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[dkan24]

Where is the talk on Hairstyle?  Any news, updates, thoughts?  

I think it has been a few months since JimH said it would be a few months.  

Let's get it rolling again!  

[sraymond]

I'd love to get excited about Hairstyle improvements...  it's the Hairstyle that brought me to MC.  But it's my humble opinion that the days of evolution haven't been sufficiently rewarding.  We need a revolution!

MC's Hairstyle lags behind the free myHTPC.  MusicLobby (and it's various ...Lobby's) is better than Hairstyle, but costs way more than many of us are willing to pay.

I don't think there are any secrets to what would make Hairstyle better...  So we need to wait for JRiver to deliver, *or* we need to content ourselves with what we have (which is still pretty good).

Scott-

[salsbst1]

Last time I looked, MusicLobby didn't do it for me.... it was so touch-pad-centric... I'm a traditional remote control guy until the "next round of funding" comes through.

I'm looking forward to another round of Hairstyle improvements myself.

That Matt took the time to re-enable the screen saver while hairstyle is active was HUGE for me, though.  So I won't berate anybody at this point.  Heck, maybe I should never, ever berate anyone again.

9.1 release must be imminent...hmmm... maybe it *is* time to beat this drum again....
...gently.

[Buckaroo]

I think that there are three areas that need improvement here. Only one is truly on-topic, but I think that the three are intimately related for HTPC folks like myself:

1) Hairstyle (HTPC) interface flexibility and customizability. MyHTPC should be benchmark.

2) Video media playback quality and customizability. Zoomplayer should be benchmark.

3) Timeshifting interface. myHTPC (w/top100 plug-in) and Showshifter should be benchmark.

For #1, I want to see the following:
- Skinability
- Ability to launch external apps with selected media files (would be a stopgap for issues in #2).
- Speed improvements
- Mega-me-style 'currently playing' area that is always visible.
- Flexible & dynamically-sizable preview area

For #2 I think we need:
-  Adjustable zoom and overscan with user-definable presets
- Custom source and desktop aspect ratios.
- Better overlay interface

And for #3:
- Integrated program guide (free though XMLTV)
- Dynamic 'record now', 'record this program', and 'season pass' based on program guide.

I'm sure I could think of much more, but this is enough to start with.

[sraymond]

Buckaroo,

Spot on...  especially with the "benchmarks".  But I really do remain convinced that JRiver knows what needs to be done - we've generated "lists of features" more than a couple of times.

Perhaps JRiver needs to hear more people say it, though...  there are lots of voices for audio, but relatively few for video and hairstyles.

Maybe we can start a petitoin?  I mean, heck, if they could recall Davis, surely the power of signatures is a force to be reckoned with!

Scott-

[hit_ny]

Nice post buckaroo...certainly enlightened me to the possibilities.

Im curious to know why ppl use hairstyle. Its pretty & all but if you dont use a remote control is it that useful ?

[salsbst1]

I would guess not.  I would guess that a majority hairstyle users interact with their PC almost exclusively via IR remote.

[salsbst1]

Let's have the stuff about support for video  (#s 2 and 3 above) be a seperate petition, though.  I think some number of us (well, I for one) have great desire for hairstyle improvements and very little interest in the video features.

[lOth]

Perhaps JRiver needs to here more people say it, though...  

I've given up on that and I'm now just waiting for Meedio to be out.

[sraymond]

I've given up on that and I'm now just waiting for Meedio to be out.

What's Meedio?  http://www.mediameedio.com/?

Scott-

[sraymond]

I would guess not.  I would guess that a majority hairstyle users interact with their PC almost exclusively via IR remote.

Or IR keyboard.

Scott-

[lOth]

What's Meedio?  http://www.mediameedio.com/?

Looks like Meedio will be the name for MyHTPC 2.

[dkan24]

I went to that meedio site.  If their site is an advertisement for their interfaces, they are in big trouble.  

Is myHTPC coming out soon?  What improvements will it have?

