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[floepie]

Here's the scenario.  I browse genre -> artist -> album and select the first song and hit 'play all'.  All is fine with the world.  Then, at some point before the end of the album, I decide to listen to another album before the current one ends but want to listen to it after the first album finishes.  

So, I go back to the list of albums, enter one of them, select the first song and go to 'more play options'.  I'm then presented with no less than 13 options?!  But, there doesn't seem to be an option to perform the most obvious of tasks - that is, to simply add the album I'm currently in to the end of the playlist, which only consists of the album I'm currently listening to.  Am I missing something??

[gappie]

you are not missing anything.. ive been asking for this since mc 12, when thv changed. but you can add the album when you see all the songs and go to the upperroller. there is an add all, among some others that can be handy...

 
gab

[floepie]

Ah, thanks.  I didn't think to go back up into the roller.  It's a bit unintuitive, no?  I mean, just to add an album, you have to go back up, then to the right, then down, then right again. 

Some things here are so meticulously done, particularly with the audio specs, that it seems such little attention is paid to how people use this.  I guess it's very difficult to balance a friendly UI with having so many features.   

[gappie]

Ah, thanks.  I didn't think to go back up into the roller.  It's a bit unintuitive, no?  I mean, just to add an album, you have to go back up, then to the right, then down, then right again. 

Some things here are so meticulously done, particularly with the audio specs, that it seems such little attention is paid to how people use this.   

i think its unintuitive too. always endup by the song looking for add all, since i use the play all there all the time..

I guess it's very difficult to balance a friendly UI with having so many features. 

i think that that is very true though.

 
gab

[rick.ca]

At least one of us is missing something...

Whether I'm looking at a category listing of albums or the file listing for a chosen album, I have no difficulty finding "Play Add All" on the main roller. If it's not the MRU play command, I'd have to choose it from the secondary roller. But the only alternative to that would be a main roller cluttered with play commands. I don't see how it could be any more consistent or intuitive than it already is.

[floepie]

But, 'play all' simply replaces the current playlist.  We're talking about simply adding all tracks of the album to the end of the current playlist. 

[gappie]

indeed, rick, we are talking about add all, and for me add all (as next to play), there is a play all, so why not those two. 
for me they can get rid of the funny shuffle options.

[rick.ca]

indeed, rick, we are talking about add all, and for me add all (as next to play), there is a play all, so why not those two.

Sorry, I meant "Add All." But I suppose that's what you were pointing out in your first post. To be clear, the last used play command is on the main roller. Other options are on the secondary roller. The exception seems to be Play All (next to play)—it doesn't seem to "stick" as the MRU. Is that what you're wanting changed/fixed?

As far as the original question is concerned, Add All is readily available. I don't see anything unintuitive or inconvenient about it. The mention of there being 13 More Play Options suggests the menu item associated with the file info panel of a single track. That, of course, has no Add All—the menu is in the context of a single track.

[floepie]

I still think it's inconsistent.

If I have no music playing and wish to just begin an album, I drill down into that album (genre - artist - album) and the list of tracks appears with the first track having the focus (cursor location).  I simply select it, and hit the 'play all', which already has the focus. 

Then, before the album ends, I simply wish to listen to another album.  Again, I find the album, open it and the focus is on the first track.  To 'add all' at that point, I first have to back up out of the list of tracks and move to the right to 'add all', unlike with the first album I chose, where in order to play all tracks it wasn't necessary to back out of the list of tracks.

So, the solution should be either:

a.) Don't allow the cursor focus to end up on the first track.  Instead, keep it focused on the above roller so that one can simply 'Play All' or 'Add All', as the two options are both present and apparent.  No one thinks of backing out of a menu to do anything. 

OR

b.) Have an additional option on the roller for 'Add All'.  It's inconsistent to have both 'Play All' and 'Add' options, but no 'Add All' and no 'Add All' in the "13 Play Options" either. 

[rick.ca]

To 'add all' at that point, I first have to back up out of the list of tracks and move to the right to 'add all', unlike with the first album I chose, where in order to play all tracks it wasn't necessary to back out of the list of tracks.

