Re: [Rhythmbox-devel] Feature Requests & Bug Reports

[Alex Lancaster <alexl users sourceforge net>]

>>>>> "JAG" == J A Gardiner  writes:

JAG> Dear reader, I just wanted to communicate what for me, would be
JAG> great additional features for the Rhythmbox media client:

A few of these are outstanding feature requests that have been made
many times and/or are already in released versions, or are long
standing feature requests in Bugzilla already, awaiting eager
programmers. ;) Bugzilla is your friend...

JAG> 1. Fade-in / fade-out track transition effect - namely, five
JAG> second fade-in / fade-out transition effect between tracks.

Long-standing known request:
http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=130426

JAG> 2. With regards to podcast feeds, an option within the
JAG> 'Preferences->Podcasts' menu to have Rhythmbox retrieve any
JAG> available podcasts (immediately) on program start.

JAG> 3. Also within the 'Preferences->Podcasts' menu, an option to
JAG> keep only the latest, single podcast per each feed, i.e. download
JAG> only the latest podcast, while having the program delete the old
JAG> podcast as the new one has been downloaded.

JAG> 4. The option to re-download a podcast
JAG> (right-click->'Re-download').

JAG> 5. An option within the 'Preferences->General' menu to have
JAG> Rhythmbox run minimised to the notification area / system tray on
JAG> OS startup.

On these podcast features, please look in Bugzilla to see if there
aren't already similar bugs, if not, please file it.

JAG> 6. The addition of a 'Now Playing' sidebar (instead of, or in
JAG> addition to the 'Queue' sidebar) whereby only songs on this now
JAG> playing list are played and will be repeated. (As it is, songs on
JAG> the queue list are played once and then playback begins at the
JAG> next track in the library).

JAG> 7. In-built ID3 tag support.

If you mean tag writing, then this is enabled by default in 0.9.6 and
later.  You need to have gstreamer-plugins-good >= 0.10.4 to make good
use of it, however.

JAG> 8. Option within the 'Music' menu to open/play the disc within
JAG> your CD-Rom drive (in the event that it has not been
JAG> automatically detected, e.g. it may be a CD-R/RW with no
JAG> auto-start).

What's wrong with simply selecting the CD source and double-clicking
that?

JAG> 9. Addition of a 'Stop' button on the toolbar / within the
JAG> 'Control' menu.

This has been discussed many times before, I think the consensus has
been that no stop button is required.

JAG> I have also come across the following few bugs:

JAG> 1. Some podcast feeds remain at "Waiting" and subsequently are
JAG> not downloaded.

JAG> 2. When tracks are imported on program startup from the specified
JAG> watched Library folder, often the scroll bar for the main browser
JAG> window is not (initially) at the top (i.e. the first track at the
JAG> top of the window that is displayed is not the first track within
JAG> your library).

I've noticed that.  Not sure if there is an open bug on that.

JAG> 3. Within the podcast browser window, the width of the individual
JAG> columns fail to remain at customised widths on restart of the
JAG> program.

Ditto.  The podcast component of rhythmbox probably needs the most
love right now. 

JAG> I hope that this information will be helpful for you in making
JAG> decisions about improvements to the player and with regards to
JAG> future releases / updates. What's more, I offer the above
JAG> suggestions aware that arguably the biggest asset of the
JAG> Rhythmbox media client is its simplicity and practicality. Even
JAG> still, I think these additional features would only make the
JAG> player even more practical/complete for the everyday user.

Alex