Podcast handling improvements

[Steven]

- when subscribing to a podcast with Firefox ( for instance), I can select MusicBee as the subscribing application, but then MB tries to "play" the XML subscription file instead of subscribing to it (see http://vvcap.net/db/s7d9HBdtOlpfOhE9ffcB.htp ). Could that be changed?

- can the podcast directory search window be made resizable? it is too large for my screen actually

- is there a way to get to the page the podcast subscription came from (likely the URL in <channel><link>), if any? Either in the embedde browser or in the default one.

I will do these items.
For the podcast directory i will make is smaller as i guess windows are being enlarged for your localisation.
For the home page of the subscription, i will add a new field. You will need to manually populate it yourself for existing subscriptions.

[Steven]

http://musicbee.niblseed.com/V2_3/MusicBee_Exe_Patched.zip

- home page for subscriptions which can be edited in the subscription definition - it will default to a value when the subscription is refreshed on startup. A home icon displays in the main panel and clicking it will open the home page in your default browser
- the subscription definition now includes a "grouping" field - it will default to the primary genre when the subscription is refreshed on startup. The grouping field can be used to filter the displayed subscriptions by clicking the new down arrow button beside the "Subscriptions" header in the main panel.
- podcast directory window made smaller to fit on 1024px screens
- you can now subscribe to a podcast subscription directly from Firefox (not sure how its done for other browsers)

[klint]

Thanks a lot, everything works fine here
And if I may insist for the last time, I promise: in addition and conjunction with the grouping, if there was all the same a way to remove the subscription image and the description, by just keeping the bare names of the subscription & the numbers of unread episodes, in order to display more subscriptions in the list, that would be the acme to me!
Cheers

[psychoadept]

Subscribing from Firefox is a great addition!  Is there some way for MusicBee to indicate that it's received the subscription?  When I used it, it worked perfectly, but I had to go look at MusicBee to see that it had.

[mikebo]

Sorry if i'm being annoying with my criticism but it's all in good faith. I criticize because i care.

A home icon displays in the main panel and clicking it will open the home page in your default browser

I don't like how the title is now flush with episodes, it looks like a new episode with a funny icon . The title displayed as a grouping header would look much better (mockup)
Personally i think the description panel would be a better place for the homepage link (also why this particular link opens in the system browser, while other links open in the built-in one. Can't there be one master setting to choose preferred browser?).

the new down arrow button beside the "Subscriptions" header in the main panel.

Great little feature but the arrow uses a different color than other buttons in the header and looks a bit out of place, at least on some of my skins. It is also easy to confuse with the sorting arrow, maybe a funnel icon would be more intuitive.



It would be nice if the Subscriptions list had the same indentation and artwork border as the thumbnail browser.


Last but not least - new episodes counters. I was hoping i would get used to them but they're just so ugly. There already is "Controls.Counter" gui element so why not use that. It would look better and more consistent with the rest of the interface.



Still i think the improvements that were recently made to the podcast section are great and i really enjoy using it.

[Steven]

the following things have been done:
- changed the subscription filter icon
- home page icon no longer displays - its now accessed from right click/ Open Home Page
- option in the subscriptions layout to not show the artwork so each subscription shows on a single line

http://musicbee.niblseed.com/V2_3/MusicBee_Exe_Patched.zip

[klint]

perfect, thanks a lot

[klint]

Hi Steven

Would it be possible for you to find a way to mark episodes as "listened to" when they are listened to by streaming (by right-click or at the end of the episode streaming) ?

 I'm currently listening to radio episodes via streaming (I just want to listen to them once, no need to download them for archive) and I forget which ones I already have heard But I don't want to delete the entry itself.

The problem is how to visually mark them? When still unlistened, such episodes will stay in grey without square mark, while downloaded and unlistened episodes have a square mark. Maybe striking them through?

Thanks

[Steven]

@klint, afraid not

[Anti]

> The problem is how to visually mark them?

Klint,

automatic
1)
When I start streaming, a little 'world' icon displays in the far-left column showing the location.
But it also indicates which podcasts I've heard. The disadvantage is that you can't clear it.

2)
Another way to do it would be to display the 'playcount' column. A '1' will display when you've streamed a track.

manual
1)
Display the 'love' column, and you can click in the column next to a track to mark it loved/banned

2)
Right-click the column header at the top of the podcast pane -> other fields -> choose the check-mark at the top.
A new column will appear to the left of the title with the check-mark symbol at the top.
If you click in the column next to a track, a check-mark will remind you that you've listened to that track.
Be careful not to click on the actual column header, because it will clear all current ticks.
Sometimes the ticks (which are white) are difficult to see depending on your skin. You can see them if you highlight the tracks.

[klint]

Thanks a lot for those tips I have adopted the "love" column.