[jfmus]

I am right there with you all. I have been using MC since version 7, and I purchased it initially because of the hairstyle ability. The improvement on the original jukebox is fantastic, but I am still waiting for the upgrades to the hairstyle functionality. This is what I use MC for primarily. I use an RF remote to control the system in the office from the living room. Works well, just not as well as it could. I do have to say though, that 9.1 is shaping up to be an awesome program. Keep up the good work......

jfmus

[lOth]

I went to that meedio site.  If their site is an advertisement for their interfaces, they are in big trouble.

LOL.

No the right address is http://www.meedio.com
Which basically is the MyHTPC website.

If you have a look at the forum, you'll quickly see that MyHTPC 2 (Meedio) is much awaited (impatience borders on pathology for some users) but that the release date is unknown (at this point I wouldn't dare saying anything else than 'before the end of this year').

I'm no programmer, but my sense is that the architecture of Meedio will be radically different from that of MyHTPC and that it should be pretty easy for someone with some skill to develop a plug-in that makes use of both MC's database and MyHTPC's great (at least far better than HairStyle's at this stage) front-end.

[sraymond]

Is myHTPC coming out soon?  What improvements will it have?

There's talk that it (Meedio aka myHTPC2) will be out sometime in the one to six month timeframe.

If you want to know what it does, check http://www.myhtpc.net.  I've been using myHTPC as a front-end for launching MC - this gives me added functionality such as weather, kids games, internet browser, etc..   I hadn't checked the forums in quite some time (which is why I was thrown by the Meedio name).

I think the crux of the improvements is an increased flexibility in customization.  I doubt it'll compete with MC vis-a-vis the database functionality - but until JRiver improves Hairstyle, I continue to appreciate the *great* (and free) product.

Scott-

[Buckaroo]

Scott-
I think we're kindred sprits. I'm using myHTPC right now as well, but I want an integrated front-and-back end. I want an HTPC friendly Media Center!!!!!!

10th-
I'm as excited as you (and presumably Scott) are about Meedio, but I *love* MC's deep and powerful tagging capabilities and dynamic playlists, and I *really* want to make it the center of all of my media PCs (right now I have 2- one in the living room for audio and pictures, and one in the Home Theater room for DVD, media files and TV).

I Love this software, and I won't give up (or shut up) until we get the Hairstyle that we deserve!

Hmm... that wasn't quite the Henry V speech I was thinking it would be. I think I'm about ready for that petition.

Ah well,

...Jim?

[lOth]

10th-
I'm as excited as you (and presumably Scott) are about Meedio, but I *love* MC's deep and powerful tagging capabilities and dynamic playlists, and I *really* want to make it the center of all of my media PCs (right now I have 2- one in the living room for audio and pictures, and one in the Home Theater room for DVD, media files and TV).

I Love this software, and I won't give up (or shut up) until we get the Hairstyle that we deserve!  

Totally agreed. I think that database-wise Meedio will remain as far behind MC as HS, front-end-wise, will remain behind Meedio (not sure that this is very clear, but I guess you understand what I mean). There is no way I will drop MC when Meedio is out: all the tagging, making playlists, smartlists, etc will remain done within MC, I don't think that Meedio will be able to compete in this area. I love MC too, but I don't think that HS will see any time soon the improvements we're looking for, especially now that it looks like MC's main and immediate competitor will be, not in the HTPC area, but in the AAC playing, transfer to iPod, and online music buying area, if you see what I mean.

This is certainly a pity to people like me who don't own an iPod and have no intention to shift either for AAC or for a nice-looking program that will probably lack sophistication. But what can we do about it? I guess that's just how the market is.

[eruji]

Just another cry out for an improved Hairstyle. I too use myhtpc as a front end and need an easy user interface to mediacenter.

[Buckaroo]

10th-
I think that you're right on about market forces dominating development (which is just fine). Hopefully, JRiver will see that with the impending release of the next-gen XP MCE machines, there's a real opportunity to get a bunch of good David and Goliath press and gain customers in a growing market.

Let's try and keep a Hairstyle thread on the front page.

[BigAl]

"One remote to rule them all".  

