New Emby for Windows & Shuffling Music Playlists

[carpenter2003 3]

Was it intentional to change the way Shuffle works for playlists?

I have a few music playlists that I use Shuffle on. Previously it would shuffle the tracks and then jump to the playing display of horizontal cover art with the tracks in the SHUFFLED order. Moving left to right through the shuffled tracks but you could see what was coming up, go back, etc.

Now it just puts the ribbon at the top with the currently playing track, once you expand that you just see the horizontal scroll of tracks but they are in the regular playlist order and it just jumps around the list as the tracks are played in the shuffled order.  You don't get to see the actual shuffled list order.

Again, just curious if this was intentional.

For the most part the new app has been working well.

Thanks for all the work!

[Luke 42077]

Hi there, can you please show a screenshot of what you are referring to?

[carpenter2003 3]

So here is the screenshot from my Media PC/TV.  I've shuffled a long playlist. Its in TV mode, on a PC you would have a vertical track list to the right, but I believe its still the same issue.

Currently its playing the track on the left. The cover art order you see though is the default playlist order. If I hit next track it is NOT going to be the Def Leopard song that currently is to the right of the active track.  It will jump to some other song in the playlist.

In the previous version of the Emby for Windows, when you shuffled a playlist and then came to this display. The cover art was in the actual shuffled order, the next two tracks shown were what was going to played next. You could easily scroll left and right to see what tracks were coming up or had already played from the shuffled order.

Maybe the new version is just randomly picking a track at the end of each song rather then shuffling the full list at the start of playback?

[softworkz 5066]

The reason for this is that it is using Windows Media for playlist management and shuffle functionality.

The playlist is handed over to Windows Media and it handles the shuffling, which also works with the system media transport controls skip forward/next buttons:

[Guest]

2 hours ago, softworkz said:

The reason for this is that it is using Windows Media for playlist management and shuffle functionality.

The playlist is handed over to Windows Media and it handles the shuffling, which also works with the system media transport controls skip forward/next buttons:

Who would want that!?!?!?!? F**k Windows music management!

[softworkz 5066]

Why so negative? I would call it "The Surprise Shuffle"  

[carpenter2003 3]

Thank you for the update. I definitely prefer the old method but its not a huge deal. I just wondered if it was an intentional change or a side effect of some other change.  Seems to be the later.

Thanks again for all the work and quick responses.

[Vicpa 611]

4 hours ago, softworkz said:

Why so negative? I would call it "The Surprise Shuffle"  

Oh Well,

Just another excuse for an abysmal Music implementation. Having used an UWP windows Emby app for years. I know it is not a platform limitation. 

I have come to the conclusions...

1) The Emby Team does not have an understanding of Music as a media type

2)  Or Worse doesn't really care

[softworkz 5066]

2 hours ago, Vicpa said:

Just another excuse for an abysmal Music implementation

The yellow circle with the big open mouth and white teeth is usually an indication that somebody is joking.

On the serious side: You have been part of the beta and during all the time you had never said anything about audio playback - and now it's suddenly "abysmal"?
Besides, you're the first one who criticized audio playback in that form.

[Luke 42077]

16 hours ago, carpenter2003 said:

So here is the screenshot from my Media PC/TV.  I've shuffled a long playlist. Its in TV mode, on a PC you would have a vertical track list to the right, but I believe its still the same issue.

The vertical list on the right is only for non-TV mode, just FYI.

[softworkz 5066]

Regarding the status of this: As mentioned a number of times elsewhere, we'll have to do an MPV based audio playback implementation for the new Linux app. Once this is done we'll have a choice whether to use that on Windows as well or whether to stick with the Windows Media based implementation (the current one, also used on Xbox).

From there on we'll continue to improve audio playback (incl. options for output device selection, formats and channels) and we can also revisit the shuffle mode.
Though, please note that this can take a while. The current phase is focused on fixing issues only.

