ARCHIVED FORUM -- March 2012 to February 2022READ ONLY FORUM
This is the second Archived Forum which was active between 1st March 2012 and 23rd February 2022
Re the Standby button for each product - yes, i've suggested this before.
I'd love a toggle button on the Homepage besides each product / somewhere on the products' row (either on the image or in the descriptor half of the row).
My idea was that the toggle could alternate between standby / wake product to last active source.
If people dont like that, then i'd go back to a suggestion i made last week
- a standby button for each product (1) and
- the 3 dots (source selector menu) (2)
There is plenty of space for both.
There was also the suggestion for a volume slider (3) on the Homepage - either for each product, or for the black Now Playing bar at the bottom.
So 3 additions to the Homepage - all visually very minor.
Champagne all round if we can get these! (or 2 of the 3)
Sandyb:Ha! You're both going to shoot me, but i wasn't a fan of the wood image.
BS Moment, BS Core, BG 4002, BC 4500, BS1, BL18, BL19, BL8000 + RCV1, A6, M5, M3, A1, P6 (tks Botty), H5, TR1
Ha!
The interface is not colourful, that much i certainly agree!
I'll sacrifice colour for a volume slider, standby button, and 3 dot source selector - all on the Homepage.
Millemissen:1: was already mentioned a few times - would a Standby button for each product be possible ?B: or on the actual Now Playing screen (though I have no idea where in order to keep the current visual design).
BeoNut since '75
mbee”s proposal looks actually designed, unlike the current B&O 1.9 beta. I bet there are only developers and not one single designer working on the app. At least not a professional one.
Sandyb: Re the Standby button for each product - yes, i've suggested this before. I'd love a toggle button on the Homepage besides each product / somewhere on the products' row (either on the image or in the descriptor half of the row). My idea was that the toggle could alternate between standby / wake product to last active source. If people dont like that, then i'd go back to a suggestion i made last week - a standby button for each product (1) and - the 3 dots (source selector menu) (2) There is plenty of space for both. There was also the suggestion for a volume slider (3) on the Homepage - either for each product, or for the black Now Playing bar at the bottom. So 3 additions to the Homepage - all visually very minor. Champagne all round if we can get these! (or 2 of the 3)
So, no champagne for me - I am only for the standby button addition to the home screen.
IMO the homescreen should stay the place where you pick/start a product....or end it (the missing individual standby button) - nothing more.
Everything else is best done in the now playing screen. The ‘link page’ should however slide up (not from the side) like the other actions, when you push the button
The now playing screen is definitely the center piece of the app!
I would even consider the opportunity of swiping through the now playing screens of the active products, if more than one....
....but would like to see how that feels on a daily basis, before giving a thumbsup.
MM
There is a tv - and there is a BV
elephant: Force touch the pause (||) like prolonged press on physical buttons which turns the pause into a standby ... would work on an iDevice ... do Androids support the Force ? (Sorry, I couldn’t resist)
Force touch the pause (||) like prolonged press on physical buttons which turns the pause into a standby ... would work on an iDevice ... do Androids support the Force ? (Sorry, I couldn’t resist)
I am sure you mean ‘on some iDevices’ - there is no force touch on my iPad Air 2!
agreed, i love the idea of using force touch, and did suggest it earlier on.
But it only works on iPhones (newish), so probably doesnt make sense.
The problem is that usability is the main metric.
When i open the app, it then takes me 4 clicks to, for example, switch on my BV to watch cable TV. That's just too many clicks.
The Now Playing screen for me is not the centrepiece really - (a) it looks strange (b) it shows little by way of image, maybe an album cover, but with video it shows nothing.
I usually keep the app on the Homepage - it looks nicer and more consistent, and i am switching various products on and off. Adding a touch of usability to it makes perfect sense, and will suit some users i suspect.
Anyway, too many clicks at the moment.
Muting / volume adjusting from the homepage is a no brainer, and given the space / spare screen real estate, adding a couple of things mentioned earlier should be non-controversial. Doesnt stop anyone still using the Now Playing screen.
The Now Playing screen needs to be the same colour as the other app pages.
Millemissen:I am sure you mean ‘ on some iDevices ’ - there is no force touch on my iPad Air 2! MM There is a tv - and there is a BV.
Indeed, i think we're all in agreement on that one.
Thomas has replied saying that he agrees, and it will be fixed.
How, i dont know.
He's made reference to the tiles / rows sizing themselves according to how many you have - they'll fit themselves to the screen size.
He's also made reference to the Homepage being designed with the portrait alignment in mind.
The current beta looks ok / more usable on an iPhone.
