what features do you love most and what could be added in a media player?

[MusoFreak200]

i am getting ready to create a media player and i would like to know what are the main features that users such as yourselves have always wanted or have in another media player..

[DaveLembke]

I was thinking the one day that a media player sort of like iTunes for music that created play lists for videos to play them back to back or Random. I dont know of any players yet for videos that have this ability to create video play lists and run A to Z or Random yet.

 I have been converting a bunch of my movies to digital, ( which is legal as long as you own and keep the original movies ) and having a video player that could mix it up would be cool. Sort of like a private channel of your own that plays only stuff you like without commercials.. Which is sort of like iTunes play lists of your private radio station sort of   

Cant wait to have my own X Files play list that can randomize, so i dont know what will play next from the many seasons episodes and it would be like my own private X Files channel 

Would be neat to get something like this working on my HTPC that I built so i can shut off the cable bill and no more commercials

[Veltas]

I'd like to see a media player that didn't use libraries and used the file system, like windows explorer does.  I'm quite sick and tired of sorting through playlists and playing about with libraries.  Not to mention that this would make copying songs to your MP3 Player a lot easier or putting it on removable memory an easy job, something long-awaited.

People also like easy access to editing ID3 tags (the ones that store things like artist name, song name, track number, genre and stuff you can see in Windows Movie Player and ITunes).

Don't forget that playing AND writing to CDs is paramount, no good media player would be good without being able to create your own CD mixes.

And if possible, get DVD support and maybe even Blu-Ray support in.

And people are going to have to pay for your software or it will need ads, because you'll need to pay licensing fees for use of MP3 decoders, CD decoders, DVD decoders and Blu-Ray decoders.  If possible go for adverts, there aren't enough good free players around and even if it didn't play DVDs and Blu-Rays I'd use it for filling my other requirements, because that would be a kick-*censored* media player in its own right.

I suppose the best idea, though, is to keep it simple.  As simple as possible.  Even if it looks boring simple, people will recognise the usefulness of being simple AND easy to use.

[MusoFreak200]

thanks guys i really do apprecieate your replies and inputs..

@DaveLembke

i was planning on including the use of a-z/randomizing...

also, how exactly did u get your htpc set up and stuff..
wat system is it running?

@Veltas

if i was to give the option of the use of libraryies or file system as u have stated... would you feel as though that would work for you and others who do want to use libraries?

also i was planning to give the avaliable for writting to cds/dvds as .cda files and as the original files (eg - .mp3/.mp4/.flv/  etc)


thanks again guys...

[DaveLembke]

My HTPC right now is a last generation Pentium 4 HT, running Windows XP SP3. And I created a simple HTML interface that launches through startup to select and play movies from etc. I have a video capture card in it that gives me the ability to convert movies to digital as well as use it as a DVR as well as it has a video card with older s-video out. BUT it isnt HD given that its s-video.

I built this up cheaply with pieces and parts, initially to convince my wife about the benefits of it, to sell her on the idea of a Home Theater System. Now she loves it and so i am going to invest money into a better CPU and GPU setup that has HDMI video card, although if I want HD capturing, I am going to have to invest in a newer capture card. I am thinking the capture card I have now is probably maybe 360p given its age. Also going to replace the cheap 2.1 audio with something better.

The HTML local web page type interface is not very fancy, but it allows for you to sit back with wireless keyboard and touch pad from couch and select presets that are hyperlinked in tables etc to online movies and streaming stations etc, as well as select a movie from the list for Windows Media Player to play up and then full-screen it. Was thinking of programming up a nicer interface, but dont have the time to program and HTML is quick and works.

My 6 year old daughter also has fallen in love with this system and the ability to play free online games at nickelodeon etc, so it also serves sort of like a FREE Nintendo system..lol

[LovingTheBatchofCookies]

I enjoy VLC and if I were to say what I like the list might be, simply, the
differences between it and MS Mediaplayer.

http://www.videolan.org/vlc/


The main things I use is the forward and backward jump(s) where
Ctl-L is 3 sec back, Alt-Ctl -Left is 10 sec back.  The keys are selectable
with 4 or 5 sets for 3, 10, 30, 60 and 300 seconds (selectable) jump times.
When I'm learning somethign from a video these really help me.

I think, for me, the intuative aspect of any software is super important.
VLC uses  the space bar to stop and start. 

WinAmp uses the X key to stop and rewind and C key ( I think) to stop.  That
doesn't make intuative sense to me.

Another feature in VLC I like is the settable vol control steps. So every jump is
whatever I set like +1 volume unit or 4 or 10 or 20 and the total scale is 100.
So 100 clicks or 25 clicks can take me to max.

