Beta 3.2.0

[7illusions 1249]

Welcome back to the next round.

I originally intended to do a 3.1.1 release, but once I started I realized that the changes were to big, so it will be a little bigger work and some more testing

The plan is to restructure the Movies, Series and Music hubs with new features and also to close as many bugs as possible.

 

Current build:

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=315DEE41F7FEA2E7!116147&authkey=!AHLxb3nB4waAsaU&ithint=file%2czip

 

What's done so far:

Restructured layout of Movies, Series  and Music hubs
Added support to Mark/Unmark favorites (... button)
Make sure MainMenu is cleared when logging out
Added "Musicmode" Screensaver (Still in VERY early stage, but it's there)
Added support for Favorites in Movies, Series and Music hubs 

Respect the View-preferences

Changed to ArtistID instead of artist name in album-retrival (Requires dev-erver)

Playlist no longer sorting
Loadig-spinner on Artists views
MusicGenre Images
Fixed transparancy issue when using CoverArt

Added FastForward/Rewind for DirectStream && Offline Playback
Added Slowmotion for DirectStream && Offline Playback
Added Playlist-support to MainHub
Added Screensaver to Video PlaybackView

Added support for selecting TargetDevice when creating SyncJobs

Added MCE support to MB-Connect View

Fixed a problem with LiveTiles and LockscreenImages
Minor redisgn of  SignIn Views
Added support for playing FolderSynced files
Added support to create Folder SyncJobs 

 

Known and Reported  issues:

Only US translations are done so far.

Icons for the menu in hubs are wrong / not done yet

Edited March 27, 2015 by 7illusions

[Beardyname 194]

Most stable version i have tested so it's a huge+ this far

 

Only suggestion I'm going to make, from the TV hub, the split section of in progress and Next up is great! But would it be possible to include just a few more items on the next up section?.

 

(for comparison)

The screen is showing 12 items with 3 included in the "In Progress" section

 

but on the suggested/next up view I can see 16 items including 3 that are in progress.

 

 

Other than that looks like a great release, and the musicmode is a nice addition! (also the favorites section is a huge +)

Will report back if i spot any errors/crashes.

 

*edit*

 

All testing works out fine! (syncing playback marking stuff watched clicking around etc)

 

Only thing i can pick on: when syncing movies/tv the button is called "offline". But for music the button says "sync" just to be picky

Edited March 12, 2015 by Beardyname

[techywarrior 688]

Movies and TV aren't respecting the setting as to which folders should be included in those views. For instance, I have a folder of shorts (those 5-10 minute bonus "movies" on some discs. TMDB lists them as movies so I put them in a separate folder.

 

My Preferences have them not selected to be grouped into the Views yet when I go to Movies and select All, B, I see "Brave Little Tailor" listed. On the homepage main menu I correctly see the folder that isn't part of the View listed as it's own folder.

 

It looks like you sort of fixed the "mark watched/unwatched". It appears to now immediately change the status icon when I go back. This comment is less of a bug but rather a usability issue. It seems to me that there should be some sort of indication that it worked. I click the menu, click Mark Watched and the menu closes but since there is no mark on that particular page you aren't really sure if anything happened. (not that big a deal now that the icon updates immediately when you go back to the previous screen tho)

 

I found a bug today in the WP app and I see that the Win8 app has the same bug. In Music (can't test if the same would be a problem in other places) I can't get the album or song list for artists with special characters in their name (or perhaps just starting character). In the web client they display correctly. Example.

 

Artist: ? and the Mysterians

Click their name and no albums or songs are listed. Bio and poster display.

 

In the web client there is 1 album (96 Tears) listed for them.

 

Same happens for [Disney], .38 Special, *NSYNC, and a bunch of Japanese artists that are in Japanese.

 

 

Is there a fast way to navigate to the end of my Artist list? I am using the touch interface and I have to scroll for like 2 minutes to get to W Can we get some sort of jump menu?

Edited March 12, 2015 by techywarrior

[Vicpa 552]

Hi,

I like the direction on the hubs and the music screen saver !! Still thinking about those.

 

On the bug list side.

- As Techy noted respect for the group and include options for content is a big one.

-Music Hub

   Problems with album artist, alternate view vs standard variations. Have been pretty well documented. May also want to look at genres. I have one genre that doesn't display any albums in either standard or alternate view. (Maybe has something to do with "special" characters, shows in web and MBC)

   Playlists are being sorted, they shouldn't.

   On now playing page top command bar does not have an option to jump to home.