[Vicpa 611]

3 hours ago, softworkz said:

On the serious side: You have been part of the beta and during all the time you had never said anything about audio playback - and now it's suddenly "abysmal"?
Besides, you're the first one who criticized audio playback in that form.

HI @softworkzplease don't mis-quote.  My comment is directed at the fundamental weakness of Emby support for music in general.  See my 1.9k posts

6 hours ago, Vicpa said:

Just another excuse for an abysmal Music implementation

"You have been part of the beta and during all the time you had never said anything about audio playback"  I am sure you didn't mean that statement as harsh as I read it.. The lack of replay gain support is/was a showstopper, given the fundamental flaws in Emby Music. 

Thanks for fixing DTS-HD passthrough in last release.. As reported and not responded to 10/31/24. 

 

[Neminem 1518]

I was in the beta test and like this way of shuffling.

I can see what's playing and wonder what's next love it.

This is true shuffling, where you have no clue what's next.

 

[softworkz 5066]

22 hours ago, Vicpa said:

My comment is directed at the fundamental weakness of Emby support for music in general.  See my 1.9k posts

Ok sorry, I haven't read any of those 1.9k posts and it wasn't clear to me that you are generally dissatisfied with Emby audio features.

[softworkz 5066]

7 hours ago, Neminem said:

I was in the beta test and like this way of shuffling.

I can see what's playing and wonder what's next love it.

This is true shuffling, where you have no clue what's next.

Thanks, I'm seeing it in a similar way, that's also why I've never seen it as a shortcoming or drawback during development, that would need to be worked around.
I also like the fact that you keep seeing your playlist in the original order, because it's much easier to find something specific when you already know its approximate position.

[Vicpa 611]

3 hours ago, softworkz said:

Thanks, I'm seeing it in a similar way, that's also why I've never seen it as a shortcoming or drawback during development, that would need to be worked around.
I also like the fact that you keep seeing your playlist in the original order, because it's much easier to find something specific when you already know its approximate position.

Thanks for making my point. It's only music, there are no standards or conventions that need to be followed. Consistency only if it is convenient. @softworkzcheck the other Emby apps, The web client, IOS , Fire,  @Luke, @ebr are they going to change to work the same? Or is this another unicorn 

[softworkz 5066]

46 minutes ago, Vicpa said:

. @softworkzcheck the other Emby app

For other apps, it has been a necessity for Emby to "pre-shuffle" the playlist before feeding it to the player because the players don't have the ability for shuffle playback.

During the beta - and I repeat that you've been part of it - nobody has objected this way of shuffling and I know that it's been tested by other beta users.
Emby has always been driven by user feedback (not always in a timeline manner - no need to argue about that part) and when the majority of users would prefer to have it the other way, we'll surely find a way to deliver that.

The current status regarding users who are asking for this to be changed:

Count: 1

Let's see how that figure develops.
Thanks

[Vicpa 611]

It is obvious that you don't understand or respect the subject matter, or perhaps it's a lack of technical expertise. 

I guess we are going with wrong is ok,,  along as people don't complain. The beta suffered from your development choices, lack of support of for current Windows versions put it a month behind any productive feedback. And  a change never documented or mentioned I guess we were  supposed to discover and comment on. Personally, I would thought nobody would have found that acceptable  

The lack of comment from the owners I find appalling.

so Count 1

Edited January 19, 2025 by Vicpa

[softworkz 5066]

@Vicpa

I'm sorry about the frustration that this matter appears to be causing for you. I surely didn't intend that. Generally I pefer trying to explain the reasons for why things are happening like they do or why things happened like they did instead of leaving users in the dark, by avoiding responses and giving only the absolute minimum of required information, at each time.

The latter way allows to minimize the surface for attacks, but nonetheless I prefer the other way. I like users being able to get that little extra information about their product of choice when they're interested in that, even when it's occasionally causing dislike.

I respect your opinion on the subject but not the text you wrote. Yet I hope for another - future - conversation on a more delightful topic.

Thanks