MC is truly awesome as a library.   Once you've ripped, tagged, analyzed, organized, rated, zoned etc. you just want to play right?  And you want to show off all your good work to your mates/spouse/dog etc, so it's gotta be easy to use.  And this is social, so it's gonna be displayed on the big TV, sound via the AV rig - the HTPC.  This is where hairstyle should come in to its own.  What I need is:

* lock in hairstyle mode (too easy to escape out of now)
* easy, intuitive navigation
* view & play playlists (inc random play)
* view "playing now" list
* Reorder playing now list
* browse the library (by Album, Artist....) and send tracks to playing now
* Rate a song while it's playing
* Player controls - Play/Pause/Skip/Volume/Mute (always visible)
* My wife says - "This is sweeeeet- so easy!"

Ideally, all with an IR remote (this is the hard bit).  I'd compromise to PDA control - Hairstyle on an IPAQ!

Most of this is already there - it's just not intuitive at the moment.

I've looked at myhtpc but not used it in anger.  What are the key features the you guys like about it?  Do you use a mouse or an IR remote?

To make life easier for the JRiver guys, maybe we need to come up with a "must have" features list for hairstyle.  There's a million things they could do - what's mandatory for you guys?

The back-end of MC is perfect, we've just got to "sex up" the front end.  Get it right and hairstyle will become the key selling feature for the product.

Al.

[dkan24]

"One remote to rule them all".  

The back-end of MC is perfect, we've just got to "sex up" the front end.  Get it right and hairstyle will become the key selling feature for the product.

Al.

Especially for the 20 people I know who would buy MC9 in a heartbeat and display it on their plasma.  The htpc is definately an emerging market.  And as I have said before - port MC9 to Linux, and build a set-top box out of it.  HS is extremely important.  

[sraymond]

I've looked at myhtpc but not used it in anger.  What are the key features the you guys like about it?  Do you use a mouse or an IR remote?

You should use it - if for nothing else than to get a better appreciation for what Hairstyle should be.  Why were you angry?

Other than the cleaner interface, I like the added customability:  I can add my own nodes for whatever I want for increased functionality.  I currently use a "weather" node and a "games" mode (for my five year old).  Of course, the first node I added was one for MC.

I used a remote for a bit, but ended up liking an IR keyboard better.

Scott-

[sraymond]

I wonder if someone is willing to take the time to distill a bunch of threads into an updated list of "new features" that are needed to make Hairstyle complete.  I did some searching on INTERACT and came up with the following threads as a start:

Jul 28th - http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?board=3;action=display;threadid=9671;start=msg1059404743

Jun 19th -

May 19th - [url=http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?board=3;action=display;threadid=9671;start=msg1053328742]



May 8th - [url=http://www.musicex.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=MediaCenter;action=display;num=1052401903;start=6#6]http://www.musicex.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=MediaCenter;action=display;num=1052401903;start=6#6

May 1st - http://www.musicex.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=MediaCenter;action=display;num=1051831927;start=2#2

April 13th - http://www.musicex.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=MediaCenter;action=display;num=1050262472;start=17#17

Some lists have already been started - though I'm sure some of the items have been implemented.  And I'm sure there are new items as well.

Scott-

[Buckaroo]

It'd be great if we could get a sticky thread here. I did a video playback list a while ago, but a master list that we all agree to keep bumping would work well. I could take a stab at it in the next couple of days if you folks want. I'll use the same format as above, breaking it down into Hairstyle, Video Playback, and Timeshifting. Let me know if folks want to see anything else.

Takers?

[slikvik]

I agree,

Note: Untick autohide in Hairstyle setup and configure your remote to switch between Hairstyle and Fullscreen playing now. That should fix the problem of Hairstyle closing when you don't want it too. Works great.

Feature request.

I would love the ability to add modules to Hairstyle like myHTPC and Showshifter. Showshifter has a MAME arcade one which really shows the power of it. You could then also add things like digiguide support etc.

Regards

Vic

[dkan24]

getting to the bottom.....

bigity-bump!

[modelmaker]

Just want to add my vote for improvement as well. HS was one of the reasons I bought MC.

[bennyd]

yeah, for me too