1.4.5.22 - Changes to UI spoiling an otherwise good release

[unisoft 272]

I've taken the 1.4.5.22 Apple TV update so this refers to the default vertical theme option on Apple TV (and web client and Andriod and iOS)

 

Positive: Excellent EPG and work around channel logo sizing.

 

Negative: 

I have a separate HOME VIDEOS and separate PHOTOS library as individual tiles under MY MEDIA.

 

Now there is a MESS of "FOLDERS VIDEOS PHOTOS" as a menu option in both of those libraries. Why?

 

 

Firstly FOLDERS should not even be a menu option it is a VIEW option and should be under FILTER options.

I don't wish to see VIDEOS menu option under a Photo library and vice versa! It makes no sense. VIDEOS AND PHOTOS as default of a folder view in previous releases and not interfering with each other.

 

MUSIC VIDEOS: 

I get you are following the Emby web layout - but once  again the default view changed to listing ALL MUSIC VIDEOS which is basically a useless long list of videos, rather than default of keeping a FOLDERS VIEW.

 

I have my music videos sported into folders by genre, e.g. BLUES, POP, ROCK, SKA, REGGAE, R&B etc. Why on earth do I want to go to my MUSIC VIDEOS library in 'My Media' and stupidly be presented with a huge list of songs not even sorted into genres or by album artist?

 

From this logical view (original default view of FOLDERS) on entering MUSIC VIDEOS tile:

 

 

to this mess that is useless as a default view:

 

 

Appreciate they are not Apple TV screen shots - I have used Theatre and web client to get the shots easily on a computer.

 

Another set of backwards steps to me - and I can't see where people actually voted for this change under feature requests.

 

How to make people happy again:

 

1. Move 'FOLDERS' menu option to a FILTER view and remove from the menus

2. Separate the VIDEOS and PHOTOS options out again back to what they were - so separate libraries don't get polluted by options not relevant for that library type.

3. Default to a folder view again for MUSIC VIDEOS library but allow a "sticky" option if people want an "All music videos" view OR copy MUSIC UI options so that a sticky option can be set for a default view of ALBUM ARTIST or ARTISTS or GENRES

 

 

MPV Issues:

1. Have some MP4 H264 with stereo AAC videos, 8-11mbps, High Profile Level 4.0 that play using MPV in previous release and current release ON A LAN connection to server BUT don't play when using on a remote HTTPS connection. On the SAME HTTPS connection, the LG TV app v1.0.24 plays them fine. Same internet connection, same server, same file. Just a spinning wheel on Apple TV. HTTPS is TLS 1.2 with 2048 cipher key and using Synology's reverse proxy. There doesn't seem to be a file type as they are all similar, i.e. not a sound codec or subtitles etc. MPEG2 plays fine all the time even correctly when interlaced content.

2. The same file as in point 1 above plays perfectly fine on Apple's own player over HTTPS at same location, same device. Can't use Apple's Player all the time as a large number of files are PAL Interlaced and Apple's player only likes Progressive and will refuse to play interlaced content.

3. Upstream from server is 38mbps and downstream at apple TV end is 115mbps. When files play they are direct play.

4. Nothing in server logs at all about it.

 

Appreciate the good work done in other areas and thank you....

Edited May 24, 2020 by unisoft

[ebr 14904]

Firstly FOLDERS should not even be a menu option it is a VIEW option and should be under FILTER options.

 

Sorry, but I think you just contradicted yourself there...  You are correct that "folders" is a view style and, each of those options on the top menu is a particular View of that library.  So that presentation is correct and consistent with all the other apps.

 

A folder View is not related to Filters in any way.

 

 

2. Separate the VIDEOS and PHOTOS options out again back to what they were - so separate libraries don't get polluted by options not relevant for that library type.

 

The fact you have a library of type Photos is due to the fact you created it a while ago.  We no longer support a separate Photos library type.

 

Finally, you can select the default for your Music Videos library to be Folders in your user settings in the web app.

 

 

The presentations in this app are consistent with the others now, correct?

[unisoft 272]

Sorry, but I think you just contradicted yourself there...  You are correct that "folders" is a view style and, each of those options on the top menu is a particular View of that library.  So that presentation is correct and consistent with all the other apps.

 

A folder View is not related to Filters in any way.

 

 

 

The fact you have a library of type Photos is due to the fact you created it a while ago.  We no longer support a separate Photos library type.

 

Finally, you can select the default for your Music Videos library to be Folders in your user settings in the web app.