-TV hub.

    play button not available from what's on

 

Thoughts Ui Things

   Favorites (Yea!).

     work in progress I know. Maybe can display two categories in each hub Favorite display, Was thinking item and person 

       examples

       TV

           Favorite Shows

           Favorite Actor.

       Movies

           Fav Movies

           Fav Actors

       Music

           Fav albums

           Fav artists.

Not sure how others look at fav's  But when I use them it is Oh play something (item/content) quickly That I like. Or find something I like. play a Humphrey Bogart movie or TV with xyz. or listen to something by xyz.   

 

-Add icon for offline TV to the list. Currently is a music thing.

-The player screen media info top command bar. Often displays unknown. then video and audio codecs. Not sure unknown is needed.

-Screen saver on player screens, video and now playing. Currently screen saver doesn't kick off on the screens. Maybe a timer can be added to the pause function. If paused for x amount of time kick off screen saver. 

 

Apologies in advance for nit picking ! 

 

Thanks great app!

-Vicpa

[Vicpa 552]

Hi,

To expand a little on Tecky's thought on action feedback. It would also help other places. For example music. If an item is added to now playing. You click + but no feed back. Maybe a "toaster" message (I think that is what they are called) like when sync job is created. XYZ added to  Now playing, Watched status Changed.

Might be annoying if overused but it is a thought.

[Vicpa 552]

Hi,

Really like the music screen saver so far!

Very Early stage feedback. 

 It is as expected a little finicky Mouse Keyboard layout- Crashes sometimes still looking for consistent pattern. Mouse pointer doesn't disappear.

Logs:

Log - 20150315.log

Log - FATAL - Application - 20150315 114836 - 121.log

 

Don't know final plans, but maybe add ... artist name to screen on the first time track name is displayed. 

Background changes on playlist are really nice!

 

[7illusions 1249]

New build, .243 is up.

 

Started changing the Music hub

Respect View-preferences

Album by artist fix

[Vicpa 552]

Hi,

 

Making great progress!

-Respect View-preferences... seems pretty good, everywhere except Next Up under TV, still some bleed over there.

 

-Started changing the Music hub ....Like the direction Yea to favorites! Album and artist

 

-Album by artist fix -  Good news Bad news.. The alternative view seems to be working pretty well.

  The standard view doesn't seem to be working at all. Select any artist shows listing of the first 10 albums in collection no relation  to artist, same 10 for any artist selected. Genre don't display at all. Let me know if logs will help.

 

Will test some more

[techywarrior 688]

Noticed Next Up for TV wasn't respecting user view/preferences. (as well since Vicpa found it too)

 

For the touch interface in Movies (but not TV for some reason) I am seeing an outline above "Latest" which seems to be a blank space that has focus. So you have to click the screen and then click what you want (the first time to remove focus from the space).

 

Now that Movies is using the user preferences and a lot of the stuff are sub sections on the left, can "New Movies" display more then 5? Or perhaps there should be 5 posters for some of the other sections? Just looks really empty on the screen.

 

Will play with it some more in the coming days.

[7illusions 1249]

New build .244

 

Please re-report the bugs found since I can't remember what I fixed ad not.

(need sleep badly )

[techywarrior 688]

Movies looks better now with a few extra posters. Fills up the space nicely, thanks.

 

Still having the issue with the invisible box on touch screen when you press Movies from the home screen.

 

Hm, doesn't seem to always resume from suspend/tombstone very well. Often it just sits on the black screen with the logo with no spinner... and nothing appears to happen. Only option is to close it and reopen. (multiple times). Seems to take 2 close and reopens before it works again.

 

Music section, album artists icon is a red square. Doesn't match the white icons for everything else.

[Luke 37060]

I think we should always use the word Latest rather than New because if you don't add content very often, you might not consider it new after a while.

 

Also, for movies, why not merge the Latest + Suggested tabs? I have been wanting to do that for the web client into one Suggested tab. It's just that I'm not starting fresh so I have to deal with all the people who don't like change ...But you could have one Suggested tab that has Resume, Latest and then recommendations.

 

For TV - same thing. I would use "Resume" text instead of In Progress, and you can merge both latest and suggested into one, and ordering the content with Resume first, then Next Up, then Latest. Those are my eventual plans for the web client as well.

 

Basically, scrolling is very much in style with design trends these days, navigation is not.

[SilentAssassin 96]

Don't know when this problem started as I've just recently started using cover art. If you look at the below image you will see there is an issue with transparency around thumb images and just about make out album covers but not around poster images on the home screen. If I click through to New Episodes I get the same issue with it using episode thumbs. I would prefer that this app not apply cover art treatment just like the roku app doesn't, I only use cover art because it goes with the MBC theme I am using.

