[mythtv] Ideas for MythMusic rewrite

[Ma Begaj]

2009/12/30 Paul Harrison <mythtv at sky.com>:
> We'll probably regret this but we would like your opinions :-)  We are
> in the process of  switching MythMusic to MythUI and would like to take
> the opportunity to make some much needed improvements to the interface.
>
> We don't necessarily  just want a list of feature requests, although
> every idea will be considered, but also how they should be implemented,
> what the interface should look like etc. If you can provide mock ups of
> how it should look or links to images of how other players do things
> then all the better.
>
> You should bear in mind the limitations of keeping the interface usable
> on a TV using a remote control and where possible using the existing
> widgets available in MythUI.
>
> Our goal is not to implement every idea from the start but to make sure
> the final plan is flexible enough to at least be extended with the best
> ideas in the future.
>

1. more a theme suggestion: remove buttons (stop, play etc) because
nobody needs them on the screen. there are also no buttons in
mythvideo or recordings... everybody has buttons on the remote
control. poeple w/ touchscreen without remote should use a modified
version with buttons.


2. user should be able to show cover art in full screen mode with one
key, because there is no use for cover art if it is very small in the
corner of the screen and nobody can see it.


3. use cover art from the songs if available. if not there, look in
the folder for jpg|png and then try to find it on internet.

maybe: if you are looking in the file's folder for cover art, let user
define which images contain cover art i.e. let user enter some kind of
regexp in the settings so that every file which match "cover*.jpg"
contains cover art.


4. let the user show all ID3 tag data and file details (kbs, size,
played how often...) in view mode, not only in edit mode.

there is same thing in mythvideo: you browse videos in gallery mode
and if you click on enter you are able to see all details of the
video. this new "window" could also show cover art in the same way
like mythvideo.


5. I will not say do it like Amarok but do it like XMMS or Rhythmbox.

There is a browse list which contains all the songs and this browse
list is alywas a playlist. user should be able to add marked
song/album/band directly in the browse list with ONE key to let play
it next (like a temporary list).
after the marked song(s) finished playing MM should continue playing
songs from the list from the same place where it was before.
rhythmbox, winamp, xmms ... all do it this way.