Media centre changes.... Can we revert to the old media portion?

[Opus4]

Did you change your video browser view to "Folder", on the top bar? It sounds like you are only listing your movies under the DVD or Titles views, if everything is all mixed together.

BTW: I'm currently testing a combined folder browser style that combines all import dirs into a single tree, like the v5 video library did. The v6 Folder view will have an option to view the import dir trees separately or combined into a single tree. I think it will probably be in the next beta release. Photo and music combined folder views might come later.

- Andy

[kevpriest]

Yes, I've tried all the various views, but none of them work in a usable way:

Titles: I can't tell what this one does, because I get the "SageTVTranscoder.exe" crash error constantly.

DVDs: This view just throws everything into a single list, which is useless

Folders: This is almost what I want, but it separates out the top level shares, so now I have DVD1, DVD2, DVD3, DVD4, DVD5 folders, under which I have all the normal breakdowns (Action, Childrens, Drama, etc), but there's no way to know which movie is in which share, since every share contains a Childrens folder. Thus, not useful either.

I really don't care for the smaller folder icons, either. It was really nice having the big icons, two per row. I tried selecting 2 folder rows to see if that would get me back the bigger icons, but it doesn't accept 2 (it says it does, but it doesn't actually change the number of rows). 3 is the fewest it will accept. That gets the icons a little larger, but it still seems silly having the title written out to the side like it is, instead of underneath, so you can have maximum artwork.

I'm really hoping that the combined tree view will show up soon. I've been trying to think if I could reorganize my shares into content directories (one share called Action, one called Childrens, etc), but that won't really work because the shares are based on the drives themselves, so unless I can somehow exactly match the number of movies I have in a category to the space I have on the drive, I'll wind up having a nearly empty drive for "Drama" and more movies than I can fit into "Childrens".

Finally, I did a search, and I read the manual, but I didn't find instructions for how to roll back out of the beta and back to v5. Can you point me to those instruction so I can wait on the merged tree version? We probably spend more time watching DVDs off the network than we do actual TV around my house, so I just broke most of what my wife likes about Sage when I installed this version.

Thanks,

KevPriest

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by kevpriest

DVDs: This view just throws everything into a single list, which is useless

Actually, if you know the name of the movie, this is the easiest place to go to look for a specific DVD when you use the filtering method from the v6 usage tips. (Check the first post there.) It almost makes the Search view unneeded.

Finally, I did a search, and I read the manual, but I didn't find instructions for how to roll back out of the beta and back to v5. Can you point me to those instruction so I can wait on the merged tree version?

There's a How to install a new version of SageTV sticky topic at the top of this beta forum.

- Andy

[cenwesi]

Ok i got a beef to pick with sageTv v6.0. Why in the world is the "Imported Video" not combining the drives instead of making us choose which drive we want to browse. For example i have this configuration for imported videos

D:\Movies
D:\Movies\Actions,Adventure
D:\Movies\Comedy,Drama
D:\Movies\..
E:\Movies
E:\Movies\Actions,Adventure
E:\Movies\Comedy,Drama
E:\Movies\..
\\networkPC\Movies
\\networkPC\Movies\Actions,Adventure
\\networkPC\Movies\Comedy,Drama
\\networkPC\Movies\..

I recall with previous version or sagetv (v5) or probably because i was running a nielm stv that it organized it the way it should be, meaining when i browes Movies i see all and not some sort of drive listing and me picking which one i want to browse through. I have directory structure setup for all the drives for videos.

[Opus4]

I merged your question in the last thread on the topic. See all the above posts for the latest discussion, especially this one.

- Andy

[drpixel]

I really, really like the way the new system allows you to browse your library. I would hate to see this changed in the final version. I understand that some people do not like the new layout, but for others, it is a godsend. With that in mind, oh wise and powerful Sage developers, please do not take this new layout away and simply revert back to the way it was before. Make it a choice between old and new functionality if you must, but please don't remove what I consider to be one of the biggest improvements yet.

I like to organize my movies myself using the file system and it drives me nuts when a program tries to hide that ability. I would go so far as to say that this new layout should remain as the default layout. I'd imagine the bulk of your users don't have thousands of movies and would find the old layout quite useless (as did I).

To the people with these overlapped folders, can't you use Windows Dynamic Volume support to span multiple drives into one large virtual drive? I'm a little rusty on how the dynamic volume stuff works, but I seem to remember it had the ability to do that. I don't think this will work with shares, but maybe it would help solve some issues?

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by drpixel

please do not take this new layout away and simply revert back to the way it was before.

I already commented above that it would be an option whether the video folder view displays import dirs combined or separately. The current v6 way of browsing by actual folders is not going away.