 

[Vicpa 552]

Hi,

Yikes! Didn't know I had to be on Dev Server. Once more into the fray

Probably better feed back now.

-Respect View-preferences... seems pretty good,... everywhere except Next Up under TV, still some bleed over there. (now also on Newest Movies Home page.

 

-Music (standard view now much better!!)

-Genre images are missing. "Comedy " shows up but that is the Movie image.

 

Server or app? I don't know. Show on the web.

Error from server log. genre.txt

 

Clicking on New albums fro the music Hub Doesn't do anything.

 

 

Works from Home hub.

Suggested, know it is still a work in progress. But until it is sorted Maybe just show the random album tiles from the current music hub. I kinda liked that it was sometimes an "Oh I haven't listened to that in a while. moment"

Playlists are still being shorted

Album and Album artist are showing detail much better (consistent with the web)

-need a loading spinner for album artists and artists (first time through takes a couple seconds.. Blank

screen

Top command bar on now playing not showing.

-Like Luke's suggestion about using "Latest" instead of "New" consistent with web and MBC. 

 

Live TV,

-Play button disappears from "What's on"

 

That's my re-report

 

Now that I am on dev server will test some more.

 

Thanks! Keeps getting better!!

 

 

 

 

 

[Vicpa 552]

Hi,

I knew there was a reason I fell back to the beta server. Less moving parts, oh well like I said back into the fray.

@ @Luke I believe there is some work around ffmepg in the dev branch. I noticed when switching to dev, that I am having trouble with Live TV. I have been using the ffmpeg copy pretty successfully for the last couple of months.

 

"server\ffmpeg\20150110\ffmpeg.exe -fflags +genpts -i "http://192.168.1.102:5004/auto/v819" -map_metadata -1 -threads 0 -sn -codec:v:0 copy -sc_threshold 0 -codec:a:0 copy -hls_time 3 -start_number 0 -hls_list_size 0 -hls_base_url "hls/835770421444d100993b917f3d14bb61/" -y "\\TITAN\MB-Temp\835770421444d100993b917f3d14bb61.m3u8"

 

Full Transcode log  less frame listing tvTranscode.txt.

When I switched to dev. about 30 minutes into watching, the app "hiccupped" and jumped back 15 minutes into the stream.  

 

Two questions what information is needed to troubleshoot this? Is it an app thing or server thing? Does the transcode log have all the pertinent info?

 

@@7illusions is there a possibility to play the stream directly in the app? Less moving parts. I would think two opportunities for people to direct play at least with SiliconDust. The htpc scenario app running with necessary codecs (like I am using) and the newer SiliconDust turners (I think they are called Extend or Plus) which actually do the transcoding and just pass a h264 stream.

 

Anyway what do you guys need to troubleshoot?

 

Thanks.

 

Edit: Third Opportunity. Direct stream would take it out of the "copy" option in the streaming profile. As that is an all or nothing choice (At least as far as I can figure out) It would be one less thing that is dependent on that option. 

Edited March 18, 2015 by Vicpa

[7illusions 1249]

New build is up, .254

 

Changes:

Playlist no longer sorting
Loadig-spinner on Artists views
MusicGenre Images
Fixed transparancy issue when using CoverArt
Renamed New to Latest
A few more icons, still got some to replace
Fix the Focus issue when navigating to Movies

I will start looking into merging Latet & Suggeted and put that on the MoviesHub..

[Xzener 729]

How is this app working for those with a 10' setup?? Good alternative to MBT??

Edited March 20, 2015 by Xzener

[Vicpa 552]

Hi,

@@Xzener I use the app almost exclusively on my htpc. The playback and UI across content types is very good! Definitely an alternative to MBT. You have to keep in mind that the app has to support three platforms (tablet, pc and Big Screen) and three interfaces touch, mouse keyboard and remote, so there are some compromises. Remote support is still a "work in progress" am sure with more 10' users it will get refined,

 

My opinion, am interested in your thoughts as "fan Art" guru.

[Vicpa 552]

Hi,

Liking the progress on 254!!

 

Music Favorites!! (seems you snuck that in, great) 

 

Changes:

Playlist no longer sorting....   Yea! Thanks
Loading-spinner on Artists views... Done

 - There is something flaky in artist view. Don't know if a reload is happening too often?

   if you drill down to an artist in either view and then go back (Back arrow or return) the spinner comes up and the view jumps back to the beginning (if in "J" artists drill down to individual artist go back, the view refreshes and jumps back to # or a. If you don't wait and click some more. You end up with dup artists. See below..

