Ideas for Music Section 1.3 (3 Viewers)

[GoldenEye]

Thanks a lot for your work on the music section, Jameson_uk. You bring the section definitely getting closer to an optimum.

One of the features I currently miss is a highly flexible way of structuring music views as in Meedios, which uses library views and library filters.

Maybe you could an option to allow users to create their own sql statements for filtering and grouping music?


Thx, G.

 

[IchBinsShort]

AW: Ideas for Music Section 1.3

My Ideas :

1. Indicator that shows in the Library which of the Songs is set in a playlist. And perhaps when you select this Indicator you can see which Playlists has this this song.

• You should be able to add a song to a any Playlist. Like a "Send to" Option. You can select a exists Playlist or create a new.

• Multiroom Support. So when you play Song you can choose the client to play this, and Control the Volume on the other client. And when you hear a Song on Client A and pause this songs, you should be able to resume it on the other client. But this should be possible with all other Media on Mediaportal (Videos etc.)

• When you hear so song on the Radio and the Id Tag is send, you should be able to store this Information about the Song and Interpret in a list. So you can use this List as a reminder which Songs you like on the radio.

• A Screen which shows you a chart of your Music. Top-Artists, Top Songs on the Day, Week, and Year. Similar to the Charts on the Last-FM Website.

• A better view in the Library. The Views and Filters are very static and must be mostly configurate in the Mediaportal Configuration. The Views should look like the MediaLibrary in Winamp. When you make a View, the different Levels are always showing. But in Mediaportal you should be able to select the next Level. So can you can choose between Genre, Year, Rating....
  

 

[mbuzina]

IchBinsShort: You can not compare a 10-foot-UI (see 10-foot user interface - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) with a normal PC SW UI. You have limited screen real estate since all text needs to be large. If you would try to build a table with lets say Title, Album, Artist, Genre & Year you would have to fit it in say 50 chars max. Otherwise you can not read it from 10 feet (3 m) distance.

GoldenEye: MP has the ability to create views and filters. Check the Configuration (in Advanced) and go to Music Views. You need a ID3 tags filled & db scanned of course.

 

[jameson_uk]

@IchBinsShort: You can not compare a 10-foot-UI (see 10-foot user interface - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) with a normal PC SW UI. You have limited screen real estate since all text needs to be large. If you would try to build a table with lets say Title, Album, Artist, Genre & Year you would have to fit it in say 50 chars max. Otherwise you can not read it from 10 feet (3 m) distance.

Totally agree. I have played around a lot with this but as soon as I add more info to one screen it ends up becoming unusable via a remote. WinAmp / MediaMonkey etc are designed for control via a mouse rather than a remote so they can get much more on screen.

@GoldenEye: MP has the ability to create views and filters. Check the Configuration (in Advanced) and go to Music Views. You need a ID3 tags filled & db scanned of course.

Indeed except the exact scenario mentioned is not catered for. This is something I would like to improve but is actually a fairly massive task (which would help a small number of users). Something I am constantly playing with...

 

[mbuzina]

Ah, now I remember some old thread... Yes there was an issue there that did not allow proper grouping of a filtered list or something (Genres of top 100 does not show only the genres of all top100?). That are questions which are hard to solve in sql.

 

[jameson_uk]

Ah, now I remember some old thread... Yes there was an issue there that did not allow proper grouping of a filtered list or something (Genres of top 100 does not show only the genres of all top100?). That are questions which are hard to solve in sql.

There is nothing that can not be solved in SQL Yes as you say this is something like a view that goes
Composer
Album
Tracks

but you only want this view to be for albums with a genre of classical. The only way to do this currently is add a level of genre on top and then filter this on "Classical". You can then tick the skip option and it will kind of work.

Bigger problems come in if you say want to have this view but for albums with a genre of classical or opera. Currently this is not possible.

 

[robbo100]

I have a couple of other thoughts, more linked to the Radio side of things.

1) Currently the Radio system is based around a list of channels, but the Radio EPG is not really the primary interface (like it is with the TV system). Although the Radio EPG works, the user interface is at times a little poor. It would be great if the layout and interface of the Radio EPG was identical to that of the TV EPG and as easy to use.

2) Recording Radio is a little bit strange (in my opinion). Basically, If I record something from Radio, it sometimes appears in the TV recordings (sometimes it doesn't even show anywhere). Is it possible have a separate database for radio recordings so that they display (or be tagged as "radio" within the recording database so that MediaPortal can filter them and display them as radio recordings)?

3) When a recorded radio programme is played back, it plays like a TV Recording, but with no video image. Can it not play back like an MP3 with the Radio Channel logo, (or the programme fanart if it exists). Also, being able to navigate through the radio recording using the left/right/up/down keys to jump through the recording would be very useful.

I shall have a think about some more ideas over the next couple of days.

Robbo100

 

[jameson_uk]

1) Currently the Radio system is based around a list of channels, but the Radio EPG is not really the primary interface (like it is with the TV system). Although the Radio EPG works, the user interface is at times a little poor. It would be great if the layout and interface of the Radio EPG was identical to that of the TV EPG and as easy to use.

http://mantis.team-mediaportal.com/view.php?id=3395
But should appear to be identical in 1.2 beta / RC. What is different (likely to be a skinning issue)

2) Recording Radio is a little bit strange (in my opinion ). Basically, If I record something from Radio, it sometimes appears in the TV recordings (sometimes it doesn't even show anywhere). Is it possible have a separate database for radio recordings so that they display (or be tagged as "radio" within the recording database so that MediaPortal can filter them and display them as radio recordings)?

http://mantis.team-mediaportal.com/view.php?id=3396

 

[robbo100]

Thanks Jameson, I will ask the StreamedMP skinner!

Robbo100

 

[jameson_uk]

Thanks Jameson, I will ask the StreamedMP skinner!

There may be a little bit of documentation missing here

Basically you can take TV guide xml file, change the window ID from 600 to 762 then replace all the skin properties from #TV. to #Radio. and it should work fine