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[StFeder]

Call me stupid, but I didn't get the point...  ?
Can anyone explain the "shuffle automatic"-mode to me? 

I see how to activate it, but I don't see what happens

[skeeterfood]

I believe the point is that if you've selected a single album and hit play it does not shuffle it, but for anything else it automatically shuffles the tracks as it adds them to playing now.

At least that's how it seems to work.

-John

[mojave]

From the changelog for build 12.0.245

12.0.245 (5/29/07)

1. Fixed: Download progress action window resized incorrectly after displaying time remaining.
2. Changed: Theater View Lineup view right-aligns icons so that long titles get more room when necessary.
3. Fixed: Package Installer was being called on every MC12 execution under Vista with UAC enabled.
4. Changed: Theater View files menu contains a "Play All" item to play all visible items, starting with the selected item.
5. NEW: Added "Automatic" shuffle mode -- shuffles playback when playback is started without specifying a file. (like playing a genre grouping, etc.)
6. Changed: Non-silent license acquisition is not attempted for protected content using WMDRM greater than v1.
7. Fixed: Some characters could show incorrectly in Theater View News stories.
8. Optimized: Many optimizations to the handheld enumerator to better deal with empty drive bays, etc.
9. Optimized: Reworked how Media Center detects device arrival and removal to not load WMDM or require a background thread.
10. Changed: Since WMDM is no longer used by the Media Center process (save for specific device plugins), devices that can't handle access from two programs at the same time will work better.

[StFeder]

I read the changelog. But this didn't help me  So I asked.
Thanks, john! Just to proof that I'm right with it now: it is the same like "shuffle", it only differs if I chose some (or only one?) complete (and not complete?) albums?

[eba]

That's quite cool...
What would also be nice would be if you could do 'Add (shuffle into remaining)', which would add the selected files, then shuffle everything below the currently playing track.

Also...
If a shuffle can be based on when an individual album is selected, how about gapless playback?  I love the fading track changes, but they really mess up certain albums (e.g. anything by Pink Floyd!) and I always forget to switch to alternate settings...

Cheers

[glynor]

It looks like you're pretty clear now, but just in case, I'll let Matt explain... (From the Beta board):

When you play something with a mixture of artists and albums, it'll shuffle.  Think picking "Classic Rock" from Theater View or the panes.  In this case, there's no good reason to always start with Abba. (even though Abba starts with A)

If you play a single artist, album, or start at a specific file (like a double-click in a list), it won't shuffle.

[StFeder]

It looks like you're pretty clear now, but just in case, I'll let Matt explain... (From the Beta board):

Thank you. Now I'm clear :-)

[skeeterfood]

That's quite cool...
What would also be nice would be if you could do 'Add (shuffle into remaining)', which would add the selected files, then shuffle everything below the currently playing track.

I've been requesting this for a long time.  Guess the JR guys either always listen to full albums, or select everything they're going to listen to before they add it shuffled...

I still don't understand why Shuffle (non-automatic) mode doesn't work like this:
1) Select a bunch of files/albums/... and Play
-> Files are shuffled and replace current Playing Now
2) Play a few/many files
3) Select some more files/albums and Add to Playing Now
-> Files are shuffled into remaining un-played files
I'm in shuffle mode, I want my music shuffled...

What good is the current mode?
1) Select a bunch of files/albums/... and Play
-> Files are shuffled and replace current Playing Now
2) Play a few/many files
3) Select some more files/albums and Add to Playing Now, or Add (shuffled)
-> The Selected Files are shuffled and added to end of Playing Now
What kind of shuffle is that?

3a) Select some more files/albums and Add (shuffle all)
-> The Selected Files are added to Playing Now and the whole thing is shuffled
Great, now I get to listen to all those songs again.

3b)  Select some more files/albums and Add to Playing Now
-> The Selected Files are shuffled and added to end of Playing Now
4b) Select all the files in Playing Now after the currently playing track, right-click and select Shuffle
-> All files are re-shuffled, not just the selection.  Maybe it should be called "Shuffle All"
Not intuitive.  I thought a right-click was the "context" menu.  I guess sometimes the context is the selected files and sometime it's all of Playing Now?

3c)  Select some more files/albums and Add to Playing Now
-> The Selected Files are shuffled and added to end of Playing Now
4c) Select all the played files in Playing Now and remove them
5c) Shuffle
-> Finally, what I wanted, but that's a pain.

-John

[glynor]

I agree Skeeterfood, so long as they DON'T change the behavior of Add to Playing Now (as Next To Play), because I use that in combination with Shuffled lists all the time (for special requests).  Otherwise, I'd say your proposition of changing Add To Playing Now so that when Shuffle mode is enabled, should shuffle the tracks into the tracks from the currently playing track down (not including the ones that have likely already played), is a great one!

[Matt]

There's normally no such thing as "unplayed files".  The player loops.

Use reshuffle (Ctrl+R) to reshuffle everything.

[Matt]

If you're really trying to skip files you've heard recently, you could use View > Access Control to have Media Center skip files that have been played recently.

Try an Access Control filter like this: (only show / play files that haven't been played for 30 minutes)
[Last Played]=>30m

[datdude]

I nice option would to allow filters on playing now specifically, not the entire program such that mc plays more highly rated songs, and songs that have not been played as often, etc...

[Matt]

I nice option would to allow filters on playing now specifically, not the entire program such that mc plays more highly rated songs, and songs that have not been played as often, etc...

You could do that with a ~mix smartlist.  For example, 60% 5's, 30% 4's, 10% everything else.

[datdude]

Right, the`mix' feature and other smartlist options are there for great playlist creation in MC.  I guess I just want to avoid that single  step (I am really lazy) of adding them to playing now manually and rather have playing now auto apply these settings kind of like in that 'other' program.

[mark_h]

One thing I'd love to see, and have asked for before, is an option to have MC, upon startup, select a specified playlist/smartlist and repopulate playing now with it - thus every time you start MC it would grab a new selection of tracks and start playing without any user intervention.

Mark
 

[marko]

One thing I'd love to see, and have asked for before, is an option to have MC, upon startup, select a specified playlist/smartlist and repopulate playing now with it - thus every time you start MC it would grab a new selection of tracks and start playing without any user intervention.

Mark
 

You can do that right now by using a customised shortcut to launch MC.
I use the commands to launch MC using the 3 audio preset buttons on my Logitech keyboard and it works well.

Something like so: MC12.exe "/playreplace TREEPATH=Playlists\viewscheme groups\Logitech\preset3"

---------

I really like this new auto-shuffle mode, it just works so well, but as has been mentioned elsewhere, it really needs it's own icon.


-marko.

[glynor]

I really like this new auto-shuffle mode, it just works so well, but as has been mentioned elsewhere, it really needs it's own icon.

 

[ksteele36]

I was under the impression that "Shuffle Automatic" was used to "Shuffle Full Albums" instead of the standard shuffling of individual songs.... so, if you're like me and like to hear the full album tracks played in order, album by album of your favorite artist you may do so. Anyone??? I am using Media Center 20.0.131 pretty sure this shuffle by album option exists... just not sure this is the correct option to produce that result.