[mythtv-users] Ideas for MythMusic rewrite

[James Oltman]

On Sat, Jan 2, 2010 at 12:33 PM, jedi <jedi at mishnet.org> wrote:

>
>
>     I think playlists should be managed by something else and imported into
> MythMusic. Does MythMusic have any means to handle text based playlists
> files
> at all or it is all in the database?
>
>
I agree with this.  MythMusic should have the ability to import playlists
from other programs more suited to creating playlists.  Or, have playlist
creation only available in the web interface (my preferred solution).
Trying to design a TV/remote based playlist interface is too clunky and
slow.  Remember, we're aiming for easy remote control use.  I really think
that a two or three paned view with an AJAX interface that supports
drag'n'drop would be fantastic.  I've never created playlists in MythMusic
because I haven't wanted to learn "another way" of doing it.  I say just
make it similar to iTunes/Songbird.  Have library/playlist/create new
playlist on the left and current choice (playlist or library) on the right.
Then I should be able to drag and drop music from the right pane to the
playlist on the left.  Or even right click it.  I have thousands of songs,
so the right pane should probably be limited by a hundred songs or so to
make load times faster.

  I also think there are far too many choices to tagging these days.  I
would prefer not being able to change the ID3 tags in MM or the web
interface.  Then in the MM interface, have the playlists easily selectable.
Something like, when I first enter MM, I have the two/three pane view.  I
start immediately in the far left pane.  I can arrow up or down to choose
playlist or library.  This would be a great place to have a CD as well.  I
hit enter on my choice and based upon the last time I was in MM, it
shuffles/repeats etc.  Lyrics would be kinda cool too for that far right
pane.  Songbird also has this.  If I choose the CD option, the meta data for
the CD is automatically grabbed.  To get out of the current pane, I simply
hit the Stop or Back button on my remote.  That backs me out one pane.  When
I'm at the left pane, one more click will give me the option to close MM,
continue playing but exit, etc.

I'm not really for or against the idea of having the
play/pause/next/previous buttons on screen.  I think they take up screen
real-estate and don't really do much for me.  If the consensus is to keep
them, then I think they should be smaller to give more room to ID3
information and covers/visualizations.

I like the idea of Coverflow in the MM Interface.  Songbird has something
similar (Media Flow).  However, I would ask that the covers not be taken
from the ID3 tags but instead the folder in which the music resides.  I have
a 1080p TV and I like to store high res covers.  If I have to store a high
res cover in every mp3 or FLAC file, then my storage requirements go up.  Or
if you choose a full screen cover/visualization, I think the cover for the
next song should slide in from the right side of the screen.  That would be
a very cool feature.  Or maybe a book turning effect?

That's just _my_ two cents.  :-)

Jim
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