INTERACT FORUM
More => Old Versions => Media Center 11 (Development Ended) => Topic started by: marko on September 27, 2005, 04:04:16 pm
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had to see before going to work...
First observation...
The coverart slideshow could maybe use a little tweaking, unless it's also being used as an advertising vehicle?
It showed me this, among others, when playing a coldplay track...
(http://www.theganghut.co.uk/pics/ia/dis.jpg)
more tomorrow. must go earn some pennies :)
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In 11.1, we're trying the Display Screen in a new location, in the lower left corner.
When you're playing audio, MC will display the cover art for a while, then begin to display other images from the Internet. We'll continue to work on the performance.
Here's a screenshot:
(http://www.jriver.com/~jriver/misc/displayscreen.jpg)
A full size image is here: http://www.jriver.com/~jriver/misc/displayscreen2.jpg
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So where does it gets the pictures from? Is it a web server or? I just tried to play back a file and all kind of weird pictures were shown... none of them had anything to do with the band I was playing.
Also, what about lo-res screens? I have a 1024 x whatever-it-is and I would imagine it wouldn't work out that well on lower screen resolutions.
-Rasmus
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So where does it gets the pictures from?
From the Internet....
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Well, I think maybe Alpha testing is a little too adventurous for me. On a positive note, I think I've recovered all my data. But 11.1.028 did get into a shoving match with 11.0.314, and both ran off with bloddy noses, never to be seen again. Issues with permissions, dll's, furry critters.
I did get a chance to look at your image thingy, and I think I see where you're headed with this, but for a trollish naysayer like myself, is there any way to turn it off? I kinda like my cover art.
Much impressed with jriver's quick foray into 11.1 territory, 11.0 having been released so very recently. Look forward to future developments!
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Nice idea, those random pics in the display. Seem to be loosely connected with what's playing, apart from the odd spreadsheet and what looks like a chinese menu. Track info is a bit useless in that tiny space though.
Am I going to have to delete that desktop icon with every release? I don't have desktop icons.
I had to remake my toolbars as well.
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Change media mode does not work in Lib Browser. The drop down box does not drop down. Mine is stuck on "All Media".
The new display window is okay but it is not resizable or scrollable. Therefore, I can not view all my lyrics. I do see an option that says "Enable Scrollbars" but it didn't seem to do anything. No scrollbar on a window with lyrics that are outside the window size.
Is there a way to get the Track Info pages back in the Playing Now window? I can see how to change it in the new display window but if I want to see lyrics in Playing Now, I can't see how to do it. The new display window is just too small for lyrics. (I'm using the "Art and Lyrics Only" track info plugin). For those of us on a laptop being able to configure screen real estate is important.
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Change media mode does not work in Lib Browser. The drop down box does not drop down. Mine is stuck on "All Media".
The new display window is okay but it is not resizable or scrollable. Therefore, I can not view all my lyrics. I do see an option that says "Enable Scrollbars" but it didn't seem to do anything. No scrollbar on a window with lyrics that are outside the window size.
Is there a way to get the Track Info pages back in the Playing Now window? I can see how to change it in the new display window but if I want to see lyrics in Playing Now, I can't see how to do it. The new display window is just too small for lyrics. (I'm using the "Art and Lyrics Only" track info plugin). For those of us on a laptop being able to configure screen real estate is important.
Double-click the display to go full screen.
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Double-click the display to go full screen.
It didn't for me. I got there from the little button in the upper left. Double clicking did nothing. Full screen allowed me to see all my lyrics but, it is not very configurable as far as using it with other windows open. I will be going back to the 11.0 builds as it seems more configurable. I'm not complaining as 11.0 was good for me. Just my opinion.
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doesnt that seem a little unnecessary? whereas the ogg vorbis fix (or perhaps the mysteriously paused second track) would be kinda more crucial?
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From the Internet....
Can we make some sort of image repository that MC users can add to? I have a few I could add. ;D
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Word up, Datdude. I think a server-based cache of cover art would solve a lot of questions, and maybe get a virus scan also. . .
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How bout some sort of like/dislike freature as well. If an image sucks or doesn't relate at all, then you diss it. Use a little bit o' math so that any photo that is dissed so many time(maybe a ratio) gets removed.
Another idea, is maybe a cookie that stores that id's of the images last played so that when a an artists is played again, the same images will not be displayed if there are ones that have not been.
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The new display window is okay but it is not resizable or scrollable. Therefore, I can not view all my lyrics. I do see an option that says "Enable Scrollbars" but it didn't seem to do anything. No scrollbar on a window with lyrics that are outside the window size.
Okay, I just fired up the program again and the scrollbar was there now. I don't know why I didn't get it before. Works now though.