- Andy

[drpixel]

Originally Posted by Opus4

I already commented above that it would be an option whether the video folder view displays import dirs combined or separately. The current v6 way of browsing by actual folders is not going away.

- Andy

Music to my ears. Just wanted to make sure you knew there people out there who really dig this change. I would hate to spend money on the upgrade only to have one of the main reasons I bought it disappear.

[Necro]

Originally Posted by drpixel

I really, really like the way the new system allows you to browse your library. I would hate to see this changed in the final version. I understand that some people do not like the new layout, but for others, it is a godsend. With that in mind, oh wise and powerful Sage developers, please do not take this new layout away and simply revert back to the way it was before. Make it a choice between old and new functionality if you must, but please don't remove what I consider to be one of the biggest improvements yet.

I like to organize my movies myself using the file system and it drives me nuts when a program tries to hide that ability. I would go so far as to say that this new layout should remain as the default layout. I'd imagine the bulk of your users don't have thousands of movies and would find the old layout quite useless (as did I).

To the people with these overlapped folders, can't you use Windows Dynamic Volume support to span multiple drives into one large virtual drive? I'm a little rusty on how the dynamic volume stuff works, but I seem to remember it had the ability to do that. I don't think this will work with shares, but maybe it would help solve some issues?

No one ever suggested going back completely to the old method - anything thats there visually can be altered in the STV. I for one think a few of the views are pointless and clutter, but they can be changed/removed in the STV I would think. What people were asking for was folder merging - which if your using folders for sorting, it wouldn't effect you at all, and only make things easier if anything.

Spanning drives, via software or via hardware (RAID), is frowned upon by many due to the prospective failure of one drive taking down 4-5 drives worth of data. Having information spread across multiple drives limits the damage one drive going down does - that or you use a parity setup with a parity drive, unfortunately then you have a drive your not really using.

[kevpriest]

Just a word of thanks and satisfaction that the Sage guys put the drive merging option back in in the latest beta. This simplifies browsing videos no end, and my wife is happy again (well, except for the new "browse group" pop up. But I'll figure a way around that, I guess). Thanks!

[cenwesi]

what are you talking about. I installed v6.12 and did not see NO drive merging. I have 2 HD and a net work drive and boy this version really makes it hard looking for a movie and no i don't want to use the search function.

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by kevpriest

except for the new "browse group" pop up. But I'll figure a way around that, I guess

Use Right or Info while a group or folder is highlighted to browse the group instead of seeing the pop-up options menu.

- Andy

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by cenwesi

what are you talking about. I installed v6.12 and did not see NO drive merging.

Since combining the import folders is an option, try using the Options command while in the video Folder view.

- Andy

[cenwesi]

hummm, i uninstalled because FF/RW wasn't working... and some people have already submited a bug report

[Mark SS]

Having used the beta a bit last night, I'll take issue with the new arrangement as well

D:\Media\Videos

I tell Sage that the above directory contains videos I want added to the library. With V5 I would then see the contents of that directory, with the new version I'm shown the the \Videos directory and have to navigate into it to browse. Thats daft!

[cenwesi]

Originally Posted by Mark SS

Having used the beta a bit last night, I'll take issue with the new arrangement as well

D:\Media\Videos

I tell Sage that the above directory contains videos I want added to the library. With V5 I would then see the contents of that directory, with the new version I'm shown the the \Videos directory and have to navigate into it to browse. Thats daft!

Exactly, i just couldn't believe they didn't see this as a problem. Not only do i not want my users knowing where i stored things but to display it to them is just asking for trouble.

[Opus4]

And when v5 only showed imported videos in a combined folder view, people complained that that made no sense and wondered what the point of it was & why couldn't they see the actual folder layout instead. One person above was even worried that the actual folder view would be scrapped in favor of the old combined style.

Anyway, take your pick - the choice is there now for videos & will be there later for photos.

- Andy

[Mark SS]

Its not the combined view thats the problem for me, its that the root folder I add is shown rather than its contents, if that makes sense. Any chance of a config option be it global or per folder. I could grow to like the features of the new video library, its just this root folder thing thats detracting.

[BobPhoenix]

Originally Posted by Mark SS

Its not the combined view thats the problem for me, its that the root folder I add is shown rather than its contents, if that makes sense. Any chance of a config option be it global or per folder. I could grow to like the features of the new video library, its just this root folder thing thats detracting.

When you turn on Shared view the ROOT folder name disappears. It did for me last night when I switched anyway.

BobP.

[Mark SS]

Ok some I'm probably being thick here but I where do I turn on this shared view?