Peter Gutbrod
2004-08-18 09:14:09 UTC
The very first added feature I'd like to see for Soundbridge, is the ability
to broadcast a Wake on LAN signal. This could be done as a separate menu
item in the root menu (where you choose the library to connect to) and
additionally, just to broadcast the signal, if there is no library currently
available. As Soundbridge already monitors the network for new libraries, it
should display them as soon as they become available with the awaking
machines.
When adding songs to the song queue, I would find it much less disturbing
and more informative, if Soundbridge would just add a small icon before the
song, instead of temporarily displaying a different screen (songs has been
added to the queue). That would help as well to remember, which song I
already have added to the song queue, while browsing through my current
list. The add button could then be enhanced to become an add/delete button,
e.g. when I press that button on a song with an "already in song queue"
icon, that song will be deleted from the song queue. Well that way you can't
add a song multiple times to the queue but whoever needs this? I usually end
with having a song added multiple times by accident. If you really love this
song so much that you want to hear it over and over again, you can use the
repeat feature or create a playlist in iTunes.
When browsing a list, I find it more intuitive, to be able to use the
play-button to immediately start playback of the highlighted song, instead
of having to double-press select. For now, the play-button does nothing (if
you do not have a paused playback). The play-button for immediate playback
(and adding the song to the queue, see below), the add-button for silently
adding/deleting it to/from the queue, sounds logical for me. I know, there
is the issue with a probably paused song queue, that will now be erased with
a new playback starting. But you already have the toggling pause-button for
handling this.
I would suggest the following logic:
Doublepress select: Flush song queue, add current song/album tracks to the
song queue and start playback of current track. (just like it works now).
Pause-button: Toggling stop/start current song queue (just like it works
now).
Add-button: Toggling add/delete button (probably with "in Queue" icon see
above) silently adds/deletes highlighted song to/from the song queue.
Play-button: Start playing highlighted song without flushing the song queue.
If the highlighted song is already in the song queue, just skip to that
song, otherwise add it to the song queue and then skip to the added song.
Shoutcast support similar like in Slim server. Apples radio stations
selection is somewhat limited especially for non US customers. Yes, you can
create playlists with radio stations in iTunes, but as you can't create
nested playlists, this can only be recommended for your few favorites, not
as a structured library. A Shoutcast structured library is be much easier to
choose from.
The Squeezebox GUI has a nice "end of list" bump effect. When you reach the
one or other end, the display is shifted a pixel for a fraction of a second,
giving the impression, it bumped against a wall. This gives you immediate
feedback, that the display doesn't change, because you have reached the end
of the list, and not because your remote control didn't send your keystroke
(as all remote controls do some times). With Slim server this is only
effective in horizontal menu selections with the left/right arrow buttons,
because all vertical lists in Slim server are rotating lists. In the
Soundbridge/iTunes GUI this could be incorporated in vertical list (they are
not rotating and you do not navigate with the left/right arrow but with the
Select/Exit button). In general, at the end of all scrolling lists and
nested menus, there could be such a bump effect, to tell you, "I received
your keystroke but there is nothing for me to do".
Enough for today ;-)
Peter
to broadcast a Wake on LAN signal. This could be done as a separate menu
item in the root menu (where you choose the library to connect to) and
additionally, just to broadcast the signal, if there is no library currently
available. As Soundbridge already monitors the network for new libraries, it
should display them as soon as they become available with the awaking
machines.
When adding songs to the song queue, I would find it much less disturbing
and more informative, if Soundbridge would just add a small icon before the
song, instead of temporarily displaying a different screen (songs has been
added to the queue). That would help as well to remember, which song I
already have added to the song queue, while browsing through my current
list. The add button could then be enhanced to become an add/delete button,
e.g. when I press that button on a song with an "already in song queue"
icon, that song will be deleted from the song queue. Well that way you can't
add a song multiple times to the queue but whoever needs this? I usually end
with having a song added multiple times by accident. If you really love this
song so much that you want to hear it over and over again, you can use the
repeat feature or create a playlist in iTunes.
When browsing a list, I find it more intuitive, to be able to use the
play-button to immediately start playback of the highlighted song, instead
of having to double-press select. For now, the play-button does nothing (if
you do not have a paused playback). The play-button for immediate playback
(and adding the song to the queue, see below), the add-button for silently
adding/deleting it to/from the queue, sounds logical for me. I know, there
is the issue with a probably paused song queue, that will now be erased with
a new playback starting. But you already have the toggling pause-button for
handling this.
I would suggest the following logic:
Doublepress select: Flush song queue, add current song/album tracks to the
song queue and start playback of current track. (just like it works now).
Pause-button: Toggling stop/start current song queue (just like it works
now).
Add-button: Toggling add/delete button (probably with "in Queue" icon see
above) silently adds/deletes highlighted song to/from the song queue.
Play-button: Start playing highlighted song without flushing the song queue.
If the highlighted song is already in the song queue, just skip to that
song, otherwise add it to the song queue and then skip to the added song.
Shoutcast support similar like in Slim server. Apples radio stations
selection is somewhat limited especially for non US customers. Yes, you can
create playlists with radio stations in iTunes, but as you can't create
nested playlists, this can only be recommended for your few favorites, not
as a structured library. A Shoutcast structured library is be much easier to
choose from.
The Squeezebox GUI has a nice "end of list" bump effect. When you reach the
one or other end, the display is shifted a pixel for a fraction of a second,
giving the impression, it bumped against a wall. This gives you immediate
feedback, that the display doesn't change, because you have reached the end
of the list, and not because your remote control didn't send your keystroke
(as all remote controls do some times). With Slim server this is only
effective in horizontal menu selections with the left/right arrow buttons,
because all vertical lists in Slim server are rotating lists. In the
Soundbridge/iTunes GUI this could be incorporated in vertical list (they are
not rotating and you do not navigate with the left/right arrow but with the
Select/Exit button). In general, at the end of all scrolling lists and
nested menus, there could be such a bump effect, to tell you, "I received
your keystroke but there is nothing for me to do".
Enough for today ;-)
Peter