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Win8 - please create a useable app


WarrenH

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WarrenH

First off, I have great admiration and appreciation of the programmers of Media Browser. I'm a long time supporter, thru V2, V3, on Win 7, Win 8, Roku, Android and Samsung TV devices. There have been some great accomplishments over the years and there can be no doubt that MB is the best program for viewing stored media.

 

I see numerous threads with requests and suggestions for more advanced aspects, and am guilty of same as I'm eagerly awaiting a QNap app.

 

However, here's a back to basics request - for a useable Win 8 app. My wife's laptop is Win 8 without Windows Media Centre, wirelessly connected to MB Server. Her options are Smart Player (inadequate as it allows access to the server and metadata side of the house where she only requires playback), the paid for Win8 App and MB Theatre.

 

The latter two are probably the best choices as they're almost perfect; however with some obvious aspects missing. There's no Favourites, and there's no alpha keyboard or directory selection (as in all of the other Roku, Android, etc apps). As such, if she wants to play an episode of The Vampire Diaries out of my collection of 913 series, the following mouse clicks are required:

- open app click 1

- select tv click 2

- scroll and select all click 3

- scroll across screen of 913 series until reaching V, overshooting V and scrolling back, eventually finding V

- as she's on wireless connection, wait a minute for artwork to complete so she can actually read the series names on screen

- select the Vampire Diaries click 4

- select the season click 5

- select the episode click 6

- select play click 7

And when she wants to go back to the Home screen to now watch a movie, it's another 5 clicks to get there (the Win 8 App). Possibly I'm missing something obvious with either of these apps.

 

It's rumoured Win 10 may not include Media Centre, so we'll be heavily dependant on MB Apps for our media experience, it only makes sense they're as WAF and friendly as possible to use.

Edited by WarrenH
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politby

I agree, there is way too much clicking and swiping needed to get to what you are looking for.

I feel a lot of this is being caused by inefficient use of screen real estate. I commented on this in another post but nothing much happened.

 

This is why I have moved back to Plex on Windows 8.1.

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Hi,

Can't speak for MBT, but the Win8 app is a little better than described. It took me a while to remember that right click is your friend. So are the three little dots and "-". It wasn't intuitive to me...

 

So in the above

- open app click 1

- select tv click 2

- scroll and select "all" click 3

Click the "-" lower right hand corner.

Bring up alpha view.

54ce181450524_Screenshot15.png

 

Scroll over to "V"

And go from there

 

The same "-" works for movies, music, TV Channels and probably some others I haven't found yet.

 

Makes a big usability difference for me. Hope it helps

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7illusions

If you know what you want to watch, using the searchbar in the startview would be my recommendation.

 

54ce1e5befa5d_Search.png

 

To get to home from any view in the app, bringout the top-appbar and click "Home" ;)

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WarrenH

Vicpa, yes that unintuitively works but only on the Series view, if you go through folders it's not available, seems like it's an afterthought to me

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WarrenH

Why isn't the search option intuitive?

 

I meant the "-" isn't particularly intuitive per vicpa's response, and as mentioned it doesn't work for folder views

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I meant the "-" isn't particularly intuitive per vicpa's response, and as mentioned it doesn't work for folder views

 

I understand, I just was asking why, in your example where she wants to watch "Vampire Diaries" she doesn't just start typing "Vam.." in the search box.  Wouldn't that get there really quickly?

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SilentAssassin

 

Her options are Smart Player (inadequate as it allows access to the server and metadata side of the house where she only requires playback),

 

She can only access the server config and metadata manager if you use the same mediabrowser user account for watching media as you do for administering the server. Best practice is to have an account for server admin and metadata management and another account for media playback.

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KarterJK

Why use the App?

I use my Windows 8 laptop, but I use the http://app.mediabrowser.tv web link via my browser (Chrome or FF, IE is not a good choice)

 

It works great, either mouse controlled or even touch screen works great for me, no need for an app.  But again, I find most Metro Apps lacking in functionality for me.  

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Vidman

Why use the App?

