An improvement suggestion for the music view

[fstx 1]

I think that the default music view should be albums grouped by artist. Use a horizontally scrolling grid, with one or more columns per artist, with the albums sorted on year, preferably original issue year. 

 

 

[Luke 42077]

Well they are, if you click the artists tab, then you see artists and you can click into an artist to see albums for that artist. does that help?

[fstx 1]

No. I think that is significantly inferior.

Edited June 11, 2017 by fstx

[Luke 42077]

Can you explain why? Also can you possibly show a visual so that I can try and understand the value? thanks !

[fstx 1]

First I want to say that emby made a really good first impression. The idea that the main menu consists of things you add is really appealing. There is no reason to have the menu choice if there nothing under it! I imagine a home screen with Live TV, Recent recordings/queue, Music, Kids movies, Movies for grown-ups, Pictures, Netflix, SVT Play (that is the website of the swedish public broadcaster), Steam,  etc. No non-working dead ends 

 

Unfortunately I can't do a screenshot since my media pc died. The software I was using is orphaned, and especially the TV guide stuff has been deteriorating.

 

The music view, if you select the album artists view, you get a column of album covers for  each artist, The artist name is written vertically to the left of the column. If there are more albums for one artist, you get more columns. You use left/right to go between artists, and when you get to the screen edge it scrolls. I think there was some overlap scroll functionality, so that you see one more artist than the one you are on. Then you use up/down to select album, and press play to listen to it. The main main menu is just one press on the back button away, and when you go back to Music, you get put in the same view again.

 

I find this significantly smoother to navigate using a remote. Going to sixth item by pressing right five times, oops that was six times, now I have to find the back button, then left, then OK again. 

 

One could perhaps say that I prefer a shallow menu tree with two-dimensional nodes to a deep tree with one-dimensional nodes. Also I prefer view settings as state rather than menu choices.

Edited June 12, 2017 by fstx

[Deathsquirrel 745]

What client are you using @@fstx?  I don't see that at all in ET.

 

When you select Album Artist you get a list of artist names in alphabetical order.  This list is 7 columns wide on my test machine here and scrolls vertically.  If you select an artist name you get a list of albums.  The artist name is superimposed over the picture for that artist.  There is a column down the left side with letters so you can skip ahead to another section of the library.  It looks like this:

 

 

@@Luke, I have no idea what the sort order for these albums is in ET.  It isn't alpha and it isn't release order.  Release date would make a LOT of sense as the default album sort IMO.

 

I just clicked Creedence Clearwater Revival and the album list goes:

 

1. Willy and the Poor Boys (1969)
2. Chronicle (1976)
3. Creedence Clearwater Revival (1968)
4. Chronicle Volume 2 (1986)
5. Mardi Gras (1972)
6. Pendulum (1970)
7. Green River (1969)
8. Bayou Country (1969)
9. Cosmo's Factory (1970)

 

In the Web UI they sort alphabetically.  There is no Sort Title value set in the metadata for these albums.

[fstx 1]

I was describing the music library in Windows Media Center, not Emby Theater

Edited June 12, 2017 by fstx

[Deathsquirrel 745]

I was describing the music library in Windows Media Center, not Emby Theater

 

Wrong forum

[fstx 1]

Wrong forum

The subject is "An improvement suggestion". For Emby. 

[Luke 42077]

thanks @@Deathsquirrel

[Deathsquirrel 745]

The subject is "An improvement suggestion". For Emby. 

 

The various clients aren't all maintained by the same team.  If your suggestion is specific to the WMC client, and it seems to be, I suggest posting it there to make sure the right folks see it.  Plus then you can potentially get support from relevant users.

[fstx 1]

No, deathsquirrell, my intention was to make a suggestion for an improvement to Emby Theater. 

 

I find the Album Aritsts view in Windows Media Center to be clearly superior to what Emby Theater offers now, 

[Luke 42077]

I find the Album Aritsts view in Windows Media Center to be clearly superior to what Emby Theater offers now, 

 

Can you show a screen of what you're referring to in WMC? Thanks !

[fstx 1]

Can't do one myself, but I found this on the net.

 

 

1. On a larger screen, you will see more albums
2. The squares with only text means missing album art. Note the backgrounds of those are different colors from the light end of the spectrum, but about 25% from white.
3. When an artist has more albums than one column, more columns will be used. The spacing between columns for the same artist is just a few pixels, but the spacing between artists is larger. Note that there is more space to the left of the artist name than to the right.
4. The vertical text is tilt-your-head-right. I suspect they tried tilt-your-head-left and found this to be better.
5. You get into this view directly from the main menu, if this was you last view. The views are listed above the albums. Note how font size and color are used to mark the current view. 
6. Focus will be put where you where last. The focused album is slightly enlarged. 
7. You navigate will all four arrows on your remote. 
8. The view options and search are accessed by just going to them with the arrow keys.
9. I find this interface a good look. The content (album covers) is emphasized, and the interface is the background. 
10. It is also a very good feel. Navigation is simple and efficient.
11. More importantly, so does the other people using it.

One thing I don't like is all upper case artist names and album names. 

[Deathsquirrel 745]

No, deathsquirrell, my intention was to make a suggestion for an improvement to Emby Theater.

 

Ah, I misunderstood.  Your earlier posts read like a description of what you do see in ET, not what you wanted to see.

 

I don't personally like that layout and would find it inefficient.  Still, I bet it can be achieved with a custom skin.