15 pm »

It's not real important to me but I do occasionally like to gather a few things into PN and then play them. Particularly when I'm aiming for a particular effect.

It's a bit like telemarketing.
People ring (at dinnertime) and ask "Have you considered cladding your house in our new wonder product"
Answer: "When I want new wonder product cladding, I'll let you know"

So, when I say "Add to playing now", that's what I mean.
When I want to "Play", I'll press "Play"

As I say, for me it's not a big issue, but I can understand that it might be for some.

Durgame · « **Reply #16 on:** July 25, 2002, 08:41:30 pm »

Vote for the below:

So, when I say "Add to playing now", that's what I mean.
When I want to "Play", I'll press "Play"

Wile · « **Reply #17 on:** July 25, 2002, 08:46:04 pm »

Gotta say I agree with the majority here. I would rather push play than have it play by itself... it's the same reason I turned off Autorun on my cd drives. Found that down right annoying.

For myself, I'm gonna stick with 8.0.334 until this gets sorted out one way or another. It's not a huge deal, but no sense upgrading just for it to get changed back in a build or two.

X <---- Deposited $.02 right there

apollumi · « **Reply #18 on:** July 25, 2002, 08:58:11 pm »

i prefer starting manually. however, i was surprised to see automatic playback as a new feature. in previous builds, if playing now was empty and you added files it would automatically start, so this wasn't exactly new to me. i guess now it automatically starts wether playing now is empty or not.

Henrik L · « **Reply #19 on:** July 26, 2002, 01:16:26 am »

It should really be a option, not something JRiver thinks a user would like...

What I WOULD like to do :

Step 1 : Have a clear "Playing Now"
Step 2 : Add a few songs
Step 3 : Add some more songs
Step 4 : Add all songs from one artist
Step 5 : Reshuffle "Playing Now"
Step 6 : Pushing the Play button

That I can't even do now

(It start playing when I add the first song

)

-----

Media Jukebox PLUS 8.0.334
Install Path: C:\Programmer\J River\Media Jukebox\

CPU: AMD Athlon 899 MHz MMX
Memory: Total - 523 MB, Free - 345 MB
OS: Microsoft Windows XP Workstation 5.1 (Build 2600)

Internet Explorer: 6.0.2600.0000
ComCtl32.dll: 6.00.2600.0000
Shlwapi.dll: 6.00.2600.0000
Shell32.dll: 6.00.2600.0000
wnaspi32.dll: 4.60 (1021) , ASPI for Win32 (95/NT) DLL, Copyright © 1989-1999 Adaptec, Inc.
Aspi32.sys: 4.60 (1021)

LCtheDJ · « **Reply #20 on:** July 27, 2002, 03:52:47 pm »

Replies seem to have dropped off now. The majority seem to think it would be a good idea to have this feature as a selectable option, so how about it J River? Can you accomodate them?

ZRocker · « **Reply #21 on:** July 27, 2002, 04:06:58 pm »

I don't like the new auto-Play feature either...just doesn't seem right...sometimes I'm playing tracks already, so it doesn't matter...but, when I'm not playing tracks currently, I don't want MJ starting playback automatically just because I'm adding to (building) a Playing Now playlist...suppose you're on a conf call and all the sudden MJ just starts blarring because you decided to multi-task and build a Playing Now playlist (uncool!). I vote for a user selectable option for auto-Play behaviour or nuke the new auto-Play feature!

Ilmar · « **Reply #22 on:** July 28, 2002, 02:32:49 pm »

HI

Just to add mine.....

Autoplay would not work for me either. This is one of the less attractive features of Windows Media Player, that until now MJ had dispensed with.

Whilst on that subject, whenever I use Media Player, it wants to everything but play the item I select, wandering off to web pages or trying to start a radio station. I mean if it had a brain of its own, and is soooo great, it would do the ironing or make the coffee.

Yup, let the user stay in control. MJ's geatest strength!

Ilmar

Scronch · « **Reply #23 on:** July 28, 2002, 05:34:22 pm »

This caught me again last night. I had stopped playback, was loading up PN, and when I turned the amp volume back up, a song was already playing. I'd like to be able to turn autoplay off.

Scronch

LCtheDJ · « **Reply #24 on:** July 29, 2002, 01:01:45 pm »

In the thread "AutoPlay", JimH says that the autoplay feature will be an option in version 8.1, which could be out in a couple of weeks.

Thanks for all the input on this one!

-LCtheDJ

JimH · « **Reply #25 on:** August 06, 2002, 05:41:05 pm »

This option is now available in the 8.0.343 build:

http://www.musicex.com/cgi-bin/interact/NeoBoard.pl?Action=ShowPost&Board=inter&Post=12778

Thanks for your valuable feedback.

LCtheDJ · « **Reply #26 on:** August 06, 2002, 06:01:59 pm »

It's mostly there, but not ALL there yet. I still get autostartup when I click on the Next and Previous player buttons; and when I do a "right click/Send to/Playing Now - Add (as next to play)".

Media Jukebox PLUS 8.0.343
Install Path: C:\Program Files\J River\Media Jukebox\

CPU: Intel Pentium 4 2385 MHz MMX
Memory: Total - 523 MB, Free - 350 MB
OS: Microsoft Windows 2000 Workstation 5.0 Service Pack 3 (Build 2195)

Internet Explorer: 6.0.2600.0000
ComCtl32.dll: 5.50.4704.1100
Shlwapi.dll: 6.00.2600.0000
Shell32.dll: 5.00.3502.5436
wnaspi32.dll: Internal ASPI Layer

LCtheDJ · « **Reply #27 on:** August 07, 2002, 03:30:37 pm »

With 8.0.345, I no longer have playback start when a track is added to Playing Now, but I still get autoplayback when I click on the Next and Previous player buttons.

J River policy maker: What is your position on making playback start only when given commands specifically to start play?

KingSparta · « **Reply #28 on:** August 07, 2002, 03:55:43 pm »

everything but play should play, play should stop.

I hope this helps

INTERACT FORUM

Author Topic: To play or not to play; add your 2 cents worth here. (Read 3266 times)

LCtheDJ

Scronch

Bob L.

Martin

Erik Jan

Chico

phelt

HKMN

LCtheDJ

AlonsoN

sekim

Durgame

Wile

apollumi

LCtheDJ

Scronch

LCtheDJ

LCtheDJ

LCtheDJ