I'm sorry, but I have no idea what you mean by this. Please see my screenshot. The navigation behaviour I see is exactly the same for the second album as the first. The only difference is "Add All," not being the last-used play command, has to be selected from the second roller. Thereafter, until a different command is used, "Add All" will appear on the main roller.

It's inconsistent to have both 'Play All' and 'Add' options, but no 'Add All' and no 'Add All' in the "13 Play Options" either.

As I said before, these comments suggest you must be navigating one screen further to the file info panel for a track. The commands there are, of course, quite different. But I can't think of any reason why you would do that, or expect the commands for a track to be identical to those for an album.

[gappie]

but I can't think of any reason why you would do that, or expect the commands for a track to be identical to those for an album.

actually the play all command that is there suggests that you could expect other 'all' commands there too. to go to the info panel when you want to play the whole album could be because although it is a track it gives information about the album, and since there is no album info screen. so to play a whole album it is the way i always choose.. but when i want to add the whole album i have to go back and up..

[rick.ca]

actually the play all command that is there suggests that you could expect other 'all' commands there too.

I wouldn't have imagined it could create that much confusion. But if it does, maybe it should be removed. It is, after all, a Track context menu, and the Album context menu is readily available on the previous screen.

but when i want to add the whole album i have to go back and up.

You had to navigate somewhere else to select the second album. The "Add All" command is on the Album screen for that album. Why would you return to a Track screen to look for a command to play and album?

[floepie]

I'm sorry, but I have no idea what you mean by this. Please see my screenshot. The navigation behaviour I see is exactly the same for the second album as the first. The only difference is "Add All," not being the last-used play command, has to be selected from the second roller. Thereafter, until a different command is used, "Add All" will appear on the main roller.

As I said before, these comments suggest you must be navigating one screen further to the file info panel for a track. The commands there are, of course, quite different. But I can't think of any reason why you would do that, or expect the commands for a track to be identical to those for an album.

Interesting.  I just reset all my theater menus back to default just to make sure they are as they were intended to be.  And, nothing has changed.

When I select an album in the list, the screen presents the list of tracks in that album, and the focus is on the first track.  In order to get to the screen in your screenshot, I first must "back" out of the list by hitting the 'up' button on the remote to have the focus placed on the album title at the very top.  The 'add all' option is just to the right.  That's fine and dandy and works.  It's just a bit unintuitive for me as a new user and my S.O. in house.  And, here's why.  One does not naturally think to issue the "up" command in order to add the album, especially given that the 'play all' command can be found after selecting the first track in the album.  After hitting the first track in the album, one is presented only with the options to 'play all' or simply 'add'.  I would think that 'add all' should either be there as the 3rd option, or in the very least, be available in the 'more play options'.  In other words, what makes 'play all' or 'add' more special than either 'play' or 'add all'?  

I understand what you say regarding 'add all' as function of the album and not of the track.  But, then again, why is 'play all' an available option in the track info screen?  It could be more user friendly if the focus does not end up on the first track after opening an album.  It should just be on the album title at the very top.

[floepie]

No it would not. It's a navigation system. For every other screen/level throughout Theatre View, the first item in the (file or category) list is always selected. That's essential for fast navigation through multiple levels. In other words, that behaviour minimizes button presses while navigating. Once you've arrived at place you want to do something, one key-press puts you on the main menu. It couldn't possibly be more efficient, logical and user-friendly.

Uh, no.   If the focus were left at the top at each level, there would actually be *less* button pushes, and it would be more consistent.  If the focus were left at the top, you have access to the options which are pertinent to that level just to the right.  If you want to delve down into the list, you simply go down or hold the 'down' key, just as you do right now.  No more button pushes.  If you want an option to play all or do whatever you want with the list, you simply go to the right instead of down.  

I know of no other 10-foot system where, after a few 'select' or 'OK' button pushes in order to drill "down" into your collection by refining the list, you need to go back "up" in order to get to the options which apply to the currently shown list.  If the focus were just left at the top, it would make far more sense.  What good is it to have the focus on the first item in the list if your list consists of many entries.  The chance that you need to do something with the very first item on the list is only 1 out of X (where X= # of items in list).  Your argument of less button pushes is patently inaccurate.