 

 

The presentations in this app are consistent with the others now, correct?

 

Sorry but this is tosh.

 

You 'no longer support Video and photos' as separate libraries- another change not communicated then whenever that was made. Why would I want Photos and Videos in the same library; they are different things?

 

So I go into Photos, first menu option is FOLDERS so I get a folder view where photos are sorted in categories by folder name e.g. Family, Holiday, Pets

I then go into the new "Videos" (from the Photos library!) and get a FLAT list of every video!!!!!!!! 

 

In reverse, I go into the VIDEOS library, get the Folder view by default then click the Photos from the new menu, and then get a dump of photos under that option.

 

I don't get how you think 'FOLDERS' is a credible item as a menu option? Its not a menu option. A menu option is a library or "Suggestions" or "Guide". It simply isn't expected in the context of other menu items. It IS a view option or sort by type option filter. There is no menu item for "Ascending" for example.

Where did Windows Media Center have a "FOLDERS" option! pah!

 

As I said, backwards. You had it right and now destroyed it. Who wants a useless dump of every photo or video when they had it sorted by folder categories. At least give customers an option. Classic quote from family "what's folders?" as they don't setup Emby have no clue as to structure behind it.

Edited May 23, 2020 by unisoft

[ebr 14904]

As I said, backwards. You had it right and now destroyed it. Who wants a useless dump of every photo or video when they had it sorted by folder categories. At least give customers an option. Classic quote from family "what's folders?" as they don't setup Emby have no clue as to structure behind it.

 

Hi.  We do give you the option as I mentioned before.  You can set your default view for each of those libraries in the user settings from the web app.  We don't have the ability to edit that in this app yet but this app will respect the options you choose there.

 

A Folder view is very different from an Ascending sort option.  In all of our interfaces, the top "tabs" are different view options.  That is now the same here.

 

Thanks.

[unisoft 272]

Hi.  We do give you the option as I mentioned before.  You can set your default view for each of those libraries in the user settings from the web app.  We don't have the ability to edit that in this app yet but this app will respect the options you choose there.

 

A Folder view is very different from an Ascending sort option.  In all of our interfaces, the top "tabs" are different view options.  That is now the same here.

 

Thanks.

 

Hi EBR,

 

I don't want to moan, but I spend more time trying to change metadata or image or libraries to keep up with sudden changes to Emby. Media Browser was stable for years and the underlying UI layout didn't keep changing for the sake of it.

 

I think you are referring to "sticky options" in the user settings, but they don't stick in all of the apps. Apple Tv is one but in the LG App a number do stick.

 

 

Can you not see what I mean from my first post - where I give Music Videos as an example:

 

From this logical view (original automatic default view of FOLDERS without selecting FOLDERS each time) on entering MUSIC VIDEOS tile:

 

to this mess that is useless as a automatic default view - a useless list of ALL SONGS as the default (and it sticks) view when going into MUSIC VIDEOS library:

 

 

 

How can you think the (new) second screenshot is better than a default folders view in the first? Why would I want a useless list of All music videos rather than the neat and categorised view AND you can't even set a sticky default of going into the FOLDERS view anyway with these changes!

 

You haven't copied the menu options from MUSIC library for MUSIC VIDEOS to have "Album Artists", "Artists" "Genres" etc. and as a result, you couldn't even set a default sticky option to sort by Album Artist or Genre using the ID3 tags either. Fail.

 

Also why do you think Photos and Home Videos should be in one library? One is still images and the other is moving images. Again as I said, in those new layout options, they just dump an output of ALL PHOTOS in one long thumbnail display rather than the categorised folders view (for me Pets, Holidays, Family)

Additionally, now I also have to find a decent library tile image to represent photos and videos when I have two separate libraries with a good image for each. Easier to get an image for two separate libraries (i.e. Camera for Photos and film spools for home videos).

 

 

Is this new look coming to the horizontal theme please? If so, a time to prevent auto-updates to Emby client as this is a downgrade decision made to the UI. I've always kept up to date up to now soon after release.

 

 

Here are the sticky options in the Synology 4.4.2.0 release - NOTE there are no sticky options for Music Videos, Photos or Home videos:

 

Edited May 24, 2020 by unisoft

[ebr 14904]

Yes, the folder view should be the default in that case but the other view is perfectly valid as well and may be preferred by others.

[ebr 14904]

Upon further review, this app is behaving the same as the web app (and others) with respect to the default view in Music Video libraries so we are going to keep that the same for now.  In the future, you should have the ability to select your default.