To be honest, I don't quite understand this new display. I got some pretty wierd images like what looked like a floorplan for an auditorium. ?? I'm trying to figure out why someone would want to view various, unrelated images while listening to their music. Oh well, to each his own, I can bypass it by selecting a track info display so no harm.
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One More Idea:
Now that the tree view is recieving more focus, there should be tabs at the top that lets you switch between tree view, playing now, and maybe some sort of IM between MC user's. The playing now should be there for sure. I always liked winamp and foobar having a playing now list off to the side for easy access.
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If I understand you, you're talking about the left side of the screen where the ActionWiondow and Tree are. I agree, but I would add that the Playing now under that column should get some special, sticky status. Right now, I don't feel I can depend on it, so I use (waste) a split view on Playing Now, which otherwise would be a visi or a db view.
As for the IM, I think the time has come, and I'm the last one to try new things. Open source, secure IM is there for the taking. Naturally, jriver admin woulde overhear everything, to make sure we aren't trading stuff, and to pick up on new ideas.
Like / dislike--you've been following Google, or you work there. I think user ratings on everything is what's going to give jriver the db they can market like cddb. I would also recall your idea some months ago about a relational song-picking engine . . .
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I wish I worked there. They told me to I wasn't smart enough. :P As for the playing now, what do you mean by sticky status?
And yes, I think I did have an idea about a relational song picking engine. Tell me more about that again... :)
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This is my opinion.. I don't like this. I understand it's an experiment.
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....Any fixes or new features will appear in 11.1. In this build the Standard View's display has moved to the Action Window position -- double click for full screen. It's an experiment. If you don't like it, please start a thread on it.
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K..
I *think* I could get quite used to the display being down in the left hand corner.
We really need an option to disable the playback slideshow internet image search for coverart
If I block access to the internet image search at firewall level, instead of using the stored coverart, the display goes black and announces "no images to display"
While it has not actually happened yet, a couple of the displayed images drifted quite close to being XXX adult images. Provacative Agnetha & Frida wannabes were a pleasant distraction ;) but it's what set the warning bells a-ringing here.
Could we perhaps have the option "Full Screen > Display #1 (default) / Display #2 available in the display context menu?
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Personally I'd like to be able to toggle having nothing at all displayed or taking screen space.
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I always liked winamp and foobar having a playing now list off to the side for easy access.
Now I can understand why anybody would even think of putting the Playing Now where it is now. Like some others, I don't like it. I use the MultiInfo track info view because I like seeing the cover art and the lyrics at the same time, and Playing Now at the top of the playing now list fulfilled that beautifully.
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I think the slideshow thing makes a nice option but it should be as an alternative to cover art view not instead of... Track Info pages are useless if the display is in the action window area...
Just my 2c
Adam
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Suppose the display was just cover art, and if the slide show started when you clicked on it? We could put a hyperlink at the bottom that said "more" to start it rolling.
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Suppose the display was just cover art, and if the slide show started when you clicked on it? We could put a hyperlink at the bottom that said "more" to start it rolling.
That would be better, but as it sits, I do not like it at all.
In my opinion this makes the Track Info Templates useless... This was a Big part of MC for me.
I would like to see the Track Info templates revert to the old location, and the Slideshow thing stopped... Especially if it's just getting random images from the net... Why in the world would I want to see that?
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Suppose the display was just cover art, and if the slide show started when you clicked on it? We could put a hyperlink at the bottom that said "more" to start it rolling.
Sounds like a good idea.
Personally, I hate when programs do things without my "permssion" especially when it involves going out onto the web.
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It's a cool idea, but it needs a filtering process for every artists... it's amazing to see the pictures it's pulling from the internet for the artist that I'm currently listening to:
Air Liquide.
I see pictures of labs, air tanks, trucks, graphics, charts, etc...
Later.
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I think the slideshow thing makes a nice option but it should be as an alternative to cover art view not instead of... Track Info pages are useless if the display is in the action window area...
Just my 2c
Adam
I agree with this completely. I like the addition of the cover art in the action window, and I love the idea of the associative image viewing (as an option, not a standard), but I liked having the track info too. Having an option to still use the track info from it's original position would be ideal.
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The display on top of Playing Now has been nice when I have played image slideshows during music playback. Here are some screenshots I have posted previously:
(http://www.adart.fi/mc/pix/fu-tourist.jpg) (http://www.adart.fi/mc/pix/fu-tourist.gif) (http://www.adart.fi/mc/pix/yellopocket_thumb.gif) (http://www.adart.fi/mc/pix/yellopocket.gif)
Click these two images to enlarge.
(http://www.adart.fi/mc/pix/careywithout.jpg)
I tested the new system quickly. This is not possible anymore.
