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[Fabricio]

Hello,

How to disable Play Doctor?

Regards,

Fabricio, from Brazil.

[JimH]

You can't. 

[Chasoscar]

       I just havent taken the time to get use to it...... but is there anyway to have my Last "Playing Now" come up (like it use to)without displaying the Play Doctor prompt each time I start MC?

[rick.ca]

Disable General > Advanced > Clear PN on exit. That won't get rid of the PD dialog, but it will be replaced when you resume playing the list. If that's not good enough, enable Startup Actions > Start playing current playlist.

[Chasoscar]

Thanks Rick...... That works!

[Fabricio]

Thanks ...

[AoXoMoXoA]

Disable General > Advanced > Clear PN on exit. That won't get rid of the PD dialog, but it will be replaced when you resume playing the list. If that's not good enough, enable Startup Actions > Start playing current playlist.

Is there a way to do this and have MC automatically Pause the playback immediately?

I hate seeing the Doctor, I don't have health insurance.
Why must he be so 'in your face'?

[rick.ca]

Why must he be so 'in your face'?

That expression generally refers to something or someone commanding your attention, whether or not you want to give it. It hardly seems appropriate here. The dialog is passive, and only appears if nothing is playing—in a space that would otherwise be empty. The better question is, why are you looking at Playing Now when nothing is playing? Maybe you need to change Startup Interface > Location to something else.

[Pjotr]

You can't.  

But I want to.

The question has come up several times. I have most time no use for the Play Doctor, as many others do. So please give us the option to turn it off completely instead of working around the guy.

[rick.ca]

So please give us the option to turn it off completely instead of working around the guy.

It's not doing anything—what is there to "turn off"? Maybe if you could explain what it is you have to do to "work around" it, we could understand what the problem is.

[Pjotr]

Well, the guy is prominently in the foreground without doing anything indeed. Except confusing other members in the house. Believe me they all get bored of that Doctor just standing there.

Before the doctor came around when I stop a track I still have the cover art in display in the Playing now window, which is more logical than a screen for which there is no use. A great feature is to look up Youtube for associated content. When a Youtube clip has ended there is that doctor again instead of staying at Youtube to select another clip of interest.

[Vocalpoint]

It's not doing anything—what is there to "turn off"?

You are missing the point. Just because it's not "doing anything"...doesn't mean that I want to see it as a defualt (or use it). Truth be told - if it is truly not "doing anything" then I REALLY do not want to see it.

This thing is in the way over here during more processes than I care to list - especially after Playing Now completes.

I suppose if it actually worked at all - I might think differently about it and give it a chance. But I have spend literally years ensuring that my files are meticulously tagged and organized and PD still has no idea what the heck it's doing.

Finally - as is the case with other "touchy" areas of MC - let's please not assume that just because a certain feature is in the program - that everyone should be subjected to spending extra energy and click time trying to get rid of it.

I vote for an option to shut this off.

VP

[JimH]

Expect no changes.

[Vocalpoint]

Expect no changes.

Appreciate your attention to this request.

VP

[JimH]

As a workaround, you could tell MC to start in a different location or to start playing the current playlist.  Both are in Tools/Options/Startup.

You could probably also use the developer tools to start up playing an image or video:
http://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/DevZone

Play Doctor is only shown when nothing is playing.

[rick.ca]

Before the doctor came around when I stop a track I still have the cover art in display in the Playing now window, which is more logical than a screen for which there is no use. A great feature is to look up Youtube for associated content. When a Youtube clip has ended there is that doctor again instead of staying at Youtube to select another clip of interest.

There's nothing "logical" about displaying a cover for something no longer playing. It's clearly more logical to display a tool that provides a means for playing something else. There's already a links bar where you can provide contextual links to anything you like (like associated Youtube content). But it might be helpful and less confusing if other options for what to do next (after a playlist has ended or been stopped) were presented in the same space. Something like...

• Resume
• Clear
• Another playlist
• Another selection (navigate back to last used media view)
• Play Doctor

"Another playlist" would actually be a user-configurable short list of favourite playlists or smartlists. While the experienced user can choose such things by other means, this would be helpful for the secondary user or guest who is unfamiliar with the UI.

In context, it would be more clear what each option was for, and hopefully PD would be less offensive to those who don't use it. It would surely make PD less intimidating for those unfamiliar with it's function. Presented alone, it's understandable such users might react with, "What the heck is this for? I just want to play something else!"

[Fabricio]

There's nothing "logical" about displaying a cover for something no longer playing. It's clearly more logical to display a tool that provides a means for playing something else. There's already a links bar where you can provide contextual links to anything you like (like associated Youtube content). But it might be helpful and less confusing if other options for what to do next (after a playlist has ended or been stopped) were presented in the same space. Something like...

• Resume
• Clear
• Another playlist
• Another selection (navigate back to last used media view)
• Play Doctor

"Another playlist" would actually be a user-configurable short list of favourite playlists or smartlists. While the experienced user can choose such things by other means, this would be helpful for the secondary user or guest who is unfamiliar with the UI.

In context, it would be more clear what each option was for, and hopefully PD would be less offensive to those who don't use it. It would surely make PD less intimidating for those unfamiliar with it's function. Presented alone, it's understandable such users might react with, "What the heck is this for? I just want to play something else!"