VLC probably has source codes because, I think, it's open source.  I hope you'll
take a look at them .. it can be improved! : )

[BC_Programmer]

I suspect based on some other posts by the Original Poster that their "Media Player" is nothing more then a thin wrapper around Windows Media Player using it's Control widget that can be inserted into an application.

[Linux711]

I suspect based on some other posts by the Original Poster that their "Media Player" is nothing more then a thin wrapper around Windows Media Player using it's Control widget that can be inserted into an application.

I bet you're right, but I had a good idea anyway...

This would be hard to do, but I think it would be nice to have a feature where you input a youtube URL and it begins streaming only the audio of the flv. While it's streaming, it's being converted to an MP3, so when your done listening, you can choose to save an MP3 or not. It also would have a little search bar at the top where you could search for "videos" and convert them. I know that there are already addons for web browsers that allow you to convert a youtube video to MP3, but this would be better because you would only use half the bandwidth. The reason is because on youtube, you have to watch the video, then the server that converts it also has to, so it's using twice the bandwidth because the video is accessed twice instead of just once. Also, if there were any "audio pirating issues" you could just say. "Arn't you glad we are saving half of your server's bandwidth " I know this seems like more of an idea for a audio player instead of a video player, but whatever.

Actually, I might make something like this.

[MusoFreak200]

I suspect based on some other posts by the Original Poster that their "Media Player" is nothing more then a thin wrapper around Windows Media Player using it's Control widget that can be inserted into an application.

Now mate, i am planning to do a complete overhaul on the design and fuctionality, i am not interested in just using a "thin wrapper around windows media player" because i feel that they all have a good feature or two and i want to combine them into a total package.

but i do thank you for your input "BC_Programmer"

[MusoFreak200]

I think it would be nice to have a feature where you input a youtube URL and it begins streaming only the audio of the flv. While it's streaming, it's being converted to an MP3, so when your done listening, you can choose to save an MP3 or not. It also would have a little search bar at the top where you could search for "videos" and convert them.

Thank you Linuz711,
I like your idea, although i agree that it will be difficult to input...

[MusoFreak200]

My HTPC right now is a last generation Pentium 4 HT, running Windows XP SP3. And I created a simple HTML interface that launches through startup to select and play movies from etc. I have a video capture card in it that gives me the ability to convert movies to digital as well as use it as a DVR as well as it has a video card with older s-video out. BUT it isnt HD given that its s-video.

I built this up cheaply with pieces and parts, initially to convince my wife about the benefits of it, to sell her on the idea of a Home Theater System. Now she loves it and so i am going to invest money into a better CPU and GPU setup that has HDMI video card, although if I want HD capturing, I am going to have to invest in a newer capture card. I am thinking the capture card I have now is probably maybe 360p given its age. Also going to replace the cheap 2.1 audio with something better.

The HTML local web page type interface is not very fancy, but it allows for you to sit back with wireless keyboard and touch pad from couch and select presets that are hyperlinked in tables etc to online movies and streaming stations etc, as well as select a movie from the list for Windows Media Player to play up and then full-screen it. Was thinking of programming up a nicer interface, but dont have the time to program and HTML is quick and works.

My 6 year old daughter also has fallen in love with this system and the ability to play free online games at nickelodeon etc, so it also serves sort of like a FREE Nintendo system..lol

LOL!
now DaveLembke, that is interesting and funny...
but wat does it exactly have to do with this particular thread?
do you happen to have any ideas maybe?
 

[BC_Programmer]

Now mate, i am planning to do a complete overhaul on the design and fuctionality,

I'm not even sure what you mean here. Is there something wrong with the current general design and functionality of existing media players?

i am not interested in just using a "thin wrapper around windows media player"

Good.

because i feel that they all have a good feature or two and i want to combine them into a total package.

Well you should ask the important questions first. Like what sound library you'll use, or whether you will write your own, how you interact with that sound library, etc. Whether your playlist happens to be able to sort A-Z or randomly is a trivial detail that can be handled after the important stuff is out of the way.

[MusoFreak200]

Well you should ask the important questions first. Like what sound library you'll use, or whether you will write your own, how you interact with that sound library, etc. Whether your playlist happens to be able to sort A-Z or randomly is a trivial detail that can be handled after the important stuff is out of the way.

well mate,
what is it that you say you would like a sound library to be like, and in your opinion do you like the interaction to be like?

what features in this aspect do you favour?

any time of yours on this matter would be very much apprieciated