I use my Windows 8 laptop, but I use the http://app.mediabrowser.tv web link via my browser (Chrome or FF, IE is not a good choice)

 

It works great, either mouse controlled or even touch screen works great for me, no need for an app. But again, I find most Metro Apps lacking in functionality for me.

Probably for the same reasons he mentioned that he won't use the smartplayer app (which is basically the same thing), but as SilentAssassin says he should have separate users for this, one with Admin rights for editing stuff and one without for viewing Edited by Vidman
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WarrenH

Thanks the comments, and yes I appreciate there are additional options available; search, the browser with non-admin accounts, etc, although I would question their simplicity or WAF. 

 

I think my real issue is as initially stated - there are in my humble opinion 2 excellent apps; the Win 8 App, and MB Theatre. However - both seem incomplete as they don't have Favourites, and whilst the Win 8 App alpha search isn't particularly intuitive (in my opinion), it's not present in Theatre. All other MB apps have these functions, why not these two.

 

I think that for a large and ever expanding collection, Favourites is probably the most powerful part of MB. I have my dozen or so favourite TV shows, my wife hers, my kids theirs. By looking at my Favourites, I can easily see which series have had new episodes added, similarly so can other family members. This saves me having to remember that there was a new episode of whatever, or that there wasn't because the superbowl was on instead. And before anyone mentions the Next Up thingy - what happens if I miss out a week of watching - next up will have missed an episode - yet next up is in the two Win 8 apps I mention.

 

So my real plea remains - could the developers please finish off the already 2 excellent apps; the Win 8 App (paid for) and MB Theatre.

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Hi,

Personally I think the Win 8 app is the most complete modern stand alone client and is continually getting better. MBC does everything in the WMC context. Favorites would be a great addition. I made a feature request ( http://mediabrowser.tv/community/index.php?/topic/15925-favorites-as-a-view/ ) that as I understand it would help. (I could be wrong) Perhaps if we can get some likes and comments on the request. The dev team can take a look at "favorites" and figure out the best way to implement it consistently across apps.

Edited by Vicpa
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And before anyone mentions the Next Up thingy - what happens if I miss out a week of watching - next up will have missed an episode - yet next up is in the two Win 8 apps I mention.

 

I'm afraid I don't follow this.  How will Next Up "miss an episode"?

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7illusions

NextUp doesn't make you miss an episode.

It's user based, you and your wife can watch a series with different accounts and you will have different NextUp episodes depending on where you left off.

It's the next Unwatched episode of a show for the signed in user.

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swhitmore

I'm afraid I don't follow this.  How will Next Up "miss an episode"?

 

He may have confused 'Next Up' with "Latest'

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He may have confused 'Next Up' with "Latest'

 

Yeah "Latest" is useless (or even detrimental) when it comes to TV.  But that's why there is "Next Up".

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Win 8 App, and MB Theatre. However - both seem incomplete as they don't have Favourites

I could be mistaken somehow, but I've been solely using MBT since it's release, and favourites has always worked for me...

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  • 4 weeks later...
WarrenH

pmac - there's no favourites in MBT

 

So, I've been trying to change my viewing habits based on the suggestions above, with next-up seeming to be the recommended solution. Bear in mind I watch about 16 ongoing tv shows a week. The MB8 App only shows a half dozen of the next-up series I'm watching:

 

 

54f2cb21afb5a_2.jpg

 

 

Whilst MBT comes a lot closer and displays most of the shows I'm watching:

 

54f2cb62a2715_1.jpg

 

 

 

Whilst using Favourites in the Android App, or even the old fashioned MB2 Favourites, I can very easily keep track of the 16 shows, and how many episodes need o be watched:

 

54f2cd63bdeeb_aa.jpg

 

54f2cd72787f3_Untitled.jpg

 

 

So whilst appreciating the many suggestions offered, I'm asking once again for easy alpha selection and Favourites in MB8 App and / or MBT especially given the drive to ensure a universal experience across all viewing platforms.

 

The recently updated MB8 App missed out o these simple aspects, so I'm holding out hope for the apparently in progress MBT update - who knows?

Edited by WarrenH
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