Good ideas ... 

[Pjotr]

Hello Rick,

Thank you for you suggestions. Maybe these are of use for you but for me not much of help. I have nothing against PD, when other users are happy with it and like it, that's fine fore me.

There's nothing "logical" about displaying a cover for something no longer playing. It's clearly more logical to display a tool that provides a means for playing something else. heck is this for? I just want to play something else!"

There are almost countless features and tools in MC. Imagine they all show up when not of use at that moment.

I'm a long time happy user of MC. I have about 4000 albums on my server, most classical and jazz. Classical music is rather complex to organise because of the many entries you can have, that's quite different from pop music. Here MC stands out the rest because of its tremendous library capabilities such custom library fields and almost endless search capabilities. Its layout is also customizable to a great extend, which is nice. So I use MC as an excellent librarian tailored to my needs and as a player with excellent high quality playback and lately excellent DSP capabilities. I  use it almost never as a radio.

When listening to classical albums I listen to an album as a whole most time, not separate tracks. Even play lists are not of much use in this regard because a complete album is most time a piece by itself. Or I search for a specific piece or track based on criteria I choose.

But now there is that PD coming nervously in and out. I simply don't ask or have a need for suggestions what next to play. That is of no use for classical music and jazz also most time. When listening to my music I make my own choices. Until PD came up MC served me excellent, but now that PD is irritating for my use and for many others IMHO. I don't understand the reluctance to put him in the side bar and come along when requested. I have no problem when PD is doing his research in the background but telling me proud his findings unasked, I am simply not so happy with.

[Vocalpoint]

I don't understand the reluctance to put him in the side bar and come along when requested.

+1. Me either. Or have a simply check box that says "Use Play Doctor". This would be the best solution making everyone happy - except the MC devs of course - who cannot seem to justify or explain just "why" this "feature" is necessary - given the super charged system for creating playlists in MC.

To me - PD is just an annoying third rater that continues to frustrate when compared to the power of my Smartlist collection.

VP

[HTPC4ME]

Why is it when software companies make changes like the play doctor - that they cannot offer to disable these functions? i personally havent touched it either, nor ever will. BUT it doesnt bother me either... does it screw up the whole program if there is an option to show or hide a feature? i run into this often with other programs i use... Sometimes i wish i never updated due to the fact i don't like the changes or new features made, and they don't give me an option to disable it.
Thanks for clarification

[JimH]

Just set MC to start somewhere other than Playing Now.

[Vocalpoint]

Just set MC to start somewhere other than Playing Now.

Jim,

Is it possible for MC to "go" or display something else once an album has finished playing under "playing now"? This is the only part of PD that is frosting my corn - how it suddenly "appears" out of nowhere once a selection of tracks has wrapped up.

If I can get MC to do some sort of re-direct..that would be cool for me.

VP

[JimH]

Try Options/General/Behavior.

Try Playback/Continuous.

Try Theater View.

Try Deep Breathing.

[Pjotr]

Just set MC to start somewhere other than Playing Now.

That makes the option to automatically switch to "Playing Now" useless for me when playing an album. And that was just such a nice feature. I have that window split in a track listing at the bottom and the accompanying cover art on top when listening to an album.

[Vocalpoint]

That makes the option to automatically switch to "Playing Now" useless for me when playing an album. And that was just such a nice feature. I have that window split in a track listing at the bottom and the accompanying cover art on top when listening to an album.

As do I

VP

[4BYE]

Funny reading this topic. I was also searching for something to change the option of seeing PD when I was exploring MC16. It didn't upset me that much but since this topic exists I also vote for an option to disable it. I cannot really explain why but it bothers me too. I'm used to the old way I guess. The fact it's empty means it played my files...

I think it's more logic to have it somewhere else and choose when you want to use it.

[rick.ca]

Why is it when software companies make changes like the play doctor - that they cannot offer to disable these functions?

Because adding options, even when necessary, adds complexity and invites further confusion. As one who often asks where something is or how to activate some feature, you know adding an option for this will result in others asking (even if it's on by default), "Where did PD go?" An option like this needs better justification than, "I don't like it in my face." The suggestion to "breathe deep" might seem dismissive, but it's perfectly legitimate. Why can't you choose to ignore it?

I offered a positive suggestion as to how the same UI space might be used for a more complete set of actions to choose from when a playlist is stopped or ends. I have no expectation that will implemented, but the fact it was ignored is telling. Clearly, in the context of what I described, removing PD would be unnecessary and completely inappropriate. So in the absence of any good reason for such an option, I can't help but interpret this request as, "I've chosen to dislike this thing rather than to ignore it. Please provide an option to remove it."

So my request to JRiver is this: Please don't clutter my already confusing array of options with unnecessary choices. And please use your own good judgment to resolve your users' hopelessly irreconcilable differences of opinion.

[JimH]

I removed a couple of unhelpful posts and locked the thread.

This issue has been discussed at length.  I'm sorry some don't agree with us.  In the end we have to make a decision and move on.  There is no subject about MC that is without opposition.

We can either spend time discussing the merits of what we've decided or we can work on the parts which we believe are weak.

I'm sorry if anyone feels slighted.  It's not intentional.