Sandyb: The problem is that usability is the main metric. When i open the app, it then takes me 4 clicks to, for example, switch on my BV to watch cable TV. That's just too many clicks. The Now Playing screen for me is not the centrepiece really - (a) it looks strange (b) it shows little by way of image, maybe an album cover, but with video it shows nothing. I usually keep the app on the Homepage - it looks nicer and more consistent, and i am switching various products on and off. Adding a touch of usability to it makes perfect sense, and will suit some users i suspect. Anyway, too many clicks at the moment. Muting / volume adjusting from the homepage is a no brainer, and given the space / spare screen real estate, adding a couple of things mentioned earlier should be non-controversial. Doesnt stop anyone still using the Now Playing screen. The Now Playing screen needs to be the same colour as the other app pages.
Different user cases/habits - and therefore hard to discuss.
To ‘switch on my BV to watch cable TV‘ I just need one click....on my beoremote !!!
This app wasn’t and still is not made to control the BV’s - it is primarily an audio app (which includes the audio being played back from a BV).
This might change, but we are by far not there.
To me the ‘now playing screen’ is essential, because it shows what is playing, what I am listening to - and listening is essential to me.
Managing products is necessary, but that is what you (read: I) do in order to get to listening to the music, and seeing what is played back ——- radio station, coverpics, title info... That is the reason for keeping all controls on that page.
Of course, every has different common use cases.
As for using the Beoremote, i won't dignify that comment.
I don't think the Now Playing screen is going anywhere, so i wouldn't worry about that.
The app was supposed to fold in the functionality of the separate Setup, Music, Remote apps.
There have been suggestions to fold in a lot of the apps current functionality onto the Home Page - even going so far as to remove the Multiroom page. I don't have a strong view on that, as there is always the danger over too much clutter and crowding.
But at present, to something very basic like switch on my BV to cable TV takes 4 clicks - its annoying, and doesnt need to be this way. Even changing volume, too many clicks.
You may keep the app open on the Now Playing screen - others may not, and keep the app open on the HomePage. There are valid reasons for both.
Adding a volume slider, 3 dot source selector, and on/off switch are so small - would be useful, and should not be controversial.
You can have both, so you won't lose any controls on the Now Playing screen.
I have zero expectation that these minor suggestions will be incorporated though.
Speaking of ‘controlling a BV’ with the Bang & Olufsen app, the only two things I miss there for the moment, are
1: the opportunity to change Speaker Groups, when I play back (join in on) an audio source on my BV.
2: (as mentioned before) a seperate ‘Tap to Join’ button in the source list of the BV’s.
I seldom do it - but if I want to app-control my BV’s, I use the Beo Remote app.
It might be on the roadmap to merge this into the Bang & Olufsen app at some point - I guess, that we are far from that.
Maybe Thomas could say something about this?
Just got home and notice that I can not use the B&O app anymore on my Android and tablet devices. It's f**ked up.
I can only activate the Beosound Moment when switching to the now playing window and pushing the button with the 3 dots, choosing Tunein or other sources. When it starts playing there is no command send from the arrows left or right to choose another station.
On deezer DLNA , no covers...
Very well done B&O it is really going forward in an opposite direction!
"Believe nothing you read and only half of what you see, let your ears tell you the truth."
Not just Android - i have the same issue with my iOS devices and the Moment.
You can see earlier in this thread i have raised this issue with Thomas.
How is your Moment integrated? Directly with speakers or through a BV / TV?
My Moment uses the speakers connected to my BV12-65/BS4 setup.
The app was ok with the Moment in this setup in previous builds / versions - now i have exactly the same issue as you.
From what Thomas said when this new beta was launched, quite a bit changed in the background - i dont know what exactly.
Something has happened to break the app and the Moment. I think it is dependent on how the Moment is integrated, as there are some on the new beta who dont have our problems with their Moment.
Sandyb: Not just Android - i have the same issue with my iOS devices and the Moment. You can see earlier in this thread i have raised this issue with Thomas. How is your Moment integrated? Directly with speakers or through a BV / TV? My Moment uses the speakers connected to my BV12-65/BS4 setup. The app was ok with the Moment in this setup in previous builds / versions - now i have exactly the same issue as you. From what Thomas said when this new beta was launched, quite a bit changed in the background - i dont know what exactly. Something has happened to break the app and the Moment. I think it is dependent on how the Moment is integrated, as there are some on the new beta who dont have our problems with their Moment.
Same as you Sandyb, Integrated with a V1 television and using the connected speakers on the tv.
Wrote out a message to Beocare from the app, and hopefully Thomas is reading the forum also.