 

 

MusicGenre Images..... Done!

Fixed transparancy issue when using CoverArt.......Don't know(don't use cover art)

Renamed New to Latest.........Done

Fix the Focus issue when navigating to Movies ..

-Not sure exactly what this was. In mouse/keyboard view, when you click on movies from the main hub. A little empty box above latest has focus for a sec then disappears and focus goes to latest. So maybe still needs some tweaks?

 

To add to the list

-Playlists when shown on the main hub, click doesn't take you there.

-Music screen saver still crashes on mouse movement ( connect screen flashes the crash to desktop. ) Pause or stop via remote works some of the time. Maybe from a usability/testing standpoint disable the music screen saver until you have a chance to work on it. Doesn't bother me but might other testers

 

Thanks, looking good so far!!!

Edited March 20, 2015 by Vicpa

[7illusions 1249]

New build, .255, is up

 

Thanks to your great feedback, here's what has been done:

 

Added FastForward/Rewind for DirectStream && Offline Playback
Added Slowmotion for DirectStream && Offline Playback
Added Playlist-support to MainHub
Added Screensaver to Video PlaybackView
Potential fix for MusicScreensaver (Haven't been able to reproduce, but I found one potential error)
Switched to use the MediaSource Name in Playackpage topappbar where it almost all the time said Unknown
There is something flaky in artist view. - Fixed

[Vicpa 552]

Hi,

 

The Actor's "Filmography" on the detail page is great !!.

 

-Music thoughts

  As "Suggested" is work in progress, not scheduled for this release ? Move Favorites to the top of the hub. Wouldn't want first menu choice to be "Coming Soon"

If you have the time- Album Overview on detail page would be really nice.

 

keeps looking better and better!

 

Oops just saw the next rev release is out. Maybe need to revise this, probably more good things

[7illusions 1249]

New build is up, .256

 

Added support for selecting TargetDevice when creating SyncJobs
Removed Suggested from music and moved Favorites to the top of menu
Fixed a problem with LiveTiles and LockscreenImages
Removed the DebugTimeout for screensaver (is now back to 90 secs instead of 9)

[Vicpa 552]

Hi,

256 Awesome 7!

 

Only glitch is latest albums on music hub don't work yet, sure it is on list,

 

Feedback So far

255

Added FastForward/Rewind for DirectStream && Offline Playback....Still Testing
Added Slowmotion for DirectStream && Offline Playback...................Still Testing
Added Playlist-support to MainHub......................................................Fixed
Added Screensaver to Video PlaybackView........................................See Note
Potential fix for MusicScreensaver (Haven't been able to reproduce, but I found one potential error)..........Works great in  256
Switched to use the MediaSource Name in Playackpage topappbar where it almost all the time said Unknown........Looks Great!!!
There is something flaky in artist view. - Fixed....................................Fixed (Flaky good technical Term!)

 

256

Added support for selecting TargetDevice when creating SyncJobs................Does this need dev Server ? Quality drop down empty 
Removed Suggested from music and moved Favorites to the top of menu......Awesome! But something flaky See screenshot below
Fixed a problem with LiveTiles and LockscreenImages....................................haven't checked
Removed the DebugTimeout for screensaver (is now back to 90 secs instead of 9) Fixed, but see note.

 

Flaky Music Favorite thing... Images type? Artists seem squished (another good technical term!) 

 

Artist view is better (Some of my base images aren't the best, can't do anything about that)

 

 

 

 

Note:

Music Screen saver is stable tested pause/resume/stop from mouse/keyboard and remote  

Screen saver on playback screen, flaky.. still seems like 9 sec, resume after screen saver starts over (loses it place) Video shows up in now playing in main hub when paused  but click takes you to music now playing rather than the video player.

 

Like the target device sync option. Careful the app is further solidifying itself as the complete htpc client

 

Maybe need more testers, seems like a little lonely here.  @gcoupe or @ginjaninja are active music users, gcoupe I know uses the app he has had good posts in the app forum. Just a thought.

 

How much are you targeting for this release? I have a few more thing on my list

 

Thanks Awesome job 7!

[7illusions 1249]

New build is up, .260

 

Fixed Flaky Music Favorites.
Added MCE supprot to MB Connect view
Added Support for Enter-button on PaswordBox at signIn - Dedicated to @@ScottIsAFool

 

Don't know how much more I can fit in this release.. Feels like it should be enough now.

[Luke 37060]

if someone could test folder or cloud sync that would be great. basically, take a video that normally transcodes to the 8.1 app...then sync it to a folder or cloud. the app should then direct stream that version instead.