I don't like to show arbitary downloaded images. I have currently about 5600 high quality tagged artist and album cover images in my library.
BTW, have you tried to watch a video with the current display?
IMHO the new display placement should be optional.
Actually, what is the original goal with this placement change? It has already been possible to put the display in the Windowed mode, scale it to small size and place it anywhere on the screen and on top of other applications.
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Maybe a compromise and best of both worlds option is vertical split screens? The cool new slideshow would just be another playing now option.
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I would like to see the Track Info templates revert to the old location, and the Slideshow thing stopped... Especially if it's just getting random images from the net... Why in the world would I want to see that?
Actually, what is the original goal with this placement change? It has already been possible to put the display in the Windowed mode, scale it to small size and place it anywhere on the screen and on top of other applications.
My thoughts as well..
I have never really used action window to display cover art since i dont use 1400 x 1600 resolution but less than that. So PN is usually all the way to the left during playback and opened only if i need to look something up or make an update.
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When I am working with video files I use this display mode:
(http://www.adart.fi/mc/pix/intothefire_tn.jpg)
Click to enlarge. (http://www.adart.fi/mc/pix/intothefire.jpg)
Ripping my Babylon 5 videos was a huge project in itself, but after that I did a lot of sorting, renaming and tagging before the 110 episodes were in perfect order. MC's database and display (the old one) were perfect tools for the job.
I suppose I could arrange the windows like this: (using MC11.1 at its current state)
(http://www.adart.fi/mc/pix/windowedmode.jpg)
... but two separate windows are not as handy as one. It is much easier to scale and move around only one window. I do that all the time when I'm working with files.
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MC 11.1 installed first time, no fuss.
Now, if I had my druthers:
(1) "cover art" would be static, and "slide show" would be a separate choice.
(2) The Display window would go back to where it was above the Playing Now list. The little Cover Art window would be separate, not associated with the Display window. I seldom run the MC display fullscreen, but I like my mental picture of GForce in the Display window at the top half of the screen, plus the cover art in the lower left.
FWIW . . .
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The problem with it being just "Windowed Mode" is exactly that. It's just one more window to contend with. As with the previous versions, the "Playing Now" display window is even less convenient in my opinion, because if you want to watch a video you are playing or see the cover art of a album or file you are playing, you have to be in "Playing Now" to see it, or have it in "Windowed Mode" which, again, gives you just one more window to contend with.
In it's current state, the display window is imperfect. However, the idea and the placement of the "Display Window" can, in my opinion, only serve to better the MC experience. I can't even begin to count how many times I've wished the display was visible when browsing pictures, videos, and listening to albums. Without the need of having to run an extra window, or navigate to the "Image" selection of the "File Properties".
I don't know, maybe I'm just babbling. But it all makes perfect sense to me. I'm all for it. If anything, make it an option before getting rid of it completely. This is one feature I've been dying to see in MC for at least the past 3 years.
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MC 11.1 installed first time, no fuss.
Now, if I had my druthers:
(1) "cover art" would be static, and "slide show" would be a separate choice.
(2) The Display window would go back to where it was above the Playing Now list. The little Cover Art window would be separate, not associated with the Display window. I seldom run the MC display fullscreen, but I like my mental picture of GForce in the Display window at the top half of the screen, plus the cover art in the lower left.
FWIW . . .
I agree with both points, make "slide show" an option in the drop down menu.
From JarredH:I can't even begin to count how many times I've wished the display was visible when browsing pictures, videos, and listening to albums. Without the need of having to run an extra window, or navigate to the "Image" selection of the "File Properties".
It would be perfect in addition to, rather instead of the original "playing now" view.
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I would like to have it working like this:
The main Playing Now display should be like it is in MC 11.0. It is possible to hide it with the Splitter Bar when needed.
In AW the "File properties" already has the Image window display option. It could be moved under the main AW. It could have at least two selectable display options:
1. Work as before: show the image associated with the selected files and have the image specific functions available. This would also allow having a text based file information window visible together with the image window.
2. Clone the display from the main Playing Now window and have the same display options available here also. When the main Playing Now display is hidden with the Splitter Bar this would work like the 11.1.028 display does currently.
The new function for showing "internet images" could still be a display option. It is a separate thing from the window placement. An option for showing all images from the audio file folder in a slideshow would be even more useful.
I'll try to make some screenshot mockups for demonstrating this better.
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As with the previous versions, the "Playing Now" display window is even less convenient in my opinion, because if you want to watch a video you are playing or see the cover art of a album or file you are playing, you have to be in "Playing Now" to see it, or have it in "Windowed Mode" which, again, gives you just one more window to contend with.
This is easily possible with 11.0. Just use the Split View.
You can run the video in one of the splits (use the Splitter Bar in that split for hiding the PN track list).