Updated the app this morning to 1.9.0.13700 and no change... Activation can only be done thru the button with the 3 dots for selecting a source, the next that is workable is the volume wheel and standby button on the app. Nice... I'm having three functions!
Was looking forward to the new app, because there is a shuffle button integrated now. I'm really done with B&O, the never ending story repeats itself after years of testing and all kind of problems with the Moment. Now the Moment is finally workable and the next thing they do is making it end of life...
It seems the only advice I can give to B&O to stay in the market is the following: Buy TV's and soundgear from a decent constructor who has knowledge of software and stick the B&O logo on it. (B&O lover/customer, decades long now)
I did write the same to Thomas.
The ‘old’ design was nice, if you use one of your products as your main product....and want it to be seen bigger.
A version with the improvements from the ‘new’ design would be interesting (active product being ‘grey’, friendly naming of the product)
Beofan with current setup Beovison Eclipse 55, Beosound 35, Beolab 6000, Beolab 11, Beoplay A9 Mk4, Beoplay E6
Beofan67:I understand the beta version of this app is for developers and vollunteerd test users only? So how come It is now on my ipad and I am forced to use only this one? Is it such a mess at b&o
You have the version 1.9.0 - which was released yesterday for the public.
This already includes the newer layout of the Home-/Product page.
The beta testers have later versions - I am on 1.9.13699.
Oh gods. The new version hurts my eyes! the BeoLink Converters looks like they're curved and bent. Too much scrolling. Horrible.
I want to have faith in B&O, but I'm so very quickly losing it. Is there no one qualified with design and ergonomics on your team?!
I wonder why they released the 1.9.0 - when we are in the midst of testing how the Home/Product page should look.
Thomas, please explain!
Millemissen: I wonder why they released the 1.9.0 - when we are in the midst of testing how the Home/Product page should look. Thomas, please explain! MM
New software development strategy. B&O tell customers what they want. BeoWorld tell B&O how to make it work. B&O take it under advisement. Makes sense to me.
BeoVision Eclipse 55”, Beolab 18s, Beolab 19s, Beosound 1, Beoplay P2, H3, BeoRemote One IR, BeoRemote One BT, Beoplay S8, Beosound Essence MkII, BeoTime
poodleboy:New software development strategy. B&O tell customers what they want. BeoWorld tell B&O how to make it work. B&O take it under advisement. Makes sense to me.
That made me laugh... Priceless thinking!
I Can't add songs/playlists from Deezer in my que list on the app. When I try to do this, I got a message, saying that it was not possible to add the playlist in the que list. Have my Moment connected with the Horizon and all speakers connected to the Horizon. Think the problem is somewhere in the app, because it was working quite well in the past.
Chris Hassell:The new home page layout isn’t great! I have to scroll and dint have to before. The icons are MASSIVE!!!
I suppose, that they are working on that.
We’ll probably see several different beta versions - and even a different iPad version, since they appear different on different screen sizes.
I agree, far too big icons, especially on a phone!.
Another problem with DLNA playback: after a while, the artwork disappear from the screen and is replaced by the icon of the product with the message "Playing from Music".
The artwork is shown briefly before the change to the next song whose artwork is shown for a while… and the cycle continues.
I'm using a Core and a QNAP NAS with Twonky 8.5.
The problem is the same with the QNAP built-in DLNA server.
Is it the same for you?
Yann.
Living Room BV Eclipse - BS Core - BL5 - BL8000 - LC2 x2 - Beo6
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Bedroom BV9 - BL6000 (Thks Botty) - Beotime - LC2 - Beo5
Garden Lounge BC9000 - BG 6006 - BL4500 (Thks Botty) - Playmaker - Beolink 1000
Study BS1 - ML/NL Converter - BL2500 - Beo4 - Form 2 (Tks Botty) - Beoplay P2
YannChris:Is it the same for you?
Yes, same behavior here.
I would add that if you open the app while a track is being played, you don't see the album cover but the product icon and the "Playing from music" message up to the next track where the cover is displayed ... until it disappears as per the described scenario.
This version is a complete disaster to be honest, on all fronts
Millemissen: Speaking of ‘controlling a BV’ with the Bang & Olufsen app, the only two things I miss there for the moment, are 1: the opportunity to change Speaker Groups, when I play back (join in on) an audio source on my BV. 2: (as mentioned before) a seperate ‘Tap to Join’ button in the source list of the BV’s.
Should have been there on the get-go. It’s getting on my nerves that these features are missing.
KMA
B&O product history since 1991: Ridiculously long to list in a signature.
This is an excellent suggestion!