Another split can show something else.
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I would like to have it working like this:
The main Playing Now display should be like it is in MC 11.0. It is possible to hide it with the Splitter Bar when needed.
In AW the "File properties" already has the Image window display option. It could be moved under the main AW. It could have at least two selectable display options:
1. Work as before: show the image associated with the selected files and have the image specific functions available. This would also allow having a text based file information window visible together with the image window.
2. Clone the display from the main Playing Now window and have the same display options available here also. When the main Playing Now display is hidden with the Splitter Bar this would work like the 11.1.028 display does currently.
The new function for showing "internet images" could still be a display option. It is a separate thing from the window placement. An option for showing all images from the audio file folder in a slideshow would be even more useful.
I'll try to make some screenshot mockups for demonstrating this better.
I hope everyone's had a nice Summer. I've been off playing in the sun (we get so little of it up here).
I've got to say though, I agree fully with Alex. Don't take away my Playing Now. If you want to have an Action Window "display" window ALSO, that would be fine (and even useful for pictures and whatnot) with me.
The "Internet Pictures" option should be a "Display Type" choice (as in Cover Art, Visualizations, Track Info, G-Force, WhiteCap, Internet Slideshow, etc).
I wanted to say though, way to think creatively! 11.1 (or whatever it ends up being called) should be a good one.
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Just tried 11.1
It all looks quite exciting ;D
but i agree with the others, i want to be able to put my vis
window back in it's original position,
and have slightly more relevant images...
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Something interesting just happened.
MC was playing Sarah McLachlan with the fangled new cover art option..
and it hit a website which required a digital certificate and popped up
and explorer box asking for one ::) sadly i don't have one to provide.
Would it be possible to have the image menu for this also?
I'd love to be able to grab some of the images that are flying by!
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I agree with the fact that it is do-able with "split-view". However, it is impractical in my opinion. Split view tries to squeeze too much into that side of my screen. I already use the upper and lower part of the list view. I've not yet become a fan of the "Library Browser". So the right side of my MC window is always full of information in "Media Library" view (i.e. categories, lists, etc.). Splitting it up only makes it that much more cluttered.
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I agree with the fact that it is do-able with "split-view". However, it is impractical in my opinion. Split view tries to squeeze too much into that side of my screen. I already use the upper and lower part of the list view. I've not yet become a fan of the "Library Browser". So the right side of my MC window is always full of information in "Media Library" view (i.e. categories, lists, etc.). Splitting it up only makes it that much more cluttered.
Im confused. You don't like the current implementation of the split views or you don't like the new display screen on the left?
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Im confused. You don't like the current implementation of the split views or you don't like the new display screen on the left?
I love the implementation of the display screen on the left. I don't like the idea of using split view to view it on the right instead. I think the new display screen on the right is a great idea. It just needs some tweaking.
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Yea, I think with wide screen hd tv's, media apps like MC need to take advantage of this space. MC ought to allow for better control of the left side tree view. I really don't like how the action window takes over and minimizes everything. :P
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A couple of mockups.
The track image and tag info windows are visible at the same time. A full resolution video is running in the main display:
(http://www.adart.fi/mc/pix/video.jpg)
A tagging view with the track image and video displays. The main display is cloned to the new display window:
(http://www.adart.fi/mc/pix/tagging.jpg)
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I like the look of Alex B's mockups.
The real issue I had with 11.1's display handling was that I couldn't modify tags while display was open. This was particularly problematic for tagging photos ~ I liked being able to have the image displaying while I was filling out tag info.
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Who's the girl in the image?
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We expect to have another build today and it changes the new display window.
Again, it's experimental, so try to be patient in your critique. Please tell us what you think.
The old Playing Now display is restored exactly as before.
The new Action Window display will show cover art for the track that is playing.
Internet search is at least temporarily disabled.
Once we find a reasonably acceptable overall solution, we can fine tune how it works.
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Sounds good Jim :)
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Internet search is at least temporarily disabled.
If it is toggle-able, I'm game for it.
Many here have a limited account, you get charged a steep price for each minute over your monthly hours.
My router is set to connect for any external (internet) request.
I listen to many more hours of music than I have hours of connect time.
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The newer version is here:
http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?board=3;topic=29788.0
It looks like we've got the flakey install problem fixed as well.
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MC 11.1.31
One or both of the "Image" windows should be renamed. The old one is under the File Properties. They could be e.g. Image (playing now) and Image (selection).
The new display window should be moved under the main Action Window and it should have a close button like the other items have. Currently it is not possible to close the minimized window when an audio track or video is playing. It would be better to have that space available for the Tree.
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The new display is unnecessarily active during video playback. It stays empty also when the video has an associated still image.